Speech Writing and Photography

Was just trying to transcribe my speech earlier but battery is out on my livescribe pen and can't seem to find my cradle to charge it again. Got to really figure out where I put that...

I went out earlier and took some pictures of the area that I'm going to do the rough model of, they're 7MP photos so I'm hoping they will be high enough resolution.

On a side note, I was looking at the HX5 at work and really like the camera. 10MP but the lens quality looks fantastic and I really like the idea of intelligent panaroma as well as having in built GPS and compass feature where you can upload images directly into google earth.

Back to the photos... So I think I have a good amount there to do up some plane setup senarios, it's just finding the time to do it.

For this week, I've got my speech to hand in, gotta get my thesis proposal signed off (still), literature review, biography presentation as well as the other items which have begun piling up. So much work...

Thankfully I've only got work on the weekend so I have today free (where I've been working on BU4061) and Wednesday free, so using those days to catch up. Thursday morning to read the assigned paper (though may have to read more earlier as it is 28 pages).

AND when I get a chance... catch up on missed entries for this blog.

Proposed Work

I got woken up from my sleep at midnight despite going to bed at 8:30pm... so... this may or may not make much sense in my sleep deprived state..

So, over the course of this week, have got a lot of work to do.

*nods*

To do list:

1. Finish off BU4061 Script to submit Tuesday
2. Finish reading Pedro by Tuesday (mostly finished)
3. Select 3 papers for presentations (CP5080)
4. Finish off Critical Review for XML paper (do we just go up there and talk, use palm cards? I'm not sure on protocol)
5. Finish off Project Proposal (draft) Friday - can't remember due date...
6. Figure out other assessment that's due
7. Find a better filing method other then "throw-in-the-corner-and-deal-with-it-later"
8. Figure out what to do about laptop + Brisbane
9. When in Brisbane, start modelling things in Maya (see above)
10. Finish reading this paper: http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/stereoscopic_whitepaper_final08.pdf

Now, off to sleep.

BU4061 Debate and Proposal

Today we had the practice on the debate topics for BU4061.

Everything went via video link which was rather convenient, though not really helping in trying to pick apart at IT and Science (I'm in the Humanities and Social Sciences group) when they can argue that without IT the debate wouldn't even be possible via long distance.

It is rather interesting though to see IT from an outsiders perspective. It is always viewed as being the 'saviour' per say of making our lives more convenient, though looking at going against it, there are so many flaws within IT. People become reliant upon it and when it fails, it can even cause casualties (railway accidents, aircraft disasters, Chernobyl, etc).

So we have that to present on Tuesday. I'm going to have to sit down and watch some previous debates as I've never done a debate before so I'm not entirely sure on etiquette. I'm looking at going for an informal/comical approach, but shall see how that pans out.

In another topic, I'm going to start this Project Proposal. Didn't get a meeting yesterday, couldn't find Ian, plus I'll need to do some catch up with Gianna seeing as a meeting was missed last week as well. Ethics I think I have an idea of, had a good chat with Murray on Thursday regarding ethics so got some lead in that. The Proposal I'm going to have to complete ASAP as looking at the date, I'm running out of time very quickly.

I may also need to contact the JCU Brisbane regarding video conferencing between campuses so that I can see if it's possible so I don't miss my Thursday or Tuesday class. Not sure if it can happen, but either way, my lecturers know that I'll be missing and I've arranged to do things either in advance or during lecture recess.

Plan for this afternoon:

• Catch up on blog entries
• Start Project Proposal

Planned Work Ahead and Time Management

So, tomorrow will be a very busy day. Have tutorials, meetings with Gianna and Ian, as well as the lecture tomorrow regarding the dom.pdf file (which I've still yet to finish reading, ahh...)

These past few days, haven't had much time, but thankfully, Friday is empty so will use that to catch up on all the work. It looks like at this stage, I think Monday and Friday will be my catch up days to do work, such as typing up items for my blog entries, working through assessment and reading papers. Just a matter of better time organisation.

I'm not normally overly organised with time, but I think this year, I'm really getting the hang of time management. Google Calendar, calendar.google.com has been a extremely useful tool for better managing my time. Using Google Calendar Sync to link the Calendar with my computer one, and then again with the one on my Nokia phone (though I have to fiddle a bit to get all of the calendars to sync, as I use multiple calendars). Tomorrow will be a good indication of how well that time can be managed as I have events running from 9-10, 10-10.30, 11-12, 12.30-1, 1-2, 2-3, 3.15-4, 4.30-5.15. Quite literally, things running back to back.

I think when doing something like honours, it's really necessary to take that little bit of extra time to plan what work you want to achieve and also what time you have to play with. No matter if you sit around and procrastinate, time will move on - with or without you; and learning to adhere to strict deadlines is absolutely essential.

On a separate topic, I've got a group debate that will need to be worked on for my business class. We're arguing the importance of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences VS Sciences and Information Technology (I think the lecturer threw me in the opposite team for good reason). It'll be interesting to see the different points made, as I can think of points for IT easily enough, but Humanities is different. The different subjects that the group members have brought up though have been rather interesting. That debate I think will be presented at the end of March, before I go to Brisbane, thankfully.

After tomorrow's meeting I'm looking at starting to jot down some key points for building my thesis proposal, as I want to get that under the way as quickly as possible. Bruce mentioned that he will read drafts, but ideally, I want to make sure I try and get most of it right the first time (doubtful, but here's hoping).

Shall see how tomorrow goes anyway.

Updates - Weekend Tasks

So, first weekend after being back at uni now.

I'm starting to think that maybe it's a good idea I'm not going to be working four days at work, considering I didn't get as much as I would hope done over the weekend. Worked both Saturday and Sunday, so I think for future, I'll have to pick either Monday or Wednesday (days I have nothing on at uni) to be my Work-on-Honours-Project-Day. Still need to do work on one of the other days though. Three days of work isn't so bad.

Anyway, tasks that were set to be completed over the weekend:

1. Update this blog every single day <-- Done, sorta, some backlogged entries in there
2. Throw up entries with notes from meeting and from class <-- Meeting notes done, class notes not done
3. Read through the report/thesis that Ian gave me <-- got up to page 4 or 5...
4. Understand it, pay attention to detail, style - completely different style, not narrative, is informative <-- see above
5. Prepare papers to read for literature review (remember to mention this on Tuesday supervisor meeting) <-- To do on Tuesday
6. Research Proposal - Why is this being done? What do I hope to achieve? <-- ...

Didn't get as much as I hoped I would. It's so damn distracting at home, I think I may head out to the uni early on either Thursday or Friday and just sit in the labs to do work on my project and start on the project proposal.

I ended up getting in contact with Bruce to let him know that I'll be in Brisbane over April, so I'm missing two presentations I think. Ideally, I want to get the presentations finished early, so (hopefully) I can present before I go. Otherwise, Bruce has agreed to do them when I get back. Still, I'd prefer to be ahead rather then behind.

The wiki on the project home page I've been neglecting. I started doing some work on it Saturday night (technically, Sunday, early, early morning) and fell asleep part way through. Currently, I can only seem to work during night when most of the family is asleep.

New To-Do-List:

1. Update this blog every single day
2. Throw up entries with notes from class
3. Continue reading through the report/thesis that Ian gave me
4. Understand it, pay attention to detail, style - completely different style, not narrative, is informative
5. Prepare papers to read for literature review (remember to mention this on Tuesday supervisor meeting)
6. Research Proposal - Why is this being done? What do I hope to achieve?
7. Look at modelling approaches
8. Update project Wiki, fill with relevant information
9. Update project sources, particularly sites mentioned in posts here

See how that goes anyway.

Meeting Notes: 25th Feb 2010

Please note that this is a record of notes that have been electronically recorded for backup purposes. These entries may not be reproduced without the express permission of the author.

Future Objectives:

• 2010 Honours Guidebook
• # Look at Research Questions (important)
• Organise regular meetings
• Office Space, computer to be used for project to stay on campus
• Read through previous Honours paper
• Sound for the Rainforest - look at getting recordings

Thesis Overview:

Ch1 - ~5 Pages - Covers Introduction

Ch2 - 20-30 Pages - Critical Literature Review

Ch3 - 20+ Pages - Methodologies

-> IT/Visualisation

Ch4 - 20 Pages - Results and Discussion

Ch5 - ~20 Pages - Future Work * - Optional

Conclusion

Ch6 - As Required - Appendices

> Code

> Surveys

> Footnotes

Subjects have been selected as follows: Timetable. Getting Diana to enroll into subjects

There is a hard date for the thesis being due. Check out when other assessment pieces are due as well.

Levels/Class of Honours: http://www.jcu.edu.au/student/assessment/JCUDEV_007196.html

• I Class I (split into A, B, C, D - A-C is allocation of scholarships, A/B main aim)
• IIA Class II, Division A
• IIB Class II, Division B
• III Class III

Will be given opportunity to read previous honours papers. The result given will be a combination of thesis work, project work and project grades.

Over next few weeks, will be working on the project proposal.

• Understanding the project
• Background Information
• Tools Used
• Approaches
• Research Questions

New Subject, BU4061 good opportunity to learn about tourism. Next week, will have a meeting with Gianna.

Constantly update journal, keep records of all meetings (as seen here), records also recorded using LiveScribe pen. Any thoughts, be sure to write them down.

Think about the modelling, and what results we want to achieve. Static, or moving? May want to consider having a fly-through. Think of what method would best be appropriate to have the information get across.

Look at the software options. Software planning to use is Maya, 3DS Max - consider student versions. http://south-apac.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=1157326&id=13229831 Looking at about $250~ for 3Ds Max. Confirm pricing. Alternative is that Autodesk does offer 6 month licences to students.

Office Space: Leaving a computer on campus for study/research. Look at options available to get computing equipment. Scholarship money possibility, though will need to consider textbook fees as well.

For the model, have the environment built then look at getting a track for the camera, (motion path) to follow (see above about camera fly through). Static images, users can view and analyse still images, picking faults, moving scenes, harder to focus on set objects. Mentioned taking advantage of human senses. Will need to look at getting sound recordings for project. Sound recordings of Paluma as is now, and for 'future looks' after tourism being introduced, may want to consider getting audio recordings of O'Reillys when on trip to Brisbane in April. When talking with locals, place was much more quiet, but now tourism taken place. Large carparks, buses travelling up.

[ Additional Notes ]

• Sight - Achievable with 3D Model
• Hearing - Achievable with sound recordings
• Touch
• Smell - Being researched in Japan
• Taste

Set meeting times - email Ian afterwards to confirm.

/end meeting notes

Additional Points:

3D Model of the Paluma Range, Questions to Consider

• Why are we doing this?
• Methodologies?
• What do we already know?
• What do we want to know?