AAA Combat

Use left and right arrows to move and space bar to shoot.
High Score and exit button are not yet active.

AAA Combat

Sounds for game

I recorded 2 sounds for my game:

1. The first was the diesel engine of my Holden Rodeo. I used this as the movement sound for the player in my game which is a tank. I recorded it using the Zoom H4 and edited it with Soundbooth.
2. The second was an original recording of mine featuring Quentin Freeman on lead guitar (all other instruments played by myself). I recorded it using my Boss BR1600CD multitrack digital recorder and edited it also with Soundbooth.

The other sounds used in my game are the 3 burst shot from machine gun used for the shooting sound and the explosion they were both downloaded from http://www.soundbible.com and editied using Soundbooth.

Audio Research

·         mp3

o   Developed by Moving Pictures Experts Group and released in 1993 as MPEG-1 Audio Layer III and in 1995 as MPEG-2 Audio Layer III and now commonly referred to as mp3 because of the .mp3 extension.

o   A digital audio encoding format using lossy compression algorithms designed to greatly reduce the size of digital audio files with minimal loss of quality by reducing the accuracy of certain parts of the sound that are out of the normal range of human hearing.

·         Wave

o   Waveform Audio File Format is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing audio on PCs. It uses the RIFF bitstream format method for storing data in "chunks".

o   Wave files can be compressed, but are generally uncompressed.

o   Lossless

o   Use the .wav extension.

·         AIFF

o   Audio Interchange File Format was co-developed by Apple in 1988 using the Electronic Arts Interchange File Format (IFF) used by the Commodore Amiga.

o   Audio data is stored uncompressed using Pulse Code Modulation (PCM). Compression codecs are available.

o   Lossless

o   Uses the .aiff or .aif extension or .aifc for compressed files.

·         Logic Studio

o   A music production suite by Apple first released in 2007 consisting of the following products:

§  Logic Pro – Audio workstation 32/64 bit with MIDI

§  MainStage – Virtual Instrument Manager (MIDI)

§  Soundtrack Pro – Music composing and audio editing app. (Multi-track)

§  WaveBurner – Mastering and CD burning

§  Compressor - Video and audio media compression app.

§  Impulse Response Utility – Create custom convolution reverbs

§  Apple Loops Utility - Create loops of audio that can be time-stretched

§  QuickTime Pro – Media Player

§  Studio Instruments

§  Studio Effects

·         Pro Tools

o   A digital audio workstation platform for Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology.

o   Supports 24-bit audio at sample rates of up to 192 kHz, and can handle WAV, AIFF, mp3, SDII audio files and QuickTime video files.

o   In 1984 Avid released Sound Designer and then Sound Tools in 1989. The first version of Pro Tools was launched in 1991 with 4 tracks. By 1997 the 24 bit 48 track version was released. The latest version Pro Tools 10 was just released on 21/10/2011.

Assessment Part B - Produce a series of images on a theme.

Theme: Work and Home -  I aim to produce a series of photos showing the difference between peoples work lives and home lives. I will take three sets of two photos one showing the person at work and the other at home

Game design ideas

My game idea is to make an arcade style shooter where you play a tank which can move horizontally and shoot up at planes which fly back and forth at random height and speed dropping bombs at you. Points are scored for shooting planes.

If I have time I will add some more features such as:

• Power ups
• Faster shooting - allows you to shoot more quickly
• Multiple shots - each shot shoots a 3 shot burst
• Smart bomb - kills everything on the screen
• Invulnerability - you cannot die for a short period of time
• Advanced enemies
• Heavy bomber - drops multiple bombs
• Paratroopers - float slowly to the ground and kill you if they make it
• Kamikazi - flys fast at your tank and kills if it hits
• Boss - takes multiple hits and shoots homing missiles

Game Review

Carrot Track

Description:
Rabbit moves vertically along a track of carrots and dangerous dogs are running back and forth horizontally at random speeds.  Special items are also collected along the way.

Objective:
Avoid the dogs by leashing them and pulling them either back or forward with the mouse.

Game Play:
Simple controls click and drag with the mouse. Not much to do in this game it gets repetitive and a bit boring after a while.

Difficulty:
Easy - good for young children to improve click and drag mouse skills

Rating:
5 /10

6 photo story - practice



This is a practice shoot for my 6 photo story. 

Wayne walking

Emotions

Anger

Cheekiness

Contemplation

Happiness

Sadness

Spontenaity

Surprise

Wayne takes his first steps

Not perfect yet.... but wayne is walking!

Character Wayne walk sequence stills

Character in 3 different poses

Step 4 - Create different poses the character will be in while walking.

Coloured Character

Step 3 - Add some colour.

Digitise Character

Step 2 - Using Illustrator digitise the sketch.

Character Creation - Sketch

Step 1 - Sketch a character for a walk sequence. This is wayne he drags his right leg when he walks.





Shallow depth of field (My Photos)

Here is an exmple of some photos I have taken that show a shallow depth of field.

 

Shallow Depth of Field (Internet Examples)

Below are some images gathered from the internet as examples of a shallow depth of field.

Be Green - Flash Interface Functional

Photoshop masking

Billboard Design - Food additives.

Panadol Pitch - Digital - Final

Interface final concept

Interface Feedback

1. Add a slogan.
2. Add simple animations.
3. Make clickable items standout.

Liquify

iPad Research

1.       In your opinion how important is it for mobile applications and devices to both look good and function properly? Comment on both the attractiveness of the software and the hardware.

It is equally important for mobile devices and apps to look good and function properly. If the device or app doesn’t look good then no one will buy it, because mobile devices are just as much a fashion accessory as they are functional tools. Having said that if the device looks good, but isn’t easy to use and able to perform functionally as well as its competitors then sales will also suffer in the long term.

2.       Who designed the iPad? Was it an individual or team? In your opinion, do people use this device because it looks good or because it functions well? Or does it do both?

Jonathan "Jony" Ive, CBE, Senior Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple Inc. is the principal designer of the iPad. I’m sure he had help from the rest of the Apple Design Team, but doesn’t mind taking full credit for its design.

In my opinion people use it because it is new technology. The combination of a touch screen interface and core animation makes it seem like something from the future.  So it’s a combination of how it looks and how it works that gives the user a feeling that they are living or working in a future world. Even the name iPad is a play on the ‘PADD’ a futuristic handheld computer from star trek.

3.       How has the iPad changed the way some businesses function? Can you find examples of where businesses have implemented the iPad into their day-to-day activities?

I think the 10 hour battery life is a big plus for business use. Combined with the ultra-portable design you can walk around all day freely with your iPad and conduct business with all your data and apps literally at your finger tips.

I found this example of how the iPad is being used in business on Wikipedia:

 “During the 2010 Major League Baseball free agent season, the agent for the player Carl Crawford was sending iPads to prospective teams interested in Mr. Crawford. These iPads were pre-loaded with video clips highlighting his player, and how it would benefit their team to have him.”

4.       Overall, what other major flaws of this type of technology? Can you think of anyways in the future that this hardware will be improved to the point where it will compete with desktop and laptop computers?

Here is a list of flaws and possible future improvements to the iPad:

·         Phone

·         4G

·         Multi-tasking

·         Faster processor

·         USB

·         Card reader

·         Flash support

·         Keyboard input

5.       How do you think the iPad could help your day-to-day workflow? Are the answers straightforward? Is it more a case of combining this technology with others that already exist?

I can see the iPad being useful for presentations and meeting with clients. In combination with a fully functional desktop or laptop computer where more processing power and multitasking is required it could be a useful portable information tool.

6.       Consider the following–has the iPad shaped the way we do business? Or has business and technology shaped the way Apple developed the iPad?

I think the iPad is changing the way business can be conducted, but I am not sure that everyone will take to this new technology

7.       Is the iPad and tablets in general a passing fad? Or do you think this type of technology is here to stay long-term?

It’s hard to say whether the iPad will last I think it depends on what other companies develop over the next few years. The iPad will only be popular while it is seen as a new, futuristic technology. Iif Apple fails to continue to improve the technology then another device which offers something newer and more ground breaking can easily take over.

8.       Conduct a discussion with the whole class and determine based on the general consensus the pros and cons of tablet-based technology.

Pros:

·         Battery Life

·         Portable

·         Easy to use

·         Looks good

·         Light weight

Cons:

·         Compatibility

·         Performance

·         Multi-tasking

·         Fragile

9.       Many people say that the iPad is an unnecessary piece of hardware caught in limbo between a laptop and mobile phone. Do you think this consensus is accurate. Do you think that your answer could be different in five years time?

I don’t think that it is unnecessary. I believe it is a digital Clipboard/Visual Diary/Portfolio not a standalone computer. It provides a level of convenience which is expected in today’s society. The iPad/Tablet design is unique in the way in which it allows the user to present information in an interactive and direct.

The technological advancements over the next 5 years will determine the fate of the iPad. If Apple can continue to improve the design to meet the need of the consumer then it will continue to be successful, but if another device enters the market which captures the consumers imagination it could fall by the wayside.

Billboard Advertisement Design Brief

Topic: People in industrialised countries eat between six and seven kilograms of food additives every year.

Client: Organic food producer

Target: Social Awareness

Ideas:

·         Man biting into burger full of toxic waste

·         Plate full of industrial chemicals

·         Cereal box with catchy, but disturbing catch phrase – Chemi Pops, Nutri-gene, Clone Flakes

·         Soft drink can with toxic waste symbol

·         Dinner setting made of laboratory apparatus – beakers for glasses,

Related Websites:

·         http://middlepath.com.au/qol/chronic_fatigue_motivation_tiredness_lethargy.php

·         http://www.deliahealth.com/health-tips/2011/02/nasty-food-additives-worst/

·         http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/article/food_additives

Layout Exercise

Weight Loss Program

Fitness First

At fitness first we put fitness first. No more diets or counting calories. Our highly trained professional fitness instructors will design a fitness plan for you. Exercise your right to a happy, healthy body. Turn your body into a fat burning machine with a metabolic makeover. Learn how you can eat more and lose weight from our professional nutritionists. Don’t just lose weight gain life.

How it works

By following your personalised fitness plan you can turn up your metabolism making your body burn more fuel. Imagine your body is a fire, the more wood or ‘fuel’ you burn the hotter the fire gets and the more fuel it takes to keep it burning. Now think of food as fuel for your body, the more you exercise the more fuel you burn. So by exercising regularly you can keep your body burning more fuel, burning off fat and allowing you to eat more.

ARTC website - Body Text

STEP UP TO THE CHALLENGE

From the first step on to the bus until the day you march out from the Army Recruit Training Centre (ARTC) at Kapooka, as a soldier in the Australian Army, you will be challenged. It is a life changing experience which requires courage, commitment, physical fitness and mental toughness.

Do you possess these rare qualities?

If so then choosing a career in the Army could be the best decision you ever make. In the Army opportunities are endless and the sky is the limit so set your sights high and aim to succeed. The training you receive at ARTC will be intense and you will be pushed to the limit both physically and mentally, but by the end you will be prepared to take on any challenge as a highly professional and well trained soldier in the Australian Army. A career in the Army isn’t just a job it’s a lifestyle and no matter what job you choose you will be a soldier first.

For more Information…

Visit the preparation page or watch some videos of recruits in training to see what it is really like. Good luck and step up the challenge!

ARTC website - Critique questions

1.    Does the copy get to the point quickly?

It doesn’t grab my attention and it’s a bit negative.

2.    Is the copy shy about the offer or incentive?

It doesn’t give a lot of information about what to expect or what you are going to get out of a job in the Army.

3.    Is it easy to respond to?

No, there is no way of responding, such as a “Join Now” button.

4.    Does the copy overcome every objection to replying, leaving the reader with no choice but to act?

No, it’s almost like they are trying to talk you out of joining.

5.    Does the copy use simple words?

Most of the copy is simple to read although it doesn’t explain what Kapooka  or ARTC is.

6.    Does the copy use active language (does it address the site visitor as ‘you’)?

Yes, but it’s not very personal.

7.    Is the copy broken down into simple sections and bullet points?

Yes, it is a simple introduction, body and conclusion. The body could have been broken down into a few key points.

ARTC website alternative headings

Brainstorming

1.    Your career in the army

2.    The army – your career

3.    Is an army career for you

4.    Your career as a soldier in the Australian Army

5.    The Australian army wants you

6.    The Army – more than a career

7.    The Army – it’s an adventure

8.    Make great mates in the Army

9.    Be part of the team

10. Live life on the front lines

11. Step up to the challenge

12. Challenge yourself

13. Walk tall

14. The best job in the world

15. Becoming a soldier

16. No need to be civil when you’re a soldier

17. Australian soldiers walk tall

18. Earn the respect of the world

19. The Australian army – a world class career

20. Earn world wide respect as a soldier in the Australian army

21. Take on the world in the army

Short list

1.    Is an army career for you

2.    Step up to the challenge

3.    The Army – more than a career

4.    Live life on the front lines

5.    Be part of the team

Pen Tool Practice - Mickey Mouse

Mickey took a lot longer than Stewie as each line had to be drawn as a shape. Although it took much longer to illustrate I think the difference in thickness of the lines give more life to the character. I now have a much better understanding of the difference in quality and time taken to illustrate traditional hand drawn 'Disney' cartoon characters and digitally illustrated 'Family Guy' characters.