Incremental Coding, Incremental Hardware Install, Boardgaming, and Laser Class
Oct 02, 2017 20:35
Made progress on the piece of the Big Project code that I've been working on. There's still a fair ways to go with it, and many more pieces after it, but development is more or less on schedule still.
Got most of the remaining hardware pieces (I'm still waiting on "cage nuts" with a different threading), and assembled all but one of the computing and measurement widgets for the Big Project. After a bit of wrangling, the computers all have their OSs installed and _seem_ to correctly detect all hardware, but that won't be rigorously tested for a little while yet.
The scientific instruments haven't even been powered on yet. Testing them properly will have to wait until the first code milestone (unless I test them on a workstation first).
Detour for this month: continuing to try to line up manufacturers for the shielded enclosure. So far, one of the people we'd wanted involved says that they don't do the type of fabrication we want, and another person it was suggested that we consult with doesn't see why we're doing it this way at all (they're making different assumptions about requirements than we are).
This will get sorted out in due time, but it'll take a while. Everyone involved is quite capable; the problem for the moment is that we're not all agreeing about the project requirements (which dictate the specs, which dictate the design, which dictates the manufacturing methods). _After_ that's sorted out we'll have to figure out who's actually going to build it.
It could be far worse; right now it's still in "normal expected delays" territory.
Met friends for boardgaming again, finally. This was a nice, low-key evening, and also involved trying out the host's new pool table. The next visit is tentatively scheduled for later this month.
Taught the "how to maintain the laser cutter" class people had been asking about. This was enough of a time investment that I'd really rather not do it again, but most of the people who expressed interest now know how to do it, so it should be needed again any time soon.
I've put the detailed lesson plan up on the makerspace's wiki, so if it does get run again I won't necessarily have to be the one doing it.
Dusted off multiplayer Minecraft again for the first time in a while. My current project is a revised version of the spaceship one. It's midway between my previous two (unfinished) spaceships in complexity, but should be much more attractive to visitors (which is the main point; I don't need a spaceship for myself).
Upcoming projects also on the table are long-range teleport links between other players' distant sites (which I finally have a decent theme for), and a starting/tutorial room for new players (as a friend may be joining soon, and having teleport links to known-free areas to start out will also be helpful).
Plan for the work week is coding and the last of the hardware assembly. Plan for the upcoming weekend is downtime. Plan for the following week is likely trying to get the scientific equipment talking to a workstation, and then talking to my Big Project code. Plan for the weekend after that is tentatively gaming with friends again, and possibly also a movie trip (FiM and the new Blade Runner are both on my to-see lists).