Here’s a another video project I’ve never quite finished. It was to be a short film in CGI based on a scene from American Graffiti.
I got as far as making story boards :-
Building a ‘32 Deuce Coupe in 3D Studio (the Yost Group DOS version!) :-
Starting to detail the engine in SoftImage :-
And then resurrecting the project in Maya 6.0 only to drop it again for other things :-
One question I get asked a lot is “hey you’ve got all that Sun gear at home, what the hell do you do with it?”
After working on a telco IP PBX solution for a couple of years I’ve just discovered Asterisk.
It’s a Free software implementation of an IP Private Branch Exchange (or IP Centrex) application server. It provides IP telephony call control (soft switching) and all the usual PSTN style features for SIP (and other protocol) clients on hard and soft phones. All of which used to be done by extremely expensive proprietary equipment.
These are the features I have played with so far :-
I have got it running at home on my Ultra 5 and it works very well. It’s actually rather too much for home use but it makes a very good platform to learn about the setup and maintenance of an IP PBX. The software is supplied with a demo configuration and this demonstrates back to back (PBX to PBX) test calls to an Asterisk development server in the US via the internet.
For the moment I have no connection from my home server to the local PSTN network so all calls are SIP only. The software development of Asterisk is primarily supported by a company which makes TDM interface PCI cards for PCs called Digium:-
http://www.digium.com/en/index.php
The application documentation is still rather sparse but an O’Reilly book is available online for free, this is what I have been reading to setup a simple dial plan at home :-
The last couple of days have been something of an epiphany for me, I’m used to trying to sell this kind of stuff for millions and yet here it is for free (as in speech and beer).
Now when someone asks what I’ve been doing with “all that Sun stuff” I say “running my own private branch exchange!”.
For more information and Solaris .pkg binaries see this site :-
As a Briton living in Belgium and working throughout Europe I found this to be a very useful translation guide for anyone working with the British :-
| WHAT THE BRITISH SAY | WHAT THE BRITISH MEAN | WHAT EVERYONE ELSE THINKS THE BRITISH MEAN |
| By the way, … | What I really want to talk about … | This is not important. |
| Could we consider some other options? | I think your idea stinks. | He has not yet made a decision. |
| I almost agree. | I don’t agree at all. | He almost agrees. |
| I hear what you say. | I disagree and do not want to discuss it any further. | He accepts my point of view. |
| I was a bit disappointed … | I went ballistic … | It doesn’t matter. |
| I would suggest … | This an order. | I am welcome to do it, if I agree. |
| I’ll bear it in mind. | I am not going to do anything about it. | He’ll probably do it. |
| I’m sure it’s my fault. | It is your fault, bloody fool! | It’s his fault. |
| It is a pity. | I am angry. | It doesn’t really matter. |
| Perhaps you’d like to think about … | Do it. | He wants me to think about it. |
| Please think about this some more. | This idea stinks: don’t do it! | He thinks this idea has potential. |
| Quite good. | A bit disappointing. | Quite good. |
| That is an original point of view. | You need a good doctor. | He likes my mind. |
| That’s not bad. | That’s good or very good. | It’s poor or mediocre. |
| Very interesting. | I don’t believe you. / I don’t agree. | He is impressed |
| With the greatest respect … | I think you are wrong (or a fool) … | He is listening to me. |
| You must come for dinner sometime. | Goodbye. | He’s going to ask me over for a meal. |
| You’ll get there eventually. | You’ve got a snowball-in-hell’s chance, mate. | He is encouraging me to go on. |