A few weeks back, I wrote a post titled "Don't learn ActionScript!" My point then was that if you're new to programming and Flash is your tool of choice, then ActionScript may be the first language you learn, but it's always a good idea to realize that AS is one of many languages that share several common parts. To me, this idea was empowering when I first figured it out. It meant that I wasn't just learning some esoteric codes, but that I was learning basic concepts that transferred to other languages.In that post, I mentioned Processing as a language worth looking at. Well, one of the creators of that language, Casey Reas, spoke at SIGGRAPH, and I want to bring it back up because of it. Processing is "created to teach fundamentals of computer programming within a visual context and to serve as a software sketchbook and professional production tool. Processing is developed by artists and designers as an alternative to commercial software tools in the same domain." ...

This is an "off-topic warning" for next week. I'll be going to Los Angeles tomorrow for the start of SIGGRAPH 2005 on Sunday...a week of soaking myself in the bleeding edge of computer graphics. It's always a crazy week. Sometimes exhausting. Sometimes exhilarating. Always inspiring. For the last five or six years, it's been a place to recharge my creative batteries. Even though Macromedia isn't a regular (they haven't been to the exhibit floor of SIGGRAPH since the launch of 3D in Shockwave, back in 2000), there are usually a couple of related presentations (I saw Josh Davis in 2003 and he remains one of my favorite conference speakers of all time). I had hoped that the MacrAdobe merge would be a little bit further along. Adobe is always a huge presence on the exhibition floor, so I was looking forward to seeing how their presentation might have shifted. Maybe there will still be some tidbits to glean. I'll be sure to let you know. I'm sure there will be lots of other stuff that you'll find ...

OK, so I am woefully behind in posting. Live blogging is just not my thing. I need some time to process before I share. Right now, four days into SIGGRAPH, I have that 10,000-yard stare that is common amongst conference goers. I've spent long days sitting in fluorescent-lit rooms, and my brain is approaching super-saturation point. So you'll just have to bear with me a little longer over the next couple of days as I try to download some of what I've seen.In the meantime, check out the site of John "J.Walt" Adamczyk. John opened this year's Electronic Theatre (the main showcase of CG animation and film at SIGGRAPH) with a 17 minute live graphic performance called Autocosm: Gardens of Thuban in which he used a Wacom tablet and what looks like an audio mixing board to create realtime 3-D graphics to music (which he also composed). An impressive performance which should give all the VJs out there something to think about. ...

OK, so SIGGRAPH ended on Thursday, but between travel time and time to decompress a bit, I haven't had a chance to blog about the last couple of days till now. The Web Program (which will not be a part of SIGGRAPH 2006!?!) began on Wednesday with some excellent presos. I'll try to recap some of the best in the next day or so to finish off blogging this year's conference.First off, Peter Morville of Semantic Studios (who wrote the seminal book on web information architecture back in 1998) spoke about what he calls "ambient findability" which he describes idealistically as the ability to "find anything one or anything, anywhere and anytime."  The problem, of course, is with the proliferation of information, how to make sure that your information can be found any where, anytime. Morville has a nifty little chart (see image at right) that explains the nexus of ideas he thinks is necessary.Morville is also interested in devices that access information on the web, but aren't necessarily ...

Today was the first day of SIGGRAPH 05. Went to a panel this morning on "the eight basic steps to success" when making an animated film. Like all conference panels, some parts were more interesting than others. One thing that struck me though was a the continual assertion that age equaled sophistication. The argument was made several times that you could get away with less sophisticated product if your target audience was young children, whereas the older the audience the more sophistication they could handle.Now, I have a few problems with this. First off, I have a six year-old and a two year-old and they both constantly surprise me with the sophistication of their analyses of thw world around them. Secondly, I've met more than a few "older" folks (meaning non-children, not octogenarian) that lack more than their share of sophistication. So the question that comes to my mind, and to me this applies to web design and development as well, when did lowest-common-denominator become the bar to ...

A couple of years back, you might have gotten an email in your inbox that took you off to a nutty looking website where a geeky white guy taught you "How to Dance Properly." That guy's name is Ze (pronounced "zay") Frank, and that email is one of the great viral stories of the web. In the end, a lot of folks got that email and went off to learn not only how to dance properly but all kinds of life lessons. And then, if you stuck around, you might have even found some of Ze's cool Flash toys like Kaleidoscope for Shelda's Mom. By this time, you pretty much knew that this guy was brilliant.Well, I'm here to confirm that Ze is indeed one intelligent guy. Not only has he created a highly entertaining website that continues to grow, but he's thought a lot about what it means to be creative and communicate with people (via the web as well a in other venues). Ze's presentation at SIGGRAPH showed not only his erudition but his passion, and I have to say that it was for me probably the highlight ...

George Lucas was the keynote speaker at SIGGRAPH this year. I have to say that I was a little disappointed in that it wasn't really a keynote per se, rather a Q & A with George...not even an audience Q & A, rather a late night show interview format with a host. As the keynote for a major conference, it was rather lame.That having been said, it was George Lucas, and whatever you have to say about his actual films, the man has been incredibly influential in computer graphics. His films have inspired thousands of little kids to grow up into CG artists (many of them were in the room yesterday...or in the spill-over room...); while the technologies that form the basis of the Avid and Pixar (and even Photoshop!) came out of his shops. So while he may not be personally responsible for the code and the pixels, he has dreamed the dream and provided an environment where some really wonderful things have taken place. Most recently, he has moved Industrial Light and Magic (his special effects company) and his ...

OK, there's probably more stuff that I could say about SIGGRAPH last week...in fact, I know there's lots more I could say, but I think I'll just encourage you to go peruse the exhibitor's list (visit their websites to see some very cool technology) and the SIGGRAPH Wiki for more info on the conference and on SIGGRAPH in general.The last thing I'd like to comment on though is that there will be no Web Program at the 2006 convention in Boston. I'm really not sure what to think about that. From my personal observations, the Web Program has grown in popularity over the last couple of years (I want to give props to the program chair, Nishant Kothary of Amazon.com for shepherding the program of late). I'm really not sure what the SIGGRAPH folks are thinking cutting this program out.SIGGRAPH has always had a schizophrenic personality between academia and Hollywood (but its been a good kind of duality for the most part). Maybe they just can't stand having that third personality(?). What do you guys think? After all, ...

This IKEA site uses Flash to deliver a great 3D, 360-degree experience. Mike Downey blogged this the other day, and several others have posted about it as well (here, here, and here).   But I just can't help putting it out there again. I've gone back a couple of times in the last few days and every time, I'm amazed anew.Some folks are comparing it to the Matrix movies, but it reminds me more of Matthew Mohr's work. Mohr's "The Island of Misfit Toys" was at SIGGRAPH 2004. It's a group of free-standing plasma screens that rotate around a pole. You could grab hold of them and move them around to view a 360-degree image. The series formed a narrative of sorts. Really cool stuff.So, take some time this Friday and explore this site. It's worth the download. ...

The Weblogs, Inc. network features over 100 independent, unfiltered bloggers producing over 1,000 blog posts a week across over 75 industry-leading blogs. Each week we ask our bloggers to choose their top posts, which we bring to you in one easy-to-read weekly post. You’ll find links to the hottest posts from the past week after the jump including an Engadget Blinged-out Gadget Contest, the worst TV news of the week and information on the possible death of Tom Hanks. Enjoy! ...

The Weblogs, Inc. network features over 100 independent, unfiltered bloggers producing over 1,000 blog posts a week across over 75 industry-leading blogs. Each week we ask our bloggers to choose their top posts, which we bring to you in one easy-to-read weekly post. You’ll find links to the hottest posts from the past week after the jump including an motion detection for Flash games, favorite Kids in the Hall moments and even a Spanish Autoblog announcement. Enjoy! ...