XML

Two posts in one day?  Whoa man.
I am starting work on my XML project for that Actionscript class.  Sean helped give me some direction.  I am going to try to tie it in with my major project.

I will be making a map of the zoo.  When you click on points on the map you will see some information on the animal that resides at that particular spot.

Zoo Meeting

I went to back to the Dublin Zoo today to meet with Una Smyth, education officer at the Dublin Zoo.

We talked about the educational programs they run there with younger and older students.  I was impressed how extensively they work with 2nd and 3rd level students.

She let me know that they are in the process of redesigning their website.  They have a gal who is working on it, so i could probably get in touch with her if necessary.

Una also seemed very interested in the idea of incorporating my project into their website in the future if it turns out well.  This is something that had crossed my mind, but i thought it to presumptuous to bring up.  So hopefully it will turn out somewhere between good and great and I can get it thrown up as a bonus feature on the new Dublin Zoo website.

I asked if there was an image bank that I could make use of if I needed and indeed there is and I could.

I asked a few questions about this and that and found out the following.
Among the favorite features of young visitors are the big animals and the reptile house.  School groups very much enjoy when they get to see the Keepers feeding the animals and talking to them.
She would like to see something interactive and fun that promotes their message of conservation.

I also got a big ol' folder of worksheets, program guides, posters and news letters.  Wow!

Return to the zoo

I have been in contact with Dublin Zoo's education officer Una Smyth and will be meeting with her after school on Monday.  I want to talk to her about the zoo's educational programmes and goals.  I might be able to get some ideas for my site and develop an idea of ways to connect to the audiance.

I also have a new idea for the visual style of the website, I am going to do some little practice runs with it this weekend and see if it is feasable.  If I still like the idea i'll fill you in on the details.

Some Changes + Dublin Zoo!

So there were a number of things I was stuck on with my project.  Just, a few too many things that I could image, but have no idea how I would actually accomplish.  It was not very focused.  So I had some thinkin about it this weekend and went to the Dublin Zoo for some inspiration.
It was a grand ol' trip and the weather even stayed nice!
So here is the new plan (and I still need to iron out many things).  I will build a website as if I was doing a job for a zoo.  The site is to promote their new meerkat exibit.  These meerkats are new to the zoo and so they want to visit the different animals through the use of their underground tunnels.  Visitors to the website will follow the meerkats along on the adventure.  They will also play some games and maybe plan their own trip to the zoo.
Nothing has really changed too much from my original proposal, but in my head things are organized in a different way.
I still plan on keeping the social element to the website if possible but things will not completely be based upon this.
Additionally, my original research into animation was a mild slap to the face.  My original aspirations of pretty much having a full motion cartoon are scrapped, and rightly so.  I found there are major limitations not only what I can do, but what Flash animation is really capable of.  Most animation really is just a series of shortcuts to give the impression or illusion of movement and action.  I am not going to kid myself that I will be making a little cartoon.  I still intend on having nice animated moments, and I have a few little ideas, but they will have to be a Mike and Flash friendly kind of animation.
In terms of using Flash and actionscript I have to be careful.  I am decent in using Flash timelines, but actionscript is an ongoing challenge for me.  When I plan things out I think I will use what we have learned in class as a jumping off point.  That way I will be basing things in reality rather than coming up with ideas then finding out there is no way I can make it happen.

Here is a webpage that will give you (I think I am the only person who actually reads this anyway) an idea of what I am thinking.  Mine will just be far more awesome (at least it better be).
http://www.miamimetrozoo.com/map2.htm


uhg, I was goona post images but blogger has rejected them all.  Might be time to consider switching to something else if it is goona be a jerk like that.

not convinced...

Spent couple hours last couple of nights trying to animate a character with bone tool.

problems I've run into
-registration points changing from time to time without my consent
-difficult to line limbs up
-buggy, sometimes the armature will just disappear or start spinning in circles and I have to go back.  This seems to be more likely to happen if bones are overlapping each other when you tray to adjust them.
-Yesterday onion skinning did not work, today it does.  Sure, why not, right?
-as is in a movie clip, it is hard to go back and fix something in the middle of that timeline.  But it doesnt even seem that you can change things in the motion editor.  Oh, but you can clear a pose, good to know.

still
-it is kind of a fun way of doing things.  You do not have move each piece on its own and hope they move nicely together.
-after you animate it looks like you can go back and change the timeline to "animate frame by frame" which could help if there are any little things to fix.

in conclusion, I am feeling slightly disheartened.  Slightly.
I have read up on the bone tool a little and it seems it is generally regarded as incomplete and not terrific for things that are more complex.  I did find a more in depth guide from the book "the missing manuel flash CS4(thanks google books).  Maybe it has some important tips, or maybe it is a waste of time.

here is the video (assuming it works on blogger)

as you can see his limbs are everywhere.  Oh, and his upper and lower torso fit fine together until the last ten minutes, then a gap formed.  Go figure.  Nevermind.  Video ain't working.

Playing with bone tool

It is about time I got around to playing with the Bone Tool in flash. Just did a lesson from our book making an an and with arms and legs (4 limbs? that makes no sense.) I made him jump across the screen. Looks decent. I'll draw up my own character later this week and try it out with that. I may even post it here! what a treat!

Aye Aye!

Just finishing up my proposal which is getting turned in tomorrow.  All is well.

I saw a crazy looking animal on a tv program this morning.

It is called the aye aye.  It is ugly cute has big ears, bad hair, and one extra long finger he uses to tap on trees to rile up the bugs inside.  He then uses ratlike teeth to bite off a chunk of bark and takes his long finger again to reach deep into the tree and hook whatever grub or insect might be running away from him.