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alkaliii · 1 month ago

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Procedural Cyclic Slash

Get the code for this shader here -> https://godotshaders.com/shader/procedural-cyclic-slash/

This is a really jank shader, but it looks pretty nice when the values are just right. So that's what this post is for! I'll help you with understanding the uniforms and value setup and leave some general tips so you can experiment easily on your own.

Quick Setup

Here is a quick rundown on how to get something similar to the video above:

Create a MeshInstance3D node and set the mesh to QuadMesh

Apply the shader as a Material Override (GeometryInstance3D -> Geometry)

Set these values:

Animation.Derive_Progress = -1 Animation.Time_Scale = 0.25 Shape.Rotate_All = 285 Shape.Noise = - New NoiseTexture2D - - Width = 512 - - Height = 128 - - Seamless = True - - Noise = - - - New FastNoiseLite - - - - Noise_Type = Cellular - - - - Fractal.Gain = 4 - - - - Cellular.Distance_Function = Manhattan Shape.Width_Gradient_Mask = - New GradientTexture1D - - Gradient = - - - New Gradient - - - - Offsets: 0.2, 0.5, 0.52 - - - - Colors: #FFFFFF, #000000, #FFFFFF Shape.Length_Gradient_Mask = - New GradientTexture1D - - Gradient = - - - New Gradient - - - - Offsets: 0.25, 0.4, 0.6, 0.65, 0.7 - - - - Colors: #FFFFFF, #7F7F7F, #000000, #7F7F7F, #FFFFFF Shape.Highlight = - New GradientTexture1D - - Gradient = - - - New Gradient - - - - Offsets: 0.5, 0.52, 0.54 - - - - Colors: #000000, #FFFFFF, #000000 Coloring.Color_Lookup = - New GradientTexture1D - - Gradient = - - - New Gradient - - - - Offsets: 0.0, 0.1, 0.2 - - - - Colors: #BF40BF, #008080, #ADD8E6

Overview

This shader works by taking a noise texture and wrapping it around the center point of UV1. The curved noise texture is then masked twice to set its width and "length" and an additional texture is applied to add a highlight effect. The shader uses values of gray, a lookup texture, and UV.x to apply colours. Lastly, motion is created by shifting the UV sample of the original noise texture and running the combined grayscale texture through a smooth step function to determine its alpha. This is a text-based shader written in Godot's Shading Language. Sorry, I can't help you implement it in Unity or some other engine or software. --

Animation Uniforms

The Progress uniform sets what point in time the shader is in. This only works when the Derive Progress uniform is set to (0). You can pretty much use the progress uniform to scrub through the shader's animation. If you set the progress value in code or through an animation player, you can control the animation as you like. Derive Progress changes what drives the shader's animation. If set to (-1), TIME will progress the animation. If it animates too quickly, you can use Time Scale to speed it up or slow it down. If set to (1) the particle LIFETIME will progress the animation. This is useful if you plan to set this shader as the material of a particle in a GPUParticles3D or CPUParticles3D. Ease Progress gives you a bit of control over how the shader's animation progresses if you are driving it with TIME or LIFETIME. When set to (0) no easing will occur. (-1) Will ease in exponentially and (1) Will ease out exponentially, but if you have the chops you can tweak this by changing the functions in the shader code. Time Scale alters the speed of the animation when Derive Progress is set to (-1). Anim Rot Amt controls how much the shader rotates as it animates. Set it to (0) if you want the effect to remain in the same place instead of rotating around the center of UV1. This value is put through an easing function, so it doesn't adjust linearly. I personally, wouldn't try setting this to anything other than (0) or (1). --

Shape Uniforms

Zoom controls the size of the effect on the quad. The value is interpreted inversely, so setting a larger value will make it smaller. The effect will repeat if you set this value above (1). Rotate All lets you rotate the effect on the quad. Use degrees. Base Noise generates the main shape for this effect. You can use any type of noise and I encourage you to experiment. Just make sure it's seamless so you don't get any odd artifacts. By setting the noise to be wider than it is tall, you can stretch out the shapes it makes which I think better resembles a slash. Decreasing the dimensions of the noise can lead to bigger streak blobs and softer-looking shapes depending on the noise used. I'd look into this if you want a more stylized/cartoon-looking effect.

Width Gradient Mask masks the Base Noise in a way that controls the width of the final effect. Like Base Noise this will be wrapped around the center point of UV1 so I suggest using a GradientTexture1D. You can do some cool things here if you're willing to experiment (and possibly alter the code) just make sure this is set to a grayscale image. The way I wrote the math dictates that darker colours will be kept and light colours will clip, so use white to control what to cut out and black to control what to keep. A gradient that transitions from white to black back to white is a good place to start.

Length Gradient Mask masks the Base Noise in a way that controls the "length" of the final effect. This also controls how it animates sorta. I can't really explain it, but how this overlays the noise will alter how the smooth step function works... I think. White denotes the edges and Black the center. If you use a gradient here, moving the white values closer to the center can help with shaping. I also suggest using gray so you can better shape the length of the effect.

Highlight is overlayed on the effect. like everything else, it is wrapped around the center point of UV1. A thin white stripe works best. Unlike the other textures this one is played straight, so black won't appear and white will. Moving the white stripe closer to the right edge of the gradient will move the highlight effect to the outside of the slash, left will move it inside. I like to set it so it's a bit closer to the right so it appears on the outer edge. If you don't want a highlight at all leave this uniform empty. --

Coloring Uniforms

Emission Strength controls how much it glows. If it doesn't glow in the editor, add a world environment node and enable glow, you will also need this in your game scenes fyi. Mix Strength controls how much the Color Lookup is applied to the effect. If Color Lookup is applied, decreasing this value will give a darker appearance. At (0), the effect (excluding the highlight) will appear black. You can add extra glow by increasing this above (1).

Color Lookup is used to color the effect. I think I screwed up the math, so just ensure the colors you want the shader to sample from are close to the left side of what you set here. Three colors is pretty nice, I like to put darker colors closer to the left side and lighter ones to the right. --

Final Notes

Sorry for this lengthy post. I've had issues before where a shader I found on GodotShaders was a bit obtuse and I didn't want others to run into that with this one. I've spent quite some time trying to figure this out but I still feel this is a pretty meh effect. I think I need to look into how people animate shaders using a static image and clipping/stepping/smooth stepping it. If you have any good resources for shaders I'd be interested to hear about them. I'd prefer not to get any articles about visual or node-based shaders since I keep fumbling how to convert some nodes into functions or what sorta math is going on, but at this rate, I'll take whatever I can get lol. Hopefully, this shader saves you some time or teaches you something new! If you have any questions (and I can answer them) don't hesitate to ask. However, I'd prefer if you contacted me on Discord. I'm in Godot Café, Godot Engine, and the Godot Effects and Shaders discord servers as (@)Aiwi.

#vfx #shaders #realtimevfx #gamedev #indiedev #godot engine #gamedevelopment #art #rtvfx

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megidonitram · 10 months ago

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Everyone's Running From Something (ch. 4)

A Baldur's Gate 3 University Professor AU

Rating: M

Quick Summary: Astarion and Gale are two University English professors precariously mentoring a troubled 19-year-old and falling in love.

💖Main Pairing : BloodWeave,(Astarion/Gale) 💕Side Pairings: Shadowheart/Nocturne, Karlach/Dammon, Wyll/The Dark Urge, Tav/Tav 💔Past Pairings: Gale/Mystra, Astarion/Sebastian, Astarion/Tav

<=Previous Chapter | Master List | Ao3 | Next Chapter =>

**Please see Master List Entry for Full Content Warnings**

⏰Chapter Warning⏰ None

The all-hands meeting for the beginning of the semester went the same way every all-hands meeting at the beginning of semesters go. Every professor and TA in a humanities field got squeezed into a conference room that wasn’t quite big enough, had a powered sugar donut or a couple cubes of assorted melon with half a Styrofoam cup of burnt coffee, and listened to the departmental dean give an un-rousing speech about being on the same page with the other departments. Then he talked at nauseam about school policies and ran a quick training session over a new time-tracking software that would be implemented in 3 weeks’ time.

Gale scribbled down notes on a big yellow legal pad and tried to ignore Jen and Astarion, making faces at each other as he wrote. He’d been in academia long enough to know they’d both be crying to him in a few weeks when they messed up their timecards.

As the meeting drew to a close, a dapper man with slicked-back chestnut hair and a car salesman smile stepped into the room. Astarion went stiff like a cat puffing up to defend itself. The dapper man just gave him a plasticky, knowing smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

The dean perked up a bit as he noticed the man lingering in the back of the room. “Raphael, what a pleasant surprise! I had no idea you would be joining us,” he exclaimed, “We were just finishing up. Are there any words of wisdom you’d like to impart to our humanities faculty?”

“Oh, nothing so important,” Raphael said, and suddenly Gale understood why Astarion was so on edge. Everything about the man oozed with a disingenuous charm that made Gale’s hair stand on end. “I just realized I forgot to send out a notice about the upcoming donor gala the next coming Friday. I realized you were all in a meeting right now, so I thought I’d pop in and remind you in person.”

Raphael’s eyes landed directly on Astarion as he spoke his next sentence. “There is a reasonable expectation that faculty attend these events.” Out of the corner of his eye, Gale saw Astarion’s expression go steely. “After all, we want to show up and show out for the people who allow us to do so much.”

“Of Course!” The dean chirped. “I know I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

The meeting adjourned, and Astarion immediately made a break for the door. Gale hurriedly gathered his things in one arm, instinctually following after the only person in the room he really knew, like a baby duck.

Raphael stepped into Astarion’s path before he could get out of the meeting room. “Ah, we meet again, Dr. Ancunín!” Raphael’s voice dripped with sugary contempt. “I will see you at the donor gala, won’t I?”

��Perhaps. Are you thinking about calling in that favor I owe you?” Astarion’s voice was clipped, his face unnervingly blank.

“I think I’d like to wait on that a little longer, but I would like you there in case I change my mind.” Before Astarion could respond, Raphael’s gaze slid off him and onto- “Dr. Dekarios! Wonderful to see you. Are you settling in well?” He reached out a hand to him.

Gale stuffed his legal pad into his work so he could shake Raphael’s hand. “Exceptionally well!” he replied. “Everyone’s done their utmost to make me feel very welcome!”

“Oh, you don’t have to fib on your new colleagues’ account, Dr. Dekarios. I’m more than familiar with how surly certain members of the English department can get.” Raphael laughed congenially, but Astarion shot him a poisonous look.

“I’m not lying to you, sir,” Gale replied. “Astarion’s been nothing but professional.”

“Well, perhaps he’s going a bit soft.” There was a flash of something dangerous behind his eyes. He turned to Astarion. “I shall see you next Friday.” It was a command more than a farewell, but he walked away all the same.

Astarion muttered under his breath. Gale didn’t catch what he said but could make an educated guess. Astarion exhaled a deep breath like he was equalizing pressure.

He turned to Gale and said, “Thank you.”

Gale blinked. “Of course.”

Astarion opened his mouth to say something else, but the words couldn’t or wouldn’t form.

Shadowheart stepped in between them, too concerned with responding to a text message to notice the weird tension. “Karlach wants to get drinks.” She said. “She got stuck in traffic and doesn’t want to drive all the way down here for nothing.”

“Roveer’s?” Astarion asked, a very weary resignation in his voice.

“Yes, probably.”

“Nothing like running into your students at a sports bar a week before classes start…” Astarion grumbled. “Fine. Let me finish here, and I’ll meet you there in, oh… 15 minutes.” He turned to Gale. “Are you coming?”

“To the office?”

Astarion gave him a perplexed look. “To the bar.” He clarified. “You should take the opportunity to meet Karlach.”

Gale could feel himself going bright red as Shadowheart snickered. “Right. Yes. I would love to.” He replied.

“I’ll let Karlach know you’re coming. She’ll be thrilled.” Shadowheart replied, giving Gale a warm smile. “I’ll go lock up. See you in a bit.”

“Come on then.” Astarion replied, nodding for Gale to follow him.

***

The all-hand meeting was on the third floor, so by the time they’d returned to the basement and back up a floor to leave, Gale was starting to fear his knees wouldn’t survive the week- let alone the semester. “There has to be an elevator in this building.” Gale huffed and puffed as he hoofed it up the last flight of stairs. He didn’t want his new colleague’s first impression of him to be of him on his hands and knees wheezing. “I can’t take much more of this…”

“There is, but personally I don’t like chancing it unless I really don’t want to be in a meeting.” Astarion slowed to a stop at the top of the stairs to wait for him. He didn’t seem any worse for wear, but he also seemed much trimmer than Gale was- or at the very least, his shirt accentuated the pleasing nip of his waist. Gale wondered if Astarion was a swimmer. “A history adjunct got stuck in it overnight a few years past, and it still reeks a little bit when it gets hot enough.”

Gale laughed, but Astarion very pointedly did not.

The conversation lulled a little bit.

“Do you mind if I ask you something?” Gale asked.

“That entirely depends on what you want to ask.” Astarion stepped into the hallway, taking a moment to slip into his grey wool peacoat before they ventured outside.

“Raphael, is he always…”

“Such an ass?” Astarion finished his thought. Gale wouldn’t have used such a strong word, but Astarion had gotten the spirit of the question right, at least. “He’s usually much worse.”

“Oh?”

“He’s a glorified middleman with too much power and time on his hands.” Astarion scoffed. “He enjoys putting things in people’s way and watching them try to wriggle their way out of problems he created. My advice is to deal with him as little as possible.”

“Is he who you went to talk to earlier?”

Astarion gave him a poisonous look that only confirmed Gale’s suspicion.

They walked across campus in uneasy silence. The bitterly cold wind whipped and whistled, tossing the last remnants of fall leaves across the concourse. The few student residents who’d gotten in that morning had either decided to hold up in their rooms or were enjoying their free time in more exciting corners of town. Gale found himself wondering what Xenia was doing... He hoped she wasn’t all alone in an empty dorm.

“Does Xenia have many friends?” Gale asked as they approached a crosswalk leading to the block of shops across from campus.

“Hm?” Astarion tapped the pedestrian-call button, which commanded them to ‘wait!’ in a mechanical voice. “I think she probably has more friends than she realizes she does. Kids like her tend to think they’re alone in everything.”

“Poor kid… Seems like she’s been through enough.” Gale sighed. There was something heartbreaking in the phrase ‘kids like her.’ It was sad to think that there were more 19-year-olds out there carrying emotional burdens far too heavy for their age- sadder still to think that if there weren’t, then Xenia would be alone.

��She’ll figure herself out eventually. She’s not like…” Astarion paused, seemingly a little shocked by what he was about to say. He leveled a wary glance at Gale. “She’s not a quitter, I mean.”

“I’m sure she’s not. I just hope she doesn’t run herself ragged.” The walk light flashed, and they hurried across the street.

***

They were comedically out of place in Roveer’s Roadhouse. A group of grown adults in Oxford dress crowding around a sticky Bud-Lit branded high top surrounded by a bevy of flatscreen monitors playing every sports broadcast under the sun. Shadowheart was already nursing a syrupy cocktail out of a chipped margarita glass.

An extremely tall woman with a red tipped mohawk and smiling eyes bounded over to Gale and clapped a firmly friendly hand on his shoulder. “You’re the new Adjunct, I take it?” She asked. “I’m Karlach, Professor Cliffgate, if you’re nasty.”

“Gale Dekarios.” He reached out to shake her hand. She fist-bumped him instead, and Gale got a glimpse of a nasty burn scar peeking out from the sleeve of her jacket. “It’s a pleasure!”

“Aw, I have a great-aunt named Gale!” Karlach replied.

“I get that a lot…” Gale sighed. “I like your hair!”

“Thanks!” Karlach tussled her own hair. “Told my kiddos they could pick what color I dyed it if they all passed their benchmarks.”

“Does Balduran give benchmarks?”

“Oh, no. Teaching university is my side gig,” Karlach replied. “I’m actually a full-time middle school teacher.”

A spindly girl with bleach-blonde hair pulled into space buns sidled up to the table, clutching a notepad. “Can I take your order?” She seemed quite put upon being asked to do actual work on a slow day.

“Vodka Soda,” Astarion replied, holding his ID out to the server.

She took it and dropped it in her apron, jotted something down on her notepad, and turned to Gale with an expectant look.

“I’ll, uh, take a Corona,” Gale replied. He’d never ordered a Corona in his life, but it seemed like an acceptable ‘getting drinks with colleagues’ kind of an order.

The server stood there staring at him a moment long before she asked, “ID?”

“Oh, um…” Gale patted for his wallet and realized he left it in his desk drawer. “I didn’t realize I would need it…”

“You didn’t realize you’d need an ID at a college bar?” Astarion asked dryly as he turned to the server. “Just put it on my tab.”

The server nodded and walked away without asking if they needed anything else.

“Wow Gale, just one day on the job, and you’re already bumming free drinks off the department chair.” Shadowheart teased. She took a sip of her drink crinkling her nose at the taste.

Gale flustered. “I-I was going to pay with my phone, I swear! I wasn’t planning this.”

“Relax. We’re not so underpaid that I can’t afford to buy you one beer.” Astarion rolled his eyes. “You can return the favor when you get your first paycheck.”

Gale blushed. “Alright.”

The server brought them their drinks without another word, then plopped down at the end of the bar to scroll on her phone. Gale pushed the lime through the neck of his beer bottle and watched it fizz as it sank to the bottom of the dubiously golden liquid.

“So, did I miss anything important at the all-hands?” Karlach asked idly, stirring her bourbon and coke.

“You know you didn’t,” Shadowheart replied. “We’re changing timecard systems, and Raphael and Astarion are in another one of their weird power struggles-there, I saved you an hour and a half.”

Karlach’s eyes lit up, and she turned towards Astarion. “Before the semester even starts?” There was a conspiratorial glee in her voice. “What the fuck could he have possibly done this time?”

“Why spoil the mood by ruminating on that rat bastard?” Astarion said. He picked the lemon slice out of his drink and laid it on a napkin. “I’ll tell you later.”

“Fair.” Karlach shrugged. She turned back to Gale and fixed him with a warm smile. “So, Gale, what brings you to the wonderful world of higher education?”

Gale had thought a lot about what he would tell people when they asked him why he wanted to teach college. He’d written little speeches in the shower about the joys of teaching language and the satisfaction of helping students reach their goal, but sitting in a group of other English professors, that suddenly all felt very trite.

“I was a public librarian, but I had to step away from my last position when I got divorced.” He admitted. “I found a job at a community college teaching database management, and I realized I’d just always missed teaching.” He took a long pull of his beer. The sour of the lime battled with the bitterness of the beer on his tongue.

“Library science might be a harder industry to break into than academia. It must have been tough to leave that behind.” Astarion mused.

“I do miss it terribly sometimes… but my ex helped me get into graduate school and got me my first library job. If I stayed, I would never be able to make anything that was truly mine.” Gale sighed. He could see the wheels spinning in Shadowheart’s head as she tried to figure out his age.

“You talk like you’re as old as this bag of bone,” Karlach pointed a thumb at Astarion, who glared daggers at her. “But there’s no way you’re that old.”

“I’m 35.” Gale clarified.

“That’s a little bit older than I thought, but still nowhere near as old as Astarion,” Shadowheart said.

“You are barely two years younger than me.” Astarion snapped.

“Barely a decade older than Gale, too.” Shadowheart shot back.

Astarion rolled his eyes and muttered something into his drink. “Did you go to get your master’s straight out of undergrad?” he asked.

“Yes, why?”

Astarion shrugged. “That’s just quite young to be with someone that well-established in their field.”

“Oh, we didn’t get together until I graduated.” That wasn’t entirely true. They didn’t get together publicly until he graduated. He didn’t know why he was still defending Mystra. It wasn’t like any of his new colleagues would ever meet her.

“I wasn’t trying to imply anything…” Astarion lied.

“Of course not.”

They both took a sip of their drink, holding awkward eye contact.

“Well, here’s to making something for yourself then,” Shadowheart said, holding her drink out to Gale for a cheers.

Gale clinked the neck of his beer bottle against her glass. “I’ll drink to that.”

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aftout · 9 months ago

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The Admin T.I. title system wasn’t implemented until the finalized release of Gamefuna’s programming software. Most of Gameworks’ beta testers were more familiar with the app’s original avatar, but critics (the avatar themself) were worried that its name would be too on-the-nose for the average user.

It’s rare that employees manage to catch a glimpse at Mr. Natas’ computer screen, but the very few who do are quick to notice that his Admin looks nothing like an Admin at all.

#BLASTS YOU WITH MORE AU LORE AND THEN A BIG BOULDER CRUSHES ME #my art #Spider Cereal (AU)#daniel mullins games #pony island #no character is safe from my whimsical design beam.

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blacktobackmesa · 11 months ago

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If the Home program ever closes, do they get the “atom by atom” feeling Coomer described in HLVRAI? Did they find a way around that? I remember you said somewhere that the Home program always stays running on the computer, but it would be impossible for it to keep it running for several years on end without atleast one accident happening. Especially since you said that Benry changing form has made the program crash a few times.

A valid concern. Thankfully, a sudden crash wouldn't cause that Atom By Atom effect. It's not super comforting to describe it as a quick and easy cessation of existence, but that's what it is. Awake one minute, gone the next, and then waking up in a designated spawn point (bedroom).

A proper shutdown/closure is different. Even though that's the ideal way to close the software to install updates and such, it's not pleasant. The world is unloaded before the consciousnesses inside of it are put away. Even their bodies are gone before they are. Thankfully, the pain of this is mostly emotional, so if the AIs are already asleep they may just feel a tingle.

At one of the Admin Club Meetings, there was a proposal made to implement a sort of "kill switch" to automatically knock out everyone in the program by default as the first step in the shutdown routine. Gordon resisted the idea at first, as having a subroutine on hand that makes all his friends lose consciousness sounds like supervillain shit. Darnold was able to argue a strong case against Gordon, as while the idea made him feel bad, Gordon wouldn't be the one affected. They ended up bringing it to a public vote that ended up passing after a great deal of discussion. And now you know how pol o' tics work here

#gordon streamman

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n3mesi5 · 5 months ago

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Here are the assets I have promised! + a quick guide! (Sorry It took me embarrassingly long, I was too busy being sad) If I have time, I'll try to make a simple tutorial to guide you on how to make something like this, but for now you need to know the essentials. -I use Clip studio paint to extract my textures, on the menu bar go to "Select" and "Select Color Gamut" and adjust margin of error UNTIL you extract the texture WITHOUT any weird borders. Add a fill layer different from the paper so you'll see if you did it RIGHT! and then extract as transparent png :3

-Tools: Palette knives, sponges, or anything that have texture or can be dragged across or pressed down.

-A palette or anything you can dip your tools on, I use a very small dining plate because it doesn't soak sponges too much.

-Paper: I used an A4 paper, anything can work as long it's blank and isn't in the same spectrum as a color you're using: Like Grey paper and black ink :( Make sure you have PLENTY! Make sure it's FODDER PAPER you can easily replace, a looot of trial and error will head your way.

-I recommend black ink, with your art software you can change the colors with ease. Ink makes the small textures pop much often and great with sponges. I never tried paint but I feel like they'd be tooo thick and 'cancel' small textures.

-On your work table, add some newspaper or any protective layer and a large plastic container to keep the tools and the palette. It will get MESSY if you're clumsy as me. Bring an apron too as an extra (which I don't have! and still went on and wore a white t-shirt)

-When you're about to take a photo keep in mind REFLECTIONS are a thing, indirect lighting is key. -They're not meant to be layered on top of art, but to be cut up with a lasso tool, placed on edges and then colored with the background to add "Scratchiness" to the drawing's edges similar to Yoji Shinkawa's art. There might be better ways to implement this depending on the software you folks use.

-I miss my wife

#artists on tumblr #art guides #guides #clip studio paint #multimedia #n3mesi5 #n3mys535 #textures

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bradstlouis · 18 days ago

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Lean vs. Waterfall Business Models: Choosing the Right Approach for Your Venture

When starting or scaling a business, one of the most critical decisions you’ll make is choosing the operational approach that aligns with your goals, resources, and industry demands. Two popular frameworks that often guide entrepreneurs are the Lean and Waterfall business models. Understanding their principles, advantages, and challenges can empower you to select the model that best suits your vision and market.

What is the Lean Business Model?

The Lean business model prioritizes efficiency, adaptability, and continuous improvement. It focuses on creating value for the customer while minimizing waste. Inspired by lean manufacturing principles, particularly those pioneered by Toyota, this model has become a cornerstone of modern startups and innovation-driven enterprises.

Key Principles of the Lean Model:

Validated Learning: Experimentation and customer feedback drive product and process development.

Build-Measure-Learn Cycle: Rapid prototyping allows for iterative improvements.

Customer-Centric Approach: Emphasis on understanding and addressing customer needs.

Waste Reduction: Eliminating activities and resources that don’t add value.

Advantages of Lean:

Cost Efficiency: By focusing on essential features and avoiding overproduction, businesses conserve resources.

Flexibility: Quick pivots are possible when market demands or customer preferences shift.

Speed to Market: Minimal Viable Products (MVPs) enable businesses to launch quickly and refine over time.

Challenges of Lean:

High Uncertainty: Iterative processes may result in unpredictability.

Resource Intensity: Constant feedback loops and adjustments require dedicated time and effort.

Scalability Issues: Lean is ideal for early-stage businesses but may need adaptation for large-scale operations.

What is the Waterfall Business Model?

The Waterfall business model, rooted in traditional project management, follows a linear and sequential approach. This model is structured around defined stages, where each phase must be completed before moving to the next. While it originated in industries like construction and software development, it’s also applicable to businesses requiring meticulous planning and execution.

Key Principles of the Waterfall Model:

Sequential Progression: Projects move from concept to completion in defined steps.

Detailed Documentation: Comprehensive plans, budgets, and timelines are created upfront.

Defined Deliverables: Clear milestones ensure all tasks are completed in order.

Stability: A fixed plan minimizes changes during the process.

Advantages of Waterfall:

Predictability: Clear timelines and budgets enhance planning and stakeholder confidence.

Quality Assurance: Extensive documentation ensures thorough testing and evaluation.

Ease of Implementation: Ideal for projects with well-defined requirements.

Challenges of Waterfall:

Rigidity: Limited flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions.

Delayed Feedback: Customer input often comes late, increasing the risk of misalignment.

Time-Intensive: Sequential phases may lead to longer development cycles.

How to Choose Between Lean and Waterfall

The choice between Lean and Waterfall depends on your business’s nature, goals, and industry.

Lean is Ideal For:

Startups and innovative ventures with evolving market demands.

Projects where customer feedback is essential.

Teams prioritizing speed and adaptability.

Waterfall is Ideal For:

Established businesses with fixed goals and budgets.

Industries like construction, healthcare, or manufacturing, where precision is critical.

Long-term projects requiring robust planning.

Conclusion

Both the Lean and Waterfall business models offer unique advantages and come with their own set of challenges. While the Lean model fosters innovation and flexibility, the Waterfall approach ensures stability and predictability. Entrepreneurs should carefully evaluate their project’s scope, resources, and objectives before committing to a framework. By aligning your operational strategy with your business’s needs, you set the stage for sustainable growth and success.

#accounting

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spacetimewithstuartgary · 1 month ago

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Planning autonomous surface missions on ocean worlds

hrough advanced autonomy testbed programs, NASA is setting the groundwork for one of its top priorities—the search for signs of life and potentially habitable bodies in our solar system and beyond. The prime destinations for such exploration are bodies containing liquid water, such as Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus.

Initial missions to the surfaces of these "ocean worlds" will be robotic and require a high degree of onboard autonomy due to long Earth-communication lags and blackouts, harsh surface environments, and limited battery life.

Technologies that can enable spacecraft autonomy generally fall under the umbrella of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and have been evolving rapidly in recent years. Many such technologies, including machine learning, causal reasoning, and generative AI, are being advanced at non-NASA institutions.

NASA started a program in 2018 to take advantage of these advancements to enable future icy world missions. It sponsored the development of the physical Ocean Worlds Lander Autonomy Testbed (OWLAT) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and the virtual Ocean Worlds Autonomy Testbed for Exploration, Research, and Simulation (OceanWATERS) at NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California.

NASA solicited applications for its Autonomous Robotics Research for Ocean Worlds (ARROW) program in 2020, and for the Concepts for Ocean worlds Life Detection Technology (COLDTech) program in 2021.

Six research teams, based at universities and companies throughout the United States, were chosen to develop and demonstrate autonomy solutions on OWLAT and OceanWATERS. These two- to three-year projects are now complete and have addressed a wide variety of autonomy challenges faced by potential ocean world surface missions.

OWLAT

OWLAT is designed to simulate a spacecraft lander with a robotic arm for science operations on an ocean world body. Each of the OWLAT components is detailed below.

The hardware version of OWLAT is designed to physically simulate motions of a lander as operations are performed in a low-gravity environment using a six degrees-of-freedom (DOF) Stewart platform. A seven DOF robot arm is mounted on the lander to perform sampling and other science operations that interact with the environment. A camera mounted on a pan-and-tilt unit is used for perception.

The testbed also has a suite of onboard force/torque sensors to measure motion and reaction forces as the lander interacts with the environment. Control algorithms implemented on the testbed enable it to exhibit dynamics behavior as if it were a lightweight arm on a lander operating in different gravitational environments.

The team also developed a set of tools and instruments to enable the performance of science operations using the testbed. These various tools can be mounted to the end of the robot arm via a quick-connect-disconnect mechanism. The testbed workspace where sampling and other science operations are conducted incorporates an environment designed to represent the scene and surface simulant material potentially found on ocean worlds.

The software-only version of OWLAT models, visualizes, and provides telemetry from a high-fidelity dynamics simulator based on the Dynamics And Real-Time Simulation (DARTS) physics engine developed at JPL. It replicates the behavior of the physical testbed in response to commands and provides telemetry to the autonomy software.

The autonomy software module interacts with the testbed through a Robot Operating System (ROS)-based interface to issue commands and receive telemetry. This interface is defined to be identical to the OceanWATERS interface. Commands received from the autonomy module are processed through the dispatcher/scheduler/controller module and used to command either the physical hardware version of the testbed or the dynamics simulation (software version) of the testbed.

Sensor information from the operation of either the software-only or physical testbed is reported back to the autonomy module using a defined telemetry interface. A safety and performance monitoring and evaluation software module ensures that the testbed is kept within its operating bounds. Any commands causing out of bounds behavior and anomalies are reported as faults to the autonomy software module.

OceanWATERS

At the time of the OceanWATERS project's inception, Jupiter's moon Europa was planetary science's first choice in searching for life. Based on ROS, OceanWATERS is a software tool that provides a visual and physical simulation of a robotic lander on the surface of Europa.

OceanWATERS realistically simulates Europa's celestial sphere and sunlight, both direct and indirect. Because we don't yet have detailed information about the surface of Europa, users can select from terrain models with a variety of surface and material properties. One of these models is a digital replication of a portion of the Atacama Desert in Chile, an area considered a potential Earth-analog for some extraterrestrial surfaces.

JPL's Europa Lander Study of 2016, a guiding document for the development of OceanWATERS, describes a planetary lander whose purpose is collecting subsurface regolith/ice samples, analyzing them with onboard science instruments, and transmitting results of the analysis to Earth.

The simulated lander in OceanWATERS has an antenna mast that pans and tilts; attached to it are stereo cameras and spotlights. It has a 6 degree-of-freedom arm with two interchangeable end effectors—a grinder designed for digging trenches, and a scoop for collecting ground material. The lander is powered by a simulated non-rechargeable battery pack. Power consumption, the battery's state, and its remaining life are regularly predicted with the Generic Software Architecture for Prognostics (GSAP) tool.

To simulate degraded or broken subsystems, a variety of faults (e.g., a frozen arm joint or overheating battery) can be "injected" into the simulation by the user; some faults can also occur "naturally" as the simulation progresses, e.g., if components become over-stressed. All the operations and telemetry (data measurements) of the lander are accessible via an interface that external autonomy software modules can use to command the lander and understand its state. (OceanWATERS and OWLAT share a unified autonomy interface based on ROS.)

The OceanWATERS package includes one basic autonomy module, a facility for executing plans (autonomy specifications) written in the PLan EXecution Interchange Language, or PLEXIL. PLEXIL and GSAP are both open-source software packages developed at Ames and available on GitHub, as is OceanWATERS.

Mission operations that can be simulated by OceanWATERS include visually surveying the landing site, poking at the ground to determine its hardness, digging a trench, and scooping ground material that can be discarded or deposited in a sample collection bin. Communication with Earth, sample analysis, and other operations of a real lander mission, are not presently modeled in OceanWATERS except for their estimated power consumption.

Because of Earth's distance from the ocean worlds and the resulting communication lag, a planetary lander should be programmed with at least enough information to begin its mission. But there will be situation-specific challenges that will require onboard intelligence, such as deciding exactly where and how to collect samples, dealing with unexpected issues and hardware faults, and prioritizing operations based on remaining power.

Results

All six of the research teams used OceanWATERS to develop ocean world lander autonomy technology and three of those teams also used OWLAT. The products of these efforts were published in technical papers, and resulted in the development of software that may be used or adapted for actual ocean world lander missions in the future.

TOP IMAGE: Artist's concept image of a spacecraft lander with a robot arm on the surface of Europa. Credits: NASA/JPL – Caltech

CENTRE IMAGE The software and hardware components of the Ocean Worlds Lander Autonomy Testbed and the relationships between them. Credit: NASA/JPL – Caltech

LOWER IMAGE: The Ocean Worlds Lander Autonomy Testbed. A scoop is mounted to the end of the testbed robot arm. Credit: NASA/JPL – Caltech

BOTTOM IMAGE: Screenshot of OceanWATERS. Credit: NASA/JPL – Caltech

#science #space #astronomy #physics #news #astrophysics

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theproductivityhub · 4 months ago

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Mastering Efficient Workflow: Strategies for Better Productivity

Achieving an efficient workflow is crucial for maximizing productivity and ensuring smooth operations, whether you’re managing personal tasks or leading a team. An effective workflow not only helps you complete tasks more quickly but also reduces stress and improves overall job satisfaction. Here’s how you can master the art of efficient workflow:

Understanding Efficient Workflow

An efficient workflow is a well-organized process that minimizes interruptions and maximizes output. It involves optimizing how tasks are completed and how resources are used. By refining your workflow, you can work more efficiently, avoid bottlenecks, and achieve better results.

Key Strategies for an Efficient Workflow:

Streamline Task Management Break down complex projects into smaller, manageable tasks. Use task management tools to create to-do lists, set deadlines, and monitor progress. This helps in keeping track of what needs to be done and when.

Implement Time-Blocking Allocate specific blocks of time for different tasks or activities. Time-blocking helps in maintaining focus and reducing distractions by dedicating uninterrupted time slots for each task.

Optimize Resource Use Make sure you’re using the right tools and resources for the job. Invest in software that enhances efficiency and reduces manual effort. For example, project management tools can automate task tracking and reporting.

Enhance Communication Channels Clear communication is vital for an efficient workflow, especially in team settings. Utilize communication platforms that facilitate quick and effective exchanges of information, such as instant messaging or video conferencing tools.

Evaluate and Adjust Regularly Regularly assess your workflow to identify areas that need improvement. Gather feedback from team members or self-evaluate to find out what’s working and what isn’t. Adjust your strategies based on this evaluation to continually enhance efficiency.

Conclusion

Mastering an efficient workflow involves a combination of strategic planning, effective tools, and ongoing evaluation. By implementing these strategies, you can streamline your processes, improve productivity, and achieve your goals with greater ease. For more insights and tools to optimize your workflow, visit GoNeed.com. Our resources are designed to help you create a more efficient and productive work environment.

#task management #ProductivityTips #WorkflowOptimization

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woosh-floosh · 1 month ago

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do you have any raw .drw files? how does its file size compare to a vector image / raster image of the same size / similar content? like ik vector files can be very small compared to a jpeg... storing timing info sounds simple to implement, but i wonder if it bloats up .drw file sizes?

Oooh, good question, and my answer uhh... got a little out of hand..

Here's the files in the folder for one of my drawings on the windows beta:

So we have the .drw file, the .sim file, a .csv file (this stores text data for my added title and description), and a .png and .sim for the thumbnail.

The .sim file is new to me, but looking at other files I believe the .sim files holds the individual layer data. Maybe the .sim stores the actual image data for display during drawing?

For example, heres the files for my haunter painting:

And here are the layers for the drawing in game (software?):

The sizes match up pretty well with the actual data on each layer!

(I should mention here that looking at file types and figuring out how they work is completely new to me so I could be getting some things wrong. I'm debating if I should reach out to the dev directly to check my work before starting this essay proper... but it's also been fun for me and my brain to try and figure this stuff out on my own)

Actually.. the sim files made me curious... if the main data is in the .drw file, what would happen if I delete the .sim files? Would the file still work?

First off, the thumbnail does not load, but the file still opens fine and the replay function still works.

And we still got all the layers no problem.

Hmm, if I save changes to the images, will it create .sim files?

It did! Huh!

Then uhh.. I don't really know what the .sim files do. If has something to do with display in game which is why the thumbnail didn't display. But I don't know where the layer files would be displaying if it's all based on the .drw. Maybe it's for file conversion? For uploading to the gallery? I don't know...

Anyways... back to the topic at hand, files sizes! The windows beta lets you export files as layered .psd files, .png files, and partial replay in uncompressed and compressed .avi!

So a quick reminder, here are the file sizes of the original image set up for Colors Live:

The .drw is pretty small!!

And here are my exports!:

The .drw is MINUSCULE compared to the .psd. And the .sim size falls between the two sizes of .png. Hmm, still don't know what's going on with that. Also for fun we can look at the size of an uncompressed two minute long .avi looks like. 4 million kilobytes, yay ^_^

Vector wise.. I'm actually not super familiar with vector programs (should probably brush up on them for this essay, huh?) so I'm not sure what exactly is comparable... I've had to use Illustrator this semester but I feel like Colors and Illustrator are approaching vector graphics in a very different way. Illustrator is saving data for vector objects, but Colors is saving data for brush strokes!

Well.. anyway we can open up one of my projects:

And we can stretch that layers panel all the way out so you can see all my layers and paths and objects:

And let's check the file size...

Yep! Pretty small!

For fun we can also convert that .psd I made into a .ai..

Yep! It's smaller!

Regarding file bloat... I think the devs did a fantastic job creating such a small file size and it's perfect for drawing on game consoles that usually have very limited space! However, my experience with Colors! 3D as a kid did have issues with file sizes.. Colors! was the biggest app on my 3DS and I constantly had to juggle uninstalling games and uploading and deleting paintings so I would have more room for new paintings. I did have quite a number of painting files... in various states of progress (as is typical) but storage space was a real issue for me. Now, were my SD cards only 2 or 4 gb big? Yes. Did I understand at the time that those were quite small for SD cards, even at the time? No. Does my experience mean anything then? I don't know.

Colors! 3D also had an issue were particularly lengthy paintings (were talking hitting the ~4 hour mark) would stop saving replay data. The replay would only play up until a certain point. I'm not sure why that is, based on what we know about .drw files I don't think it can be a limitation with the file type? That's kinda all it does? Maybe it's a limitation with the size of the 3DS memory that couldn't play the replays that long? Hitting that ~4 hour mark would also limit the amount of undos you were able to do so it could easily have to do with memory.

(Bit off tangent but undos take soooo long in Colors. And the more undos you do the longer they take! Colors didn't official start limiting the players undos until that ~4 hour mark but they were already limited by your patience)

Anyways, I will leave you with this, a link to the documentation of the .drw file format. It's only two and half pages long which I think is pretty short? Maybe you can find more info in there that what I can parse...

#ask #anon #colors live #colors

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mbti-notes · 2 years ago

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Hi. I'm a software developer. I like thinking up clever algorithms, ways so solve problems and so on, and I'm not bothered by complexity. My weak side is implementation: I literally get hung up on bringing ideas to life in this world because of arithmetic and similar "low-level" stuff. When working in team, taking charge, managing people and solving problems with no known solution is easier than implementing what is known. How do I overcome this downside? My type is xNTJ.

I have discussed these learning issues before because this is a common problem for Ns, see the section on Learning & Study. When learning, the typical N relies heavily on intuition to get by, for example, through: being a good guesser; only remembering information long enough to pass and/or practicing just enough to pass; believing that grasping the "gist" is good enough; only attending to information as long as it keeps one's interest; only performing as well as is necessary to look good in comparison to others; etc. In essence, they don't realize that their way of learning is very superficial and leaves them lacking a strong foundation of knowledge.

Not until they are properly put to the test is it revealed that they: have many gaps in knowledge; have a poor grasp of basic details/skills; don't know the methods/procedures inside and out like they should; have no reliable way to structure information and retrieve it quickly; don't know how to apply ideas and concepts; often waste too much time reinventing the wheel; etc.

A smart person should heed these warning signs and work to correct the N-S imbalance by better integrating the S function into their learning process. When you mentioned "low-level stuff", did you say it with a tone of impatience or disdain (as many Ns would)? If so, it might be revealing a bias against S-related learning.

Unfortunately, in reality, many people also have ego development issues exacerbating their learning problems. For example, some Ns get arrogant because they receive praise or feel rewarded for their bad learning habits. With unearned confidence, they double down on their bad habits. Experiencing multiple failures might push them deeper into denial of their shortcomings. Denial might lead them to stick to situations where they can show off their strengths and avoid situations that would expose their weaknesses.

This behavior reveals that they don't really care about real mastery but only the appearance of it. In the workplace, as long as they can keep weaseling their way into a better position, they can keep telling themselves that they don't have a problem. Having curated a false self-image over many years of being "quick", "intelligent", "insightful", "creative", or being "above mundane tasks", etc, they fear what might happen if they were to take the mask off. I am not saying you have this problem. I only mention it as a common obstacle to be aware of.

If you want to be an effective learner, you have to get rid of your bad learning habits, whatever they are. To really know your stuff seems like the harder path to take (that's why many choose to fake it instead), but the pay off is huge when you're eventually able to handle and adapt to any situation with ease. Personal growth is its own reward. It's important to note that the best learners care about personal growth and understand that humility and curiosity are vital to learning. Humility is necessary for acknowledging the full extent of one's ignorance. Curiosity is necessary for doing what it takes to fill in those gaps. This means arrogance and stubbornness are two big no-nos.

It sounds like, for reasons you should reflect on, you've put the horse before the cart. Learning is a complicated process. It needs to follow a particular sequence in order to maximize intellectual growth. But many people are impatient and want to do higher order tasks without properly mastering lower order tasks first.

For instance, the problem of "application" can be broken down and understood like this:

You don't possess enough foundational knowledge because you didn't put enough effort into memorizing all the important details, ideas, concepts, principles, etc.

You don't have a deep understanding of the subject because you didn't "make it your own" by taking the necessary steps to organize information properly into a comprehensive and coherent structure.

You can't apply ideas well because you don't have detailed knowledge of methods and procedures and/or you haven't put in the many hours necessary to practice and learn from practical mistakes.

There are several possibilities. It's possible that only #3 is the problem. It's possible that #3 is a problem because of #2. It's possible that #3 is a problem because of #2 AND #1. Whatever the problem is, go back and fix it.

#intuition #intuitives #intj #entj #infj #enfj #infp #enfp #intp #entp #learning #study #application #mastery #arrogance #growth #development #ask

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xettle-technologies · 3 months ago

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Why Your Business Needs Fintech Software At present ?

In an era defined by technological advancements and digital transformation, the financial sector is experiencing a seismic shift. Traditional banking practices are being challenged by innovative solutions that streamline operations, enhance user experiences, and improve financial management. Fintech software is at the forefront of this transformation, offering businesses the tools they need to stay competitive. Here’s why your business needs fintech software now more than ever.

1. Enhanced Efficiency and Automation

One of the primary advantages of fintech software is its ability to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks. From invoicing and payment processing to compliance checks, automation helps reduce human error and increase efficiency. By integrating fintech software services, businesses can streamline their operations, freeing up employees to focus on more strategic tasks that require human intelligence and creativity.

Automated processes not only save time but also reduce operational costs. For example, automating invoice processing can significantly cut down on the resources spent on manual entry, approval, and payment. This efficiency translates into faster service delivery, which is crucial in today’s fast-paced business environment.

2. Improved Customer Experience

In a competitive marketplace, providing an exceptional customer experience is vital for business success. Fintech software enhances user experience by offering seamless, user-friendly interfaces and multiple channels for interaction. Customers today expect quick and easy access to their financial information, whether through mobile apps or web platforms.

Fintech software services can help businesses create personalized experiences for their customers. By analyzing customer data, businesses can tailor their offerings to meet individual needs, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. A better user experience leads to higher retention rates, ultimately contributing to a company’s bottom line.

3. Data-Driven Decision Making

In the digital age, data is one of the most valuable assets a business can have. Fintech software allows businesses to collect, analyze, and leverage vast amounts of data to make informed decisions. Advanced analytics tools embedded in fintech solutions provide insights into customer behavior, market trends, and financial performance.

These insights enable businesses to identify opportunities for growth, mitigate risks, and optimize their operations. For instance, predictive analytics can help anticipate customer needs, allowing businesses to proactively offer services or products before they are even requested. This data-driven approach not only enhances strategic decision-making but also positions businesses ahead of their competition.

4. Increased Security and Compliance

With the rise of cyber threats and increasing regulatory scrutiny, security and compliance have become paramount concerns for businesses. Fintech software comes equipped with advanced security features such as encryption, two-factor authentication, and real-time monitoring to protect sensitive financial data.

Moreover, fintech software services often include built-in compliance management tools that help businesses adhere to industry regulations. By automating compliance checks and generating necessary reports, these solutions reduce the risk of non-compliance penalties and reputational damage. Investing in robust security measures not only safeguards your business but also builds trust with customers, who are increasingly concerned about data privacy.

5. Cost Savings and Financial Management

Implementing fintech software can lead to significant cost savings in various aspects of your business. Traditional financial management processes often require extensive manpower and resources. By automating these processes, fintech solutions can help minimize operational costs and improve cash flow management.

Additionally, fintech software often offers advanced financial tools that provide real-time insights into cash flow, expenses, and budgeting. These tools help businesses make informed financial decisions, leading to better resource allocation and improved profitability. In an uncertain economic climate, having a firm grasp on your financial situation is more critical than ever.

6. Flexibility and Scalability

The modern business landscape is characterized by rapid changes and evolving market conditions. Fintech software offers the flexibility and scalability necessary to adapt to these changes. Whether you’re a startup looking to establish a foothold or an established enterprise aiming to expand, fintech solutions can grow with your business.

Many fintech software services are cloud-based, allowing businesses to easily scale their operations without significant upfront investments. As your business grows, you can add new features, expand user access, and integrate additional services without overhauling your entire system. This adaptability ensures that you can meet changing customer demands and market conditions effectively.

7. Access to Innovative Financial Products

Fintech software has democratized access to a variety of financial products and services that were once only available through traditional banks. Small businesses can now leverage fintech solutions to access loans, payment processing, and investment platforms that are tailored to their specific needs.

These innovative financial products often come with lower fees and more favorable terms, making them accessible for businesses of all sizes. By utilizing fintech software, you can diversify your financial strategies, ensuring that you’re not reliant on a single source of funding or financial service.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the need for fintech software in today’s business environment is clear. With enhanced efficiency, improved customer experiences, and the ability to make data-driven decisions, fintech solutions are essential for staying competitive. Additionally, the increased focus on security and compliance, coupled with cost savings and access to innovative products, makes fintech software a valuable investment.

By adopting fintech software services, your business can not only streamline its operations but also position itself for growth in a rapidly evolving financial landscape. As the world becomes increasingly digital, embracing fintech solutions is no longer an option; it’s a necessity for sustainable success.

#fintech service #development #technology

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riseuplifestyle · 3 months ago

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The Modern Working Lifestyle: How to Thrive in a Changing World

In today’s rapidly evolving work environment, the traditional 9-to-5 schedule has shifted, and the working lifestyle now takes many forms. From remote work to hybrid models and flexible hours, modern professionals are exploring new ways to balance career and personal life. In this article, we’ll dive into the essential aspects of a healthy and productive working lifestyle and offer tips to help you thrive in the ever-changing world of work.

Setting Up Your Ideal Workspace

Whether you’re working from home or in an office, your workspace plays a significant role in your overall productivity. A well-designed space can help you stay focused and motivated throughout the day. Here’s how to create an ideal workspace that enhances your working lifestyle:

Ergonomics matter: Invest in ergonomic furniture to prevent discomfort and health issues like back pain. An adjustable chair and desk are great places to start.

Declutter your desk: A clean and organized desk helps clear your mind and reduce distractions.

Personalize the space: Add a few personal items such as photos, plants, or artwork to make your space feel comfortable and inspiring.

Mastering Work-Life Balance

One of the biggest challenges of the modern working lifestyle is achieving a healthy work-life balance. With remote work and digital devices making it easier to be connected 24/7, it's important to set clear boundaries between your personal and professional life:

Define work hours: Set specific times when you’re “on the clock,” and stick to them. This helps you maintain structure and avoid burnout.

Take regular breaks: Schedule breaks to step away from your desk, stretch, and recharge. Short breaks improve focus and prevent mental fatigue.

Unplug after work: Avoid checking emails or work-related messages outside of work hours. Prioritize downtime to unwind and recharge.

Incorporating Physical Activity Into Your Day

Sitting for long hours is part of most working lifestyles, but staying active is essential for your physical and mental well-being. Integrating movement into your workday can enhance your energy levels and overall health:

Take walking breaks: Get up and move every 30 minutes to counteract the effects of prolonged sitting. Short walks can boost creativity and focus.

Use a standing desk: Alternating between sitting and standing while working can improve posture and reduce back pain.

Exercise regularly: Whether it’s a quick home workout or a gym session, make time for exercise before or after work to stay fit and reduce stress.

Maintaining Mental Well-being

Your mental health is a key component of your working lifestyle. Work stress, deadlines, and high expectations can take a toll on your mental well-being, so it’s important to prioritize practices that help you stay balanced and resilient:

Practice mindfulness: Techniques like meditation, deep breathing, or yoga can help you manage stress and stay centered.

Manage workload effectively: Break tasks into smaller steps and use tools like calendars and to-do lists to stay organized.

Seek support when needed: Don’t hesitate to reach out to colleagues, mentors, or professionals if you’re feeling overwhelmed by work.

Prioritizing Time Management

Effective time management is crucial to maintaining a productive working lifestyle. Being in control of your schedule helps reduce stress, increases efficiency, and allows for more flexibility. Here are some time management strategies to implement:

Plan your day: Create a daily or weekly plan that outlines your tasks and priorities. This helps keep you focused on what’s important.

Use productivity tools: Tools like project management software, calendars, and time-tracking apps can help you stay organized and accountable.

Prioritize tasks: Focus on high-priority tasks first, and tackle smaller tasks during lower-energy periods of your day.

Building Strong Professional Relationships

Even in a remote or hybrid working lifestyle, nurturing strong professional relationships is key to a positive work experience. Building connections with your team and industry peers can foster collaboration and career growth:

Communicate openly: Regular, clear communication helps build trust and avoids misunderstandings in both in-person and virtual settings.

Show appreciation: Acknowledge the efforts of your colleagues and express gratitude when others contribute to your success.

Network actively: Attend virtual events, conferences, or industry meetups to expand your professional circle and discover new opportunities.

Adapting to Change

A successful working lifestyle in today’s world requires flexibility and adaptability. With technology constantly evolving and work environments shifting, being open to change helps you stay relevant and resilient:

Embrace new tools: Stay up-to-date with the latest tools and software that can make your work more efficient.

Learn continuously: Invest in professional development by taking courses, attending workshops, or seeking mentorship.

Be open to feedback: Constructive feedback helps you grow and adjust your approach, especially in changing work environments.

Leveraging Technology

Technology plays a crucial role in shaping today’s working lifestyle. From communication tools to project management software, leveraging the right technologies can make work more efficient and less stressful:

Collaboration tools: Platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom enable seamless communication with colleagues, whether in-office or remote.

Project management software: Tools like Asana, Trello, or Monday help organize tasks, set deadlines, and track progress.

Automation: Automate repetitive tasks using tools like Zapier to save time and focus on more important work.

Conclusion

The modern working lifestyle offers flexibility and new opportunities for professionals to redefine how they approach their careers. By setting up a productive workspace, managing time effectively, staying active, and focusing on mental well-being, you can create a working lifestyle that supports both your personal and professional success. Embrace adaptability, leverage technology, and build strong relationships to thrive in today’s dynamic work environment.

#nature #cute #agatha all along #bill cipher #free palestine

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snapmite1998 · 4 months ago

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### Officers of Crimson Dawn's Fleets: Commanding the Shadows

#### Overview

The officers of Crimson Dawn's fleets are a diverse group of strategically minded individuals who play crucial roles in commanding ships, overseeing operations, and executing the organization's objectives across the galaxy. These officers range from experienced military veterans to skilled tacticians, each bringing unique strengths and expertise to Crimson Dawn’s naval operations.

### Types of Crimson Dawn Fleet Officers

1. Fleet Commanders:

- Fleet commanders are responsible for overseeing entire fleets of ships, making critical strategic decisions during battles and campaigns. They coordinate multiple vessels, ensuring that operations are executed efficiently while adapting to evolving battlefield scenarios.

- These officers are often seasoned veterans with extensive experience in naval warfare and leadership, adept at inspiring their crews during combat and maintaining order amidst chaos.

2. Ship Captains:

- Each ship within the Crimson Dawn fleet is commanded by a ship captain who manages daily operations, crew morale, and tactical maneuvers during engagements. Captains must be skilled at both leading their crew and executing the larger strategic plan set forth by their superiors.

- Often displaying a flair for combat and quick decision-making, these captains ensure their ships are battle-ready and can execute missions ranging from piracy to military assaults with precision.

3. Tactical Officers:

- Tactical officers specialize in developing and implementing strategies for fleet engagements. They analyze enemy movements, assess threats, and recommend tactical maneuvers to exploit weaknesses in opposing forces.

- Skilled in advanced warfare tactics and technology, tactical officers work closely with fleet commanders and ship captains to coordinate responses during battle, ensuring a calculated approach in every engagement.

4. Operations Specialists:

- Operations specialists handle the logistics and operational capabilities of the fleet. They are responsible for coordinating supplies, managing crew assignments, and ensuring that all necessary resources are available for missions.

- Their expertise is vital for maintaining the efficiency and readiness of ships, allowing for smooth operations during long engagements and logistical challenges encountered during fleet maneuvers.

5. Communications Officers:

- Communication officers manage all forms of communication within the fleet and between ships and command. They are essential for relaying strategic orders, coordinating movements, and maintaining situational awareness during engagements.

- In a fast-paced combat environment, these officers must work swiftly to transmit and receive information while working to protect their communications from potential enemy interception.

### Training and Skills

1. Military Training:

- Officers in Crimson Dawn’s fleets undergo rigorous military training, which encompasses both theoretical and practical aspects of space warfare. This training prepares them for a variety of combat scenarios, ranging from ship-to-ship engagements to ground support operations.

- Officers are schooled in the use of various starships, weapons systems, and tactics, ensuring adaptability in different combat situations.

2. Leadership Development:

- Strong emphasis is placed on leadership skills, with officers being trained to motivate and manage their crews effectively. Training often includes scenarios that test their decision-making, crisis management, and communication abilities.

- Future leaders are often identified for their potential, and mentorship programs within Crimson Dawn further foster the growth of upcoming officers.

3. Technological Proficiency:

- Given that Crimson Dawn operates advanced technology, officers receive training in weapons systems, starship systems, and combat strategy software. This proficiency enables them to utilize their fleet’s technological advantages effectively and respond to threats in real-time.

- They learn to adapt to the fast-evolving tech landscape, constantly updating their skills with the latest innovations in warfare and tactical equipment.

### Conclusion

The officers serving in Crimson Dawn's fleets represent a formidable cadre of military minds, dedicated to advancing the organization's dark ambitions throughout the galaxy. From fleet commanders to communications officers, each plays a vital role in ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of Crimson Dawn’s naval power.

As conflicts unfold and the stakes rise, these officers’ strategic decisions, leadership skills, and combat proficiency will be critical in shaping the trajectory of battles, solidifying Crimson Dawn's position as a dominant force capable of wielding power in the shadows of the galaxy. Through their relentless pursuits, they continue to enhance Crimson Dawn's reputation and capability, furthering the organization’s quest for control and supremacy.

#star wars #star wars fanfiction #darth maul #savage opress #feral opress #sith #the clone wars #crimson dawn #the shadow collective #star wars what if #my fanfiction #check out my fanfic #crime syndicate

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miasfoxxden · 2 years ago

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I use Arch, BTW

I made the switch from Ubuntu 23.04 to Arch Linux. I embraced the meme. After over a decade since my last failed attempt at daily driving Arch, I'm gonna put this as bluntly as I can possibly make it:

Arch is a solid Linux distribution, but some assembly is required.

But why?

Hear me out here Debian and Fedora family enjoyers. I have long had the Debian family as my go-to distros and also swallowed the RHEL pill and switched my server over to Rocky Linux from Ubuntu LTS. on another machine. More on that in a later post when I'm more acclimated with that. But for my personal primary laptop, a Dell Latitude 5580, after being continually frustrated with Canonical's decision to move commonly used applications, particularly the web browsers, exclusively to Snap packages and the additional overhead and just weird issues that came with those being containerized instead of just running on the bare metal was ultimately my reason for switching. Now I understand the reason for this move from deb repo to Snap, but the way Snap implements these kinds of things just leaves a sour taste in my mouth, especially compared to its alternative from the Fedora family, Flatpak. So for what I needed and wanted, something up to date and with good support and documentation that I didn't have to deal with 1 particular vendors bullshit, I really only had 2 options: Arch and Gentoo (Fedora is currently dealing with some H264 licensing issues and quite honestly I didn't want to bother with that for 2 machines).

Arch and Gentoo are very much the same but different. And ultimately Arch won over the 4chan /g/ shitpost that has become Gentoo Linux. So why Arch? Quite honestly, time. Arch has massive repositories of both Arch team maintained and community software, the majority of what I need already packaged in binary form. Gentoo is much the same way, minus the precompiled binary aspect as the Portage package manager downloads source code packages and compiles things on the fly specifically for your hardware. While yes this can make things perform better than precompiled binaries, the reality is the difference is negligible at best and placebo at worst depending on your compiler settings. I can take a weekend to install everything and do the fine tuning but if half or more of that time is just waiting for packages to compile, no thanks. That plus the massive resource that is the Arch User Repository (AUR), Arch was a no-brainer, and Vanilla arch was probably the best way to go. It's a Lego set vs 3D printer files and a list of hardware to order from McMaster-Carr to screw it together, metaphorically speaking.

So what's the Arch experience like then?

As I said in the intro, some assembly is required. To start, the installer image you typically download is incredibly barebones. All you get is a simple bash shell as the root user in the live USB/CD environment. From there we need to do 2 things, 1) get the thing online, the nmcli command came in help here as this is on a laptop and I primarily use it wirelessly, and 2) run the archinstall script. At the time I downloaded my Arch installer, archinstall was broken on the base image but you can update it with a quick pacman -S archinstall once you have it online. Arch install does pretty much all the heavy lifting for you, all the primary options you can choose: Desktop environment/window manager, boot loader, audio system, language options, the whole works. I chose Gnome, GRUB bootloader, Pipewire audio system, and EN-US for just about everything. Even then, it's a minimal installation once you do have.

Post-install experience is straightforward, albeit just repetitive. Right off the archinstall script what you get is relatively barebones, a lot more barebones than I was used to with Ubuntu and Debian Linux. I seemingly constantly was missing one thing for another, checking the wiki, checking the AUR, asking friends who had been using arch for even longer than I ever have how to address dumb issues. Going back to the Lego set analogy, archinstall is just the first bag of a larger set. It is the foundation for which you can make it your own further. Everything after that point is the second and onward parts bags, all of the additional media codecs, supporting applications, visual tweaks like a boot animation instead of text mode verbose boot, and things that most distributions such as Ubuntu or Fedora have off the rip, you have to add on yourself. This isn't entirely a bad thing though, as at the end if you're left with what you need and at most very little of what you don't. Keep going through the motions, one application at a time, pulling from the standard pacman repos, AUR, and Flatpak, and eventually you'll have a full fledged desktop with all your usual odds and ends.

And at the end of all of that, what you're left with is any other Linux distro. I admit previously I wrote Arch off as super unstable and only for the diehard masochists after my last attempt at running Arch when I was a teenager went sideways, but daily driving it on my personal Dell Latitude for the last few months has legitimately been far better than any recent experiences I've had with Ubuntu now. I get it. I get why people use this, why people daily drive this on their work or gaming machines, why people swear off other distros in favor of Arch as their go to Linux distribution. It is only what you want it to be. That said, I will not be switching to Arch any time soon on mission critical systems or devices that will have a high run time with very specific purposes in mind, things like servers or my Raspberry Pi's will get some flavor of RHEL or Debian stable still, and since Arch is one of the most bleeding edge distros, I know my chance of breakage is non zero. But so far the seas have been smooth sailing, and I hope to daily this for many more months to come.

#linux #arch linux #foss #linux distros #unix #unixporn #gnome #gnome desktop #wayland

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