Author Archives: Dan Malec

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Generating Towns for Townscaper in Processing

I’ve been playing Oskar Stålberg’s Townscaper recently and enjoying seeing how the algorithms react to changes. While looking for information on how garden paths are calculated, I stumbled across Chris Love’s article on the Townscaper file format. Using that as a starting point, I decided to try building up town maps in processing using Perlin noise to determine height, color, and distance above waterline.

My first attempt iterated the map while incrementing a 1D vector in Perlin noise space to determine these attributes. This gave a nice wavy pattern; but, wasn’t quite what I was trying for.

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Integrating a Voltmeter with fischertechnik

I took a detour on the road to powered speakers and remixed the cassette lid I previously designed in order to hold a panel mount voltmeter from Adafruit. I set out with a few goals:

  • Blend reasonably well with fischertechnik parts without requiring modifications to those parts.
  • Have two connectors each for positive and ground, so the module can be chained with other modules.
  • Use connectors that work as well as possible with fischertechnik plugs.
Voltmeter from Adafruit in 3d printed lid for fischertechnik cassette bottom
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Building the fischertechnik EM1 – Blinking Light Model

The third model in the EM1 kit was particularly cool to build as it is the first model where the electric circuit is controlled by a mechanical component. It starts with a wheel hub whose rotation is driven by a motor. The wings on the hub are used as a cam to cyclically push a lever down and then release it; it reminds me a bit of a trip-hammer .

fischertechnik motor driving worm gears which turn a wheel hub used as a cam
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Designing a Lid for the fishertechnik Cassette Bottom

I’m working on adding a small powered speaker to a fischertechnik model and decided the simplest first pass would be an insert for the standard cassette that many of the older sets shipped with. I’d like to not alter the original part, so ideally, this will be a simple press-fit part which works very similarly to the stock cover. The first goal was to get a simple flat lid working.

3D printed lid for fischertechnik cassette bottom
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Building the fischertechnik EM1 Model 1

Growing up, I spent many hours playing with both Lego sets and fischertechnik sets. In my memory, they were functionally equivalent – just with different connecting systems and with fischertechnik having a stronger emphasis on mechanics and gears. I recently acquired some fischertechnik from that era and was pleasantly surprised by one additional difference.

Detail of fischertechnik gears
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Five for Friday

Weekly Review 2019-11-08

This is an experiment with trying the format of Tim Ferriss’s 5-Bullet Friday newsletters. At a minimum, I’ll hopefully gain some perspective on what I’ve been up to over time; ideally, it will also help others find interesting things.

Reading

Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology by Neil Postman

Being a bit of a technophile, there are parts of this which are tough to absorb. That said, I also think that technology has taken society on some wrong turns along the way. Neil Postman gives a framework for thinking about how and why that happens. It’s a well thought out counterpoint to viewing all technological change as beneficial to humans.

Listening

The French Machine by Minitel Rose

I have fond memories of a PBS show from the 1980s which covered the Minitel system in France. At the time (and still many years later), it seemed far ahead of its time. I was trying to explain the fascination that episode engendered in me, went searching for the show, and instead found the RetroManCave episode on the Minitel. This led to further searching and, ultimately, the French electronic band Minitel Rose.

Mulling

Men have become the tools of their tools.

Henry David Thoreau

I’m unsure if I’m more worried or reassured that concern about tools using humans predates computers by this much. Probably a little bit of each — we’ve survived previous problems; but, it’s unfortunate that we still build tools in ways that end up driving us. I am trying to consciously think about the computer based tools I use regularly and who is in the driver’s seat during each interaction.

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