domaindesigngroup.com

.webdoc file

2012-01-01T08:00:00.002-06:00

.webdoc files contain url's to web sites and are created by dragging the icon from the address bar in apple's safari browser to the desktop or other computer destination. moreover, .webdoc files are not supported in the windows version of safari.

have a great week

expansion cards

2011-11-01T08:00:00.004-05:00

an expansion card is a printed circuit board that can be added to a computer in an expansion slot to add functionality to the computer. Some examples of expanded functionality that are provided by expansion cards are modems, video cards, sounds cards, network cards and low end SCSI cards.

have a good week.

ubuntu update

2011-10-24T03:00:00.001-05:00

canonical released ubuntu 11.10 on october 13th 2011. after downloading the new operating system and rebooting i wanted to record some of my experience.

canonical has left out the regular gnome desktop as an option from the user account screen. it can be invoked using the terminal application. the terminal command is : sudo apt-get install gnome-panel. once the option has been enabled it is available from the login screen.

to remove the overlay scroll bars in the 11.10 version the following terminal command works great:

sudo apt-get remove overlay-scrollbar liboverlay-scrollbar3-0.2-0 liboverlay-

scrollbar-0.2-0

you may have to restart the computer for the change to take effect.

ubuntu 11.04 did not allow for saving of added wallpaper. at the advice of a fellow linux user i added an administrator account and the problem seemed to be resolved. the same issue was not present in 11.10. may have just been user error.

the new login screen that was added is very slick. it slides up and down in a fluid jquery style.

i have used slackware, mint, xubuntu, kubuntu, elementary linux and tiny core linux. ubuntu is my favorite linux distribution so far.

the link below is to the canonical corporate web site.

http://www.canonical.com/about-canonical

have a good week.

ubuntu 11.10 release date

2011-10-13T06:00:00.004-05:00

ubuntu 11.10, code named oneiric ocelot, should be released October 13 2011. I have been using Ubuntu for about a year now, but not as my main machine. it is fun for experimentation.

here is the release schedule

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

ubuntu's home pages is here:

http://www.ubuntu.com/

have a good week!

firmware

2011-10-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

firmware is computer code that is used in a computer for control of various electronic devices. firmware is contained inside cellphones, computers, digital cameras and the like. firmware is contrasted to software in that firmware way be updated without the need to change any hardware.

web widgets

2011-09-01T21:51:00.000-05:00

web widgets are small pieces of code that can be included in the html code of a web site. the code displays tools like clocks, calendars, stock tickers, weather information, flight schedules and the like. it is typically written in dhtml, javacript or flash. web widgets may also be called gadgets, badges or modules.

hope your week is going well.

port

2011-08-01T19:15:00.000-05:00

a port is a physical connector, usually at the back of the computer that allows a cable from a peripheral device, such as a printer, mouse, or modem, to be attached.

(not to be confused with Porte, which is a wine.)

motherboard

2011-07-01T21:36:00.001-05:00

the motherboard is the main board in the computer. it may also called the system board. the cpu, rom chips, dimms, rimms and interface cards are plugged into the motherboard. some refer to the motherboard as the mobo.

file types - dot mht

2011-06-01T08:07:00.034-05:00

while working with a drive i noticed some files that had the extension mht. after some review it appears that the mht file type is used to save the entire contents of a web page including information like links, flash files, images, java applets and audio files.. saving a web page as an html file may not save all the same data. according to documentation, google chrome browser does not support mht files. however, i opened some mht files in chrome and it seems to work fine.

using internet explorer click file > save as > then choose mht from the drop down menu. in google chrome right click on the web page > select save as > then save the file to the desired location.

hope you are having a good week.

property

2011-05-01T08:00:00.002-05:00

the dictionary defines property as
* any trait or attribute proper to a thing
* any principle characteristics of a substance especially as determined
by the senses or by its effect on another substance
* an essential quality common to all members
* characteristics of numbers or things or some condition they satisfy

properties are also foundational mathematical principles that are assumed to be true

examples are:

the associative property - (1+3)+5 = 1+(3+5)
the commutative property - 3 x 9 = 9 x 3
the distributive property - a(b+c) = ab + ac

it took me some time to grasp what a property was. i suppose reiteration here does not hurt retention. but i guess reiteration never did hurt retention in the first place.

nuff said.

peace. out.

intranet

2011-04-01T08:00:00.030-05:00

an intranet is an internal private computer network used to share information within an organization. an intranet is based on the same kind of technologies as the internet. intranets are used to share information with employees on an as needed basis. they may also used for distributing tools and applications as well as facilitating collaboration within an organization.

some benefits of intranets are:
*users are accessing the same information
*less need for keeping physical documents
*uniform documentation may reduce liability
*viewing the same information promotes a common corporate culture
* team work enabled through collaboration

when an intranet is shared with users outside the company it is referred to as an extra-net

have a good week

filters and queries in microsft access

2011-03-15T08:00:00.002-05:00

microsoft access is a relational database that is used to store and display information according to specified parameters. filters and queries have been points of discussion.

queries should be used if precisely the same criterion are to be used for the display of data.

filters should be used if there is a restriction being placed on the data.

microsoft access has the ability to filter data in the following formats:
1) filter by selection
2) common filter
3) filter by form
4) advanced filter/sort

queries can sort data using mathematical operators like <, >, = and so forth. queries may also be used to find data with respect to relationships between groups of data.

filters and queries are related in three ways:

1) a filter may be applied to a query
2) filter settings may be saved as a query
3) filter settings may be restored that were previously saved as a query

have a great week.

fetch-execute cycle

2011-03-01T08:58:00.002-06:00

the fetch-execute cycle is the process a computer repeats a given number of times to accomplish a specific task. the computer will retrieve code, process the code, retrieve more code, process that code and so on until the task is accomplished. the task may be launching a web browser, saving a word processing file or computing values in a spreadsheet.

hope your day is going well.

plug-ins

2011-02-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

a plug-in is a set of software components that adds specific capabilities to a larger software application. plug-ins allow for customizing of the applications functionality. a plug-in may allow for custom themes, scanning for viruses or adding capability to the program.

plug-ins are added for various reasons:
* to extend the capability of the application
* to support adding new features
* to make the application file size smaller
* to allow for compatibility between software programs

have a good week

shell code

2011-01-01T08:00:00.001-06:00

in computer security, a shellcode is a small piece of code used as the payload in the exploitation of a software vulnerability. it is called "shellcode" because it typically starts a command shell from which the attacker can control the compromised machine. shellcode is commonly written in machine code, but any piece of code that performs a similar task can be called shellcode.

have a happy new year.

linux useradd command

2010-12-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

within the linux operating system there are commands that may be invoked using the shell. one such command is the useradd command. the useradd command can do the following:

provide a description of the new user account
assign expiration date for the account
set the deletion date of an account based on expiration date of the account

this is a short list of the things that useradd can do. i am currently using ubuntu release 10 on a dell laptop.

have a good week.

instantiate

2010-11-01T19:17:00.001-05:00

to provide and instance of something.

we used this word in desribing numbers of instances of a part used in an final assembly.

spot faces

2010-10-01T19:15:00.002-05:00

when an area on a mechanical part is rough it may be machined smooth to help increase surface area contact between parts. this increase in surface area may help increase friction between faces of parts like fasteners.

for example, the inside face of bolts have a greater likely hood of holding tight against the face of the part and make it less likely the bolt will come loose.

the dimensions of spot faces are determined by machinists. designers might only indicate the presence of spot faces on mechanical drawings.

spot faces should be designated on a drawing by a dimmension and the the letters "SFACE".

zoom all in autocad

2010-09-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

zoom all in autocad may be activated by double clicking in the sketch area with the wheel of the three button mouse.

variables and constants

2010-08-03T22:22:00.002-05:00

a variable is a symbol used to represent for any one of a set of numbers. the set is called the range of the variable. variables are values that change or vary. (hence the name variable). variables may be reperesented by letters such as "x", "y", "a", "b" etc.

constants are values that do not change. they are represented by symbols like "3", "10" and so forth.

these terms stand in contrast to each other and are used in mathematics and computer science.

naming conventions

2010-07-02T21:22:00.002-05:00

in beginning javascript paul wilton suggests using naming conventions. - i agree. - it is valuable in 3D modeling history trees, scripting and file storage.

naming conventions in 3D modeling can make modifying a document easier for legacy users and provide convenient guides when assembling models.

in javascript, html and css data types and elements of the page can become complex. following a common naming convention could make error correction easier and faster.

file storage is an instance where naming conventions can make locating data and files faster and easier.

in the military naming conventions are used to establish locations.

you can develop your own naming convention. it may be easy or complex. i use the symbol "_" in my own system. i think it makes file names easier to read. some companies use naming conventions that indicate indicate which side of a part a component is located.

the big bonus is when your friends ask you what you did this weekend, you can tell them "i developed a naming convetion".

drag and drop

2010-06-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

drag and drop is a feature in computer graphical user inerfaces that allows for transfer of files or graphic elements from one destination on a computer to another. an example is copying files or folders from a memory stick to a destination drive on a computer for storage. movement of files or folders may be accomplished en masse using drag and drop.

to use drag and drop, highlight the desired files or folders by pressing and holding the left mouse button. then drag the file or folder to the desired drive on the compter. then release the left mouse button.

drag and drop may also be used in adobe illustrator to apply colors and brushes to objects on the art board.

catia and solidworks offer drang and drop as a way of editing the history trees of models and sketches.

drag and drop is offered in the windows, apple and linux operating systems.

toggle

2010-05-01T08:00:00.002-05:00

a toggle is a two position switch. it has a position one and position two. it may be on or off.

in the windows environment, you may toggle between applications by holding the alt key down then pressing and releasing the tab key.

when this key combination is activated a small dialog box (pictured) will be displayed in the center of the screen. a list of currently active applications will be displayed from which a selection can be made. the name of the application selected appears as well. this will bring the selected application up in the screen.

if your applications are all minimized a selection may still be made at which time the application will be restored to the screen for viewing.

this functionality is also available in macintosh and linux environments as well. in linux use the alt tab combination. in mac use apple option tab.

booleans and profiles

2010-04-15T19:40:00.009-05:00

solid models may be created in software packages by using profiles or boolean operations.

using profiles, a sketch is created that will yield the most features for the model. the profile is then extruded to create the model. other features may be added using pockets or other design tools to achieve the desired result.

boolean operators may also be used to create 3D models in a method that is similar to the way a sculpture is made. beginning with a solid block boolean operators may be employed to subtract and add features that will yield a 3D model.

boolean operators may be used when molds are being made or if a model has a unique interior design.

circle

2010-04-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

a circle is a shape in which all points are equidistant from a point in the middle called the "center".

the diameter of the circle is the distance across the circle that passes through two points on the the circle and the center of the circle. the diameter is the largest distance between any two points on the circle. the radius is half of the diameter.

the length of the distance around the circle is known as the perimeter.

the ratio of a circle's circumference to it's diameter is pi. pi is approximaately 3.141592654. this is a constant and is true of all circles.

3D modeling and philosophy ??

2010-03-15T13:34:00.001-05:00

yes, socrates strikes again. even in 3D modeling. i bet he never thought he would impact that segment of the world.

at any rate, one of my teachers shared this idea with us this week.

'in the 3D modeling philosophy, the model drives the drawing. you may create sketches in the drawing views, however, difficulties will most likely follow. the difficulties may be simplistic and easy to solve at first but may become increasingly difficult to resolve. use the 3D modeling capabilities to streamline your drawings.'

have a good week.

8.3 naming convention

2010-03-01T10:38:00.008-06:00

the 8.3 naming convention is a file designation scheme used prior to the release of windows 95. it indicates that the first eight characters of a computer file should be designated as the file name descriptor and the last three characters indicate the file type. for example, a word file prior to windows 95 would have been labeled as xxxxxxxx.doc.

another advantage gained in windows 95 was the addition of characters after the dot. files can now be saved as .jpeg, .tiff, .html where with the short naming convention three characters was the standard. for example, .jpg, .tif, .htm and so forth.

after the release of windows 95 255 characters became the standard for file name descriptors.

the 8.3 naming convention is also called a short file name (SFN) where the file naming convention post windows 95 is known as a long file name (LFN)

contextual menu

2010-02-01T19:08:00.001-06:00

in the windows operating system the contextual menu is one that opens upon user interaction with the program in use. an example is the right click function on the mouse. if the right click is performed in microsoft word or other application a set of tools appears from which a number of edits may be selected. another example is performing the right click operation with the mouse and creating a new folder. the contextual menu is one the powerful tools offered in the windows operation platform.

catia

2010-01-20T19:05:00.003-06:00

catia is an acronym that stands for computer aided three dimensional interactive application. catia is a software application for creating three dimensional drawings and models.
catia is configured into three platforms. each platform defines a technical capability.

platform 1 – (p1) – starting point for smaller companies that do not require process orientated tools. functionality is limited to design tools.

platform 2 – (p2) – provides extended design tools and process orientated tools. the process tools are interchangeable and scalable.

platform 3 – (p3) – has the look and feel of p2 and can be customized to fit a particular industry.

within each platform are application tools. the application tools contain workbenches. the workbenches contain tools that are specific to each workbench. the analogy stated was the difference between a welding shop and a wood shop. each shop has it’s own specific tool sets to accomplish specific tasks.

primary users include manufacturing and defense related companies. boeing and lockheed are examples.

pseudocode

2010-01-14T20:20:00.000-06:00

pseudocode is precise english language that is used to describe what a computer program does. this helps programers to communicate algorithms without the extra metal effort of creating the code for the program.
for example, a program for temperature conversion could be written in pseudocode as follows:

1) Input the temperature in degrees Celsius
2) Calculate Fahrenheit as (9/5)celsius + 32
3)Output Fahrenheit

Translating the pseudocode to Python gives the following:

def main( )
celsius = input ("What is the Celsius temperature?")
fahrenheit = (9.0 / 5.0) * celsius +32
print "The temperature is", fahrenheit, "degrees fahrenheit"

main( )

adobe cs3 :: fireworks

2010-01-01T08:45:00.003-06:00

when rotating an image in fireworks select modify menu > transform > numeric tranform. the numeric transform dialog box appears and selections for scale, resize and rotate should be available. other selections such as scaling attributes and proportion contraints are present in the dialog box.

captcha

2009-12-21T08:00:00.001-06:00

a captcha is a type of challenge response test used in computing to ensure responses or input is not generated by a computer. the test is in the form of a distorted image or simple math problem that must be correctly input that the computer must correctly grade. since the data can only be interpreted by a human the test eliminates the possibility of data or profiles being generated by computer bots.

three dimensional software

2009-12-12T03:02:00.006-06:00

in general, to create a sketch in a three dimensional environment the steps are as follows:

begin with the end in mind
create rough sketch.
project geometry
apply constraints
as a rule, apply geometric constraints before dimensional contraints
dimension object
attempt to maintain compact history tree
attempt to apply filets and chamfers at or near the end of the project
build symmetry into the profile by using sketch center lines, mirror entities, and positioning about a reference plane and the origin.
fully constrain models so that changes cannot be made by accident
develop naming standards for features
when drawing select the profile that will yield the most features
when changing the model change the sketch at the parent level
keep in mind that any feature is a potential sketch plane

these steps may help with autodesk inventor, solidworks, catia or other three dimensional packages.

root user

2009-12-10T20:39:00.000-06:00

on many computer operating systems, the root user is a special user account used for system administration. root user may also be refered to as superuser.

constraints

2009-11-30T21:21:00.002-06:00

the dictionary defines constraint as a limitation or restriction. autodesk inventor allows for geometric and dimensional constraints to be applied to three dimensional models. this enables changes in design work with some features being held constant to determine the final result.

once the design is established changes may be applied and the final results may be obtaineed without re-creating the model.

csg

2009-11-21T17:40:00.006-06:00

constructive solid geometry (csg) is a method used in

three dimensional modeling in which simple solids are

combined to create more complex objects.

the simple solids are known as primatives. the basic primatives are block, cylinder, cone, sphere and tube.

the primatives are combined in imaginative ways and conjoined using boolean operators.

the boolean operators are as follows:

union (join) combines two volumes into a new single solid.
difference (subtract) removes one part of a solid from another.
intersect - combines the solids and keeps the volume common to both.

after that you can sit back and drink a cup of coffee.... slurp, ahhhh.

four major catagories of solid features

2009-11-16T20:22:00.004-06:00

loft - these features are created by blending multiple profiles, called sections, and transitioning them into smooth shapes. lofts can used to produce both solids and suface bodies.

sweep - these features or bodies are created by extruding a 2D sketch profile along a path.

extrude - requires one profile and a dimmension by which to measure the extension of the extrusion.

revolve - requires one profile and an axis of revolution.

datum

2009-11-11T18:25:00.001-06:00

a datum is a theoretically exact plane, point or axis from which a dimensional measurement is made.

concentricity

2009-08-18T20:38:00.009-05:00

the condition where the median points of all diametrically opposed elements of a cylinder (or surface of a revolution) are congruent with the axis of a datum feature.

character map

2009-04-10T21:55:00.005-05:00

while drawing schematics in class this week it became nessasary to type the symbol Ω for component identification purposes. a number of special symbols like this are assesible through character map. to find character map go to start>all programs> accessories> system tools> character map. other available symbols are ©, ® and the every popular☻.

have a good weekend.

rules for drawing schematics

2009-03-24T19:48:00.002-05:00

following are some rules for drawing schematics:

organize the schematic to a specified page size
apply proper symbols and reference data for each component
create general notes or legends that explain specifics
lines should be 0.125 inches (3 mm) apart for good reproduction
lines between components should take the shortest path
connecting lines should have a minimum of crossovers and jogs
long parallel lines should be arranged in groups of three
avoid four way tie points or four way functions
power sources should go up and ground sources should go down
all lines will run horizontally or vertically and connect in 90 degree corners

have a good week

autocad drawing

2009-03-13T22:34:00.007-05:00

i completed this drawing before we left for the weekend.

it is an electronic schematic

so far this class has been very good

i have learned some new things and had some good review

click on the image for larger version

have a good week

stake board

2009-03-05T18:18:00.008-06:00

stake board - template for laying out cable assemblies - we are reviewing terms used in wiring diagrams and schematics for electronics drafitng.

ductile

2009-02-12T18:36:00.002-06:00

in my manufacturing processes class we were discussing the word ductile. it means easily stretched without breaking or lowering in material strength.

autocad 2009

2009-02-05T17:14:00.003-06:00

we are using autocad2009 at school this semester. one new thing i like about it is that the tool tips that appear hovering over an icon expand into a help menu. i also have changed the background of my version to #000033. clicking on the image to the right yields a larger image for viewing.

thanks for reading.

you got a lot of NURBS!!

2008-05-01T12:30:00.001-05:00

non uniform rational basis splines that is!!

development of NURBS (non uniform rational basis spline) began in the 1950s by engineers who were in need of a mathematically precise representation of freeform surfaces like those used for ship hulls, aerospace exterior surfaces, and car bodies, which could be exactly reproduced whenever technically needed. prior representations of this kind of surface only existed as a single physical model created by a designer.....cool.

soh cah toa...

2008-04-16T01:43:00.007-05:00

we had a math review in my strength of materials class about a week ago. some of the students were trying to remember the trig functions and came up with this device:

sin
opposite
hypotenuse

cosine
adjacent
hypotenuse

tangent
opposite
adjacent

this class has been one my favorite so far. i am in a good group.
we have had a lot of fun and learned many things.

have a good day.

topo survey

2008-02-21T13:12:00.006-06:00

today in topological drafting we surveyed the court yard outside the engineering building. we used a topcon transit like the one pictured here. we plotted 4 angles of the property and recoreded the measurements for later use. it was cold outside and a small amout of moisture began to fall as we concluded the survey....now I am going to eat lunch and then go to work. tomorow i am attending some training for work in downtown dallas. i am also starting to come to the conclusion typing in small letters all the time is not as great an idea as i first thought.

have a good day.

tool tips

2008-02-12T13:54:00.004-06:00

tool tips are small graphic boxes that appear when using web sites or programs. they display information about the icon or element that is currently being hovered over with the mouse pointer.microsoft has refered to them as screentips.the image above is an example of a tooltip that is on my own site domaindesigngroup.com....thank you and have a good day!

right click

2008-01-29T13:46:00.004-06:00

today i learned that right click is a very powerful funtion on the mouse and format command enables one to change atributes of things like text, lines or other objects on a global scale.

have a good day!

blog

2008-01-27T19:36:00.003-06:00

the primary purpose of this blog will be to record definitions and theories related to computer graphics, computer programming and the linux operating system.