COLLADA and Google

For awhile now, I have been updating my Open Source 3D web browser Whoola Cyberspace to use the new XML-based 3D format COLLADA. To my pleasant surprise, I recently discovered that the free 3D modeling tool Google SketchUp exports to the Google Earth format and that the Google Earth format is based on COLLADA. This means that it should be possible to load Google Earth formatted 3D files into Whoola Cyberspace, including the growing collection of free 3D models in the Google 3D Warehouse. I am very excited about this and I have already had some limited success in getting this to work.

Free Software Updates

The free Open Source office suite OpenOffice has been updated to version 2.0.3. I read that it includes security fixes.

Version 9 of the free web browser Opera is now available.

Java 6 Beta 2 is out.

You can find a list of additional free and Open Source software on the CroftSoft Links webpage.

Enumerated Type Message

Recently I have been using what I am calling an "Enumerated Type Message" for internal messaging between the model, view, and controller. Please see my template class Message.java for an example.

The Enumerated Type Message is basically a wrapper around an enumerated type with an extra field for arbitrary content. The extra field is necessary because you will often have messages of the same type instantiated at the same time with different content. For those messages with content that stays the same, e.g., null values, I create singleton instances.

I have added the creation of an Enumerated Type Message class as a new step in my Advanced Java Game Programming Checklist.

Evolve

Evolve is an evolution simulation which I wrote as a Java applet back in 1996. Last week I fixed a bug in it that was causing it to crash in Java 5. Today I updated the documentation webpage.

First Year Project Report

I have uploaded my doctoral studies first year project report, entitled Real-time Simulation and Processing of Peripheral Nerve Spike Activity. My research advisor, Dr. Cauller, contributed a few lines to the "Introduction" section.

The anonymous reviewer feedback had some comments but suggested I did not need to revise if I did not plan to publish. I am putting this aside now to focus on writing a grant proposal for "Neuroprosthetic Training Software". This will combine the features of CroftSoft Newt Cyborg with Whoola Cyberspace.

CDBurnerXP Pro

To install the operating system Fedora (a.k.a. Red Hat Linux), you need to burn ISO files to CD-ROM or DVD. Unfortunately, many of the Windows CD and DVD burners require a paid upgrade for the ISO support feature. If you want to do it all for free, it is sort of a catch-22: you need to be running Fedora to burn the Fedora ISO's so that you can install Fedora.

Finally after much searching and experimentation, I have settled on the free Windows application CDBurnerXP Pro version 3.5. I notice that other people I know use it too.

It did what I needed; now I can install Fedora. In writing this now, I am mildly annoyed to discover that after finally creating a set of Fedora Core 4 CD's a couple of days ago, Fedora Core 5 came out the very next day.

For a list of more free tools, please see the CroftSoft Links webpage.

Windows Defender

The free anti-spyware program from Microsoft is now called Windows Defender. Yesterday I installed it on a work computer that had been used previously by a number of different employees. I found over a dozen remote access, trojan, and spyware programs.

I also used the free Yahoo Toolbar anti-spy program and caught a couple more. I see it has been upgraded to support Mozilla Firefox 1.5.

For good measure, I also ran Windows Update. It prompted me to install a security update.

See a list of more free tools on the CroftSoft Links webpage.

Public Domain Photos

I recently discovered that Yellowstone National Park offers a collection of thousands of Public Domain images of natural scenes and animals from their Yellowstone Digital Slide File website.

I've added a link to this site to the list on my Public Domain and Royalty-Free Media webpage.

Eclipse Compiler Restrictions

I learned something useful today from this EclipseZone article on Project Compiler Restrictions. Read more in my updated tutorial Eclipse Setup.