My Inquiry
Curricular Reflection
My short inquiry was to figure out how to help schools integrate technology into their education. This shifted slightly to making a “tech guide” program that others could use to learn how to use a computer, or improve their skills in technology. I decided to program it in Python as this wouldn’t require me to learn a new language. I also put it onto a website with the help of a friend (it stopped working when I started writing this, but started working again when I finished, so reliability is not yet guaranteed). Challenges I encountered included having to think about how to explain concepts in simpler, “non-technical” ways, and debugging my program. If I continue to work on my short inquiry (I think I will, but I’m not sure when), I would like to finish moving all of the information I had in my notes into the Python program, and potentially make it more reliable/user-friendly. If I end up working on this in the long-term, I could try getting questions and/or solutions/answers from other people to add to the program.
My long inquiry was to learn various simulation techniques in Blender. This shifted to learning both simulations and rendering techniques. On the simulation side, I have developed several methods of simulating drones and learned how to create detailed fluid simulations. On the rendering side, I’ve learned how to render detailed caustics using a third-party Blender version (OctaneRender), work with different methods of camera tracking, and create “illusion” effects. Many of the biggest challenges I faced were during the more complex drone simulations. For this, I had to simulate a drone, which had to be pushed upward by a force that followed it. In Blender, you can’t just make an object with spinning propellers and get it to move upward, so this wasn’t an option. However, adding a force field (to repel other “physics objects”) below the drone (and keeping it in that location relative to the drone) both pushed the drone upward, and simulated downwards airflow below it (which could affect things like water). Rotating the drone changed which direction it would go in, and animating the strength of the force field changed how quickly it would do that. I got it to do a flip and then land smoothly. Moving forward, I am trying to decide whether I should continue to work on small projects or work on something bigger. At the end, I would like to make a finished video showcasing a large project or multiple smaller projects like the ones I’ve been working on.
Core Competency Reflection
I think about what I am going to convey and whom I will convey it to. In my short inquiry, I had to think about what people needed to know how to do. I split it into two sections: “How to use a computer” and “More advanced things.” The first, intended for people who are starting to use a computer for the first time (and intended to be shown to them by someone else), gave basic information about how mice/trackpads/apps/etc. worked, sometimes with some information on how to change their settings. The second, intended for people hoping to improve their experience with technology, explained force-quitting applications, installing apps, changing startup apps, cleaning up background apps, etc. These had explanations for why or when you should do them, as well as slightly-simplified, but still easy-to-follow instructions on how. Unfortunately, the second section has not been added to the program, but it is written out in the “notes” document.
I can form new ideas to create new things. I can also build on the ideas of others. One example of this was in my long inquiry, when I worked on the small “illusion” project, where I used someone else’s method to make the “front” faces of an object invisible to create a strange simulation. I made a cube bounce in an open-top box (whose front faces were invisible). I noticed it bounced off the top of a specific wall during the simulation, so I made sure that face was visible when it bounced off of it, even if the face wasn’t visible for the entire finished video. I then timed the lighting to change colour when the visible walls changed to make it more confusing.