Research made easy with Wikipedia

I have always been a curious person, learning about many different things. However sometimes I’m not sure where to look to find the answers to my questions. In the past I would use google and then search through the thousands of websites trying to find the answers I was seeking. Well that was before I found Wikipedia. Some of you out there probably already know about Wikipedia and what a great research tool it is, but some of you probably have never heard of it, or used it.

Basically Wikipedia is on online encyclopedia, written and maintained by users of the site. The end result is a collection of knowledge spanning almost every topic that is reviewed and edited by thousands of people. I’ve researched software, music, people, just about anything, you name it, and it’s probably there. Articles are linked to one another so if you are looking a particular topic that references another topic you can go directly to the referencing topic. This is pretty useful, since sometimes the answer to one question leads to another question. Sometimes, I spend hours bouncing from one article to another; it can become additive search for knowledge. Most of the time the information is accurate, but sometimes it can be off a bit so it’s a good idea to double check some of the facts, if you plan on using the site for something other than personl knowledge, i.e. homework. Listed below most of the articles are links to related websites, which make double checking the facts a bit easier.

At one time I would spend hours doing google searches when I had to do research but now I go right to Wikipedia first and most of the time I have my answer within minutes. So if your have something you need to research or if your kid has a homework assignment due check out Wikipedia.

3D animation on a parent's budget

As a kid I was always fascinated with animation, and like most kids I wanted to give it a try. So now that I’m a Dad I also want to be supportive of my kids as they become interested in something new. Today I’m going to talk about a great open source 3D animation software program and the best part is it’s free. A few years ago I became interested in 3D animation, and that’s when I discovered a program called Blender. Blender is an open source software project made for a variety of computer platforms including Windows, Macs, and Linux. The minimum system requirements are pretty small to use blender, you’re going to need a 300 MHz CPU, 128 MB Ram, 20 MB of free hard drive space, a graphics card with 8 MB of Ram, and a three button mouse. Basically if you have a computer that is less than 5 years old you can probably use Blender with out any problems, so you don’t need the latest and greatest PC to have some fun learning 3D animation. The best part about Blender is its free, now that’s something all parents can appreciate. You can download Blender at http://www.blender.org/.

Now before you start thinking this is some watered down version, its not, this is a professional level 3D modeling and animation software package. Just look at the gallery and testimonials on Blender’s website. According to one of the testimonials, this software was used to do some of the test animation for Spider-man 2. Additionally there is a great short film done using Blender call “Elephants Dream”, this feature is free to download, and really highlights what can be accomplished with this software.The art of 3D animation is a slow building process. So don’t expect to make the next Pixar movie right away. Keep it simple at first, stick figures are great, and remember it’s the basics you want to learn first. Theirs lots of tutorials available on Blender’s website for the noobs (beginners) to the pros. Don’t be afraid to read through some of the tutorials, they’ll make the process a lot easier. So now if your kids say they would like to try 3D animation you’ll know right where to start.

I would also like to mention another free 3D modeling/animation software program. It’s called Anim8or, and can be found at http://www.anim8or.com/. This program doesn’t have all the features that Blender does and it’s a bit of a “work in progress”, so expect a few bugs, but I think this is a bit easier to use when you’re first starting. The reason I didn’t do a full write up on Anim8or is because it’s only for windows.