#How to path in DoInk

[doink]

Quick Tip- Mastering Motion with the Pathing Tool in Green Screen by DoInk

Welcome to our quick tip tutorial on mastering motion with the Pathing Tool in Green Screen by DoInk! In this blog post and accompanying video tutorial, we'll explore how this powerful feature allows you to create dynamic animations with ease. Whether you're a teacher looking to engage your students or a content creator aiming to add movement to your visuals, mastering the Pathing Tool will take your projects to the next level.

What you will learn:

Introduction to the Pathing Tool in Green Screen by DoInk

Quick tip guide on utilizing the Pathing Tool for motion animations

Tips and techniques for creating smooth and fluid movements

Real-world examples showcasing the versatility of the Pathing Tool

Elevating your projects with captivating animations

With the Pathing Tool in Green Screen by DoInk, creating dynamic animations has never been easier. Whether you're animating characters, photos, objects, or text, mastering this tool is essential for crafting captivating visuals that leave a lasting impression.

[quillusquillus]

at this point I'm tempted to predict a future schism between mobile and desktop internet users, even more so then there is now. It used to be that there were the internet-savvy people and the non-internet-savvy people, where "non-internet-savvy" meant "doesn't know how to do anything except send e-mail at best".

These days we exist in a delightful sea of many many people existing and exchanging ideas on the internet, but more and more I see that things designed for mobile use are very much designed to make the user think as little as possible and consume as much as possible, all the classic things they said about TV numbing your brain etc etc in the pre-internet days. Basic internet skills like browser extensions, privacy controls, ad blockers, and knowing when a company's "sorry, you have to do xyz to use our site!" is unnecessary bullshit designed to make you their product, are falling by the wayside, with younger people with no computer simply not having access to that knowledge unless they explicitly go diving for it

It's pretty easy at this point to foresee a possible future that cycles back around to the "mainstream uncritical TV-watching consumers" versus "weird squirrelly computer nerds" era of the turn of the millennium, when knowing how to add animated gifs to your Geocities was rare technical knowledge and having a home computer was something only those who were kind of nerdy did. So many websites are redesigning themselves now to be the most compatible for mobile use, because that's where the bulk of users are and therefore the profits, with several websites I've used in the past (RIP DoInk) going fully app-only and becoming unusable on desktop. I'm seeing my first full-production music videos produced in vertical format, looking absurd on anything other than a phone screen. YouTube now literally has two faces: Shorts for mobile users and "classic" youtube (which also throws Shorts at you because those get more views and more profit). Sites geared to app-based use overwhelmingly censor adult content more than browser-based (in my experience), thanks in part to Apple's app store approval policies and iron grip on what you can install on your own iOS device, which also excludes all the people who want to quietly get their freak on.

Perhaps over the next decade this polarization might continue into a central hub of mainstream, corporate-controlled mobile-oriented sites that provide the main sources of knowledge and entertainment (again, we've gone back to TV), and some secondary, more "underground" hubs where the nerds and the freaks and the weirdos hang out. I mean it's already like that right now but as a certified nerd freak and weirdo who has gotten pushed away from mobile-oriented spaces it's interesting to imagine it more extreme, what the internet cultural tapestry might become, further along this path

[gamerdog1]

Akiba Maid War Review

What is a maid? In a traditional sense, a maid is a young woman who is employed to do housework. In the Victorian era, maids were often found in wealthy households, and were there to do all the chores that the homeowners didn't want to/didn't know how to do. The female equivalent to a butler, maids are/were expected to be clean, dress in a formal uniform, and be devoted to their employer.

In the late 90's/early 2000's, Japan's first 'maid café' opened, a restaurant where (almost entirely male) guests would be waited on by women dressed like traditional European maids. This concept of being cared for and served by a cutesy woman quickly took off, and now, you can't really say the word 'maid' without people thinking of Japan.

With any cultural trend comes movies, books, and of course, loads of anime. Fans of Japanese maids don't need to look far for their fix, with big names like Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid (2017), Maid Sama (2010), Shonen Maid (2016), and a dozen others at their disposal. But while a majority of these series show maids as peaceful, loving people, there's one that sets out to show the dark side.

Akiba Maid War (2022) is an original anime made by P.A. Works, and video game company Cygames. The series follows a young woman named Nagomi, who moves to Akihabara in the late 90's with dreams of working at a maid cafe. Along the way, she meets other maids, learns the ropes, and encounters great struggles in her path.

Be warned, this review contains spoilers from here on out.

What separates this show from other maid anime is it's mature content. In the world of Akiba Maid War, all maid cafes in Akihabara are part of massive million dollar corporations, that are constantly on the brink of all-out war. Cafes are run like gangs, with strong group identity, territory, and rivalry with others. They are all expected to squeeze out as much money as they can from customers, and fill their bosses' pockets, or else they'll be at the bottom of the hierarchy.

Its a unique take on the concept of a café business, or more broadly, a themed diner. With every passing year, new businesses are bound to pop up, threatening those who are already there. But in this anime, it's taken to the extreme, as those tensions are taken out with violence and threats.

From the jump, Akiba Maid War (shortened to AMW from now on) is keen to establish three things to it's audience, which form the backbone of the whole series: revenge is a cycle, femininity is currency, and the game is rigged.

The very first episode of the series starts with a murder, which cleverly becomes the inciting incident for the plot and world. The moment the show starts, so does the conflict, and so does everything else that goes on in the universe of the show. It helps viewers like me better understand the structures of the world; why the cafes are run like they are, why everyone is so quick to anger, and why money is tight.

That single action creates a domino effect, leading to groups lashing out at each other in harsher and harsher ways. The cafe that the main character joins (the 'Oinky-Doink' and themed around pigs) accidentally provokes rival cafes throughout the series, making relations between the two warring companies worse, and making them take desperate measures just to survive, over and over again. Oinky-Doink is perpetually the underdog, caught in the crossfire of gun-toting maids who take even the slightest insult as a death threat.

Enter, Nagomi, a perky young woman who believes that violence isn't the answer, and does everything in her power to show that to others. In the dismal world of Akiba Maid War, she is a shining ray of hope, one that keeps the rest of the Oinky-Doink going, even in the darkest times. In a show this dark, she grabs attention by showing love to others, and while she does act a bit childish, she eventually grows and matures by the end.

Nagomi represents the traditional and commonplace idea of a cafe maid. She's young, friendly, and wants to help others. Her attitude is used as a juxtaposition, to show the audience how messed up the other cafes have gotten. She repeatedly meets other maids who try to force her into violence, but she refuses, staying firm on her morals. If not for her struggling, and even losing sometimes, she'd be a perfect kid's cartoon character.

Beyond the near-constant violence, something the maids in this show deal with is performing femininity. Its no secret that the demographic most maid cafes target is heterosexual men, usually otakus, and in this show, its no different.

Despite their ruthlessness to each other, the cafe maids are cute, polite, and giving to their customers, their 'masters', as they call them. They all strive to be like a historical maid, who they look up to for her excellent service and kindness. In this, the maids of Akihabara are constantly trying to perform a level of traditional femininity, to draw in more customers with their personality. Their industry is built off of short skirts, frills, and serving men, and divergence from that is frowned upon.

Ranko, the deuteragonist, best shows this. She joins the Oinky-Doink at 35, which according to the other maids there, is way too old. She is stoic, with a deep voice and a harsh gaze, and even though she is passionate about being a maid, she is often teased. In the world of AMW, she doesn't fit the bill of a traditionally feminine maid, so she is cast out to Oinky-Doink, the 'failure' of their animal-themed maid organization.

Characters like Ranko are crushed under the ever-present weight of their bosses, who serve the greater conglomerate that owns their cafes. Acting the 'right' way isn't just for aesthetic: its to ensure that customers keep coming, and their business stays afloat. With so many rival cafes, Oinky-Doink struggles with money throughout the whole series, taking desperate actions just for a little bit more 'honey money' to pay their superiors.

Their money troubles are where most of the comedy in this series comes from, but also the drama. For example, in one episode, they lose their loan money to a casino-themed cafe, so the maids try to gamble it back. Its a silly premise, made even more so by each character trying (and failing) to win money. But it's also played for drama, when the maids of Oinky-Doink have to win at poker, or be sold off to a foreign company.

Oinky-Doink's constant money struggles keeps them at underdog status, and makes you want to root for them. You see the poor conditions they live in, how they cut cost on food just to make ends meet, and how the struggle to even afford a birthday cake, and you want to watch them succeed. It makes this series quite the compelling watch.

If I had one complaint about this series, it would be the outfit designs. The cafe's in AMW are all distinctly themed, whether to aliens, or animals, but the outfits the maids wear are lackluster at best. Beyond animal ears and simple color coordination, its sometimes hard to tell what animals the different cafes are, and the alien cafes hardly resemble any alien I've ever seen before, looking more like typical pop idol costumes instead. Coolest outfits could've made this show pop even more, and help viewers visually distinguish different factions.

Overall, though, Akiba Maid War is a slam-dunk of a series, that delivers some damn good action and comedy in 12 episodes. It has a tight cast of main characters who distinguish themselves well, and come together to form a group of underdogs that its easy to root for. The show has a good balance of fire fights and silly moments, and occassionally, says something touching about surviving under capitalism or the power of friendship. All this, from an original series, from some forgotten wreck called HIDIVE.

I never thought I'd be into this series, with its super girliness and cuteness, but it won me over with its awesome violence and strong characters. Well done. 9/10.

[lauvra]

30/12/2024 I'm sure there are loads more ways I need to die on this journey before my path makes significant enough sense to me, but one thing I've been dwelling on over the past few weeks is the ways I lose or betray my voice and how to determine when my silence is a necessary phase of reflection to honour and delve into vs. a mere product of insecurity to cast aside or push through. I wrote a piece a while ago attempting to share examples of times I've lost my voice throughout life and I've wanted to delete the thing ever since posting it. It wasn't written as well as it could have been, the ways I tried to work around my struggle with tense was shotty but it was done as well as it could have been at that time and my focus was on getting it out. I'm too aware of the tangential elements that I haven't drawn into an adequate throughline but the idea of revision currently makes me sick. I've just backspaced a post's worth of ranting here, everything I write just drives me fucking crazy at the moment. I am truly sick of myself, I think it's a sign I've gotta get a life so it's definitely partially an important silence, but I've become overly self conscious about the kind of writer I am, too. I'd gained permission from internal writers like Lispector, diaristic writers like Ernaux and ones self proclaimed "lacking in imagination" like Anne Carson, but suddenly my head has filled with the voices of bitter people with bulk sale mindsets who claim only famous people have lives and perspectives worth reading about. Well, I read perfect stranger's ruminations all the time online and grow to love them through their honest self explorations. If they wrote a book, I'd buy one because I've come to care, so I know that's not an idea worthy entirely of scorn. All of my writing is a practise in development for when something real enough happens. So that then I may have become a worthy vessel--yes, that's icky and yes I mean it. There are ways I need to die, attachments I need to loosen my grip on, more silences to soap myself with and maybe I should even sink back into and inhale. I dunno, maybe I'm already finished here. It's easy to feel that way. This is the battle. When I zoom out and imagine my life as a cartoon, all of this becomes silly--I picture scary men as if badly drawn tossing furniture and violent crashing is instantly replaced by comical doink's, personal humiliations turn G-Rated through the descending sound effect wah-wah-wahhhhh. See, just like this, I talk myself off the ledge, into an alternate reality where tomorrow's a stand alone episode free from all the run-ons of the past. Each day another GAMEOVER--TRY AGAIN?

[addicatastrophelovescats626]

Personal WWE story...

Okay, so I finally listened to that intervew that Lilian Garcia did with Seth Rollins, and it hit me really really really hard. I relate to him on an extremely personal level. He talked about being the kid who didnt really socialize, and was really straight edge who would write poetry/listen to music in the basement. That was (and still is because MCR still goes hard) me. 

Not only did I relate to that I relate to that, but he talked about being good at school, but not really being all that passionate or into it. He even mentioned that he just did it to go through the motions and look like he was accomplishing something....which is where my emotions kick in. Allow me to elaborate - I don’t have the best home life. My parents are extremely strict and monitor everything. School was the one thing I could impress them with. The only time I heard my dad say he was proud of me was when I got into the college he wanted me to go to.  I was good at school, but music and then wrestling became my escape. I was an extremely gifted student, got into college, got a degree in four years, got jobs with huge corporations hoping to move up....but I wasn’t happy and after being at those jobs, I was usually fired for completely asinine reasons. I didn’t have a passion, I was just trying to figure out what I wanted to do and how to make money. 

The current job I have now is the best one I have ever had. I’m getting a promotion even. But I very rarely feel like its enough or that Im on a good path in life. My friends have better jobs, they can afford to move out, theyre getting married, etc etc etc. I feel like I’m finally onto something, but I dont really know just yet. Seth talks about working two jobs and doing this that and the other thing (much like I have been doing since I graduated) and how he noticed little stepping stones along that way that made him think, “well yeah, this is where I’m supposed to be heading” and I feel like maybe I’ve been starting to see those to. Maybe I’m optimistic, but being almost 25 and finally seeing results for my hard work, damned if I dont give myself a slight amount of credit. 

Seth also talked about passion and I think I’m slowly finding mine and I take huge comfort in that.

My first passions were and always will be music and wrestling, but I’m not actually physically involved in either. Sure, I play guitar a little on the side, but I’m no Elias, and I highly doubt I’ll ever actually fight for money or whatever. Do i want to take classes and learn? Hell yeah. Is it something I could actually do as a career? At this point (I am 24 so thats like,....kinda old to start?), no but It’d be a fun hobby when I have some money. It’s amazing that the superstars can have such an effect on fans and be so inspiring. I look at people like Mark Henry and Golddust who pretty much scream, “if you want to know about the business - let me help you get in it” and Im just amazed at the amount of passion and love they have for their job and the company you work for. Or even Seth who started his own wrestling school to help kids just like him. I’m starting to feel that way. Slowly but surely. There are still days where I don’t know what I’m doing or like I feel like I’m just guessing or faking it. A lot of that is my own head, and my own negative experiences. Nothing so far has worked out and I’m afraid to dive into anything full on because anytime I try it blows up in my face. but the more I feel confident and happy the better its getting. And I owe a huge part of that to wrestling and the WWE for showing me passion and watching the superstars talk about it the way that they do. 

My earliest childhood memories are wrestling related - going to my brothers matches, watching guys like Ken Shamrock, Shawn Michaels, the Hardy Boys, week after week. My brother got to meet Kurt Angle at a local wrestling camp when he was 6 and he still has the autograph (perks of being from Pittsburgh). He took me to live events and I got to meet Sabu, I’ve been in the same room has Kevin Nash, and one of the Doink the Clown characters is a good friend of mine (He told me all about WWE backstage life with Shane McMahon, and sold me a Roman Reigns pillow....lol.) So I guess I owe this courage to them in some respect, and tbh I couldn’t be happier that finally after almost 25 years of mediocrity that I think I am going somewhere. 

TD;LR - I love wrestling a lot and the superstars have given me a lot of courage (esp recently). 

[mariogman25]

The Mad Ramblings of a Crossover Fanatic (Part 4)

This time I’m talking about an actual crossover, but a rather... disappointing one. I fully accept that this is what we have now and there’s more on the way. I’m not buying it until it’s finished. Anyway. With what we’re given, all 6 stones are separated into 3 worlds: Earth, XGard, and Dark Kingdom, Thanos has the Satsui No Hado and was about to throw a fucking Hadouken at Death as revenge for tricking/cheating on him, and it ended on a cliffhanger. With what I’ve been given, I will envision a Story Mode DLC starring whoever is predicted on @waddle-moogle‘s DLC character list minus Scrooge for the sake of... not waiting. Anyway, Story below.

The Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite: The Misadventures of Phoenix Wright & Deadpool.

Literally 5 seconds after the ending, Thanos is about throw his Hadouken, when, OUT OF FUCKING NOWHERE, Akuma blocks the shot and is more pissed than usual. At Thanos in particular for stealing the satsui no hado and to challenge a god to a fight because of course he would. Commence the first fight: Akuma vs. Hado Thanos. After said fight, Akuma winning of course, using The Demon, Akuma leaves. 

We then cut to a flashback of Thanos punching the shit out Ultron Sigma’s head. We see the stone crack, and something is different than before. We see a small shard of the Reality stone fly out the window of Avenger’s Tower. It falls down to street level, almost as if it was in slow motion, but then... it lands with a Doink. Right into the hair of an unsuspecting spikey haired lawyer on his way to “Hell’s Court”. A special court deep in the bowels of Hell’s Kitchen of New Metro City, his opponent today is a Civil Case against Matt Murdoc. The specifics aren’t really needed but it’s probably a reference to something. Jen Walters is the presiding Judge. But on his way there, with his trusty assistant, Maya, some Ultron Drones block their path. As they creep closer as they’re surround, Nick, more out of force of habit than anything else, yells “OBJECTION” and a giant fucking speech bubble appears out of nowhere and sends 2 of the bots flying into the distance until they explode in mid-air. 

Both confused, and yet still surrounded by Drones, Maya eggs Phoenix on to do more random stuff to see if that hurts them. Commence the fight. PW wins after blowing up an onslaught of drones with nothing but some random evidence he had in his inventory, some random movements, and a sneeze. Cue fucking Deadpool showing up and kidnapping Phoenix & Maya after seeing all that cool shit to see if he can force them into being another sidekick of his. They all somehow end up in court anyway, though it turns out the Civil case is indeed about Deadpool, so luck may have it, he found his lawyer too. Though more Ultron Drones keep pouring into the court room, and Phoenix & Deadpool have to deal with them. Deadpool decides a good idea is to delay the court case and find a good hiding spot. A literal light bulb appears over his head and he continues to drag Phoenix & Maya everywhere. They eventually end up at...

Xavier's School for Fighting Adolescents, the premier school for learning how to control your natural mutant powers, how to fight people, and sometimes the occasional class on Ki blasting. Deadpool drags Nick into the courtyard of the X-School, only for Wolverine to dive kick and ask why Wade brought a random civilian on campus? Deadpool explains that this guy’s got fancy new super powers while Phoenix denies it. Wolverine decides to test it by fighting them and Phoenix is forced to use them again against Wolverine and DP. After winning the match, Logan decides to let them stay at the Dorms for now until they can get PW signed up. A few days later, after the whole Ultron Sigma thing is cleared up... yet more Drones show up somehow, and Deadpools bursts in to save Phoenix & Maya and get out of there. After stealing the X-Men’s jet, taking Wolverine with them, and crashing it into New Metro City, right in front of Avenger’s Tower. The automated defense starts up and LOTS of Iron Men start popping up out of the ground and laser turrets. Cue the boss fight where you fight like 3 Iron Men, each dressed in different pallets while the turrets in the background fire at you occasionally. You play as Wolverine & Deadpool for this one.

After the battle, an exasperated Tony exits the tower and says “What the HELL is going on!? I’ve been getting distress signals from 6 ways at once and I’d rather not have my tower crashed into by YOU Deadpool!”

ADDENDUM: Chris Redfield shows up at some point and tells Phoenix not to give the shard to the jobber bots. Wright then fucking EATS THE SHARD. To the dumbfoundment of everyone around him, even Deadpool! Cue Deadpool taking him to Tony and bringing Wolverine with.

Cut to Black

To be Continued.

Next time on MvCI Story Mode Part 2: The God of Wrath vs. The God of Thunder & his big green friend.

[jowak93]

58 Ways to Stay Present and Grounded During Hard Times

I put out a call for self-care ideas when I had an emotional day. 58 people gave me their heartfelt, tried and true ways to stay grounded and present. Peace and love <3 “This present moment must become the most wonderful moment in your life.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

1. Give yourself a mindful 5 minute vacation. Set a timer for 5 minutes and turn your phone off. - Dan F.

2. Bike. - Gabe M.

3. Running and boxing classes. - Courtney MV.

4. Do a little yoga and gentle movement to the let the emotions move through. Burn some sage. Journal. - Meg H.

5. Speak to someone, vocalizing your worries or brain jumble can do a lot to help accept a situation and get clear-headed. - Amin L.

6. Focus on the present moment and recognize how many things you have to be grateful for. Reach out and talk about what you’re going through to get it off your mind while receiving a fresh perspective. - Alicia M.

7. Heavy deadlifts. - Mike R.

8. Remind yourself to take it one day at a time, one hour at a time. Inhale for 5 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds and repeat ten or more times. Go for a walk, be in nature. Take care of yourself, take a shower to clear your mind. - Stephani F.

9. Prayer and music. - Anne H.

10. Read, light incense, and listen to records. Take time to be. - Patty P.

11. Above and Beyond album for yoga/meditation/mindfulness. - Courtney L.

12. Listen to lots of Elvis Presley. - Ted S.

13. Pray and go for a walk. - Stacy T. 

14. Play with dogs. - Zack V.

15. Listen to music and get some air. - Jay J.

16. Dance around the house. - Susan H.

17. Be active, hike, work out and listen to music. - Corinne A.

18. Literal grounding- take your shoes off and feel the earth. Balance your chakras. - Todd W.

19. Music and a good workout. Yoga class. - Tori S.

20. Think about people in the third world, and complain while using a little girl accent to make yourself feel stupid for feeling down. - Cam E.

21. Craft. - Abram S.

22. Walk with a friend, cook, swim, look through old pictures. - Christine N.

23. Make some tea and light a stick of incense. - Adam P.

24. Focus on the good. Break the bad down into manageable steps to make them go away. And breathe. - Dean D.

25. Dogs. - Danielle E.

26. Biking, writing, and SINGING. - Alex P.

27. Drum. - Dee W.

28. Sing songs you can connect with on a deep level to blow off some steam. - Evan P.

29. Describe your surroundings. What you are sensing and textures of things around you. That helps keep the mind present. Count your breaths. - Hannah R.

30. Dance party! Enjoy nature. - Sally K.

31. Dance naked in high heels to Prince. - Krystle L.

32. Listen to “Just For A Thrill” by Ray Charles. - Claire M.

33. Get a hard tail mountain bike and go navigate some wooded trails blasting music into your earholes. - John J.

34. Listen to music. - Lauren C.

35. Meditate with some peaceful Om’s and visualize your breathing filling the area with warm, vibrant colors. Eat enough food-- stressful/emotional days are amplified if you’re hangry! - Trevor C.

36. Soak in a detox bath and listen to Enya radio. - Ashely W.

37. Go swimming. Preferable in Lake Michigan. Sunset swims are fucking awesome! - Scott V.

38. Listen to “Gravity” by John Mayer. - Alexys D.

39. Listen to “Joy” by Lucinda Williams at max volume. - Sara E.

40. Walk in nature. It’s so good for the soul. - Marcia A.

41. Journal. Remind yourself what is and isn’t in your control as an individual. Educate yourself and others about how to better care for yourself. - Lauren E.

42. Meditate, yoga, sunsets, nature walks, puppy time, deep breaths, music, hammock. - Jennifer S.

43. Fishing until dusk and start a little fire. Have an acoustic and cigars. Listen to the bugs harmonize. - Marcus H.

44. Relax and listen to a full record, preferably Van Morrison’s Moondance. Into the Mystic always does it for me. - PJ T.

45. A hammock and a nice fat doink. - Brian L.

46. Eat a cookie and hug a neighbor. - Tiff R.

47. Use smells to sooth you. Diffuse essential oils or light a candle. - Emma H.

48. Listen to doo top with someone you love. Get a medicinal grandmotherly hug.- Phyllis H.

49. Sensory distractions. Feel the way your feet feel in your shoes. Open the window and smell the air. Little things help to ground you again. - Melissa B.

50. Meditate in a preventative manner. 20 minutes before you start your day. Stand outside barefoot or lay in the grass to physically ground yourself. Touch the earth. - Anthony B.

51. Deep breath, remind yourself to be patient, remind yourself you are exactly where you need to be, count your blessings, follow through on your intentions, and spread that sweet love. - Michael S. 

52. Change it up. Take a left turn when you normally would have turned right. You’ll still get there but you’ll see a different path. Get up and go for a walk when you might otherwise have continued to bury your nose in the grindstone. Seeing things from the other side of the road often makes it easier to understand situations and solve problems. Most of all, though, find a way to let the love shine through. - Jim F.

53. Journal, pet your cat, listen to music, go outside, run, stretch, a good cry always helps. - Kellee F.

54. Go outside and lay on the bare ground in the sunshine. Somewhere with low human interference. - Tom W.

55. Let the eyes rain and primal screaming out in the middle of nowhere. - Evan R.

56. Give yourself the time it takes to refocus your thoughts/energy when you’re taken somewhere that isn’t healthy. Be okay with the fact that they’re not the thoughts/feelings you want but that you’ll get there. Learn to accept where you are at at any given moment. - Liz K. 

57. Qigong or any meditation. Focus on being grateful for everything going good in your life. Seeing the low as a purge of your lower state of being, bringing you more into your higher and authentic self. Listen to Elton John. - Jared T.

58. Sing it out. - Genevieve H.

[doink]

Mastering Motion: Quick Tip Tutorial for Animating with the Pathing Tool in Green Screen by DoInk

Dive into the world of dynamic storytelling with our latest tutorial! In this blog post, we'll unveil the secrets of animating with the Pathing Tool in Green Screen by DoInk. Whether you're a teacher bringing lessons to life or a content creator adding a touch of magic to your videos, this quick tip tutorial will empower you to master motion effortlessly.

What you will learn:

Introduction to the Pathing Tool in Green Screen by DoInk

Quick tip tutorial for animating with the Pathing Tool

Exploring the versatility of motion paths in visual storytelling

Tips for seamless integration and customization of animations

Real-world examples for inspiration and application

Elevating your projects with captivating and fluid animations

Animation becomes a breeze with the Pathing Tool in Green Screen by DoInk. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned creator, this quick tip tutorial will equip you with the skills to infuse life into your projects.

Master the art of animation with the Pathing Tool in Green Screen by DoInk. Share your animated creations with us, and bring stories to life through captivating motion!

[polotanker6-blog]

2019 NFL preview: Bears will regress, but Mitchell Trubisky could help ease that

Yahoo Sports is previewing all 32 teams as we get ready for the NFL season, counting down the teams one per weekday in reverse order of our initial 2019 power rankings. No. 1 will be revealed on July 31, the day before the Hall of Fame Game kicks off the preseason.

(Yahoo Sports graphics by Paul Rosales)

More

In almost every sport, we assume progress will be linear. That goes for teams and players. If someone has a breakout season, we talk ourselves into bigger and better things the next season.

That does happen on occasion, of course. Sometimes the sudden emergence we see from a player or team in is the start of something really big. But not always.

With that, let’s talk about the 2019 Chicago Bears.

[Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]

The Bears were a great story in 2018. The fantastic preseason trade for all-world edge rusher Khalil Mack took the defense to a phenomenal level. The offense, with first-year head coach Matt Nagy, was fun and exciting. The Bears went 12-4 and while they lost a heartbreaking playoff game to the Eagles, the season was a success. And for the most part, people figure the Bears will pick up where they left off and maybe even get better. Players seem to figure that last season was just the start.

“Our goal right now for defense is to be No. 1 across the board,” safety Eddie Jackson told SiriusXM. “Like I told them earlier, shout out to the ’85 Bears, but we want to top everything they’ve done.”

Teams sometimes take a step back after a huge improvement, especially when the foundation of success is defense. A great defensive performance doesn’t always carry over to the next season. Football Outsiders Almanac said every one of the last 10 defenses to lead the league in FO’s DVOA per-play metric got worse the next season. One only needs to look at the 2018 Jacksonville Jaguars and Minnesota Vikings for proof that a great defensive performance is hard to carry over. The Jaguars and Vikings had the top two defenses in 2017, in some order. Both defenses were still good in 2018 but neither was top two in any meaningful category, despite few personnel changes for either unit. Each team won five fewer games in 2018. The Jaguars and Vikings made their respective conference championship games two seasons ago, and missed the playoffs last season. The margin of error in the NFL can be really slim.

There are other reasons to believe the Bears can’t repeat their nearly historic season on defense. They picked off 27 passes, and that’s very hard to do again. The Bears were the third luckiest team in the NFL when it came to injuries, according to Football Outsiders’ adjusted games lost metric, and injury luck is mostly random (and very important). Chicago should plan on a few more injuries this season. And the Bears defense took some hits this offseason, particularly at the top.

Vic Fangio was perhaps the best coordinator in the league last season, and we can’t just ignore the impact of him leaving to coach the Denver Broncos. His schemes were a huge part of Chicago’s success. Former Colts coach Chuck Pagano replaces Fangio. Defensive backs coach Ed Donatell and outside linebackers coach Brandon Staley left for Denver with Fangio. The Bears didn’t retain inside linebackers coach Glenn Pires or assistant defensive backs/safeties coach Roy Anderson. That’s a lot of turnover. Safety Adrian Amos and slot cornerback Bryce Callahan were big parts of the Bears success as well, and they both left in free agency.

The Bears won’t turn into an average defense. The Bears defense will still be good, but probably not as great as last season. They’ll need to improve in other areas to counter-balance that almost certain regression. And the most obvious way is through quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.

Story continues

Trubisky is the wild card for the Bears. To some he’s still a raw and improving talent who showed real signs of progress last season, at least before a shoulder injury in November. For others, he’s too inconsistent and he hasn’t really shown upside like Deshaun Watson or Patrick Mahomes, two future stars the Bears passed on to take Trubisky. Trubisky doesn’t profile as the type of quarterback who can carry a team by himself and be a top-five quarterback. But the Bears don’t need that. They need a quarterback who can make enough plays to support a defense that, while it might not be miles ahead of the rest of the NFL again, will be very good. For most of last season, Trubisky was that kind of quarterback. An improvement is certainly possible, given his relative lack of experience and draft pedigree. Having the innovative Nagy calling plays is a plus, as well.

The Bears were so much better on defense than any other NFL team, they could regress in a significant way and still be the best defense in the league. And perhaps the offense, with its young quarterback, improves enough to make up for whatever step back the defense takes. Chicago should feel it can be one of the best teams in the league again. It just might not look exactly the same as last season.

Coach Matt Nagy had a big first season for the Chicago Bears. (AP)

More

We won’t count the loss of Vic Fangio in the offseason grade, though clearly that is the biggest loss the team had. The Bears lost safety Adrian Amos and slot cornerback Bryce Callahan in free agency and replaced them with Ha-Ha Clinton Dix and Buster Skrine. The Bears probably got worse at both positions. Jordan Howard was a productive back but not a great fit for Matt Nagy’s scheme, and he was traded to the Eagles. The Bears signed Mike Davis and drafted David Montgomery, and those players are probably better fits. Those two, along with Tarik Cohen, make an intriguing backfield. Cordarelle Patterson gives the Bears’ return game a nice boost. The Bears didn’t have a first- or second-round pick; they gave up the first-round pick in the Khalil Mack trade and sent a second-round pick to move up in the 2018 draft for receiver Anthony Miller. Overall, it’s hard to say the Bears got better.

GRADE: C-minus

While there are reasons to believe the Bears won’t repeat what they did on defense in 2018, there’s still a load of talent on that side of the ball. Safety Eddie Jackson, cornerback Kyle Fuller and edge rusher Khalil Mack were first-team All-Pros. Defensive lineman Akiem Hicks finally got some due and made his first Pro Bowl. Others like middle linebacker Roquan Smith, defensive tackle Eddie Goldman and edge rusher Leonard Floyd have a lot of talent too. The Bears defense ranked at or near the top in practically every category last season. They stopped the run, rushed the quarterback, forced turnovers and shut down passing games at remarkable levels. When your foundation is a defense with this much talent, things are looking good.

OK, time to talk about the Bears kicking situation. That has been a story throughout the offseason, since the moment of Cody Parkey’s infamous “double doink” miss to end the Eagles playoff loss. Parkey was cut and the Bears can’t feel good about their candidates to replace him. The Bears brought in plenty of no-name kickers and none stood out. Eddy Pineiro and Elliott Fry are the last two standing, and unless you’ve followed the Bears kicking news closely, it’s likely you’ve never heard of either. Elliott came from the defunct Alliance of American Football, and Pineiro was acquired in a trade with the Raiders. Neither has kicked in an NFL game. This is a frightening situation for a team with big dreams, and the immense pressure and attention in Chicago surrounding the position won’t help.

If you want to tell yourself a story that Mitchell Trubisky is on the verge of a nice breakthrough, it’s not crazy. Trubisky was the second overall pick of the 2017 draft; he has obvious talent. He had only 13 college starts, so he needed more development time than many of his peers. He was with a coaching staff in 2017 that had no idea how to develop him. Then last season he was paired with Matt Nagy, in a complicated and new offense, and was doing well before a shoulder injury:

Pre-injury (10 games): 2,469 yards, 20 TD, 9 INT, 7.7 yards per attempt, 97.7 passer rating

Post-injury (4 games): 754 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT, 6.7 yards per attempt, 88.9 rating

You can explain the drop in play to the injury, and winter weather. Conversely, you can also say the numbers through 10 games were inflated by a six-touchdown game against a terrible Buccaneers defense. But mostly, Trubisky was fine in his second season. He added value as a runner, which has always been part of his overall package as a player. He could be more accurate and definitely needs to be more consistent, but if you believe that quarterbacks entering their third season should still be awarded a little bit of patience, Trubisky is on a positive path.

No need to waste anyone’s time here ...

Khalil Mack is the Chicago Bears' latest defensive star. (AP)

More

From Yahoo’s Scott Pianowski: “When it comes to rookie wideouts, it’s important to remember the Class of 2014 (which went bonkers) was a gigantic outlier. Usually, it’s encouraging simply to see a first-year receiver keep his head above water. And Anthony Miller was able to do that last year, with a handy 33-423-7 debut. Considering Miller had a nagging shoulder injury, which required offseason surgery, that’s not a bad return.

“Miller was limited through offseason work, but should be fine for summer camp. We can’t draft him as an assumed fantasy starter, but there’s all sorts of plausible upside here; I love that he was comped to Doug Baldwin a year ago. Miller is merely being selected as the WR52 in early Yahoo drafts, around the 125th overall pick. He’s one of my favorite targets for a WR 4-5, an upside play that I won’t necessarily need to start Week 1. Keep an eye peeled on Miller in August.”

[Yahoo fantasy preview: Chicago Bears]

If you want another reason the Bears could regress, just look at their strength of schedule. The Bears had the second easiest strength of schedule last season, via Football Outsiders’ DVOA per-play metric. That changes dramatically this season. The Bears are projected to have the fifth hardest schedule this season according to Warren Sharp, who uses Las Vegas over/under win totals to estimate schedule strength. The Bears play four projected top-five opponents, tied for the most in the league, and seven top-10 opponents, and only the Broncos play more than that. The Bears could be just as good this season and not finish 12-4, given the massive shift in strength of schedule.

CAN A BEARS RECEIVER TAKE A BIG STEP?

Part of getting Mitchell Trubisky to the next level is his receivers stepping up as well. That group wasn’t bad last season, but it still seems there’s a higher level for at least three of them: tight end Trey Burton and receivers Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller. Burton was OK in his first Chicago season, but can improve off a 54-569-6 line. Robinson and Miller should be healthier. Robinson had 754 yards a year removed from a torn ACL. He said he’s feeling much better this offseason, and 1,000 yards seems to be a fair expectation. Miller caught seven touchdowns as a rookie but had only 423 yards. He was playing through a bad shoulder injury and had offseason surgery. He has exciting potential. It seems fair to assume Robinson has a bigger season, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Miller and Burton did too.

We can at least imagine a scenario in which the Bears defense remains the best in the NFL, and the offense takes huge strides. Matt Nagy is a creative playcaller, there are talented players all around quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and Trubisky has the ability to make a big leap. We saw flashes of what Trubisky can be last season. While Trubisky doesn’t seem like he has the upside of being an MVP candidate (though he was the most popular bet to win MVP in Las Vegas this summer, mostly because of the long odds), he can be a good, productive quarterback. The Bears could make a big improvement on offense now that Nagy’s scheme has been established and there’s a good amount of continuity on offense. A 12-4 team with a lot of room to grow on offense has to be considered a preseason Super Bowl contender.

In 2016, an Oakland Raiders team led by Khalil Mack went 12-4. We expected the Raiders to be on the upswing, because we don’t figure on teams winning 12 games and disappearing right after. The Raiders haven’t had a winning season since, and probably won’t have one this year either. That’s not to say the Bears were a total fluke or will go the way of the Raiders since that one magical season, but it’s possible. Maybe Mitchell Trubisky doesn’t take the next step. Perhaps the NFL figures out Matt Nagy’s offense. The defense won’t fall off a cliff, but the 2018 Jaguars had a very good defense and went 5-11. When a team coming off four double-digit loss seasons in a row suddenly goes 12-4, there should be some skepticism about that team’s staying power.

I wasn’t going to disrespect the Bears by putting a Packers team coming off a 6-9-1 season ahead of them in these rankings. The Bears should get the benefit of the doubt, and the Packers have a lot to prove. But when we make our season predictions, I’ll probably pick the Packers to win the NFC North. There are too many regression factors for the Bears to ignore. I don’t think the Bears will completely fall off. Mitchell Trubisky will continue to develop and the Bears should get a wild-card spot. I just don’t think they will improve upon last season.

32. Arizona Cardinals

31. Miami Dolphins

30. Oakland Raiders

29. New York Giants

28. Cincinnati Bengals

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

26. Washington Redskins

25. Detroit Lions

24. Buffalo Bills

23. New York Jets

22. Denver Broncos

21. San Francisco 49ers

20. Jacksonville Jaguars

19. Atlanta Falcons

18. Tennessee Titans

17. Carolina Panthers

16. Minnesota Vikings

15. Seattle Seahawks

14. Baltimore Ravens

13. Pittsburgh Steelers

12. Houston Texans

11. Dallas Cowboys

10. Cleveland Browns

9. Green Bay Packers

8. Philadelphia Eagles

– – – – – – –

Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/2019-nfl-preview-bears-will-regress-but-mitchell-trubisky-could-help-ease-that-122340123.html?src=rss

[scheduledfor1fall]

Rebooking Wrestlemania IX

Well, as promised, here it is: a rebooking of Wrestlemania IX. Now, to start off with, I will say that Wrestlemania IX was not the worst wrestling show I’ve ever seen. I’ve had much less fun watching other shows in the past. At the very least, 2 or 3 matches on Wrestlemania IX entertained me, which some shows have failed to in the past. However, as far as Wrestlemanias go, this was not an easy one to watch. Ever since I started watching through 1993 again, I’ve gathered my thoughts on what happened here at Wrestlemania, and I’ve tried to come up with card that might be even marginally better on paper. So, here it is.

 Firstly, there are a few matches on here that I wouldn’t change, at least as far as the lineup goes. Finishes are an entirely different ballpark. For instance, I really don’t think there’s any need to change the Steiners vs. Headshrinkers match. That match ended up being my personal favorite on the show, and, in general, didn’t really suffer from any noticeable flaws, in-ring or booking wise. Doink the Clown and Crush was also fine for what it was. It wasn’t a very good match, but, to be honest, I wouldn’t really expect it to be. The main thing here is watching someone try to get revenge on the evil clown and coming up short due to shenanigans. Nothing wrong with that. Money Inc. vs. The Mega-Maniacs could also probably stay, but believe me, there would be a new finish. Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzalez? Fine. If they’re that desperate to have a circus match with Undertaker, by all means. But, again, the finish need not suck just because the in-ring work does. And, finally, Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna for the WWF Championship. As a match, I thought it was perfectly fine. It was obvious that Yokozuna was the direction the company was going in, due mostly to the fact that they were moving away from a steroid scandal, and he was a 500 Ib. Samoan man. So, in trying to stay realistic, I’ll forego throwing something together, like Perfect or Savage vs. Bret. Either of those match-ups would no doubt be superior in-ring products. But pitting two faces against one another in the main event is rarely a great idea, especially when considering the future direction of the company. It’s why the rumored Hogan vs. Bret match at Summerslam could’ve been a potential headache. More on that later.

 So, overall, it may not look like we’re changing a whole lot about the card. But, as we go down the list, I think some of the changes will become apparent. Let’s actually start off with the dark match. Now, this normally wouldn’t matter, but in this instance, I’d like to switch some talent around. Specifically, I’d swap out Tito Santana, who defeated Papa Shango in the dark match, and replace him with Bob Backlund, with Santana taking Backlund’s place on the main card against Razor Ramon. I’ve talked before about how Bob Backlund during this time was an anomaly in the WWF; on the one hand, he was one of the longest reigning champions in company history, making a comeback at age 43, and still in amazing shape. At the same time, it’s now 1993. The wrestling landscape has changed, particularly the WWF, which now features such cartoonish gimmicks as Doink the Clown, Papa Shango, and even Yokozuna, to an extent. And in the midst of it is good old Bob Backlund, whose in-ring style and appearance have remained in a time capsule-like state of being. Backlund’s first Wrestlemania may have been a pressing matter to some, though probably not many. But does it really need to be on the main card? By pitting Backlund against Shango prior to the show, you can give him a nice, easy win that doesn’t hurt Shango (if that was a priority,) and potentially starts the show off nicely for the live crowd. Tito Santana, meanwhile, would probably make for a much better opponent for Razor Ramon, whose growing popularity was becoming evident, even during his snoozer with Backlund.

 Next, let’s talk about the Intercontinental Title match. I asked the question several times in reviewing Wrestlemania IX, and I’ll ask it here: why put together a title match where you don’t want the challenger to lose, but you don’t necessarily want them to win the title either? As good as Shawn Michaels vs. Tatanka was, the finish was pretty questionable, particularly for the opening match. If you really want to continue both Michaels’ title reign and Tatanka’s undefeated streak, why not just make two separate matches? In examining the roster at the time, one name that comes to mind as someone for Tatanka to beat would be Bam Bam Bigelow. Though Bam Bam may be just a notch below Michaels in terms of his position on the card, he’s still above Tatanka’s previous opponents. Not only that, but as both an in-ring talent and a name in the business, he brings a credibility that only a few others on the heel roster would bring. Michaels, on the other hand, would more than likely be in need of a credible opponent to put him over and help him grow into a more seasoned heel. Considering his history with the Intercontinental Title in the prior years, as well as his popularity at the time, Mr. Perfect would make, well, perfect sense as an opponent for Michaels. They may have ended up having a match at Summerslam that year, but Wrestlemania would no doubt be the next best place, if not the best.

 With the Steiners vs. Headshrinkers and Doink vs. Crush matches left untouched, as well as Razor vs. Backlund changed to Razor vs. Santana, let’s get into the big one: Money Inc. vs. The Mega-Maniacs. Now, an obvious fix for this match would be to take the Tag Titles out of the equation, a step they could reach a number of ways. Maybe Money Inc. loses the titles to the Steiner Brothers, which they eventually would anyway, shortly before the event. Maybe they’re stripped of the titles due to their actions against Brutus Beefcake, necessitating a match to determine new Tag Team Champions occurring at Wrestlemania. By eliminating the Tag Team Titles from the mix, there’s now a clear path to the Mega-Maniacs getting a clean victory over the dastardly heels. But if the Tag Team Titles are an absolutely necessary part of the equation, and Money Inc. cannot lose them, then why not pin Beefcake? After all, in storyline, Beefcake had a debilitating facial injury that required the use of a facemask. That doesn’t seem like an easy out? Money Inc. even took off the mask during the course of the match, leaving Beefcake’s face exposed, and giving ample opportunity for the heels to try and do some more damage. I’m really not sure if this was ever an option that was considered. It could very well be that Hogan didn’t want either himself or Beefcake to be pinned. But what’s the real harm in continuing the chase, even if Hogan moves on to the WWF Title and Beefcake has to find another partner to help avenge his loss?

 In trying to find a new opponent for Lex Luger, I had a pretty hard time. My first thought had been Owen Hart, if nothing more than to tie in to the attack on Bret Hart prior to Wrestlemania. Unfortunately, a quick search of ThehistoryofWWE.com reveals that Owen was gone from late March to early May, perhaps indicating an injury, or just some time off. I suppose Koko B. Ware would be another option, but with Wrestlemania already having timing problems as is (Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Kamala was cut during the event, due to the opening ceremony and IC Title match running long), maybe Luger doesn’t need a match at Wrestlemania. That may sound weird, but think about it. You already have Razor Ramon, Shawn Michaels, and Yokozuna as your top heels. Lex is in a weird enough position as it is, with his feud with Perfect basically being inherited from Bobby Heenan. Maybe he can have a segment of some sort. Have him come out in a way that fits the wacky Roman theme (we’re not even going to try and change that). Have him brag about laying the WWF Champion out. Have him make a promise to become the new King of the Ring at the new June PPV, King of the Ring. This gives you a number of directions, not the least of which would be having Bret chase Luger after Wrestlemania as a means of keeping him away from the WWF Championship for the time being. It also saves us having to see an awkward stumble fest, like the one against Mr. Perfect.

 In a perfect world, Giant Gonzalez vs. The Undertaker would never have been booked in the first place. With the model of Undertaker feuds being “Taker vs. big scary foreign heel,” however, it’s pretty hard to move away from it. The fact is that once you take Giant Gonzalez’s height out of consideration, you’re left with a rather atrocious worker, someone who will no doubt be exposed in a feud that goes on for months. So having a non-finish as an excuse to do a match at Summerslam, nearly 5 months after Wrestlemania, is not what I would’ve done. Hell, Royal Rumble to Wrestlemania wasn’t nearly as long, and they very nearly exposed Gonzalez in that time. Undertaker is a special attraction at this point in his career. The man has beaten Hulk Hogan, is a former WWF Champion, and, in most instances, would probably be the biggest babyface on any given card. There’s really no reason why he can’t go over on the biggest show of the year, especially when delaying a satisfying finish would lead to a rematch of a match where Taker can hardly do a thing with the guy. Maybe Taker can’t hit the Tombstone on Gonzalez, but he’s had different ways of finishing guys off before. Even a body slam, similar to what he did with King Kong Bundy, would suffice. But chloroform has absolutely no place in the finish of a Wrestlemania marquee match.

 Lastly, we get to the main event of Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna for the WWF Championship. The match itself gives me very little to complain about. You could argue that the salt in the eyes of Bret Hart was perhaps unnecessary, but it at least gives him an out to losing the title he had defended on so many occasions in the months prior. The post-match, however, which is probably the biggest complaint most have regarding the show, is in desperate need of changing. In this scenario, let’s keep Hulk Hogan involved in the storyline. As jarring as it was seeing him insert himself into the WWF Title picture just after failing to capture the Tag Team Titles, let’s just go with it. After all, it’s 1993. Business has gone down drastically since Hogan left in 1992. Even before then, the trend was negative. If even for a short amount of time, Hogan could have a positive effect on buyrates, especially for that brand new June PPV, King of the Ring. Even if Hogan is going to be gone come the end of the year, it makes sense to do at least one big match with him on PPV before he departs. So have him come to Bret’s aid, have him lay down the challenge to Yokozuna, and have it accepted. For King of the Ring. The show may not go off the air with Hogan as WWF Champion, but if he’s not going to be around to defend it on house shows or TV, then why bother putting it on him in the first place? Instead, you can have Hogan hit his Axe Bomber clothesline to take the big man off his feet, have him hit the leg drop, and maybe even symbolically cover him. But the title should stay on Yokozuna by all means, ideally until Wrestlemania X. Maybe 350 days is a long time for a heel to hold the title in 1993 WWF, but with Hogan on his way out, a need to build Bret Hart up so that he can truly become a main event face, and a need for a champion who’s obviously not on steroids, Yokozuna is the answer. Having him built up to lose to Bret at the next Wrestlemania would be a much better way to put over the Hitman then having him go over a reluctant Hulk Hogan at Summerslam, possibly alienating casual fans in the process.

 With those changes made, the card looks something like this:

DARK MATCH: Bob Backlund def. Papa Shango by Pinfall/Submission (whichever).

1. Tatanka def. Bam Bam Bigelow by Pinfall.

2. The Steiners def. The Headshrinkers by Pinfall.

3. Shawn Michaels def. Mr. Perfect by Pinfall to retain the Intercontinental Championship.

4. Doink the Clown def. Crush by Pinfall.

5. Razor Ramon def. Tito Santana by Pinfall.

6. Money Inc. def. The Mega-Maniacs by Pinfall to retain the Tag Team Championships.

7. The Undertaker def. Giant Gonzalez by Pinfall.

---Lex Luger Segment---

8. Yokozuna def. Bret Hart by Pinfall to win the WWF Championship.

---Hulk Hogan challenges Yokozuna for King of the Ring, takes him out, poses to end the show and send fans home happy---

 So, there you have it. It’s by no means a perfect card, but given the state of the roster at the time, I feel it’s at least a slight improvement. As I said before, I’m really not someone who’s able to sit down and try to outbook wrestling companies. But given the notoriety of this show, I thought it might be worth giving my own ideas to improve the card.

 Next time, we’ll get right back into reviewing Raw, as it’s the very first show since Wrestlemania IX. Stay tuned.

[doink]

How We Show the Forecast: A Behind-the-Scenes Look with Hannah Strong and Green Screen by DoInk

Welcome to our latest blog post, where we pull back the curtain on how meteorologists like Hannah Strong deliver accurate and engaging weather forecasts using the innovative Green Screen by DoInk. Weather forecasting has come a long way, and today, we'll explore how this technology makes the magic happen.

Meet Hannah Strong

Hannah Strong is a seasoned meteorologist known for her precise forecasts and dynamic presentation style. Her work keeps communities informed and prepared for whatever Mother Nature has in store. But what many don't see is the technology that helps her bring the weather forecast to life.

The Role of Green Screen Technology

Green Screen by DoInk is a powerful tool that transforms the way information is presented. This technology allows students to superimpose weather maps, graphics, and videos behind them as they explain the forecast. Let's dive into how it all works.

Step-by-Step Process

Setting Up the Green Screen: The first step in the process is setting up a large green backdrop in the studio. The vibrant green color is crucial because it’s distinct and easily removable by the software.

Capturing the Footage: Hannah stands in front of the green screen and delivers her weather report. Cameras capture her movements and speech, but because the background is green, it can be easily replaced with digital graphics.

Using DoInk: The captured footage is imported into the Green Screen by DoInk app. This user-friendly software allows the anyone to layer weather maps, satellite imagery, and other graphical elements behind the subject, creating the illusion that they are standing in front of these dynamic visuals.

Adding Interactive Elements: One of the standout features of Green Screen by DoInk is its ability to add interactive elements. Students can point to specific areas on the map, highlighting storm paths or temperature changes, making the forecast more engaging and easier to understand.

Editing and Finalizing: Once all elements are in place, the team edits the footage to ensure a seamless presentation. They adjust colors, refine graphics, and make sure that everything aligns perfectly with the subjects movements and gestures.

Benefits of Using Green Screen by DoInk

Enhanced Visuals: The green screen allows for the inclusion of high-quality, dynamic visuals that make the forecast more engaging.

Flexibility: Meteorologists can easily switch between different maps, data sets, and visual effects, providing viewers with comprehensive weather information.

Improved Communication: Interactive elements help convey complex weather patterns in a simple, understandable way.

Next time you watch a weather forecast, you'll know a bit more about the incredible technology and teamwork behind the scenes.

[doink]

DoInk Pathing Tool

Did you know that you can “path” any object in the Green Screen by DoInk App. Select “Pathing” in “Settings” and then “Enable for all Elements.” Then draw your “path” with your finger. Here are all steps to make a "pathing" project that also works with Green Screen Images, Animations, Props and Text. It looks great when you put a student into this project too!

[doink]

How to Move Elements in Green Screen by Do Ink

This is a helpful tutorial on how to use the pathing tool in Green Screen by DoInk. To get to the tool. Go into the 'gallery' view of the Green Screen App with all your projects, go to the 'gear' icon on the top left next to the '?'. Make sure in the advanced settings you have selected: Advanced drawing tools - On Pathing - Enable for all elements

With the advanced pathing tools you can path text, photos, animations, images or props in the Green Screen App. There are so many projects that you can create with this tool, as you can see from the examples in this video! We can't wait to see what you create with it.

[junker-town]

Oklahoma vs. Texas live updates: Scores, results, and highlights from Red River Rivalry

Can the Sooners rebound against an improving Texas team? Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN (live stream).

Oklahoma was the victim of 2017’s highest-profile college football upset to date when the Sooners were stunned by Iowa State in their home stadium. On Saturday, they’ll travel to Dallas for a rivalry showdown with an improving Texas Longhorns team. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN (live stream).

The Red River Shootout is one of college football’s most fierce rivalries. The two programs, with 11 claimed national championships between them, have long been the class of the Big 12. A win in Week 7 would keep the Longhorns in a tie for first place in the conference — and continue a massive turnaround from the team’s disappointing opening day loss to Maryland.

A big part of that resurgence has been the play of Sam Ehlinger, who led Texas to a double-overtime win over Kansas State last weekend. Ehlinger has emerged from a quarterback competition to take the reins of a powerful offense that’s scored 40 or more points in three of its five games this fall. His 380-yard, two-touchdown performance last week bolstered his case as one of the Big 12’s top young passers.

Texas will need him to be prolific against an Oklahoma team with one of the nation’s most explosive offenses. Baker Mayfield is averaging 327 passing yards per game or a team that’s scored at least 31 points in each of its games this season. Mayfield’s Heisman hopes rest on a strong finish to his season — and a game against a defense that allowed Maryland to finish with 51 points could be just what he needs to stuff the stat sheet in a big win.

Texas holds the all-time edge in the Shootout with a 61-45-5 edge, but the advantage has swung decidedly in Oklahoma’s favor in recent years. The Sooners have won five of their last seven games in the series as the Longhorns have struggled in the post-Mack Brown era. On Saturday, Tom Herman can earn the biggest win of his budding UT career by dispatching the team’s biggest rival at the Cotton Bowl.

Pregame reading

Texas held off Kansas State last week in a wild double-OT win that featured an impressive field goal DOINK.

Texas beat Kansas State in double-overtime on Saturday in Austin, 40-34. K-State kicker Matthew McCrane put a 53-yard field goal off the left upright in that second OT period, and Chris Warren III scored on the ensuing possession to win it.

How did Iowa State beat Oklahoma in Norman? A tremendous effort at quarterback was the lynchpin.

The converted QB had eight tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery while also serving as a primary spy on Mayfield on passing downs. Then he added 35 rushing yards and 25 passing yards as a wildcat QB, converting four first downs throughout. He even played some on special teams.

The Longhorns, on the other hand, have a pair of co-starters listed at QB for Saturday.

At quarterback, sophomore Shane Buechele was listed as a co-starter with freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger despite Ehlinger’s superlative performance against Kansas State in his third start.

Head coach Tom Herman played coy in his press conference, noting that he doesn’t have much incentive to share any knowledge he has of who will start, even if he did know.

However, if QB Sam Ehlinger doesn’t start Saturday’s game, something has gone horribly wrong for coach Tom Herman.

To this point, Ehlinger has technically been the Longhorns backup quarterback, filling in for the seemingly ever-injured Buechele. Because of Buechele’s frequent unavailability, though, Ehlinger has now started three of the last four games for Texas, compiling a 2-1 record, which came just 30 seconds short of 3-0 with a staple road victory over then-No. 4 USC.

How are Oklahoma fans taking last week’s loss? Not so well.

“I’m thinking of starting drugs ... Not sure alcohol is gonna work for this”

A loss doesn’t really change Oklahoma’s goals for 2017 — but it does make them significantly more difficult to fulfill.

With Michigan losing to Michigan State yesterday, it seems like the path to the playoff for the Sooners will depend on the Big Ten and the Pac-12. I don’t see Bama or Clemson losing the rest of they way, and even if they do, I think the CFP committee will give them the benefit of the doubt and put them into the playoff as one-loss conference champions.