Pimp your Rockband 1 Drum Kit
Posted on September 25th, 2008
Feel ripped off that they want you to spend $300 for the RockBand 2 drumset? Or worried that in a couple of years, you’ll have hundreds of plastic drumkits scattered around your house? 
Here are some ways to pimp your existing hard-earned Rockband 1 drumkit.
Buy Silencers:
Officially licensed rockband drum silencers
Create your own Silencers:
Buy a real drummer’s seat:
Drum Throne
Add DIY Cymbals:
More details about building your cymbals on scorehero rockband forums
Reinforce/replace that flimsy plastic kick pedal:
Rock Band Bass Pedal Reinforcement - Pedal Metal
Pedal Metal Billet with Hinge
Have a REAL drum pedal? Mod it for use with Rockband:
scorehero rockband forum article
Add ability to use double kick pedals!! (~$25):
OmegaPedal’s Twinrocker
Buy the Ultimate bad-ass heavy-duty pedal, designed for Rockband (~$85):
Omega Pedal
Ok, now get out there and give Lars Ulrich, Neil Peart and Mike Portnoy a run for their money!
EDIT: Steve Streeting has some good tips here too.
Tags: DIY, drumkit, drums, mod, pimp, rockband
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Simulation related news is moving
Posted on July 23rd, 2008
All of my Simulation news is moving to my new site: SAMLaunch.com
I welcome you to join me there, to start a new community related to combat simulation.
By default, anyone who registers on samlaunch.com will be able to post their own related news, which (pending review) will be posted to the site.
I look forward to interacting with you there.
Regards,
Ross
Tags: samlaunch.com, Simulations
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BlackShark - Producer Videos
Posted on May 23rd, 2008
BlackShark producer Matt “Wags” Wagner created these tutorial videos for the soon-to-be-release BlackShark combat chopper simulation. My favorites are Notes 3 and 4.
Producer Note 1: Startup, Part 1 & 2
Producer Note 2: ABRIS satellite navigation, Part 1 & 2
Producer Note 3: simple Takeoff and Landing
Producer Note 4: Navigation, Radios, Autopilot, Part 1 & 2
Producer Note 4: Navigation, radios, autopilot, Part 3
Producer Note 5: Targetting, Part 1 & 2
You can get the high-res downloadable versions here, but you must create a free user account:
http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/index.php?end_pos=133&scr=products&lang=en
Tags: ABRIS, blackshark, chopper sim, combat simulator, flight simulator, INS, KA-50, Matt Wagner, navigation, producer notes, sat nav, simulation, simulator, targetting, videos
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SimHQ previews BlackShark
Posted on May 15th, 2008
Short preview articles talking about how much fun Chris “BeachAV8R” Frishmuth is having, getting to know this simulator. Includes exclusive images and videos!
Part 1:
http://www.simhq.com/_air11/air_346a.html
Part 2:
http://www.simhq.com/_air11/air_347a.html
Tags: BeachAV8R, blackshark, chopper sim, combat simulator, exclusive, flight simulator, helicopter, KA-50, SimHQ, simulation, videos
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upcoming DCS:Blackshark campaign engine
Posted on May 8th, 2008
Blackshark is an upcoming combat chopper simulation from DCS.
http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/
New Info has been posted in the forums by Producer Matt Wagner about the campaign system. Here are the relevant quotes:
Recently, there have been a lot of questions and misunderstandings about the campaign system for DCS: Black Shark. What follows is a brief description that I hope bring a bit of clarity.
The campaign system in DCS: Black Shark is not linear, branching or dynamic; it is phased. Let me try to describe this: using the embedded Campaign Editor, you can create as many phases in a campaign as they wish. The one I’ve been working on for example will between 25 and 30. You can think of each phase as a folder. Now using the Mission Editor, you can create a mission using many of the new functions such as a trigger and resulting action system, defined random chance of units appearing, new targeting system that sets “zones” for units to search for and attack targets, etc. After you have created a mission, you can then assign the mission to any of the phases. You can place as many missions within a phase as you want. Obviously, putting more missions in a phase will reduce the chances of the same mission being flown when the user is in a phase multiple times. This process can actually go pretty quickly when you create a base-template for each phase and then add and modify to the template to create multiple, separate missions.
When the mission is created, you assign goals. A goal can be such things as the player surviving, primary target(s) being destroyed, friendly units not being destroyed, time limits, etc. Each of these goals can be assigned a numeric value. At the end of the mission, the goals are evaluated to determine if the player stays in the same phase, drops back to a previous phase or advances to the next phase. The only thing linear about the phased system is that the flow of the phases is linear (although it can flow forwards and backwards). In this manner, a player’s progress in a campaign can go back and fourth according to how the missions turn out. When you tie phases to front lines, it is easy to set up a situation where you have front line that ebbs and flows according to mission results. You will never had to re-fly a mission to progress in the campaign (unlike Lock On).
As you can see, this is not really not linear, branching or dynamic.
In later iterations of the campaign system (it’s is a work in progress), we plan on adding such things as resource management (units and stores) and squadron pilot management.
While it is certainly not out of the question that we will also do a dynamic system that algorithmically generates missions and a battlefield environment, the phased system is what we wish to perfect fist. In addition to providing much better game play possibilities than the linear Lock On system, it takes much better advantage of our Mission Editor system that we are developing for both the entertainment and military markets.
Thanks,
Matt
__________________
Matt Wagner
Producer, TFC/Eagle Dynamics
For me, I create a template for each phase that represents a current forward line of troops, and then add and modify the template to create the individual missions for that phase. I personally should for between 4 and 6 possible missions per phase, but this number of course can be determined by the campaign designer.
The campaigns for DCS:BS are currently in work and will focus on attack helicopter operations and fixed-wing CAS.You can easily create a "depot" of units that will "activate" when another unit is destroyed. When activated with this trigger, the unit would then drive/fly to what location you specify.
You can certainly create unit activity outside the mission objective and assign such units value to the overall mission evaluation. So, even if you did not accomplish your assigned objective, doing extensive damage to the enemy in other areas along the battle front could still progress you forward to the next phase. It's really up to the mission designer how they wish to set up the mission.
source:
http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=30053
Sounds pretty close to the flexibility of the old Janes Longbow 2 engine, plus the ability to actually edit individual missions and create your own phased progression.
What do you think?
Tags: blackshark, campaign, chopper, chopper sim, close air support, combat sim, combat simulator, dynamic campaign, eagle dynamics, flight sim, flight simulator, helicopter, KA-50, Longbow2, Matt Wagner, mission editor, sim, simulation
Filed under Simulations | 1 Comment »
Monome - open music controller
Posted on April 19th, 2008
Monome is a controller kit for electronic music performance, based on open source hardware and protocols. You can build the units yourself, or buy kits from monome.org.
The controllers themselves are basically a grid of backlit rubber buttons that connect to your computer via USB.
Many people use the device to create music with the free MAX/MSP synthesizer software, but it could theoretically be used with any application.
The schematics, parts list, and source code for the 40h unit are here
Tags: DIY, DJ, electronic music, interfacing, kit, MAX/MSP, monome, Music, music performance, open hardware, synthesiser
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PowerShell for other platforms
Posted on April 8th, 2008
I love PowerShell (PoSh). It gives me (most of) the power of Perl, plus the DotNet framework(library), plus easy discoverability and debugging since all variables in PowerShell are objects with properties and methods.
Now PowerShell is available for Mac, Linux and others, using Mono:
http://igorshare.wordpress.com/2008/04/06/
I hope to post some of my PoSh scripts later.
Tags: coding, cross-platform, linux, Mac, Mono, PoSh, PowerShell, programming
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RepRap - self replicating 3D printer project
Posted on April 4th, 2008
This is one of the cool projects that uses the Arduino controller.
RepRap is machine that you can build yourself, which can print plastic 3d shapes, based on computer design files (CAD). The more-exciting concept behind this project is that the first machine can build parts to build a second RepRap machine. And theoretically, it can be an evolving system, where the subsequent machines are improved because the designs will improve over time. Its also potentially self-healing, if you keep one backup copy of all the parts.
Reprap home
You can read more about the vision for the project here.
Tags: 3d printer, CAD, DIY, evolution, home manufacturing, manufacturing, plastic, reprap, robots, self-replicating
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Arduino - open source electronics platform
Posted on April 2nd, 2008
Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It’s intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments.
Arduino Home
The latest versions Arduino are based on the Atmel AVR microcontroller, and are programmed over USB.
You can buy them or build your own, since the hardware specs are released under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 2.5 license and are made available on the Arduino Web site.
In the near future I will be posting about some cool projects that use the Arduino.
Tags: arduino, atmel, diecimila, DIY, electronic art, electronics, electronics platform, freeduino, interfacing, open hardware, open-source, USB, wearable computer, wearable computing
Filed under DIY, interfacing | 3 Comments »
Forums Activated
Posted on April 1st, 2008
As you can see in the top-level navigation, I’ve added a user forum. I welcome you to share your views on the various topics, and I hope that we can have some good, fun interactions.
The address is http://www.rossmeeks.ca/forum
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