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Sunday, 18 November 2007
Cool animation, cool advert...
Posted @ 16:09
I reckon most Flash animation fans must have seen the work by XiaoXiao, who have made a series of stickman fighting animations. There are/were lots of stickman fighting animations in cyberspace, but few can match XiaoXiao's quality (in my opinion). I quite like No. 5 in the series, but No. 3 was probably his best known piece of work, which could be described quite simply as 'cool'.
Meanwhile, I have been on the rare hunt for a new mobile phone. I have been using my previous one since the summer of 2003. When it comes to phones, I am not a function freak - I only ever use my phone to make calls and to send text messages. Camera, video, internet, MMS, etc are simply not my cup of tea... well not via a mobile phone anyway. However, mobile phones which only have basic functions *AND* looks good/cool are practically non-existent thesedays.
Anyway, back to the phone hunt. The Motorola V8 and V9 have been catching my attention lately, especially after watching the TV advert. Whilst I was searching for more information, I found various versions of the V9 advert posted on its website. To my surprise, I found a version created by XiaoXiao! Now, Motorola is doing a campaign where users can submit their own advert based on the supplied script, so I'm not sure whether XiaoXiao's was an official or a submitted version. Click 'The Directors' tab to find XiaoXiao's advert.
Incidentally, you should also watch the version made by Tarsem, which is the version I saw on TV, and it is definitely one cool advert.
Meanwhile, I have been on the rare hunt for a new mobile phone. I have been using my previous one since the summer of 2003. When it comes to phones, I am not a function freak - I only ever use my phone to make calls and to send text messages. Camera, video, internet, MMS, etc are simply not my cup of tea... well not via a mobile phone anyway. However, mobile phones which only have basic functions *AND* looks good/cool are practically non-existent thesedays.
Anyway, back to the phone hunt. The Motorola V8 and V9 have been catching my attention lately, especially after watching the TV advert. Whilst I was searching for more information, I found various versions of the V9 advert posted on its website. To my surprise, I found a version created by XiaoXiao! Now, Motorola is doing a campaign where users can submit their own advert based on the supplied script, so I'm not sure whether XiaoXiao's was an official or a submitted version. Click 'The Directors' tab to find XiaoXiao's advert.
Incidentally, you should also watch the version made by Tarsem, which is the version I saw on TV, and it is definitely one cool advert.
Sunday, 4 November 2007
Wait till the end...
Posted @ 23:07
Cartoons and caricatures are usually presented as finished products. People talk about what the cartoon represents or signifies, and how good/bad the final product is. However, making an art out of the process of drawing is quite cunning in my opinion. This means that not only does the final image have a meaning, the interim stages will also need to represent something, funnier if these are completely unexpected and out of context. Don't believe me? Check this video out...
Thursday, 20 September 2007
In motion...
Posted @ 02:00
It has been almost a month since I last wrote anything!
Words to describe the last few weeks include hectic, chaotic, topsy-turvy, etc. Depending on your point of view, a lot of things have happened, but on the other hand, one could also argue that things are moving painfully slow. I was so exhausted from sorting stuff out at the end of August that I literally had to sleep for a whole week afterwards to recover. This also explains the lack of updates in cyber world.
Speaking of updating, regular visitors to FBP will realise that they are greeted by a new theme. Like I said a few posts back, 'in motion' has been the working title for several previous themes, but I always ended up calling them something else. Why 'in motion'? The short answer is - there have been times in the past when I needed something 'upbeating' for self motivation. I can always feel a positive vibe in the phrase 'in motion', certainly from a design point of view.
Well, I couldn't have timed it better to have finally nailed the 'in motion' design. I have set many things in motion now, and fingers crossed, I could be in for a thrilling ride!
Words to describe the last few weeks include hectic, chaotic, topsy-turvy, etc. Depending on your point of view, a lot of things have happened, but on the other hand, one could also argue that things are moving painfully slow. I was so exhausted from sorting stuff out at the end of August that I literally had to sleep for a whole week afterwards to recover. This also explains the lack of updates in cyber world.
Speaking of updating, regular visitors to FBP will realise that they are greeted by a new theme. Like I said a few posts back, 'in motion' has been the working title for several previous themes, but I always ended up calling them something else. Why 'in motion'? The short answer is - there have been times in the past when I needed something 'upbeating' for self motivation. I can always feel a positive vibe in the phrase 'in motion', certainly from a design point of view.
Well, I couldn't have timed it better to have finally nailed the 'in motion' design. I have set many things in motion now, and fingers crossed, I could be in for a thrilling ride!
Monday, 27 August 2007
Literally binning files...
Posted @ 16:03
This week is binning week - I am trying to get rid of the piles of junk in my room. Actually, some of them are not really junk at all - useful stuff that are in good conditions - it's just that I don't need them any more. I have a feeling it's going to be harvest time for the local charity shop, which is literally a minute's walk from where I live.
More on the theme of binning stuff - last week I had an 'urgent MSN conversation', which involved suggesting ways to undelete files from a USB stick. The files that were deleted were not moved to the recycle bin, instead they just 'disappeared' forever. After some fiddling around with file recovery programs, I began to suspect that the files were not deleted after all...
If only she has one of these:
Yes, a hard disc literally in the shape of a recycle bin! As well as acting as a conventional external hard disc, everytime a file is deleted, it will place a copy into the device. One may wish to question the point of this, as normally if you delete files, it will be moved to the Windows recycle bin anyway. However, one cannot question the 'cool' fact that blue LEDs on the device itself will light up as the bin gets filled up with files. Also, judging from the screenshots, you don't even need to connect the device via a USB cable.
The only snag is that it is still a conceptual product...
More on the theme of binning stuff - last week I had an 'urgent MSN conversation', which involved suggesting ways to undelete files from a USB stick. The files that were deleted were not moved to the recycle bin, instead they just 'disappeared' forever. After some fiddling around with file recovery programs, I began to suspect that the files were not deleted after all...
If only she has one of these:
Yes, a hard disc literally in the shape of a recycle bin! As well as acting as a conventional external hard disc, everytime a file is deleted, it will place a copy into the device. One may wish to question the point of this, as normally if you delete files, it will be moved to the Windows recycle bin anyway. However, one cannot question the 'cool' fact that blue LEDs on the device itself will light up as the bin gets filled up with files. Also, judging from the screenshots, you don't even need to connect the device via a USB cable.
The only snag is that it is still a conceptual product...
Monday, 20 August 2007
Resurfaced from the deep pool of work...
Posted @ 23:25
Wow, I have just had a hectic 10 days, busy with work. It was one of those periods when one needs to work 12 hours a day 7 days a week to get things done. I actually did have time to blog, but I was so exhausted that the last thing I wanted was to do more typing.
With the current batch of work completed, I do have a little bit of spare time before the next wave arrives. I made a pact that last weekend I would do no work at all. Instead, I got the creative side of my brain going again. Yes, you've guessed it, it's almost time for another change of theme. As of a few minutes ago, I have got a draft version of the header graphics. The real thing is going to be largely similar, except there will be a couple of tweaks to smooth things out. The theme is very topical (for me), and it is actually something that I keep wanting to do, but always ended up doing something else. However, I guess I should talk about the theme more only when it is uploaded.
With the current batch of work completed, I do have a little bit of spare time before the next wave arrives. I made a pact that last weekend I would do no work at all. Instead, I got the creative side of my brain going again. Yes, you've guessed it, it's almost time for another change of theme. As of a few minutes ago, I have got a draft version of the header graphics. The real thing is going to be largely similar, except there will be a couple of tweaks to smooth things out. The theme is very topical (for me), and it is actually something that I keep wanting to do, but always ended up doing something else. However, I guess I should talk about the theme more only when it is uploaded.
Tuesday, 24 July 2007
Word limit...
Posted @ 15:28
In one of my earliest posts (which I haven't got round to categorising yet), I (think I have) noted my general dislike of Times New Romans and (later) Arial. I avoid using them whenever possible. My current favourite fonts are Bookman Old Style and Trebuchet MS.
My recent experience (read: nightmare) with MS Word left me literally exhausted. I have spent an equal amount of time trying to get round dodgy Word settings and actually doing the work itself. For background information, why not check out my previous posts under the heading of 'work'? Now, besides the really annoying and pretending-to-be-clever auto-label functions, there are also many minor irritations. One thing is the uneven line spacing as a result of super- and subscripts; another thing is the really *basic* equation editor. I know they want us to fork out lots of $$$ to upgrade to a decent equation editor, but some of the things that are on offer with the free stuff are just poor. Take a look at the screenshot of an equation:
What's all those extra space at the top of the square brackets?!?
Interestingly yet not surprisingly, I am not the only person to have something against the design of Word. Anyone at Microsoft listening? Hello?
My recent experience (read: nightmare) with MS Word left me literally exhausted. I have spent an equal amount of time trying to get round dodgy Word settings and actually doing the work itself. For background information, why not check out my previous posts under the heading of 'work'? Now, besides the really annoying and pretending-to-be-clever auto-label functions, there are also many minor irritations. One thing is the uneven line spacing as a result of super- and subscripts; another thing is the really *basic* equation editor. I know they want us to fork out lots of $$$ to upgrade to a decent equation editor, but some of the things that are on offer with the free stuff are just poor. Take a look at the screenshot of an equation:
What's all those extra space at the top of the square brackets?!?
Interestingly yet not surprisingly, I am not the only person to have something against the design of Word. Anyone at Microsoft listening? Hello?
Tuesday, 5 June 2007
Chunky Olympics...
Posted @ 00:03
The official logo for the London 2012 Olympics has been released. My first impression was: er... what the!? This is possibly the most unusual Olympic logo design. Compare this with the bidding logo. Personally, I found the coloured ribbons (representing the River Thames) meandering through bold black type give a rather 'conservative' feel. When it comes to the actual logo, they have gone for the other extreme, and picked something that is rather bold, and perhaps even retro (which seems to be fashionable thesedays). The colours are too sharp and solid for my liking though.
Funnily enough, the more I look at the new logo, the more I seem to like it. It is starting to give me that energetic vibe, which I presume was part of the philosophy behind the design. I am even starting to imagine how things would look when the logos are plastered all over London during the games. As far as a brand is concerned, this definitely does the job, although whether this will work for the Olympics remains to be seen. The video, however, hmm... not too impressed...
Funnily enough, the more I look at the new logo, the more I seem to like it. It is starting to give me that energetic vibe, which I presume was part of the philosophy behind the design. I am even starting to imagine how things would look when the logos are plastered all over London during the games. As far as a brand is concerned, this definitely does the job, although whether this will work for the Olympics remains to be seen. The video, however, hmm... not too impressed...
Wednesday, 4 April 2007
Silhouette...
Posted @ 16:16
I have now done 10 themes for the website. I noticed that of the 10 themes, 6 of them involved some kind of silhouette of a person(s). More interestingly, 4 out of the last 5 themes contained a silhouette. To be honest, most of the time I didn't set out to include that consciously, but as the design process took place, a silhouette or two ended up being part of the composition. Does this say anything about me? I dunno... but I guess people come to expect this as part of the FBP identity (Oh dear, too much branding talk here...). In a sense, it's quite nice, as there is then a common element linking all the themes, whilst each theme will still have its own style and feel.
Meanwhile, I shall leave you with a few snapshots...
Meanwhile, I shall leave you with a few snapshots...
Love the "photos" it's a very cool pic! The new theme rocks too, nice work!
# posted by
PocketGenius :
4:39 PM
Tuesday, 3 April 2007
Maelstrom Unleashed!
Posted @ 00:20
Although I quite liked 'Midnight Carnival', it's time for a change of theme again. This time, the theme has a more energetic feel. I needed that anyway...
Not major changes, although I'm still going through the archives to change some of the HTMLs so that they are compatible with the current CSS (I wrote loads of entries before the I started using CSS). I'll also use this opportunity to add tags to my previous posts...
Not major changes, although I'm still going through the archives to change some of the HTMLs so that they are compatible with the current CSS (I wrote loads of entries before the I started using CSS). I'll also use this opportunity to add tags to my previous posts...
Tuesday, 6 February 2007
Themes and tags...
Posted @ 13:50
Google has bought Blogger a while ago, and they have been sorting out the new Blogger interface for some time. I've recently transferred my Blogger account to the new system. First impression was good, as it finally allows me to tag posts! I am now slowly but steadily putting tag in all my posts. I am also using this opportunity to fix some of the problems with the hyperlinks in my older posts, in particular the relative links to pictures.
On a slightly different note, I think it should really be time for a theme change, except I really like the current one, and I fear that a new design might look a lot worse! Haha~
On a slightly different note, I think it should really be time for a theme change, except I really like the current one, and I fear that a new design might look a lot worse! Haha~
Monday, 31 July 2006
Logo experiments...
Posted @ 12:32
Continuing with the topic on design, here's a neat little logo maker that I came across. The site also offers a quick menu maker and a button maker, amongst others things. Basically this is decent resource if you want to put together a web page quickly, but doesn't have the time/skills to do all the basic graphics (let's face it, text-only websites are not exactly audience grabbing!). Well, having played around with the logo maker, I came up with this in no time at all:
For a no-effort effort, I thought this is pretty decent. However, I must say that the logo maker is probably more useful as the start of proper design work, or as part of a brainstorming session. You can quickly see the effects without having to fiddle with photoshop, etc. Once you have a design style that you like, you can then move on to the proper design. I mean, how many people still think that standalone 3D logos are cool? Don't get me wrong though, I think 3D logo can be great if used appropriately. Also, some 3D logos are just more ugly than others - for an example of some very nice (in my opinion) 3D logos, check out this tutorial.
For a no-effort effort, I thought this is pretty decent. However, I must say that the logo maker is probably more useful as the start of proper design work, or as part of a brainstorming session. You can quickly see the effects without having to fiddle with photoshop, etc. Once you have a design style that you like, you can then move on to the proper design. I mean, how many people still think that standalone 3D logos are cool? Don't get me wrong though, I think 3D logo can be great if used appropriately. Also, some 3D logos are just more ugly than others - for an example of some very nice (in my opinion) 3D logos, check out this tutorial.
Labels: design
Wednesday, 26 July 2006
PNG, IE and Tags...
Posted @ 19:21
I've written at least a couple of posts about how IE fails to display transparent PNG properly...
Ideally, at this point, I would like to provide a couple of links to the relevant posts. However, I'm too lazy to sieve through almost three years of entries to find the links (ha~ :p). It's a shame that Blogger doesn't really support tags, coz I would have put them under the tag "graphics" or "design", then it becomes much more convenient for everyone. Actually, I've read that there are ways round it, but it involves some rather cumbersome manipulation, including setting up multiple accounts, one for each tag. Obviously, this isn't exactly my cup of tea, given that I've been slack at even updating the website...
But I digressed - back to PNG. I've been looking through tutorials for my next bout of design work, and I came across this. It looks like IE has more issues with PNG than I thought. Not only can it not cope with transparency, it couldn't even interpret the colour exactly. Also, it doesn't seem likely that the problem will be fixed in IE7.
Maybe because IE has such a monopoly that the programmers are feeling complacent. Other browsers have good features in order to persuade people to switch, but IE seems to act like an ostrich and pretends to see nothing.
Path to self destruction, I'd say...
Ideally, at this point, I would like to provide a couple of links to the relevant posts. However, I'm too lazy to sieve through almost three years of entries to find the links (ha~ :p). It's a shame that Blogger doesn't really support tags, coz I would have put them under the tag "graphics" or "design", then it becomes much more convenient for everyone. Actually, I've read that there are ways round it, but it involves some rather cumbersome manipulation, including setting up multiple accounts, one for each tag. Obviously, this isn't exactly my cup of tea, given that I've been slack at even updating the website...
But I digressed - back to PNG. I've been looking through tutorials for my next bout of design work, and I came across this. It looks like IE has more issues with PNG than I thought. Not only can it not cope with transparency, it couldn't even interpret the colour exactly. Also, it doesn't seem likely that the problem will be fixed in IE7.
Maybe because IE has such a monopoly that the programmers are feeling complacent. Other browsers have good features in order to persuade people to switch, but IE seems to act like an ostrich and pretends to see nothing.
Path to self destruction, I'd say...
Labels: design
Tuesday, 13 June 2006
Animator vs. Animation
Posted @ 23:03
I've been quite slack on cool links thesedays. I am a fairly regular visitor to the deviantART website, which is sort of a forum for designers, but I've managed to miss this one out. Thanks Kelvin for the link!
Labels: design
Sunday, 12 March 2006
More experience, more time...
Posted @ 00:21
You think when you are getting more and more experienced in using software, you would need to spend less and less time on it. Far from it!
You may think I've not been updating my website much. This is partly due to the fact that I'm ultra busy for the last few weeks - I leave office at around 11pm on average, and this usually include either a Saturday or a Sunday too. I hardly had time to eat and sleep, let alone working on my website. However, when I do have time, I have actually been silently working on the next theme.
Where were we? Ah, yes, software and time. As I became more experienced with the various design packages, I do indeed become more efficient in my design work. However, so far, I've decided to do something "new" each time I revamp my website. Therefore, this means going back to basics everytime. This time, I was actually doing something quite simple..... as a hindsight. Last week, I spent ages doing one drawing, but it didn't have the feel that I wanted. However, a chance encounter with a tutorial article revealed that the effect is not difficult to achieve. So now, I'm stuck in front of my computer redrawing the same thing several times, trying to perfect the skills needed to achieve the desired effect.
On a side note, I really could do with a bigger (and better) graphics tablet! This tiny and insensitive A5 ancient version is really not that great! :p
You may think I've not been updating my website much. This is partly due to the fact that I'm ultra busy for the last few weeks - I leave office at around 11pm on average, and this usually include either a Saturday or a Sunday too. I hardly had time to eat and sleep, let alone working on my website. However, when I do have time, I have actually been silently working on the next theme.
Where were we? Ah, yes, software and time. As I became more experienced with the various design packages, I do indeed become more efficient in my design work. However, so far, I've decided to do something "new" each time I revamp my website. Therefore, this means going back to basics everytime. This time, I was actually doing something quite simple..... as a hindsight. Last week, I spent ages doing one drawing, but it didn't have the feel that I wanted. However, a chance encounter with a tutorial article revealed that the effect is not difficult to achieve. So now, I'm stuck in front of my computer redrawing the same thing several times, trying to perfect the skills needed to achieve the desired effect.
On a side note, I really could do with a bigger (and better) graphics tablet! This tiny and insensitive A5 ancient version is really not that great! :p
Sunday, 15 January 2006
From chicken to Mac...
Posted @ 18:39
Several weeks ago, when I was looking for some inspiration for my design work, I came across a website describing (mainly) medieval weapons, and amongst the various types of swords and spears, I found a weapon named "chicken"?!! Apparently, if you stick a blade onto a pickled chicken, you form a "most feared" weapon (quoted from the website). I did wonder for a while whether this was a spoof article, but I didn't spend much time on it.
Well, many of you know that I was on holiday last month, and I spent much time chilling at home. One of the things I did was to munch through my Garfield comics collection again. When I read one of the strips, something amusing came to my mind. Garfield fans may know where this is leading to. If not, perhaps you may want to read the online version of that particular comic strip.
On a completely different note, Apple has decided to use chips made by Intel from now on. Incidentally, you may or may not have noticed, Intel has undergone is small brand image change in the new year. I was wondering, would Apple need some sort of new image too, since moving to Intel chips seems to be a rather radical move. Here, Garfield may have again provided some inspiration.....
Anyway, enough about Macs. Everyone knows I want one (just because a designer using a Mac looks cool), but I'm not good enough to write about them. Better leave this to the experts.....
Well, many of you know that I was on holiday last month, and I spent much time chilling at home. One of the things I did was to munch through my Garfield comics collection again. When I read one of the strips, something amusing came to my mind. Garfield fans may know where this is leading to. If not, perhaps you may want to read the online version of that particular comic strip.
On a completely different note, Apple has decided to use chips made by Intel from now on. Incidentally, you may or may not have noticed, Intel has undergone is small brand image change in the new year. I was wondering, would Apple need some sort of new image too, since moving to Intel chips seems to be a rather radical move. Here, Garfield may have again provided some inspiration.....
Anyway, enough about Macs. Everyone knows I want one (just because a designer using a Mac looks cool), but I'm not good enough to write about them. Better leave this to the experts.....
Friday, 9 December 2005
Dancing time...
Posted @ 15:13
With the festive season fast approaching, I guess it is the prime time for companies to roll out all sorts of gadgets. For time keeping, how about this equaliser watch?
Anyway, I think the 'oooh' factor always go up a few nothces whenever blue LEDs are involved, although they do offer a green LED version too. I can see how this watch can be 'cool' to look at for a while, but the novelty factor would soon wear off, and one may well start cursing the fact that it takes a few seconds to display the time...
Useful or not, I'm sure these watches are in high demand. Somewhere on that page they mentioned that "maximum 2 watches per person only"!!!
Anyway, I think the 'oooh' factor always go up a few nothces whenever blue LEDs are involved, although they do offer a green LED version too. I can see how this watch can be 'cool' to look at for a while, but the novelty factor would soon wear off, and one may well start cursing the fact that it takes a few seconds to display the time...
Useful or not, I'm sure these watches are in high demand. Somewhere on that page they mentioned that "maximum 2 watches per person only"!!!
Monday, 17 October 2005
Hurl the font!
Posted @ 16:06
A long time ago I was rather obsessed with Courier font, I even had a FBP theme using it. Whilst it worked fine in the header graphics, I made the mistake (argh~) of using it in the main text too. Anyway, I won't embarrass myself further by describing in details that particular theme.
Anyway, recently, I can't seem to get another font out of my head! This time it is the much more visual-friendly Trebuchet. I've used it in a flyer that I have designed recently, and also in a display mini-poster for my research group at work. My personal feeling is that the font reads quite professional, but refreshingly different from Times or Arial (er... Helvetica!). Possibly not formal enough for project reports, etc, but certainly good enough for brochures.
Well, not many things have universal appeal, and Trebuchet is no exception. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so that's fine (I didn't create the font anyway so it's ok, hehe).
If, on the other hand, you are less typographically conscious, then maybe you will find this more interesting instead...
Anyway, recently, I can't seem to get another font out of my head! This time it is the much more visual-friendly Trebuchet. I've used it in a flyer that I have designed recently, and also in a display mini-poster for my research group at work. My personal feeling is that the font reads quite professional, but refreshingly different from Times or Arial (er... Helvetica!). Possibly not formal enough for project reports, etc, but certainly good enough for brochures.
Well, not many things have universal appeal, and Trebuchet is no exception. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so that's fine (I didn't create the font anyway so it's ok, hehe).
If, on the other hand, you are less typographically conscious, then maybe you will find this more interesting instead...
Labels: design
Monday, 26 September 2005
IE behaving "badly"...
Posted @ 23:52
Thanks Alastair for some suggestions on the PNG transparency issue (see comment on previous post). Well, the PNG in question is the FBP logo on the "Link" page. When displayed properly, this logo should have round corners, which would involve using transparent pixels. The blogger engine do not temper with this page, so it's unlikely that there is some mysterious java scripts at work. Here's a section of the print screen:
And no, I'm not running IE 7 beta!
And no, I'm not running IE 7 beta!
Tuesday, 20 September 2005
Enigmatic PNG...
Posted @ 15:27
Ok, next problem of my website - the transparent PNG file. For some peculiar reason, my computer at home can display transparent PNG properly on IE. Some said it could be due to my laptop screen at a particular angle such that the problematic areas became out of focus. However, I've swung my screen through the entire possible angle range and the transparent PNG still displayed fine on IE.
Strange.....!?
Strange.....!?
Labels: design
what the?? who the hell suggested that your laptop screen can make ie display png alpha transparent images? whatever they're smoking, i want some too!
anyway, you don't happen to be using ie7 beta at home, are you?
also, there is a secret to displaying png trans images in IE that only works if you have directx installed. it could be possible that blogger is adding code that fixes it for you. there's some javascript that does it, you see it in the headers on my homepage. (pngfix.js)
could be that your work computer does not have directx and your home laptop does.
anyway, you don't happen to be using ie7 beta at home, are you?
also, there is a secret to displaying png trans images in IE that only works if you have directx installed. it could be possible that blogger is adding code that fixes it for you. there's some javascript that does it, you see it in the headers on my homepage. (pngfix.js)
could be that your work computer does not have directx and your home laptop does.
# posted by
alastair :
2:30 PM
Sunday, 18 September 2005
Let's talk geek!
Posted @ 00:38
This is possibly the geekiest post I have ever written!
I said last time that the text of the blog entries were not formatted correctly. Originally I thought I have made a mistake somewhere, but it turns out not to be so. First, let me tell you a little bit more about my CSS file...
First, the main text of the blog entries are enclosed in <p> tags, which is set to display a san serif grey font (the one you are reading now). Secondly, I've fiddled with the colour and underline properties of the links. Again, standard stuff.
The problem I had was that the blog entry text did not follow the <p> tags, although any links in the entry were formatted correctly. The strange thing here is that the text with the links also inherently follow the <p> tags, but the links specification would change their colour. So I cannot see why the hyperlinked text were ok whereas the rest weren't.
Next, is a quick visit to the source codes. It turns out that Blogger had inserted an extra bit of codes when they publish each entry?! They've automatically added <div style="clear:both;"></div>, which is baffling. Anyway, after a little bit of trial and error, I've created an extra div class tag with identical information as <p> to force the blog entry text back to the intended format. So I have a very clumsy set of codes:
<p><div class="name"><div style="clear:both;"></div>Blog entry (etc)
Well, a quick search on google revealed that other people also have a problem with this extra tag. However, for most people, this tag caused a float display problems in firefox. This is strange, because firefox actually displayed my blog correctly! My text format problem only happen in IE?!?!
Anyone who can shed some more light on what's going on?
I said last time that the text of the blog entries were not formatted correctly. Originally I thought I have made a mistake somewhere, but it turns out not to be so. First, let me tell you a little bit more about my CSS file...
First, the main text of the blog entries are enclosed in <p> tags, which is set to display a san serif grey font (the one you are reading now). Secondly, I've fiddled with the colour and underline properties of the links. Again, standard stuff.
The problem I had was that the blog entry text did not follow the <p> tags, although any links in the entry were formatted correctly. The strange thing here is that the text with the links also inherently follow the <p> tags, but the links specification would change their colour. So I cannot see why the hyperlinked text were ok whereas the rest weren't.
Next, is a quick visit to the source codes. It turns out that Blogger had inserted an extra bit of codes when they publish each entry?! They've automatically added <div style="clear:both;"></div>, which is baffling. Anyway, after a little bit of trial and error, I've created an extra div class tag with identical information as <p> to force the blog entry text back to the intended format. So I have a very clumsy set of codes:
<p><div class="name"><div style="clear:both;"></div>Blog entry (etc)
Well, a quick search on google revealed that other people also have a problem with this extra tag. However, for most people, this tag caused a float display problems in firefox. This is strange, because firefox actually displayed my blog correctly! My text format problem only happen in IE?!?!
Anyone who can shed some more light on what's going on?
Friday, 16 September 2005
First feedbacks...
Posted @ 15:29
Ok, some feedback and observations so far on the new theme.....
* There are some problems with the Blogger template. The text are in the wrong font and colour. So I need to check the css tonight.
* One feedback, which I agree, says that the 'stuff' section is a bit too random at the moment. Well, give me some time to develop the section!
* I re-discovered that IE cannot display PNG files with transparency. This is quite annoying. Apparently, this is something that will be fixed in IE7, but Safari and Firefox have no problems with transparent PNG, so why is IE sooooo slow?
* There are some problems with the Blogger template. The text are in the wrong font and colour. So I need to check the css tonight.
* One feedback, which I agree, says that the 'stuff' section is a bit too random at the moment. Well, give me some time to develop the section!
* I re-discovered that IE cannot display PNG files with transparency. This is quite annoying. Apparently, this is something that will be fixed in IE7, but Safari and Firefox have no problems with transparent PNG, so why is IE sooooo slow?
Tuesday, 30 August 2005
Too serious?
Posted @ 23:12
Hmm... as far as the graphics stuff for the next theme of my website is concerned, I've finished version 5 a couple of days ago! That must be the highest number of major revisions that I've done to a single design. I thought all was going well..... except today another thought came to my mind, and I'm afraid I will start working on version 5.5 (or even 6) tomorrow?!! Originally I planned to upload the new stuff this week, but it looks like I may have to delay it for a week or so.
Can somebody please tell me - am I taking this too seriously or what???
Can somebody please tell me - am I taking this too seriously or what???
Monday, 29 August 2005
Anime magic!
Posted @ 16:00
Check this out - the International Manga and Anime Festival! Also, it's going to be held in London, so I can actually go without needing to plan months in advance. There's a competition too, so I wonder if I should enter just for a laugh..... hmm?
Wednesday, 24 August 2005
Back to the drawing boards?
Posted @ 23:37
Hmm... I've just shown a friend a sneak preview of the graphics for the next theme of my website. Although it's still unfinished, it seems that I'm only getting a lukewarm response at best..... (in fact it's just "aha...") This is worrying because I have spent quite a long time on both the conceptual and graphics sides of the design. Also, in terms of the actual techniques used to compose the graphics digitally, this is the most 'advanced' yet for me. I admit I'm only an pseudo-amateur at best, but I'm really using my website as a method of learning more about designs.
I guess it's back to the drawing boards, but the theme itself and perhaps the basic elements will remain. I have mentioned this before, but I shall say it again. The last few themes are not random creations - they are snapshots of myself or my thoughts - and I can attach meanings to most elements of the designs. In the foreseeable future, themes will not deviate from this approach.
I guess it's back to the drawing boards, but the theme itself and perhaps the basic elements will remain. I have mentioned this before, but I shall say it again. The last few themes are not random creations - they are snapshots of myself or my thoughts - and I can attach meanings to most elements of the designs. In the foreseeable future, themes will not deviate from this approach.
Thursday, 12 May 2005
refresh...
Posted @ 00:55
Haha... I'm back after a one week hiatus. Ok, mostly this is because I have been away so I wasn't able to update my blog anyway. Look - I've managed to sort out the website before the self imposed deadline!
In terms of the structure, nothing major has happened. However, I've changed the codes in the blogger quite dramatically, especially the comments system. You'll need to leave a comment to see exactly what I've done!!! Strangely, for some reason, my phpCounter in the blog section stopped working, so I had to take it out for now. Hopefully I'll be able to fix it soon.
So, I expect lots of comments from you now!!! hehehe...
In terms of the structure, nothing major has happened. However, I've changed the codes in the blogger quite dramatically, especially the comments system. You'll need to leave a comment to see exactly what I've done!!! Strangely, for some reason, my phpCounter in the blog section stopped working, so I had to take it out for now. Hopefully I'll be able to fix it soon.
So, I expect lots of comments from you now!!! hehehe...
good job, baz! i like ur new design =)
btw, where did u go?
btw, where did u go?
# posted by
:
7:54 AM
Monday, 11 April 2005
The wind is changing again...
Posted @ 10:21
I feel like a change *again*. Yes, I'm talking about my website. I remembered this "wandering" theme was sort of an impulse design. I did the thing in a couple of days, coz I wanted to capture that rather rare combo (for me) of melancholy/philosophical mood before it fades. Now it's time to move on I think...
Well, move on... when I have the time! Life has been rather busy over the last month or so, I guess I'll just have to find a few moments here and there to work on my website.....
Well, move on... when I have the time! Life has been rather busy over the last month or so, I guess I'll just have to find a few moments here and there to work on my website.....
Sunday, 13 February 2005
From Flash to PS...
Posted @ 00:46
It seems that my interests in making flash animation has waned somewhat. I'm still churning out ideas on paper, but I just don't seem to be able to find the motivation to transform them into the digital world. I think the main reason is that, for what I wanted to do, I would need to know a hefty amount of Action Scripts. Now, when it comes to programming langauages, my instinct has always been "run away!".
On the otherhand, my interests in Photoshop has been on the up. However, the problem is that the creative juices aren't flowing as well here. Hmm... too much on my mind perhaps?
On the otherhand, my interests in Photoshop has been on the up. However, the problem is that the creative juices aren't flowing as well here. Hmm... too much on my mind perhaps?
Labels: design
Saturday, 8 January 2005
No music please!
Posted @ 15:30
Why do people put background music in their blog?!! Don't they realise that the reader might actually be listening to their own music? Worse still - Mid files - always start at a annoyingly high volume... *confused* *annoyed* *grr*...
Friday, 26 November 2004
The joy of CSS...
Posted @ 23:01
I'm now working on Phase 2 of re-coding my website into CSS (Phase 1 was during the summer when I had the "Lighten Up!" theme). Grr... this is a lot more difficult than I thought. The main reason is that my existing code is very messy, with one set of codes for my main website and a separate set for my Blogger page. (I was using the codes written back in May when I only started learning CSS, so there are lots of redundant materials which just makes everything so confusing.) Well, I'm completely re-writing my CSS, with some quick hints from these guys, so let's see what I can come up with over the next few weeks.
By contrast, my other little project - the graphics for the next theme - is going rather well. Oh, I so like the adjustment layers and blend functions of photoshop!
By contrast, my other little project - the graphics for the next theme - is going rather well. Oh, I so like the adjustment layers and blend functions of photoshop!
By the way...
This is only a personal website, it is not supposed to (and impossible to) cater for all tastes. Whilst the mood of the entries vary from "serious" to "random", please forgive me for the liberal use of "cynicism" and "sarcasm". If an entry isn't your cup of tea, just skip it... [Yes, this is a disclaimer!]
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