Crazy Ivan Studios - Blog

Styles 'Done'!

2009-08-31T23:00:00.003-05:00

I finally have the styles pretty much how I want them. Everything looks great in Firefox, and if someone only uses IE, it will look fine, and they'll never know it's not exactly how it's supposed to look. ;)

I definitely learned more about making CSS and DIVs do what you actually want them to from getting the site to DIV only layout. So... now the next step is to get more pages added. I also need to get a 'showroom' of sorts set up, since this website IS supposed to eventually be about the work I've done and what I'm working on.

In other news, It is kind of nice to be able to use a blog to update the front page with FeedBurner (see link below), so I will likely be splitting my blog up again into site news and personal, with the personal blog being the one linked to on the comm page, and this one only feeding to the front page. We'll see.

I need to spiff up the look of this feed too, a little bit. Someday.

Fixed

2009-08-26T23:11:00.002-05:00

Well, I fixed it by making it put the output as plain text. It's not like the post info really needs to pull that anyways, as it will format from my overall CSS.

Ah... the joys of being a webmaster. I'm sure glad that's not my career!

Scripts

2009-08-26T22:47:00.002-05:00

The script that pulls my latest blog entry to my website front page does not appear to be working correctly. How droll.

Site Updated - Other News

2009-08-26T00:00:00.002-05:00

I've worked on matching the style of the blog up better with the style of the webpage. There is still something funny going on with the spacing of my divs in Firefox, that I haven't figured out yet. I also updated the Comm page so that I don't have the old link to the guestbook that is no longer there anymore.

In other news, I will post up a recap of the summer in a few days. The Fall quarter starts up in a week and a half (right after Labor Day), so I will likely start mentioning that more.

The Lost Muffins game design team is starting to make real progress again, so look for more information on that in the future as well.

~Philip "Istanbul" Morey

Website Is Back Online

2009-08-22T18:54:00.002-05:00

At long last, Crazy Ivan Studios is back online.

Game Team

2009-02-15T18:58:00.003-06:00

For those who don't know, the Midwest Regional Design Contest and Fair is coming up in about 3 weeks for 2009. Last year, I won the 3D Animated Short category, with an entry made from my first 3DS Max project. You can see clips of this movie in this compilation:

Well, this year, I am on a team called the Lost Muffins®, and we are making a game called The Pirates of Galactic Proportions®. Our website is now open for the public, and it is located at http://www.lostmuffins.com. Right now, we are working on having a complete level and the core of the game play finished up by the due date. We're doing pretty well and have high hopes, but we'll be continuing on this after the fair, to have a complete game.

Importing Posts

2009-02-08T00:47:00.001-06:00

Since it's all working, I'm going to port on in the posts from my first blog too... it'll be GREAT! Now anyone who is so exceedingly bored that they want to read back to 2005... they'll be able to all in one place. I'll bet you're excited.

Blog

2009-02-07T22:49:00.002-06:00

The blog still needs work getting the style matched up with my homepage. I'll keep plugging away at it over the next few days.

50

2009-01-02T01:06:00.000-06:00

It only took 4.5 years... Level 50 Warrior!

In celebration, this is a picture after Riykere ate me.

Long Time

2008-12-13T10:32:00.000-06:00

Although I am making this post from school, the router issue has been fixed. I've just been a bit busy, and I had gotten out of the habit of posting (if I could ever have been said to be IN that habit).

I started a new job the first week of November, doing support for people using a complicated website-based contract management and quoting tool. I was pulled immediately after the classroom training to go to a more specialized team on the same project, so it's been a lot of learning.

Last quarter I had:
Audio Visual Techniques (A)
Instructional Design (A)
Written Analysis (C)

AV Tech took a big chunk of time, but... I made a movie. I have not uploaded it to youtube yet, but I will do so sooner or later (probably on Christmas break).

This quarter I have:
Managing Game Development (which is more or less Flash 101)
Web Scripting and Authoring I (html, css and dreamweaver)
Ethics

I have also come back to FFXI as I am doing better monetarily to where I can pay some money for something even if there will be times I won't have time to play at all. I've still got the DarkAssassins pearl and Riykere is still on a lot. Shinjo joined the Army apparently.

I am still living in WI, where I have lived all of my life. We've been getting hit with Blizzaga IIIs pretty consistently already this year.

Besides that I am working on making a game with a team of fellow students/friends. When I can share more about that, I will.

The Brewers made the playoffs this year, if I didn't mention that before.

Well... Hello!

2008-10-07T19:34:00.000-05:00

The new router that my sister got blocks most blogs for some strange reason, therefore I have been posting even less than normal. I've also been busy. Tonight I am just posting a hello from my parent's house, and how you doin' to whomever may be looking.

Project

2008-08-11T21:15:00.000-05:00

I am about to embark on my second 'crunch' time. I've got to get an animation project done for Animation I (the final project that is half the grade in the class). I've spent several hours on it already, but am not near as far along as I'd like... I have about 10 days to finish it. I'll be putting in some long evenings while working my 45+ hours a week. (I'm really not complaining... much).

Here's my schedule:

This Week
Tue: 4 hours in the evening.
Wed: Church/Work on homework for other class (Research Methods, I'm getting clawed up to hopefully C+/B level after being quite behind the whole quarter).
Thu: The actual class, 4 hours.
Fri: I think I can do 4 hours on friday, I have to check for sure to make sure I'm not forgetting something.
Sat: Softball tournament in the AM, I don't expect to play more than 3 games, and probably only 2. Then will spend some time with my 'Little Brother'. Since I think the school will be closed by then, I will work on finishing up Research Methods a week early.
Sun: If research methods is done, then I basically have this day off, unless I find out the school is open. I think I remember my instructor saying he would be there on sunday so I might be able to put some time in.

Next Week
Mon: 4 hours
Tue: 4 hours
Wed: Off (Church)
Thu: will be taking the day off of work. I'll sleep in a little bit, get up at 8, get up to school between 9 and 10, and will have until 6 pm to put finishing touches on it...

Basically, although I really didn't need to post this schedule online, I needed to put it on 'paper' to see if I could get the time in that I need to fulfill the project. With about 10 hours in so far, that schedule puts me at about 40 hours. To be totally frank, that won't be enough to do the job that I want to do on it. I guess I should've started on it early instead of on time... I'll have to check on the saturday and sunday possibliities, because if I can get 50 hours in on it, I'd start feeling more comfortable.

My Life - Update

2008-07-07T21:44:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a long long time (3 months almost) since I posted anything here, so I figure I better give a little update. Just in case anyone is checking in.

Still going to school. Didn't get 4.0 last quarter again, cuz I slacked too much in Economics. But, I'm regrouping and hoping to come back strong this quarter. Only taking 2 classes, Animation I, and Research Methods. Starting next quarter, I'll be switching into the 2 year Multimedia program, so I can get that associates on my way to my bachelors. I'm hoping the 2 year degree will help me get a job that pays more than $9/hr by mid next year, so I can have all my credit card debt gone before I get out of school and have to start paying back school loans. Egads, this is a do or die kind of situation for me. If I don't get a pretty decent paying job out of school, it's going to be a long long road... But, can't think about that right now. Just gotta focus and take care of the business at hand and have faith that the rest of it will work out alright.

I'm playing softball again this year. Our church has two teams this year, and since I wasn't able to make the first game or two this year, and I noticed that Team 2 somehow got 'loaded' with all of the kids, etc. I asked to play for them to help the team out. Although we still haven't won a game, and have only had one even close (against our Team 1 associates), I like to think I've helped keep everyone positive (as well as providing a solid offensive and defensive player to go with all the kids we have). Don't get me wrong, the kids are going to be good, but when you have over half your players having only played one or two years, as well as being half the age of a bunch of grown men on most of the other teams, it's a bit hard to compete. But, I predict more close games by the end of the year, and since we have at least 8 games left including the tournament, I feel farily confident that we will win a game before the end of the year as well. If not, I still hope we can keep the team together, cuz with one more year under our belts, we should start being pretty good I think.

As for church, I've started playing drums again. I played twice last month, and both times went alright. This month, I get to look forward to playing with the nemesis of the Music Department... The Pastor's Wife's Mother. I'm not one to complain too much about people, but she is just not a good fit on keyboard for our church. She's not too good a fit on organ either, but, at least there, if she's not fitting in, it can be covered up more by the sound department (which I am also a member of). The lady, god bless her soul, just refuses to blend in with the rest of our very talented musicians (no, I'm not talking about myself), and it's been causing more and more dissension in the department. Hopefully things get taken into hand pretty soon. Other than that, wish me luck in a couple weeks, when I get to face the trial by fire...

Also, on a musical note, I've started to jam with a co-worker who is a guitar player, and he's darned good. We've jammed... don't remember if it's 3 or 4 times now in the past 2-3 months. It's been fun, and it's helped get me back in the 'swing' (bad pun), of things, as I really haven't been drumming regularly at all since I stopped playing drums for the spanish church a year and a half ago or so after helping them out for about 5 years.

Well, I guess that's about all the news I have for the time being. I'll 'try' to be a bit more regular with my posting once again.

~Mophia

Quiz - Birthdate

2008-04-02T14:43:00.000-05:00

Your Birthdate: September 23

You're not good at any one thing, and that's the problem.

You're good at so much - you never know what to do.

Change is in your blood, and you don't stick to much for long.

You are destined for a life of travel and fun.

Your strength: Your likeability

Your weakness: You never feel satisfied

Your power color: Bright yellow

Your power symbol: Asterisk

Your power month: May

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

I'm constantly surprised by some of the accuracies of some of these quizzes. But, hey, if you say enough generic things about people you're bound to get several of them right, eh?

First Place Video

2008-03-13T21:03:00.000-05:00

I got first place in the Animated Short category of the Midwest Regional Game Design Contest and Fair hosted at my school with this video. I won a keyboard! A gaming keyboard actually, so it has extra buttons and everything is customizable. Nice... Reeaal nice. I'll even open it up sometime and see if I can make it work through my KVM switch, hehe.

A Couple New Model Pics

2008-03-03T19:57:00.000-06:00

Two Weeks

2008-02-27T20:20:00.000-06:00

Seventeen days ago: My pastor went into the hospital with pneumonia. That was a bad sign... Nine years ago, he nearly died because of pneumonia and ended up with a lung condition from that. He had had ups and downs with that situation since then.

Within the next day, the doctors had to put him on a ventilator. Because of how he had been struggling with his everyday life, he said that he would not stay on the ventilator longer than a week.

Nine days ago, my pastor died. Thankfully he doesn't have to struggle just to breath anymore. However, he has left behind his wife and two young girls. Any prayers or even positive thoughts anyone cares to send their way would be much appreciated.

Church Website for more information, link for donation to help family with medical costs from the past nine years.

Another Short Video and Picture(s)

2008-02-02T09:31:00.000-06:00

Finally got my fighter model complete. Just have to skin the darn thing now... I better go find a couple photoshop for dummies books I guess! Pictures follow:

Mars pics

2008-01-25T21:13:00.000-06:00

Which one is real?

2008-01-12T11:21:00.000-06:00

Link

Link to a thread that I have more screenies on. (Didn't feel like uploading the 5 pics a second time)

Really Short Videos From Modeling Class

2008-01-12T09:34:00.000-06:00

3D Modeling Class

2007-12-16T19:39:00.000-06:00

3D modeling is a very in depth subject. We're using 3DS Max, which is made by Autodesk, and you can do incredible things with it. It seems like it's all going over my head, but I'm plugging away, and I've done a couple of cool things so far. Here's one:

Make sure your domains are private!

2007-11-24T22:08:00.000-06:00

http://joystickrequired.com/forums/f3/drama-2951.html#post28987

Later on in the thread, he goes on to say that he found that his domain was not private, meaning his contact information could be gotten by looking at the registration information somehow. So, those of you who own any domains, make sure you have private ones! (Or at least don't have personal contact information attached.)

Time Flies

2007-11-22T00:12:00.000-06:00

One nice thing about quarter systems is how fast they go by... Of course, that leads to some feelings of non-stop on the go action type things, but so far it's helping me keep my focus more than it's creating stress.

I managed to "squeak" out A's again this quarter, so I have my 4.0 still rocking through 20 credits. 99.7 or so in Math II, and somewhere around 95-97 I believe in Intro to Programming.

Next quarter will be a challenge, as I have my nemesis, Comp II (I have psychological issues with that class, I think I'll Call it Flower Arrangement 102 from now on). However, I'm taking it online, and I'm on a mission! I've also been improving each quarter so far on my procrastinating habits (at least in regards to school, my room/desk/etc. is still very disorganized and I haven't written on I:NJAC at all), so I have high hopes for this go round. I'm also excited about two classes, 3D Modeling and Rapid Visualization (which is a drawing class), though, like I felt with programming at the beginning of the quarter, I'm not quite sure what to expect. I'm kind of mentally preparing myself for the possibility of losing the straight 4.0, however, keeping that 4.0 is definitely the target.

I will be cutting back on the second job after the holidays, and there is a two week break right up around christmas and through the new year, so that will help me rest up and hopefully get a lil ahead on some of my work. (Run on sentence night tonight). This week and next week are a bit of a vacation as well, since I finished my finals asap. Working only 40 hours this week makes it easy in spite of having to work 'Black Friday' at the local mall at my retail job. Of course that's compared to working 70 last week, and averaging about 55/week since I started my FT job.

Well, I've pretty much said all that to say this. Everything's going pretty well, which I'm thankful for. Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

FF7: Advent Children

2007-11-05T20:06:00.000-06:00

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is a movie I must recommend. It may be 100% CGI, but, like it's predecessor, Final Fantasy: the Spirits Within, it is visually stunning to the point that you really don't think about it. The action is incredible and fast paced. The plot is full of classic Final Fantasy twists, turns, and intriguing tidbits. And, like all FFs, the music is stellar. I can't think of anything else a person could want from a movie. Watch it. It's better than Harry Potter.