Building on the earlier example of listing all the files within a directory on a webpage, we can now add some nifty sorting features to make the experience all the better.

Just put both files in a directory with the rest of the files and you’re done! Easy as cakes.

Here is an example of the code in action (with some additional formatting).

View the source code!
Download the source code! [ 6k ]

I created this simple little color converter using JavaScript. It's main purpose is to convert numbers to a 0-1 scale, as that is what 3D Max uses, while Photoshop uses a 0-255 scale. I can't do the math in my head, so I force my computer slave to do it for me. Hope it is useful to you too...

Ant Renamer is a free program that makes easier the renaming of lots of files and folders by using specified settings.

• It supports Unicode names.
• This program can rename large amounts of files and folders in few clicks.
• It only modifies files/folders names.
• Changing extension.
• Replacing character strings by others.
• Inserting a character string.
• Moving characters.
• Deleting several characters.
• Enumeration.
• Name creation with mp3’s Tag (ID v1.1).
• Name creation with file’s last modified date and time.
• Random names creation.
• Case change (uppercase, lowercase, first letter of each word in uppercase, …).
• Take names from a list/file.
• Use of EXIF info.
• Regular expressions.
• Availble in 11 languages : English (default), Belarusian, Chinese (simplified & traditional), Czech, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish.

Strengths

• Batch renaming.
• Runs on all current versions of windows.
• Very quick.
• Free.
• A variety of options when renaming files.
• Can include or exclude the extension in operations.

Weaknesses

• Only one level of undo.

Download Ant Renamer via http://www.antp.be

Ant Renamer is copyrighted by Antoine Potten and I make no claim that I have anything to do with it or want any money because of it. I just think it is a great program and you should use it.

GeoSetter is a freeware tool for Windows for showing and changing geo data of image files (e.g. images taken by digital cameras). It is a very powerful and easy to use tool for adding all sorts of metadata to your digital images. It is the next step to the earlier Exifer program, also developed by Friedemann Schmidt.

Features Include:

• Reads and writes the formats JPEG and TIFF as well as camera RAW formats DNG (Adobe), CRW and CR2 (Canon), NEF (Nikon), MRW (Konica Minolta), PEF (Pentax), ORF (Olympus), ARW, SR2, SRF (Sony) and RAF (Fujifilm)
• Uses ExifTool from Phil Harvey for writing data
• Shows existing geo coordinates and tracks on embedded Google Maps map (requires internet connection)
• Setting geo data by using embedded Google Maps map (requires internet connection) or by entering known values for coordinates and altitude directly
• Automatic filling of location IPTC fields and altitude values (requires internet connection)
• Editable IPTC data (IPTC-NAA/XMP)
• Possibilty to change taken date of images
• Synchronization with track files (NMEA, GPX, PLT, Sony LOG and others)
• Synchronization with already geo tagged images with buddy images (e.g. between RAW images and their corresponding JPEG images)
• Localizable user interface - English, German, French, Italian, Swedish, Czech, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Russian and Norwegian language is available at the moment

I have found GeoSetter to be one of the easiet and most reliable freeware programs out there for this sort of thing. Here is my quick and lazy bulleted review:

Strengths

• Images are easy to navigate.
• Editing geo data is simple and fast using the familiar Google Maps interface.
• Free.
• Still alive and being updated.
• Can add Flickr geo data tags.
• Allows saving of common GeoData locations.

Weaknesses

• Sometimes assigning the map position to an image fails.
• No batch processes for renaming or rotating.
• Saving the edited images is slow.
• Requires internet connection for some features.

Download GeoSetter via http://www.geosetter.de/

GeoSetter is copyrighted by Friedemann Schmidt and I make no claim that I have anything to do with it or want any money because of it. I just think it is a great program and you should use it.

Marc Johns @ Flickr

I just discovered this fellow through a bookmark over at vi.sualize.us. Interesting and nonsensical watercolors that work well enough by themselves, but when you add the captions he comes up for them, you can’t help but chortle.

Artwork by Marc Johns.

From his profile:

Marc Johns creates whimsical drawings filled with dry wit and humour. Whether it’s a man with branches growing out of his head that need pruning, or a pipe that’s trying to quit smoking, his characters are simply, sparsely drawn, yet speak volumes with just a few strokes of the pen. He’s been drawing since he was tiny. He’s not tiny anymore, but he’s not exactly big either. Marc is not sure why he’s talking about himself in the third person…

I generally aim to say as much as possible with as few elements as possible. My work often leans toward humour. Finding the humour in things often leads to finding the truth.

I like to create absurd situations, by combining things together that don’t belong, or imagine what inanimate objects would say if they could speak. For instance, the pen I am using to write this draft would probably say: “I’m tired. Can we stop for a bit?” Or perhaps it would say: “I can’t believe you’re making me write this. This is rubbish. Signing cheques would be more inspiring than this.” These are the things I think about. I think about alot of things. I think about thinking. Don’t try it though, it’s not worth it.

I use watercolours in ways you shouldn’t. I make my own sketchbooks. If I smoked, I’d roll my own. I’d rather draw than rent a movie. Don’t try to start a conversation with me about recent films. I haven’t seen any. I play the guitar. If I was a hobo, I’d learn to play the ukulele, because you could fit one in your duffle bag. My artwork and the materials I use are quite compact. You could fit my studio in a large suitcase. I hope you like my drawings, or at least some of them.

A free model! It’s a truss!

This was built in Cinema 4D Release 8.2. There are no textures included.

Download Ring Truss Model [ 5k ]

A free model! It’s a truss!

This was built in Cinema 4D Release 8.2. There are no textures included.

Download Square Truss Model [ 314k ]

You can zoom all open windows in Photoshop at the same time by having this option checked.

Today I am giving away a simple Flash VR file. You will need to create images at the various angles of your subject. Then simply import all of your images into this Flash file, adjust the speed to your tastes, and you will have a simple VR effect for the web or wherever.

Move you mouse to the right and the model will rotate counter-clockwise. Move the mouse to the left and the model will rotate clockwise.

Plan for further development include:

• adding vertical rotation
• smoother rotation
• on the fly updating (no need to have Flash to edit the content)
• a simple GUI

Model taken from 3dtotal.

All the ActionScript is on the first frame. It is as follows:

stop();

// Edit topSpeed to modify how fast the VR can rotate

var topSpeed:Number = 2;
var frameSpeed:Number;
var frame:Number = _root._currentframe;

// Functions, no need to edit these

onEnterFrame = function () {
 frameSpeed = Math.round(topSpeed*(_xmouse-Stage.width/2)/(Stage.width/2));
 newFrame = _root._currentframe+frameSpeed;
 if (newFrame>_root._totalframes) {
  newFrame = newFrame-_root._totalframes;
 } else if (newFrame<=0) {
  newFrame = _root._totalframes+newFrame;
 }
 gotoAndStop(newFrame);
 frame = _root._currentframe;
};

Download the source code! [ 1.5M ]

Below are PDFs containing helpful shortcuts to many common design programs. Some of these were developed by the folks over at Computer Arts, the rest were created by yours truly.

The shortcuts here are the defaults. Most of these programs will allow you to customize these to suit whatever needs // wants // quirks you may desire. Hope you find them helpful!

• 3D MAX [ 49k ]
• Acrobat [ 546k ]
• AutoCAD [ 2.7m ]
• Cinema 4D [ 62k ]
• Flash [ 115k ]
• Freehand [ 42k ]
• Illustrator [ 41k ]
• InDesign [ 42k ]
• Photoshop [ 41k ]
• VIZ [ 124k ]