Tag Archives: computer

A monitor dilemma

With no actual updates to update on, and a little guilt that nothing was updated in the prior weeks, I do have one little event that almost set me back again once more. Or at least potentially so.

Some friends of mine had convinced me to Guild Wars 2, which is an MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online), if you’ve never heard of it. Originally, I’d borrowed the installation files and set everything up at home, eagerly awaiting a chance to get into a Virutal World once more like I once had many years ago.
My previous MMO had been Perfect World International, and the beautiful environments and interesting narratives and characters had always been inspiring, as well as a opportunity to escape for a bit and socialise with some international or outer state friends in a gaming environment. GW2, from what I’ve seen and been told, is even more so enhanced on those features, and aside from chances to catch up with old friends, the detail and dedication the artist put into the creation of the word is quite remarkable. So I’m hoping it’ll boost my ideas for my own projects.

But back to the point of the story; after installing, it turned out there was a 12gb Download it needed to do with patches and features. My internet is both slow, and almost capped, so I’d taken my computer back to my friends to receive the straight up files, and if the game didn’t run. She has Unlimited internet to use to download it.

I’ll skip the happy dance and other stuff; since it worked and get to the topic. Upon departing and carting my equipment back to my car, my monitor slipped from my grip and hit the ground. Fortuantly, I’ve always transported it with a piece of the orignal foam casing over the top of the screen, and this saved it from being broken completely. But the bottom of the rame has either moved out of the place, or, the screen has shifted and is now titled backwards a bit from the bottom.

So here’s my dilema. Even though it still functions fine, it’s not in its proper place. There’s a good chance the dust floating in from the dirt road I live on will eventually get in the exposed opening and damage the circuitry.
I’m thinking since the monitor came free with my computer since it was during a sale, that I can take it apart without fear of voiding any warranty. Or I could take it to a technician to do it, which I’d think would only set me back $50 at most. Still a lot less than a new monitor.

I haven’t asked a question for any reasons in a while, but what exactly are the estimates on getting a monitor fixed? So I don’t go get myself ripped off. 😛
Otherwise, I may crumble to my urge to pull the screen apart myself ‘examine’ the interior like I did my laptop when it ceased working.

On another note, I’ve been doing a bit of a commission for a friend lately, who I’d hoped after composing the final mock-up, I’d be able to contact and get his opinion before I started matte painting over it. But seeing as I have to be able to contact him, I’ll just have to go ahead with it.
I aim to finish before the end of the week, and will link the finished product up here. I’m still a bit rusty with my Wacom tablet, but after some playing around every now and then, I’ve slowly started to regain my knack for it.

Till next time, don’t let the Morning Monday’s get ya down. 😉


A momentary return!

*POOOOFF!!*
That was the sound of me appearing through a cloud of smoke wearing a ninja costume! Because I am apparently like the wind and can do awesome ninja stuff like that.

I’ve stolen away the computer at a friends in order to drop by onto here while I hurriedly check the accumulation of emails from around four weeks! But I didn’t just slip onto here to describe myself being a ninja, I slipped along in order to announce that the previous delay for when I can get a new computer is a lot closer than originally thought! It’s just a simple matter of saving up the last few hundred, then getting together some brain trust to find parts to build a new computer! Preferably something that can render out in 1920×1080 HD 3d models with lots of lovely delicious details on it, and 3d modelling is a definant to return to! Especially since I keep getting notifications about people subscribing to the Studio Wisp Youtube page, in which I am certain are mostly there for the 3d Tutorials that were put on Hiatus when my laptop lost the ability to do anything involving OpenGL.

I have other great news though! When I was getting information extracted from my laptop, things were taking a WHOLE lot longer than expected. Turns out the drive had seriously done itself over. Only a few tiny scraps actually made it over from Drive C, nothing really useful. But to my great relief, Drive D, though slow, did eventually transfer its files over, and Drive D is exactly where the Project Files are stored, namely Legends from Thyilos, which means as soon as I can get a new computer that project will be right back on the go. A Beta 6.2, meant to have gone out literally the day after my laptop died, will be finished and uploaded as soon as possible in order to take care of the bugs I knew about, and some bugs others have come across.

On he topic of game projects, the LF team might be announcing another little project soon too. I might have mentioned it already here, or perhaps just on the Dev team site. But it’s seen some progress, and though we may not yet be able to start on its actually development, there could be some little illustrations to get the juices going in anticipation for its call to go!

I think that’s all the news I have. The house, since the floods last November, is finally being put back together. The flooring in the lounge-room and kitchen is first, then the hallway and bedrooms. Once they’re in, the new furniture can come in, and if I’m really lucky, the computer will follow shortly after. It feels good to know the house will be back to normal. The winter mornings have been quite chilly, and having no curtains or carpet has rendered the heaters a little useless as the house can’t hold much heat.

Ah, one other thing before I disappear again. I’ll be helping out a friend with a short film he’s doing for his Uni course. I’ll be playing the role of an Ice Mage! Should be good fun. If he does happen to upload the film at some point in the future, I’ll be sure to link it up. He’s going to be some tasty VFX and from our conspiring last night when he showed me the script, some crafty cinematography too. It’d be interesting to see if any of those tricks are picked up on.

That’s all for now, I must be off! Up, UP, AND AWAAAYY!!! (yes, ninja;s can fly now)

~Shea 😛


Showreel and stuff

With more work out of the way now, I’m putting together my own showreel, which is both a requirement as part of the course, and something I figure I may as well do. Though I plan on highlighting on 7 of my better works, and since an earlier assignment “Class of 2011” got scrapped, I’ve taken my puzzle cube and will be using those pieces to highlight my work, instead of one piece for each person in the class.

In other updates; Our character artist has done some revamps of two characters in Tales of Thyilos. Jaden and Linda now look cooler, and they’ve been sent to our Pixel Artist, who is collaborating with our character (and monster) design artist by colouring in his work.
I’ll be uploading them for show when they’re finished.
Meanwhile I discuss the game, the deadline I’d set for releasing a BETA Demo to the public in December has been pushed to January. It’s the same unfortunate mess of too many other things getting in the way of work. I’d prefer not to push it, but I’d hate even more to release a poor Demo for people to try.

In other news… there’s two weeks of TAFE left. Everything must be done to a submittable standard, though we do keep getting told “it’s not whether you completely finish it, its the processes you put in the making.” So as long as I have plenty of concept art and such to show for the work I don’t finish, I can pass.
This also means I’ll upload a bunch of work to my page Youtube, and a couple will also be in StudioWisp’s youtube.

Finally, I still can’t do any tutorials, as though I’ve managed to solve some of the video/graphical issues I’m having on my basic desktop and folder, etc, by swtiching a Windows Basic Theme, it continues to glitch when an application runs, such as Lightwave, Photoshop, Firefox, etc.
Until this is fixed, I can’t do more tutorials, unless people really want to watch something the screen jumping about and warping.

Will post some more news when I next have videos to upload! Until then, will work frantically.

~Shea