Categories
process programming video games

Unity CSV import and export

I recently had a need to exchange data between the Unity game engine and spreadsheet software. The simplest common format supported by most spreadsheet programs is CSV (Comma Separated Values.) I had assumed that this would be such a common thing to do it would be built into either the .NET or Unity libraries. It turned out this is not the case.

Categories
education programming

CAS Croydon

It’s a new year; time for a new project. I’ve been a member of CAS (Computing at School) for several years. It is a group for teachers, parents, IT professionals, and other education specialists, that came together to advocate for the teaching of computing as a subject. But, in a classic case of be careful what you wish for, our focus has now shifted to supporting teachers with the computing curriculum. I decided to join my local hub.

Categories
Internet process programming video games

Spot the different

It was Ludum Dare last weekend. I was running my code club so I set the theme, “one room,” as a challenge for my club members. I usually do this when the competition comes around, but I think this is the first time one of my club members has taken up the challenge and completed a game. It took a little encouragement, but I am delighted with both the effort and the result.

Categories
Internet programming video games

CSS styling and object orientated design

Last week’s programming surgery was the most popular yet, with 5 attendees, and a diverse set of programming topics to discuss. I won’t attempt a detailed record of the conversations as my notes were too brief for that, but I will summarize a couple of interesting topics.

Categories
process programming

Fixing PAYE

Debugging the installation of my HMRC PAYE software wasn’t something I planned for my Saturday evening. But with the first payment of the new tax year due next week I thought I’d make a quick submission to get it out of the way before the bank holiday. But the transition to the new year didn’t go as smoothly as it could have.

Categories
programming

A can of colours

Last night was the first Croydon Tech City programming surgery of the new year. On several of these events last year, I forgot to write up the questions and learning. So, this time I decided to keep notes as we went along to remind me what I needed to write up.

Categories
Uncategorized

Bloon

Last weekend was a particularly busy one for me. I ran two kids programming clubs on the Saturday so I really couldn’t get any enthusiasm to start until Sunday.

Unusually, I hit on an idea for the theme quickly. I’ve been doing a lot of physics simulation work recently and I thought this would be a good chance to try modelling buoyancy in a game.

Categories
environment Internet video games

You are the monster

This weekend I participated in the Ludum Dare game jam. The theme this time was “You are the monster.” So I made a small game about a troll.

Categories
programming video games

Upcycling Cardboard

Last month, the good folk of Lives Not Knives and a few of us local technology specialists got together to host an event for London Technology Week. Our theme was upcycling cardboard. Mick Rideout and I created a workshop where attendees could add their own faces into a virtual reality zombie game running on the Google Cardboard virtual reality glasses.

Categories
programming

Q & A: Running a programming club in a library

Kirstin of the Home Educators Coding Club, which runs in Norfolk Library, left a comment on my previous post asking some questions about the details of running our library programming club. I feel these are questions of general interest to those running or planning to run their own club. So I decided to write up my answers in a new post.