JAVA: Fractals {Week 11}

Moving right along in this Java class.... fractals.   Last semester was the first time I had ever knowingly been introduced to recursion and fractals.  At the time, calling a function from inside itself seemed messy, complicated, and cannibalistic.  I hardly understood what a function was, so I was not ready to think about how I could use recursion in my code.  I still found the Mandelbrot Set interesting and I thought the colors and patterns were very pretty, but that was as far as I could go with it at the time.

I found a random quote on Instagram one day that I don't completely understand, but for some reason it reminded me of me.  I had forgotten about it, but coincidentally, I thought of it again while looking at these fractals in class this week....

"Easily attracted, dangerous to distract me."

What does that even mean?  I don't know, but I'm sure there was a good reason it popped into my head that day, and I'm sure it relates to fractals... well, because, doesn't everything?

After this chapter, my new thoughts on Recursion: it is beautiful, powerful, and magical.  This time, looking at a section of the Mandelbrot set, I was completely intrigued by the patterns that were forming in the background space with one of the color combinations.

The strange thing is, I guess that's not really the background.... it's all fractal code, there is no background, it goes forever.  When we zoomed in and I saw the 3 dimensional effect, with the varied wobbly overlapping petals I just had to try and draw it!  I couldn't even come close.  I haven't kept a sketch book in years, and it shows. I probably could render something close (in greyscale with a pencil) if I spent some time on it.  

If I spent even more time, I could probably create a similar effect with acrylic paint too.  That's the thing though - I already know I can do those things.  I will always love working with materials with my hands, but I am in complete awe of how this effect is being produced with pixels on a screen.  That's actually one of the reasons I chose programming - it's all brand new to me.

In some ways, a screen doesn't seem that much different from paper.... except  paint is a pigment- it's a layer.  Pixels are light?   Anyways, seems like a fun new hobby for summer... you loose some you win some.

Local Fractal Artist:
I ran across the website of a fractal artist in East Tennessee - Steven Lareau - He has been working with Mandelbulbs - a 3-D version of Mandelbrot!  I thought it was pretty cool and I love to share the work of local artists, so check it out if you can.

Fractal Tree Branching

(click picture to see in action)

 My fractal field needs more work.  This will be all for now.

JAVA: Oscillation {Week 4}

I just wanted to make a quick post about Week 4 before I post my Project.... Week 4 was really awesome! Chapter 3 starts off with trigonometry (?).  I don't have much to say about that, except that I need/want to brush up on my math skills so I can use these concepts efficiently.   But, even with my lowly Pre-Cal skills (and our amazing textbook), I was able to create some really cool things!!!

Here's a sneak peek at something I am using in my project. 

(Click the picture to see the action)

Flowcharts

JAVA Week 3

I think it's safe to say I am official nerd now.  I am working on my Java homework on a Friday evening, because I want to. Yay Nerds. This week we are working on conditionals.... "if" and "else" statements.  The flowcharts came to me very quickly and easily this time.  The first problem was to write a program that has the user hold the Finch in one of four positions and the Finch tells his position.  I started out trying to get one if statement to work, before I put the other four in the program.  That was a good idea, because my first one wouldn't work.   After spending an hour looking over my notes and the professor's notes and even watching a  NetBeans tutorial, I was finally reminded about the "no semi colon after an if" rule.  

 

After I fixed that, it was smooth sailing and everything worked beautifully.  A little while later, my mom stopped in and was intrigued by the Finch and really wanted to see what I wrote for it.  I ran the program in NetBeans, so (as some of you know) all the text is printed out in a little window at the bottom of the screen - which confused her right off the bat.  After we got past the lame interface issue, we successfully ran the program and she said, "Is that all it does?"  I replied, "Yeah, it tells you which way it is facing."  She laughed and said, "Well who the hell cares about that?"  All she really cared about was whether or not I could fix the Java Updater error she was getting on her desktop.

Beginner programmers get no love.  

JAVA Week One

It is only my first week of school and I love my CS classes already.  The Professor for my Java programming class is using the Finch Robot instead of a text book.  I am actually surprised that any computer science teacher would use a textbook.  I took CAD for 2 years and I don't remember opening a textbook ever.  The Professor would work on her computer and we would follow along.  Then we would get a sheet of dimensions and draw on our own.  I guess the difference is, architecture is objects and programming is mostly text.  Also, teaching how to USE a program must be different than teaching how to CREATE a program.  I think the Finch will be way more fun to practice programming - instead of just running text programs in that dreary Net Beans.

I have a feeling everyone says this, but I think it's not the actual "programming" that interests me.  All this Java, language, detailed, syntax crap kind of makes me feel bored.  I feel like I can look at a list of Java syntax and memorize what it's function is.  Yay Syntax.  Not me - it's those algorithms that fascinate me.  I can't believe how much I struggled with the extremely simple problem solving exercises we did in class Wednesday - but it was SO fun!  That's what I want to do! I want to help people come up with amazing programs that will make their organizations function more efficiently.  I want to design the program and the applications and organize the information and make it all look pretty and be really easy to use.  Somehow, I have the feeling that the same job everyone else wants too.  :)

I'll post a picture of my finch on my blog next week.