Recently I needed to create a script to make a single movie from static images and existing movie files. I hacked this together with ruby, ffmpeg and ImageMagick. Note, it will function under windows with little code change.
Putting it up in case someone finds it of use!
A random script I hacked together (through searching and experimentation) for pulling down videos from YouTube with ruby, its only guaranteed to last along as the current YouTube html formatting lasts.
Idea for the day, why not use a wiki as an integrated development environment (IDE)?
I.e. write code in the wiki, configure the build similarly, i.e. which pages will be compiled. Modern wiki’s have configuration management built in, so bye bye svn, git etc. (ok, wiki’s don’t handle this well enough, but again this is an idea not a real product).
The environment by itself supports cross linking, so it self documents and people find it easy to document! The compiler and automated tests can update a build/test result page! With a little thought I think a wiki could manage code better than current IDE’s and integrate the social side. I guess execution of code might be an issue, but one which some more thought would overcome. Possibly this could be integrated into Google Wave?
It’s worth some discussion and further thought – Somewhere, off to bed!
I have updated my original deep structure thoughts to incorporate the scientific method (or the similar concept of Plan, Do, Check, Act). The diagram aims to show why LEAN in particular thrives across the enterprise, rather than within just teams – It works with the whole and ensures process is part of the routine reflection and change cycle.
By adding the scientific method I’m trying to demonstrate that simply inspecting and adapting isn’t enough, you need to know where you intend to go and have the ability to assess the true impact of any proposed changes.
Over the Christmas break I read the trousers of reality, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The most interesting part for me was the chapter on deep structure. Inspired by this I produced my interpretation (a series of sketches) which in some way I see as almost mapping out the whole book (see below).
Fundamentally we need principles and feedback!
I have finally ditched windows xp and shifted all my life onto Ubuntu. I had two main reasons for this (and plenty of other minor reasons):
- I wanted to learn how to use Linux
- I didn’t want to shell out money for the eye candy update that is windows 7
Because I couldn’t quite let go, I moved my old windows xp install into VirtualBox, its weird seeing it running in a VM under Linux! The whole process was easy, although frustrating (mainly looking at progress dialogs).
My automated mind-mapping tool (Tangential) is now mostly usable (caveats below).
Please have a play and tell me what you think, just click here (note be patient with it, I have yet to optimize the server side code).
- You click a text box to fire off a new association (the word changes colour until mapping is complete)
- Words presented are drawn randomly from a large set of possible words, so run it again and other results will appear. This is the one area I need to play with, suspect showing all available words might be better – Feedback appreciated on this aspect.
- The graphical presentation of words is poor (they sometimes overlap and can be hard to read – Although I have made improvements in this area)
- It’s likely to blow-up – This is not guaranteed to be stable!
Again feedback appreciated.
This post has been superseded, in that the fixed word demo has been upgraded now – you can map your own words!
I’m making slow but sure progress on the mind mapping tool. As noted a while back, I want to complete it before moving on to the gazillion of other projects I have waiting in the wings.
So, for a limited time only you can try it (not anymore!), see my later posts or the main page for this project (tab at the top).
Things to note:
- It’s hard-wired to mind map the word “dinosaur”
- You click on a node to fire off a new association (node goes red, then black once completed)
- Words presented are drawn randomly from a large set of possible words, so run it again and other results will appear
- The graphical presentation of words is poor (they overlap and can be hard to read)
- It’s likely to blow-up, or my slice will (i think its pounding my already limited memory) This is the first time I have tested it live on the internet!
I would really appreciate comments. More stability etc. on its way. Have a play – if its up!
I’m almost at the point where my mind-mapping tool is running in processing. Apart from speed issues (related to pulling and parsing web-pages) its actually quite interesting to use. Having the ability to click on a node and branch off makes a big difference over the original version.
The word parsing/filtering needs some attention (not much) so I hope to have it running on the slice sometime this week – so people can play! In the meantime here is a screen shot of an exploratory mind-map on the word “hippy” (its not random enough to be a proper mind-map, but I’m beginning to think this is a plus point i.e. being able to quickly explore key threads related to a subject).
