Author: Jesse

Fight Monkey of Magic

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Dreamwagon games is proud to announce its first title Fight Monkey of Magic (FMM).

FMM is a hybrid role playing fighting game with real time strategie elements. Although an arcade fighting game at heart, Fight Monkey of Magic provides several different ways to win. Play through in arcade mode or team up with your friends. Up to 4 players capability will keep everyone in the game.

We are shooting for a release to the XBox arcade and windows in the fall 2009.

Check out the game page for more info:  http://dreamwagon.com/fightmonkeyofmagic

Flexible Navigation – WordPress Plugin *beta

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Beta release 0.09

Download it here

This Plugin adds a Flex Accordion Navigation to your wordpress instance. This plugin is perfect for those sites that have out of control links in the sidebar. With Flexible-Navigation you can simple use one function call in the sidbar to generate an accordion navigation.

add AddFlexNav(); anywhere you would like to add the navigation. (most commonly the sidebar.php file of your theme.)

Flexible navigation takes your links, posts and catagories and creates an accordion navigation. You may customize this from the admin menu or by editing the php file itself.

more to come!

flex accordion navigation xml updated for 3.0

Jesse 0 Comments

Since it seems I get much traffic from the accordion navigation, I decided to come up with a new example updated for flex 3.0.

I left the flexlib out in this version, so the mxml should compile by itself. Also, to make this example even more dynamic, I use some php along with a flash variable to ready the url of the httpService at page load. This makes it possible to load different XML documents, and therefore create different navs based on…well whatever you want. For this example I use rand(1,2) to pick randomly between 2 different properties files.

Here is the example

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml" xmlns="*"
layout="vertical" viewSourceURL="srcview/index.html" backgroundColor="#ffffff"
creationComplete="init();">
<mx:Script>
<![CDATA[
 
import mx.collections.ArrayCollection;
import mx.utils.ArrayUtil;
import mx.rpc.events.ResultEvent;
//[Bindable]
//public var navData:ArrayCollection;
 
[Bindable]public var str:String;
 
[Bindable] public var httpServiceURL:String;
[Bindable] public var appHeight:Number;
[Bindable] public var appWidth:Number;
 
[Bindable]public var xmlData:Object = new Object();
[Bindable]public var headingData:Object = new Object();
[Bindable]public var linkData:Object = new Object();
 
private function init():void{
httpServiceURL=Application.application.parameters.httpServiceURL;
appHeight=Application.application.parameters.appHeight
appWidth=Application.application.parameters.appHeight
srv.send();
}
 
private function getHeadings(evt:ResultEvent):void{
xmlData = evt.result;
headingData = xmlData.a_nav;
}
 
private function getLinkObject(a:Number):Object{
linkData = headingData.heading[a];
return linkData;
}
 
]]>
</mx:Script>
 
<mx:Style>
Application {
backgroundGradientColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
backgroundGradientAlphas: 1, 1;
vertical-align: top;
horizontal-align: center;
padding-top: 0px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 0px;
}
 
Accordion {
textRollOverColor: #FFFFFF;
textSelectedColor: #FFFFFF;
color: #FFFFFF;
headerHeight: 35;
vertical-gap: 5;
background-alpha:0;
open-duration:500;
border-style:none;
 
}
 
.gradientHeaderSquare {
font-family: Verdana;
borderColors: #AAB1CD, #AAB1CD;
overBorderColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
selectedBorderColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
borderThickness: 2;
color: #FFFFFF;
borderAlpha: 1;
fillColors: #7f8182, #7f8182;
fillAlphas: 1, 1;
fillColorRatios: 0, 255;
overFillColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
overFillAlphas: 1, 1;
overFillColorRatios: 0, 169;
selectedFillColors:#000000, #000000;
selectedFillAlphas: 1,1;
fontSize: 13;
padding-left: 10px;
padding-top: 0px;
}
 
.gradientHeaderRound {
cornerRadius: 20;
font-family: Verdana;
borderColors: #AAB1CD, #AAB1CD;
overBorderColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
selectedBorderColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
borderThickness: 2;
color: #FFFFFF;
borderAlpha: 1;
fillColors: #7f8182, #7f8182;
fillAlphas: 1, 1;
fillColorRatios: 0, 255;
overFillColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
overFillAlphas: 1, 1;
overFillColorRatios: 0, 169;
selectedFillColors:#000000, #000000;
selectedFillAlphas: 1,1;
fontSize: 13;
padding-left: 10px;
padding-top: 0px;
}
 
LinkButton {
fontSize: 10px;
rollOverColor: #fafafa;
selectionColor: #fafafa;
color: #0B357F;
textRollOverColor: #25bbfc;
textSelectedColor: #0B357F;
padding-left: 15px;
padding-top: 5px;
}
 
.headerBox {
font-weight: bold;
color: #FFFFFF;
}
 
</mx:Style>
 
<mx:HTTPService id="srv" url="{httpServiceURL}" resultFormat="object" result="getHeadings(event);"/>
 
<mx:Accordion id="accordion" width="{appHeight}" height="{appWidth}" headerStyleName="gradientHeaderRound">
 
<mx:Repeater id="rep" dataProvider="{headingData.heading}">
<mx:VBox label="{rep.currentItem.title}" styleName="headerBox" backgroundColor="#fafafa" width="{rep.currentItem.width}" height="{rep.currentItem.height}">
<mx:Repeater id="rep2" dataProvider="{getLinkObject(rep.currentIndex).link}">
<mx:LinkButton buttonDown="navigateToURL(new URLRequest(event.currentTarget.getRepeaterItem()), '_top')" label="{rep2.currentItem.linkname}" />
</mx:Repeater
</mx:VBox>
 
</mx:Repeater>
 
</mx:Accordion>
 
 
</mx:Application>

as you can see for this example I have decided to use Object instead of ArrayCollection. I just found it easier to get the data than using e4x.

Download the complete example to see how the index file that embeds this swf generates the service that will be used to create the navigation.

Here is the result

Here is the full source

Updated: 6-12-08 : I had a needless function that was causing a bug. Works as it should now ;)

NBA Basketball has become utterly unwatchable

Jesse 0 Comments

If you know me at all, you know I am a staunch critic of the officiating in the NBA. In my opinion, its the most terribly inconstant and just plain ugly thing in all of professional sports. So here I am watching tonight’s Spurs and Hornets game where somehow they manage to call 4 offensive fouls in like 2 minutes. Granted Chris Paul did push off on Bowan the second time, the two calls on West were epically bad, and they occurred 30 seconds from each other. I think as a prerequisite for officiating in the NBA, all NBA refs should be required (at the beginning of their career) to do a season in the Big East. That’s right, start at the college level before all these players get there theater degrees so they can see what it actually takes to knock someone down. Then maybe they will be able to tell when someone is flopping. Image that. The NBA without flopping.

Google Grand Central – Sweet or Superfluous?

Jesse 3 Comments

Recently I was given an invite to join google grand central which is a free answering service provided by the almighty indexers of all that is important, google.com. My first impression of Grand Central was pure awe. I was given a free number which could serve essentially as a main line for all the phone numbers by which I can be reached. Grand Central has a nifty web interface which allows you to check who has called, route certain calls to specific numbers and take messages. I do think the service is rather neat, but on second glance, I wonder if it serves any real purpose. After two weeks of using the service I have not checked in to play with it again. What I really wonder is who would I actually give this number to? Is there anyone I would like to go through yet another degree of separation before being able to reach me? In the end, If I was important enough to need something like Grand Central, I would be important enough to have a receptionist.

I would love to hear about anyone else’s impression of Google Grand Central

flex accordion navigation using xml

Jesse 0 Comments

Today I would like to share a flex application I think may be very useful to someone. Imagine you need to generate an accordion navigation with dynamic content such as the one used on the second level of cnn’s website. You would like to be able to use the same application over without massive effort, or copying and pasting code blocks all over the place. Sure this could be done with a mountain of javascript, or you might want to consider flex. For those with experience using flex, I present the mxml file free of charge. For those without any experience with flex, you may want to read a tutorial before jumping into this example.

 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><mx:Application
xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml" xmlns="*" xmlns:flexlib="http://code.google.com/p/flexlib/"
layout="vertical" viewSourceURL="srcview/index.html" backgroundColor="#ffffff"
creationComplete="srv.send();"<mx:Script>
<![CDATA[
 
import mx.collections.ArrayCollection;
import mx.utils.ArrayUtil;
[Bindable]
public var navData:ArrayCollection;
 
[Bindable]
public var index:int=-1;
 
]]>
</mx:Script>
 
<mx:Style>
Application {
backgroundGradientColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
backgroundGradientAlphas: 1, 1;
vertical-align: top;
horizontal-align: center;
padding-top: 0px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 0px;
}
 
VAccordion {
textRollOverColor: #FFFFFF;
textSelectedColor: #FFFFFF;
color: #FFFFFF;
headerHeight: 35;
vertical-gap: 5;
background-alpha:0;
open-duration:500;
border-style:none;
 
header-style-name: gradientHeader;
 
}
 
.gradientHeader {
 
font-family: Verdana;
cornerRadii: 10, 10, 10, 10;
borderColors: #AAB1CD, #AAB1CD;
overBorderColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
selectedBorderColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
borderThickness: 2;
color: #FFFFFF;
borderAlpha: 1;
fillColors: #7f8182, #7f8182;
fillAlphas: 1, 1;
fillColorRatios: 0, 255;
overFillColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
overFillAlphas: 1, 1;
overFillColorRatios: 0, 169;
selectedFillColors:#000000, #000000;
selectedFillAlphas: 1,1;
 
fontSize: 13;
padding-left: 10px;
padding-top: 0px;
 
}
 
LinkButton {
fontSize: 10px;
rollOverColor: #fafafa;
selectionColor: #fafafa;
color: #0B357F;
textRollOverColor: #25bbfc;
textSelectedColor: #0B357F;
padding-left: 15px;
padding-top: 5px;
}
 
.headerBox {
font-weight: bold;
color: #FFFFFF;
}
 
.students {
padding-top: 0px;
}
 
.medical {
padding-top: 0px;
}
 
.employ {
padding-top: 0px;
}
 
.services {
padding-top: 0px;
}
 
.label {
font-weight: bold;
color: #FFFFFF;
}
 
VBox{
 
}
 
</mx:Style>
 
<mx:HTTPService id="srv" url="properties.xml" resultFormat="e4x" />
 
<mx:XMLListCollection id="headingData" source="{srv.lastResult.heading}" />
<mx:XMLListCollection id="linksData" source="{srv.lastResult.heading.link.@linkname}" />
 
<flexlib:VAccordion id="accordion" headerRenderer="Header" width="238" height="230" >
 
<mx:Repeater id="rep" dataProvider="{headingData}">
<mx:VBox label="{rep.currentItem.@title}" styleName="headerBox"  backgroundColor="#fafafa" width="{rep.currentItem.@width}" height="{rep.currentItem.@height}">
 
<mx:Repeater id="linkrep" dataProvider="{rep.currentItem.link}">
<mx:LinkButton buttonDown="navigateToURL(new URLRequest(event.currentTarget.getRepeaterItem()), '_top')"  label="{linksData.getItemAt(index+=1)}" />
</mx:Repeater>
 
</mx:VBox>
</mx:Repeater>
 
</flexlib:VAccordion>
 
</mx:Application>

What this application does is loads data from an XML properties file containing the titles for the headers, the names for the links, and the URLs. I think the example is pretty straight forward.

To compile this you will need the flexlib.swf added to your flex/frameworks/libs folder as well as the header.mxml file which is used to allow the accordion to activate on mouse-over. The header.mxml file was found on http://dougmccune.com although the exact post escapes me now.

Here is the result

http://www.dreamwagon.com/flex/examples/accordion/

The xml properties file is herehttp://www.dreamwagon.com/flex/examples/accordion/properties.xmlThe source file can be copied from above or downloaded

http://www.dreamwagon.com/flex/examples/accordion/AccordionNavigation.mxml

and the header http://www.dreamwagon.com/flex/examples/accordion/Header.mxml

And finally the flexlib can be found here

http://code.google.com/p/flexlib/downloads/list

Of course you may take out the reference to the header and to the flexlib and complile the AccordionNavigation.mxml alone if you like.

Happy Flexing!

Calvert Cliffs exploration – Winter ’07

Jesse 0 Comments
Over the Christmas break I had the opportunity to visit a beach area of the Chesapeake Bay known as Calvert Cliffs. This area is known for its fossil deposits from the early to middle Miocene eras (anywhere from 8 – 23 million years ago) and has yielded fossils which have ended up in museums around the country. Although I am not an archaeologist, I was immediately astounded by the enormity of the fossil deposits in the cliffs. Of course the chances of finding something rare is..well rare, but to know that what is embedded in the hard clay is millions of years old makes every find special. Luckily, the day before our visit, it had rained all day, eroding the cliffs down. My wife found some fossilized coral, vertebrae, and a lot of extinct shells of scallops and ecphora (Maryland’s official state fossil!). We also found some fossilized bones and things we haven’t identified yet.More information about the area can be found here

Here is a video which shows the layers of fossils in cliffs.

wordpress and my blog

Jesse 0 Comments

Hello all, and thanks for checking out my first journal entry. I first must comment on the ease of setting up wordpress. I had heard good things about wordpress, and was eager to get it up and running on the server. I am truly amazed by how easy it was to set up. I wanted to write my blog system from scratch ( and nearly did) when I realized that I really wanted the ability for people out there to add comments about what I would be writing about. My system was written in php so adding this functionality would not be a huge technical leap. Then out of the blue, my boss asked me to evaluate wordpress. It must be fate, because I had it downloaded for no more than 2 minutes and it was up and running on my test server at work. With plenty of themes to chose from, and installation as easy as copying a directory, it really was a no-brainer for me. Looking forward to using this tool to create some helpful articles.