All done!
05/06/2013
I have finished my website and my binder. I can't believe that the whole project is done. It flew by so fast! I am proud of what I accomplished. I am definitely ready for graduation and to start the next chapter of my life.
Special thanks to Dr. Pankratz and Dr. McVey for their guidance throughout my 4 years at SNC. I owe my love of computer science to you both.
And to my peers, good luck with all that you do after graduation! I am sure you will all be successful...keep in touch!
I have finished my website and my binder. I can't believe that the whole project is done. It flew by so fast! I am proud of what I accomplished. I am definitely ready for graduation and to start the next chapter of my life.
Special thanks to Dr. Pankratz and Dr. McVey for their guidance throughout my 4 years at SNC. I owe my love of computer science to you both.
And to my peers, good luck with all that you do after graduation! I am sure you will all be successful...keep in touch!
Wrapping it up
05/02/2013
The presentation went well. Everything worked the way it should and people seemed impressed by it. My defense also went well I thought, but I guess DCP will be the judge of that. Now I just have to put the finishing touches on my website and finish my binder...the end is in sight.
The presentation went well. Everything worked the way it should and people seemed impressed by it. My defense also went well I thought, but I guess DCP will be the judge of that. Now I just have to put the finishing touches on my website and finish my binder...the end is in sight.
Down to the wire
04/21/2013
Presentations are tomorrow. I finished my powerpoint today and ran through it once. I plan on stopping at school tomorrow to try running it on the computer in Cofrin 15. I fixed the problem with trains running off the track. If i check to see if the train is off the track before I move it, I can adjust its location so it doesn't travel too far. I also got my collision detection to work. If two trains hit each other, the will be removed from the track and the drop down list.
Presentations are tomorrow. I finished my powerpoint today and ran through it once. I plan on stopping at school tomorrow to try running it on the computer in Cofrin 15. I fixed the problem with trains running off the track. If i check to see if the train is off the track before I move it, I can adjust its location so it doesn't travel too far. I also got my collision detection to work. If two trains hit each other, the will be removed from the track and the drop down list.
Starting to see the finish!
04/18/2013
I have started moving trains. I am using the built in timer functions to run the simulation. Every time the timer ticks, the trains will be moved.It's been an issue since I haven't figured out how to implement turnouts. I have made an executive decision and determined that up and left are backward and down and right are forward. Again, in order to move pieces I have to find out what piece is the train is on and what orientation. I have the trains moving but they are going off the track sometimes, that will be a problem to fix another day.
I have started moving trains. I am using the built in timer functions to run the simulation. Every time the timer ticks, the trains will be moved.It's been an issue since I haven't figured out how to implement turnouts. I have made an executive decision and determined that up and left are backward and down and right are forward. Again, in order to move pieces I have to find out what piece is the train is on and what orientation. I have the trains moving but they are going off the track sometimes, that will be a problem to fix another day.
The ball is rolling
04/14/2013
A lot has happened with my project since my last blog. My redrawing of the panel is working. I am able to save the track to a file and able to read an existing track from a file. I also have the same track from the create form shown on all the subsequent forms as well!
I met with Joe the other night and he helped me figure out how to get my delete function working. He also told me that I can use the same functions for many different picture boxes. So now on my train placing page, all the trains are moved by the same function. This makes my code condensed. I also have the trains auto-fitting onto the track. This was a huge headache because I had to find out which type of track the train was placed on and what orientation. And based off that, if a train was placed in a certain location, it should auto-fit and be centered on the track. If it is in an ambiguous location, it is returned to the start. Now I have to get my trains moving...slowly but surely...
On another note, I have accepted the job at ACUITY. I will start sometime when I get back from India!
A lot has happened with my project since my last blog. My redrawing of the panel is working. I am able to save the track to a file and able to read an existing track from a file. I also have the same track from the create form shown on all the subsequent forms as well!
I met with Joe the other night and he helped me figure out how to get my delete function working. He also told me that I can use the same functions for many different picture boxes. So now on my train placing page, all the trains are moved by the same function. This makes my code condensed. I also have the trains auto-fitting onto the track. This was a huge headache because I had to find out which type of track the train was placed on and what orientation. And based off that, if a train was placed in a certain location, it should auto-fit and be centered on the track. If it is in an ambiguous location, it is returned to the start. Now I have to get my trains moving...slowly but surely...
On another note, I have accepted the job at ACUITY. I will start sometime when I get back from India!
Saving the track
04/02/2013
After Easter break, its time to get working again. I have been thinking of a way to store the track. Dr. Pankratz suggested that instead of an 'undo' button, if the user right-clicks on a track piece, that one would be deleted. By doing this, I could store the track in a 2-D array and I would know which piece to delete since I have the x, y-coordinates. I started by making a struct for each track piece. Originally, it held the x and y position, which piece and the orientation. After thinking about it, I don't need to store x and y because the 2-D array mimics the panel for the track. In C#, arrays are not in [][] form rather in [ , ] form. This took a little while to figure out. Now that it is stored in an array, I just need to write the information to a file so the user can save it for future use and that subsequent forms can use the track and redraw it.
I started working on the right-click function. I have a function set up so that when you right click on a piece, it will alter the array and inactivate that cell. The problem is, I do not know how to call the function. Right now, it is being called when you click the panel. But technically you aren't clicking the panel you are clicking the picture box. Dr. McVey mentioned something about delegates so I will have to look into that.
I do have my clear screen working. There is a built in function that can clear a panel and all its contents. I think my function for redrawing the track works but it's not being called yet. I will have to do some testing to check this.
After Easter break, its time to get working again. I have been thinking of a way to store the track. Dr. Pankratz suggested that instead of an 'undo' button, if the user right-clicks on a track piece, that one would be deleted. By doing this, I could store the track in a 2-D array and I would know which piece to delete since I have the x, y-coordinates. I started by making a struct for each track piece. Originally, it held the x and y position, which piece and the orientation. After thinking about it, I don't need to store x and y because the 2-D array mimics the panel for the track. In C#, arrays are not in [][] form rather in [ , ] form. This took a little while to figure out. Now that it is stored in an array, I just need to write the information to a file so the user can save it for future use and that subsequent forms can use the track and redraw it.
I started working on the right-click function. I have a function set up so that when you right click on a piece, it will alter the array and inactivate that cell. The problem is, I do not know how to call the function. Right now, it is being called when you click the panel. But technically you aren't clicking the panel you are clicking the picture box. Dr. McVey mentioned something about delegates so I will have to look into that.
I do have my clear screen working. There is a built in function that can clear a panel and all its contents. I think my function for redrawing the track works but it's not being called yet. I will have to do some testing to check this.
In Person Interview
03/29/2013
I had my interview at ACUITY yesterday. I drove down after my morning class and waited for it to start. I met with John Krechel again. He asked me some more questions and gave me a tour of the building. I met with four people in the IT department and they asked me many many questions. Then I took a short test on math and logic. Finally, I met with the Vice President of the department. All in all I think it went well. It was a super long interview...5 hours. I was drained in every sense of the word after the interview. Hopefully I hear some good news soon.
I had my interview at ACUITY yesterday. I drove down after my morning class and waited for it to start. I met with John Krechel again. He asked me some more questions and gave me a tour of the building. I met with four people in the IT department and they asked me many many questions. Then I took a short test on math and logic. Finally, I met with the Vice President of the department. All in all I think it went well. It was a super long interview...5 hours. I was drained in every sense of the word after the interview. Hopefully I hear some good news soon.
Undo and Clear Button
03/27/2013
I want to figure out a way to implement the undo and clear buttons. I was thinking of using a stack to keep track of what piece was the last one placed. I am not sure what to do when you Pop a track piece. How will I remove it from the panel? Should I just paste a new panel in its place? I also need to see how to save all the information of the track so it can be recreated and saved in a file.
I stopped by Dr. McVey and Pankratz's offices today to see if they had any ideas and to tell them I got my rotate working. I also asked for any last minute advice for my interview tomorrow. I am kind of nervous!
I want to figure out a way to implement the undo and clear buttons. I was thinking of using a stack to keep track of what piece was the last one placed. I am not sure what to do when you Pop a track piece. How will I remove it from the panel? Should I just paste a new panel in its place? I also need to see how to save all the information of the track so it can be recreated and saved in a file.
I stopped by Dr. McVey and Pankratz's offices today to see if they had any ideas and to tell them I got my rotate working. I also asked for any last minute advice for my interview tomorrow. I am kind of nervous!
Finally working
03/25/2013
I noticed there is a property for double click. I decided to use this to rotate pieces so a mouseDown event wasn't triggered. I had to create separate counts for each type of piece because using a global count would paste the wrong orientation for the pieces. But now the pieces are being pasted with the correct orientation!!!
I noticed there is a property for double click. I decided to use this to rotate pieces so a mouseDown event wasn't triggered. I had to create separate counts for each type of piece because using a global count would paste the wrong orientation for the pieces. But now the pieces are being pasted with the correct orientation!!!
Progress is progress
03/20/2013
I am now using clicks to rotate pieces. Put when I drag a picture it is counting that as a click. This should not be the case. But at least it is rotating. I have been working on pasting images with the rotated orientation. I created a function that would count how many times the original image was rotated. Then in the MouseUp function for each piece, I would use the count and rotate the dynamically created track piece. Now the piece will rotate with a different orientation from the original. But it didn't match the orientation I wanted...oh well. It's something.
I am now using clicks to rotate pieces. Put when I drag a picture it is counting that as a click. This should not be the case. But at least it is rotating. I have been working on pasting images with the rotated orientation. I created a function that would count how many times the original image was rotated. Then in the MouseUp function for each piece, I would use the count and rotate the dynamically created track piece. Now the piece will rotate with a different orientation from the original. But it didn't match the orientation I wanted...oh well. It's something.
Small tweaks
03/16/2013
I noticed when running my program that the user could delete my instructions since they were being described in a textbox. I had to change all of this to labels. I have met with Dr. Pankratz a couple times to talk about my progress and he has offered suggestions for storing the track. I should keep track of what piece is in each location, its x and y coordinates on the screen, and the orientation. I have not implemented this yet but its something to keep in mind.
I noticed when running my program that the user could delete my instructions since they were being described in a textbox. I had to change all of this to labels. I have met with Dr. Pankratz a couple times to talk about my progress and he has offered suggestions for storing the track. I should keep track of what piece is in each location, its x and y coordinates on the screen, and the orientation. I have not implemented this yet but its something to keep in mind.
First Interview!
03/14/2013
With it being spring break, I have taken a little break from my project to apply for jobs. I recieved an email from ACUITY requesting to set up a phone interview. I had the interview this morning. It was a little scary. I was not sure what kind of questions I would be asked. But John Krechel was very relaxed and personable on the phone so it made the interview go smoothly. I have scheduled an in-person interview with them on March 28.
Adding other options
03/10/2013
I have tabled the rotating of images for now. I have the save and open buttons working which is nice. I would like the user to be able to reuse track designs so save and open are essential. I have also worked on my train modification page a little bit. I wanted the user to be able to modify only the number of trains they want in their simulation. I created enough fields for every train. I want the user to click how many trains they want, and then enable customizing trains for the designated number. I noticed that if I click 4 trains for example, then click forward in a train option, that the radio button for train 4 is no longer selected. Turns out, all the radio buttons were in one group. I looked online, and found that you can group radio buttons together so they will act independently of others on the form. I also found that you can disable groups which works perfectly for my program!
I have tabled the rotating of images for now. I have the save and open buttons working which is nice. I would like the user to be able to reuse track designs so save and open are essential. I have also worked on my train modification page a little bit. I wanted the user to be able to modify only the number of trains they want in their simulation. I created enough fields for every train. I want the user to click how many trains they want, and then enable customizing trains for the designated number. I noticed that if I click 4 trains for example, then click forward in a train option, that the radio button for train 4 is no longer selected. Turns out, all the radio buttons were in one group. I looked online, and found that you can group radio buttons together so they will act independently of others on the form. I also found that you can disable groups which works perfectly for my program!
More progress!
03/06/2013
Dr. McVey and I got together today to work a little bit. I was thinking I should be able to recreate pieces the same way as when the form loads. I took what seemed to be the necessary pieces but it turns out you need to set all the properties for every piece. So now I am able to create pictures on the fly :) I also asked her why my rotating function was not working. I found the built in function to rotate picture boxes. But the function wasn't being called. We didn't know how to access a key when the picture is being dragged. Dr. McVey suggested placing the code used to rotate the picture in a different working function. Once I did this, the picture was rotating! So at least my code works but its just not being called by key input. She suggested using mouse clicks to rotate the pieces instead. This worked too! But when I would rotate the image and then paste it on my panel, the rotated image wouldn't be pasted, just the original. This makes sense because the rotations were done to the original not the dynamically created one. This was a lot of progress for today so i called it a night.
Dr. McVey and I got together today to work a little bit. I was thinking I should be able to recreate pieces the same way as when the form loads. I took what seemed to be the necessary pieces but it turns out you need to set all the properties for every piece. So now I am able to create pictures on the fly :) I also asked her why my rotating function was not working. I found the built in function to rotate picture boxes. But the function wasn't being called. We didn't know how to access a key when the picture is being dragged. Dr. McVey suggested placing the code used to rotate the picture in a different working function. Once I did this, the picture was rotating! So at least my code works but its just not being called by key input. She suggested using mouse clicks to rotate the pieces instead. This worked too! But when I would rotate the image and then paste it on my panel, the rotated image wouldn't be pasted, just the original. This makes sense because the rotations were done to the original not the dynamically created one. This was a lot of progress for today so i called it a night.
Walkthroughs
03/04/2013
We started walkthroughs today. People seemed to respond well to mine. I asked the class if they knew how to make pieces dynamically but no one really knew how to. I also asked if they knew if there was a built in function to rotate images or how to use keyboard input in my project. Though I didn't solve my problems from the walkthrough, it was still nice seeing how everyone has progressed on theirs. I feel like I am on pace with everyone else which was definitely reassuring.
We started walkthroughs today. People seemed to respond well to mine. I asked the class if they knew how to make pieces dynamically but no one really knew how to. I also asked if they knew if there was a built in function to rotate images or how to use keyboard input in my project. Though I didn't solve my problems from the walkthrough, it was still nice seeing how everyone has progressed on theirs. I feel like I am on pace with everyone else which was definitely reassuring.
Still not doing what it should...
03/01/2013
I still have not been able to get my pieces of replicate. But I decided to work on rotating my images. This was a fail. I want the user to be able to hit the space bar while dragging and the held image will be rotated. I tried using PreviewKeyDown, but I am not really sure what this does. I put message boxes in the function to see if it is even called, and it isn't. I really don't know how to access keys while a pieces is being held. I don't even know how to rotate pictures! Maybe I have to make all the different variations of each piece and redraw a new picture every time? I sure hope not...
I still have not been able to get my pieces of replicate. But I decided to work on rotating my images. This was a fail. I want the user to be able to hit the space bar while dragging and the held image will be rotated. I tried using PreviewKeyDown, but I am not really sure what this does. I put message boxes in the function to see if it is even called, and it isn't. I really don't know how to access keys while a pieces is being held. I don't even know how to rotate pictures! Maybe I have to make all the different variations of each piece and redraw a new picture every time? I sure hope not...
Success!
02/27/2013
My autofit works too! I decided to find the x and y distance relative to the upper-left corner of the panel. I divided by the size of the image (70) to get rid of the remainder and then multiplied by the size so they would be in distinct rows and columns. The problem I run into now is that pieces can be placed right on top of each other. I will have to find a solution for this problem. I also do not know how to make pieces on the fly. Right now, once you pick up a piece, you can't pick up another of the same piece. But this has been a small victory today. Time to relax.
My autofit works too! I decided to find the x and y distance relative to the upper-left corner of the panel. I divided by the size of the image (70) to get rid of the remainder and then multiplied by the size so they would be in distinct rows and columns. The problem I run into now is that pieces can be placed right on top of each other. I will have to find a solution for this problem. I also do not know how to make pieces on the fly. Right now, once you pick up a piece, you can't pick up another of the same piece. But this has been a small victory today. Time to relax.
Finally Working
02/26/2013
I can move pieces! I found some examples of moving picture boxes using mouse down and mouse up events. I had to take into account that I only want pieces to be dropped on the panel so I added a couple if-statements to test the piece's location. Now I need to work on auto-fitting the pieces on the panel so they fit together perfectly and aren't overlapping.
I can move pieces! I found some examples of moving picture boxes using mouse down and mouse up events. I had to take into account that I only want pieces to be dropped on the panel so I added a couple if-statements to test the piece's location. Now I need to work on auto-fitting the pieces on the panel so they fit together perfectly and aren't overlapping.
Drag and Drop
02/24/2013
Now that I have my pieces on the create form, I want to be able to drag and drop them on the screen. I found some examples of using the mouse drag and drop features. Whenever I implemented them though, the program would crash...not quite sure why though. I am now exploring the option of using mouse down and mouse up events.
Now that I have my pieces on the create form, I want to be able to drag and drop them on the screen. I found some examples of using the mouse drag and drop features. Whenever I implemented them though, the program would crash...not quite sure why though. I am now exploring the option of using mouse down and mouse up events.
Working with Paint
02/22/2013
I started designing my track pieces today. I decided to use paint. I tried using the (x,y) coordinates in the bottom of the screen to make the track symmetrical but that did not help at all. My friend showed me that there is an option to view the grid for the screen. It helped greatly and I was able to design all the track pieces I needed.
I started designing my track pieces today. I decided to use paint. I tried using the (x,y) coordinates in the bottom of the screen to make the track symmetrical but that did not help at all. My friend showed me that there is an option to view the grid for the screen. It helped greatly and I was able to design all the track pieces I needed.
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Making some progress...
02/21/2013
So I have decided that I will make the user exit the program directly from the opening screen. When they use the 'x' button, it will return to the opening welcome screen. It's not the best solution but it works. I have begun designing all the screens for the user. There is the welcome screen with a menu bar that either leads the user to the create screen or it opens an existing track. There is a form to design a track, a form to customize trains with color, speed and direction, a form to place trains on the track, and a form for the simulation. I have begun placing buttons for different functions I want to be done. For example, on the create form, I want the user to be able to save a track design, to undo the last piece placed, to clear the entire track, and to move on to the next screen. I want the track pieces to be rotatable so the screen isn't cluttered with 10 pieces. On the simulation form, I want the user to be able to run the simulation, pause it, restart it, and end it. I have some good ideas...now to implement it...
So I have decided that I will make the user exit the program directly from the opening screen. When they use the 'x' button, it will return to the opening welcome screen. It's not the best solution but it works. I have begun designing all the screens for the user. There is the welcome screen with a menu bar that either leads the user to the create screen or it opens an existing track. There is a form to design a track, a form to customize trains with color, speed and direction, a form to place trains on the track, and a form for the simulation. I have begun placing buttons for different functions I want to be done. For example, on the create form, I want the user to be able to save a track design, to undo the last piece placed, to clear the entire track, and to move on to the next screen. I want the track pieces to be rotatable so the screen isn't cluttered with 10 pieces. On the simulation form, I want the user to be able to run the simulation, pause it, restart it, and end it. I have some good ideas...now to implement it...
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Time to work
02/18/2013
So none of those solutions helped so I met with Dr. McVey to show her the problem. What we discovered was that even though the application was gone, the process was still running. I have to manually kill the process and then I can run the program. This is a pain but at least its not as bad as restarting the computer. We discovered that if you kill a form with the 'x' in the upper right corner, the process lives. If you use the exit button, the process is killed. Dr. McVey is going to help me find a way to use the 'x' button to kill a program as well. But now I can work again. Hopefully I won't have any huge problems.
So none of those solutions helped so I met with Dr. McVey to show her the problem. What we discovered was that even though the application was gone, the process was still running. I have to manually kill the process and then I can run the program. This is a pain but at least its not as bad as restarting the computer. We discovered that if you kill a form with the 'x' in the upper right corner, the process lives. If you use the exit button, the process is killed. Dr. McVey is going to help me find a way to use the 'x' button to kill a program as well. But now I can work again. Hopefully I won't have any huge problems.
Some Hope
02/15/2013
Dr. McVey printed off some help sheets for me. She hasn't seen this error before so she was as stumped as me. I am going to try these out and see if anything works. We plan on meeting Monday if it doesn't work.
Dr. McVey printed off some help sheets for me. She hasn't seen this error before so she was as stumped as me. I am going to try these out and see if anything works. We plan on meeting Monday if it doesn't work.
Frustration
02/13/2013
UGH! I am having issues working on this project. I have hit a huge roadblock. I am able to run my project once but, if I make changes, I am unable to run it again. I have been getting this error message...
error MSB3021: Unable to copy file "obj\Debug\CCR.exe" to "bin\Debug\CCR.exe". The process cannot access the file 'bin\Debug\CCR.exe' because it is being used by another process.
Done building project "CCR.csproj" -- FAILED.
I am so frustrated. I looked on line and it says that I still have the exe file running. But when I run task manager there are no applications running. I don't know what to do. I have to restart my computer every time if I want to see my changes. This is not a good use of my time. I have asked my classmates and they never encountered this issue so I have emailed Dr. McVey hoping she knows whats wrong...fingers crossed...
UGH! I am having issues working on this project. I have hit a huge roadblock. I am able to run my project once but, if I make changes, I am unable to run it again. I have been getting this error message...
error MSB3021: Unable to copy file "obj\Debug\CCR.exe" to "bin\Debug\CCR.exe". The process cannot access the file 'bin\Debug\CCR.exe' because it is being used by another process.
Done building project "CCR.csproj" -- FAILED.
I am so frustrated. I looked on line and it says that I still have the exe file running. But when I run task manager there are no applications running. I don't know what to do. I have to restart my computer every time if I want to see my changes. This is not a good use of my time. I have asked my classmates and they never encountered this issue so I have emailed Dr. McVey hoping she knows whats wrong...fingers crossed...
Finally Feedback
02/11/2013
Today, we had our mini walk through and it was awesome! It was nice seeing everyone's project. It was also reassuring that everyone is having some difficulties. It male me feel like I'm not super behind. The class seemed to respond well to my drawings. Mary suggested that instead of drag and drop I could use the arrow keys to move track pieces around so there aren't overlap or tracks that don't line up. Mike saw that I need a 'T' piece. I feel that I have a decent hand at C# now so I am going to begin coding my user interface.
Today, we had our mini walk through and it was awesome! It was nice seeing everyone's project. It was also reassuring that everyone is having some difficulties. It male me feel like I'm not super behind. The class seemed to respond well to my drawings. Mary suggested that instead of drag and drop I could use the arrow keys to move track pieces around so there aren't overlap or tracks that don't line up. Mike saw that I need a 'T' piece. I feel that I have a decent hand at C# now so I am going to begin coding my user interface.
Slight Panic
02/08/2013
So yesterday, DCP told the class that we would have a small walk through during lab on Monday...yikes! I don't have anything to show really seeing as how I am still in the process of writing a 'Hello World' program. I guess all I can show the class is my user interface and the general ideas I have for the simulator. This will be my project for the weekend.
So yesterday, DCP told the class that we would have a small walk through during lab on Monday...yikes! I don't have anything to show really seeing as how I am still in the process of writing a 'Hello World' program. I guess all I can show the class is my user interface and the general ideas I have for the simulator. This will be my project for the weekend.
It's going...
02/06/2013
Last night I was able to start working on some C#. I didn't realize from working with Dr. McVey that I did not know how to set up a C# program. With the help of Mike, I learned that there is an environment specifically for C#. He also helped me by showing me how to view the properties box. I didn't get much done last night but hopefully I will get a little more done this week.
Last night I was able to start working on some C#. I didn't realize from working with Dr. McVey that I did not know how to set up a C# program. With the help of Mike, I learned that there is an environment specifically for C#. He also helped me by showing me how to view the properties box. I didn't get much done last night but hopefully I will get a little more done this week.
Feeling Senior Slide
02/04/2013
This past weekend I got nothing done. I went to visit a friend from out of town and with the Superbowl on Sunday, I was very distracted. I need to start focusing my attention on this project before I procrastinate too much. I plan on getting my feet wet in C# tomorrow so we will have to see how it goes...
This past weekend I got nothing done. I went to visit a friend from out of town and with the Superbowl on Sunday, I was very distracted. I need to start focusing my attention on this project before I procrastinate too much. I plan on getting my feet wet in C# tomorrow so we will have to see how it goes...
Introduction to C#
02/01/2013
I was able to meet with Dr. McVey today to learn more about C#. She showed me a couple of the labs she did in her CSCI 350 class. This helped a great deal because looking at code in C# did relatively nothing for me. Actually seeing the capabilities and having a short walk through was just the thing I needed to get the project going again. I really like how there is code generation in this language and the flexibility of it. Now that I know some of the things I can do in C#, I feel like I can redraw my design and come up with something that could actually work!
I was able to meet with Dr. McVey today to learn more about C#. She showed me a couple of the labs she did in her CSCI 350 class. This helped a great deal because looking at code in C# did relatively nothing for me. Actually seeing the capabilities and having a short walk through was just the thing I needed to get the project going again. I really like how there is code generation in this language and the flexibility of it. Now that I know some of the things I can do in C#, I feel like I can redraw my design and come up with something that could actually work!
First real meeting
01/31/2013
I finally had my first meeting with DCP today. I told him my idea about how I wanted the user to be able to drag and drop the track and he seemed to like it. We decided for now that we would only allow the use to select straight pieces. Once I develop an algoithm for the trains to move on these pieces I could maybe add pieces with curves. We also discussed how the trains will know how to travel. Since all my pieces are either vertical or horzonal, moving the train should be relatively easy since there are only 2 directions to choose from. Another way we discuesssed was having the trains follow color. I will have to put more thought into this later this week. I also got a book for C# programming and have arranged to meet with Dr. McVey tomorrow to get a crash course in the language.
I finally had my first meeting with DCP today. I told him my idea about how I wanted the user to be able to drag and drop the track and he seemed to like it. We decided for now that we would only allow the use to select straight pieces. Once I develop an algoithm for the trains to move on these pieces I could maybe add pieces with curves. We also discussed how the trains will know how to travel. Since all my pieces are either vertical or horzonal, moving the train should be relatively easy since there are only 2 directions to choose from. Another way we discuesssed was having the trains follow color. I will have to put more thought into this later this week. I also got a book for C# programming and have arranged to meet with Dr. McVey tomorrow to get a crash course in the language.
Designing
01/29/2013
I've started designing my user interface. I would like the user to be able to drag and drop pieces of 'track' on the screen to make their railroad. Kayla had allowed the user to design their own track but I feel like this approach may be easier for the user even though it limits their possibilities. In the create screen, the user can design their own track. After they have done this, they go to the 'run' screen where they can place trains on their track and edit the color, speed and direction. When they click play, the trains will begin to move on the track. This is my idea now. I plan on meeting with DCP this week to see if I am on the right track.
I've started designing my user interface. I would like the user to be able to drag and drop pieces of 'track' on the screen to make their railroad. Kayla had allowed the user to design their own track but I feel like this approach may be easier for the user even though it limits their possibilities. In the create screen, the user can design their own track. After they have done this, they go to the 'run' screen where they can place trains on their track and edit the color, speed and direction. When they click play, the trains will begin to move on the track. This is my idea now. I plan on meeting with DCP this week to see if I am on the right track.
Getting Started
01/28/2013
It's finally the last semester of college. I can't believe how far I have come. Starting out with intentions of going into the medical field to now looking for jobs as a computer programmer...who would have seen this coming?
Last week, I was assigned my project for the semester. I get to deal with the railroad. I wasn't overjoyed with this assignment. I did not want any project that had to do with the train. I know students in the past have had many issues with it and I did not want to have to deal with that.
After looking into the project more deeply, I realized I don't have to work that closely with the physical train. I am designing a simulator for the train. This made me a little bit happier.
I went to help set up the train with Dr. Pankratz and Dave Ferris and we ran into many issues with pieces fitting together so I was even happier that I don't have to deal with the train!
I have updated my resume and written my philosophy statement.
I started looking at Kayla Pope's website and project since mine is very similar to her's. I began making sketches for what I want the program to look like. Wish me luck!
It's finally the last semester of college. I can't believe how far I have come. Starting out with intentions of going into the medical field to now looking for jobs as a computer programmer...who would have seen this coming?
Last week, I was assigned my project for the semester. I get to deal with the railroad. I wasn't overjoyed with this assignment. I did not want any project that had to do with the train. I know students in the past have had many issues with it and I did not want to have to deal with that.
After looking into the project more deeply, I realized I don't have to work that closely with the physical train. I am designing a simulator for the train. This made me a little bit happier.
I went to help set up the train with Dr. Pankratz and Dave Ferris and we ran into many issues with pieces fitting together so I was even happier that I don't have to deal with the train!
I have updated my resume and written my philosophy statement.
I started looking at Kayla Pope's website and project since mine is very similar to her's. I began making sketches for what I want the program to look like. Wish me luck!