From an article in PC World Link
You can print a list of files by returning to the dark days of DOS. But don't worry; it's not as scary as it sounds.
In Windows (or File) Explorer, hold down the SHIFT key as you right-click the folder. Select Open command window here.
This opens the DOS-like command window. Type dir > printit.txt, then press ENTER.
Return to Windows Explorer, where you'll find a new file, printit.txt, in the folder. You can either double-click the file to load it into Notepad and print from there or simply right-click the file and select Print.
You can change the look of that printed list by adding additional instructions to the dir command. For instance:
dir /b > printit.txt will print only the file names.
dir /o:d > printit.txt will sort the files by date.
dir *.png /o:d /s > printit.txt will list only *png files, sorted by date, and will include those found in the current folder's subfolders.
To find more such options, use the command dir /?
05/10/2018
24/09/2018
Dremel 3000 Suddenly Stopped Working - Fix
I had my Dremel 3000 for about 3 years but in that time it had probably only had about 30 minutes use if that. You can imagine my surprise when having just started to remove rust from an escutcheon plate from my front door it stopped dead. No, a fuse had not blown, it doesn't have one. Neither had the fuse in the plug top blown. So what had caused this good as new Dremmel to depart this mortal coil?
A quick Google and perusal of a couple of video's suggested that assuming the brushes were in good order, they were, the fine copper wire from one or more of the Stator windings may have broken.
I followed the tear down in this video on Youtube:-
https://youtu.be/KOnnYD9UQS0
The broken wire can be seen at 2.36 minutes in.
Following the steps in the video I had no problem dismantling the Dremel or in rebuilding.
The broken wire was repaired by unwinding half a turn from the affected winding and after removing the broken wire from the termination clip, see the video, I inserted the wire and reinserted the termination clip. Be careful you do not snap the fine wire again.
Reassemble the Dremel without having any bits left over at the end, Make sure you do not lose the circular steel spring from the rotor shaft lock button in the process.
I am delighted to say the Dremel burst into life when switched on. Job done! For how long remains to be seen.
A quick Google and perusal of a couple of video's suggested that assuming the brushes were in good order, they were, the fine copper wire from one or more of the Stator windings may have broken.
I followed the tear down in this video on Youtube:-
https://youtu.be/KOnnYD9UQS0
The broken wire can be seen at 2.36 minutes in.
Following the steps in the video I had no problem dismantling the Dremel or in rebuilding.
The broken wire was repaired by unwinding half a turn from the affected winding and after removing the broken wire from the termination clip, see the video, I inserted the wire and reinserted the termination clip. Be careful you do not snap the fine wire again.
Reassemble the Dremel without having any bits left over at the end, Make sure you do not lose the circular steel spring from the rotor shaft lock button in the process.
I am delighted to say the Dremel burst into life when switched on. Job done! For how long remains to be seen.
20/07/2018
Cyanotype: step into the blue and see the world in a new light
I am about to start experimenting with one of the oldest of photographic processes, the Cyanotype. To get me started I have ordered a kit from Fotospeed. Watch this space for developments...
In the meantime here is an article that was published in the Daily Telegraph offering a view of the process and its current rise in popularity.
Link: Cyanotype: step into the blue and see the world in a new light
Follow the link to read the full article...
In the meantime here is an article that was published in the Daily Telegraph offering a view of the process and its current rise in popularity.
Link: Cyanotype: step into the blue and see the world in a new light
In this digital world, there is a beauty in getting back to basics. Which is why I’ve come to participate in a cyanotype workshop led by photographer Elisabeth Scheder-Bieschin in her studio at Ridley Road Market in Dalston, east London.Cyanotype is the photographic printing process discovered by Sir John Herschel, a scientist, in 1842 as a means to reproduce diagrams. It creates a white silhouette against a blue/cyan background when an object is placed on a reactive surface and exposed to the UV light, in daylight – a blueprint. Herschel inspired his friend, Anna Atkins, a botanist, who made cyanotype images of the flora she collected, earning her place as a founding mother of photography.
Follow the link to read the full article...
An early attempt, of mine, at a Cyanotype using Printing Out Paper
10/07/2018
FILMSTRO RELEASES OVER 1,000 TRACKS OF FREE MUSIC
Reblogged from - DIYPhotography.net
Filmstro is something of a unique service when it comes to music. With plugins for both Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro, you can pick your music and then use sliders to adjust the momentum, depth and power of that music throughout your clip. You can adjust any tune to match the mood of your scene as it changes from shot to shot.
But they have static versions of all their Royalty Free music, too, and they’ve just released them to the world for free for use on YouTube. Even if your video is monetised.
Filmstro’s regular mixed music is repeatable and can literally go on forever. So, you can tailor it to whatever length of video you need. The static music is limited to 90 seconds, but for many videos, that’s going to work just fine. You can still just loop the songs in the background if it’s going under a voiceover, for example.
There are some restrictions on the license, after all, it’s for non-commercial purposes. You can’t use it in wedding videos, paid ads, apps with in-app purchases, etc. But the license does allow for use in personal YouTube videos, even if they’re monetised.
A Filmstro music track can be used as part of a video soundtrack (synchronisation license) in perpetuity and worldwide in the below instances:
To browse Filmstro’s collection of music, download the 90-second sequences, and start playing around with the audio mixing for yourself, head on over to the Filmstro website.
Filmstro is something of a unique service when it comes to music. With plugins for both Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro, you can pick your music and then use sliders to adjust the momentum, depth and power of that music throughout your clip. You can adjust any tune to match the mood of your scene as it changes from shot to shot.
But they have static versions of all their Royalty Free music, too, and they’ve just released them to the world for free for use on YouTube. Even if your video is monetised.
Filmstro’s regular mixed music is repeatable and can literally go on forever. So, you can tailor it to whatever length of video you need. The static music is limited to 90 seconds, but for many videos, that’s going to work just fine. You can still just loop the songs in the background if it’s going under a voiceover, for example.
There are some restrictions on the license, after all, it’s for non-commercial purposes. You can’t use it in wedding videos, paid ads, apps with in-app purchases, etc. But the license does allow for use in personal YouTube videos, even if they’re monetised.
A Filmstro music track can be used as part of a video soundtrack (synchronisation license) in perpetuity and worldwide in the below instances:
Personal Youtube (including monetised videos)
Personal Vimeo (excluding Video on Demand)
Personal Other video platforms (not-paid advertising)
Personal Social Media (not including paid ads)
Personal Website and showreel (excludes wedding videos)
Film Festivals (Submission and screening – excludes distribution)
Free Podcasts
Free Tutorials
Free Games
Free Apps (excludes apps with in-app purchases)
Crowdfunding videos
To browse Filmstro’s collection of music, download the 90-second sequences, and start playing around with the audio mixing for yourself, head on over to the Filmstro website.
20/06/2018
Fix a Leaking Geberit Syphon Valve - UPDATED
Modern low flush toilets can be a real pain in the butt. Water trickling into the pan can be caused by the overflow or a leaking syphon valve. Overflow leaks are caused by the inlet water float valve not completely shutting off and overfilling the tank. External leaks can be caused by inadequate compression between the tank and pan. Syphon valve leaks cause the inside tank level to be lowered until the inlet valve opens sufficiently to balance the syphon valve leak. The amount of water lost can be judged from the inlet replacement flow.
Back in the year dot, the syphon valve used to be called the flapper valve which supported the tank head of water until the loo handle was turned. The flapper valve then lifted until the tank flushed and emptied, flapping back into place while the tank refilled. Simple, visible and easily repaired if the seal degrades.
The modern loo has a contraption designed to flummox the householder in that it is not obvious how it works. A modern syphon valve is encased in a plastic container, invisible without removing the fitting. The Gerebit container is held in position by two plastic clips which when pushed towards each other release the fitting which can be then lifted out. These are the protrusions seen bottom left in the photograph.
It's a five-minute job to investigate and change the seal, or a hundred quid if your a plumber called in.
1) If you have an external supply valve fitted then close to shut off the water supply. Alternatively, with a piece of string plus a weight, loop around the inlet float valve arm and dangle the weight outside the tank to hold the inlet valve closed, or jam closed with a piece of folded cardboard or .
2) Flush the loo.
3) Inside the tank near the base squeeze the two plastic clips inwards and pull the syphon housing upwards and out of the tank. See the picture above.
4) Check the seal for integrity, lime scale, blisters etc. See picture below.
Note: Modern seals may suffer a modern ailment which results in blistering on the surface. This will cause a leaking syphon valve and is the result of osmosis, that is a diffusion of water through the surface seal.
As an interim fix, as long as the seal is not penetrated right through, simply pop the blisters with a pin which will expel the water content and relieve the inbuilt blister pressure. Failing that replace the seal.
5) Reassemble all bits then check the loo flush.
Replacement seal is available via Amazon
Back in the year dot, the syphon valve used to be called the flapper valve which supported the tank head of water until the loo handle was turned. The flapper valve then lifted until the tank flushed and emptied, flapping back into place while the tank refilled. Simple, visible and easily repaired if the seal degrades.
The modern loo has a contraption designed to flummox the householder in that it is not obvious how it works. A modern syphon valve is encased in a plastic container, invisible without removing the fitting. The Gerebit container is held in position by two plastic clips which when pushed towards each other release the fitting which can be then lifted out. These are the protrusions seen bottom left in the photograph.
It's a five-minute job to investigate and change the seal, or a hundred quid if your a plumber called in.
1) If you have an external supply valve fitted then close to shut off the water supply. Alternatively, with a piece of string plus a weight, loop around the inlet float valve arm and dangle the weight outside the tank to hold the inlet valve closed, or jam closed with a piece of folded cardboard or .
2) Flush the loo.
3) Inside the tank near the base squeeze the two plastic clips inwards and pull the syphon housing upwards and out of the tank. See the picture above.
4) Check the seal for integrity, lime scale, blisters etc. See picture below.
Note: Modern seals may suffer a modern ailment which results in blistering on the surface. This will cause a leaking syphon valve and is the result of osmosis, that is a diffusion of water through the surface seal.
As an interim fix, as long as the seal is not penetrated right through, simply pop the blisters with a pin which will expel the water content and relieve the inbuilt blister pressure. Failing that replace the seal.
5) Reassemble all bits then check the loo flush.
Replacement seal is available via Amazon
23/04/2018
Free Sound Effect Samples From BBC Sound Archive
Link to the original posting on Musicradar
Explore a weird and wonderful collection of noises from the broadcasting behemoth...
There can be few organisations that have used more sound effects than the BBC, so there’s bound to be great interest in the news that the corporation has now made more than 16,000 of its FX available for free download.
These are being released under the RemArc licence, which means that they can be used for “personal, educational or research purposes”.
The archive is easily searchable, and a quick browse confirms that there’s a wide variety of content, ranging from the atmospheric to the downright obscure. Each sample can be previewed and both its duration and filename are listed.
The service is currently in beta, but you can dive in and start downloading right now on the BBC Sound Effects website.
Don’t forget that MusicRadar also offers its own library of free samples in the form of SampleRadar, and that this content can be in commercial recordings royalty-free.
BBC Sound Effects
These 16,016 BBC Sound Effects are made available by the BBC in WAV format to download for use under the terms of the RemArc Licence. The Sound Effects are BBC copyright, but they may be used for personal, educational or research purposes, as detailed in the license.
Access dataset metadata by visiting our dedicated LOD site.
If you have any queries regarding usage, please contact jake.berger at bbc.co.uk
Explore a weird and wonderful collection of noises from the broadcasting behemoth...
There can be few organisations that have used more sound effects than the BBC, so there’s bound to be great interest in the news that the corporation has now made more than 16,000 of its FX available for free download.
These are being released under the RemArc licence, which means that they can be used for “personal, educational or research purposes”.
The archive is easily searchable, and a quick browse confirms that there’s a wide variety of content, ranging from the atmospheric to the downright obscure. Each sample can be previewed and both its duration and filename are listed.
The service is currently in beta, but you can dive in and start downloading right now on the BBC Sound Effects website.
Don’t forget that MusicRadar also offers its own library of free samples in the form of SampleRadar, and that this content can be in commercial recordings royalty-free.
These 16,016 BBC Sound Effects are made available by the BBC in WAV format to download for use under the terms of the RemArc Licence. The Sound Effects are BBC copyright, but they may be used for personal, educational or research purposes, as detailed in the license.
Access dataset metadata by visiting our dedicated LOD site.
If you have any queries regarding usage, please contact jake.berger at bbc.co.uk
Resistor Value Calculator
Below is an interactive solution for establishing the value of resistors from their color coding and markings for the interactive version follow the link http://resistor.cherryjourney.pt/
This gizmo is from the book/blog From Practical Electronics For Makers (Part 1 of N) about practical electronics for beginners and the rest. Is an excellent starting point for those interested in the subject. It is published in a series of chapters starting with the above link. I expand on the book/blog in another post
This gizmo is from the book/blog From Practical Electronics For Makers (Part 1 of N) about practical electronics for beginners and the rest. Is an excellent starting point for those interested in the subject. It is published in a series of chapters starting with the above link. I expand on the book/blog in another post
28/03/2018
Recover Space on C Dive SSD
Easy Way to Free up Space on your SSD Hard Drive
Check out Britec09 fix here...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmOI9El0C6s
* Computer hard drive getting full?
* Need to reclaim back some used space?
* PC really sluggish?
* Need to free up some used hard drive space?
* Low Disk Space?
* Free Up Hard-Drive Space?
Well you are in luck, I am going to show you how to claim back used hard drive space, computer hard drives run real slow when full to capacity, with SSD solid state drives being really small, your hard drive fills up real fast, running a with a full hard drive can put wear and tear on a hard drive and make your computer system slow.
We are going to use WinDirStat, it’s a free program that scans your hard drive and gives you a full report of the size of folders in that folder tree, and it’s a great way of detecting what folders are hogging your hard disk space.
I used Ninite to download the WinDirStat program
Download
https://ninite.com/
My hard drive was red "Low Disk Space" and full to 92% use space and after running WinDirStat and Disk Cleanup, I got that down to 38.5% used space. That’s a lot of reclaimed space that I need on my SSD.
Check out Britec09 fix here...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmOI9El0C6s
* Need to reclaim back some used space?
* PC really sluggish?
* Need to free up some used hard drive space?
* Low Disk Space?
* Free Up Hard-Drive Space?
Well you are in luck, I am going to show you how to claim back used hard drive space, computer hard drives run real slow when full to capacity, with SSD solid state drives being really small, your hard drive fills up real fast, running a with a full hard drive can put wear and tear on a hard drive and make your computer system slow.
We are going to use WinDirStat, it’s a free program that scans your hard drive and gives you a full report of the size of folders in that folder tree, and it’s a great way of detecting what folders are hogging your hard disk space.
I used Ninite to download the WinDirStat program
Download
https://ninite.com/
My hard drive was red "Low Disk Space" and full to 92% use space and after running WinDirStat and Disk Cleanup, I got that down to 38.5% used space. That’s a lot of reclaimed space that I need on my SSD.
Contact Amazon
If you are an Amazon user you will be only too aware that finding contact details for Amazon to complain or contact them for any other reason is not easy or obvious on the main web pages. To help you out here are the contact details I use. I have to say on the few occasions I have contacted them action has been quick, decisive and helpful.
You can reach us them by chat or phone from this link
http://www.amazon.co.uk/contact-us
Customer Service can be reached by phone and chat 7 days a week 06.00 to midnight, local UK time.
If you need to call us, we can be reached on Freephone (within the UK) 0800 279 7245. International customers can reach us on +44 207 084 7911.
You can reach us them by chat or phone from this link
http://www.amazon.co.uk/contact-us
Customer Service can be reached by phone and chat 7 days a week 06.00 to midnight, local UK time.
If you need to call us, we can be reached on Freephone (within the UK) 0800 279 7245. International customers can reach us on +44 207 084 7911.
04/01/2018
USEFUL LINKS – ARTS & PERFORMANCE
Reblogged from - http://www.formblackpool.co.uk/useful-links-artists/
USEFUL LINKS – ARTS & PERFORMANCE
Jobs
Directing opportunities
Regional Young Directors’ Scheme (actually not just for young people)
Newsletters
Support for theatre/performance artists in the North West
HOME Manchester runs an annual festival of new northern work, and workshops/activities throughout the year.
Royal Exchange Manchester programmes contemporary work in the Studio
Sick Festival Manchester – work in progress opportunities
Flare Festival – Manchester – work in progress opportunities
Live Art Bistro – Leeds – work in progress opportunities and artist support
Form – Blackpool – work in progress opportunities and artist development
Dance ManchesterWord of Warning – work in progress opportunities and mentoring
New Writing North – open calls, writing development
Electric Sunshine Project – Blackpool – writing for theatre courses
Arc Stockton – various open calls, work in progress, artist development
Royal Court – rolling script reading service (plays)
Mothers Ruin – queer artist development
Royal Exchange Manchester programmes contemporary work in the Studio
Sick Festival Manchester – work in progress opportunities
Flare Festival – Manchester – work in progress opportunities
Live Art Bistro – Leeds – work in progress opportunities and artist support
Form – Blackpool – work in progress opportunities and artist development
Dance ManchesterWord of Warning – work in progress opportunities and mentoring
New Writing North – open calls, writing development
Electric Sunshine Project – Blackpool – writing for theatre courses
Arc Stockton – various open calls, work in progress, artist development
Royal Court – rolling script reading service (plays)
Mothers Ruin – queer artist development
Annual/periodic opportunities
Summerhall Edinburgh Fringe open call (contemporary theatre)
Vault Festival annual open call (contemporary & fringe theatre)
Bruntwood Prize (plays/theatre)
Verity Bargate Award (plays/theatre)
Jerwood Performing Arts Micro Bursary artists/producers/individuals
Word of Warning – Emergency work in progress event in Manchester, takes place in October
The Lowry – Manchester venue – artist development schemes
Artist International Development FundThe Yard – London – open calls for new work
British Council
Edinburgh Fringe Emerging Producers’ Programme
Vault Festival annual open call (contemporary & fringe theatre)
Bruntwood Prize (plays/theatre)
Verity Bargate Award (plays/theatre)
Jerwood Performing Arts Micro Bursary artists/producers/individuals
Word of Warning – Emergency work in progress event in Manchester, takes place in October
The Lowry – Manchester venue – artist development schemes
Artist International Development FundThe Yard – London – open calls for new work
British Council
Edinburgh Fringe Emerging Producers’ Programme
Useful documents
Applying for Grants for Arts funding – guide
Venues North – Routes In – a guide to getting programmed in the North
Arts Council England – Information Sheets on how to apply for Arts Council funding
VIDEO: Artists answer the question ‘What does it take to write a successful arts application’ by Paula Varjack
Venues North – Routes In – a guide to getting programmed in the North
Arts Council England – Information Sheets on how to apply for Arts Council funding
VIDEO: Artists answer the question ‘What does it take to write a successful arts application’ by Paula Varjack
Groups
Leadership & Advice
Contemporary arts organisations in Blackpool
Grundy Art Gallery (visual art)
Abingdon Studios (visual art)
Form Blackpool (performance & theatre)
LeftCoast (mixed arts)
Grand Theatre (dance: has a contemporary dance programme and NPO status for it, besides a traditional theatre programme)
Fylde Coast Youth Dance (young people)
Supercollidor (visual art)
Art B and B (visual art)
Bootleg Social (music)
UNIT (visual art)
Abingdon Studios (visual art)
Form Blackpool (performance & theatre)
LeftCoast (mixed arts)
Grand Theatre (dance: has a contemporary dance programme and NPO status for it, besides a traditional theatre programme)
Fylde Coast Youth Dance (young people)
Supercollidor (visual art)
Art B and B (visual art)
Bootleg Social (music)
UNIT (visual art)
More arts organisations in Blackpool
Altruism (creative social network)
Winter Gardens Film Festival
Aunty SocialAlt Blackpool (culltural magazine)
Blackpool LibrariesElectric Sunshine Project (community theatre)
Blackpool University (university of creative arts)
Phil Winston’s Theatreworks (dance & musical theatre, commercial training)
Musica Lirica OperaBlott Studios (visual art)Blackpool SpeakeasyCVS (support to community, voluntary and faith organisations)Blackpool Museum (coming soon)Rock Hard Music Studios
Skool of Street (dance)
Tramshed (theatre company, satellite of Chickenshed)
ICAN – independent network
Heritage Blackpool
Blackpool Civic Trust (heritage and civic activities)
Funny Girls (burlesque cabaret showbar)
03/01/2018
Windsor Ambassador Supremus Tenor Banjo in The Whirle range (registration number 450220) - Renovation Project
Following a prompt from an old mate, I decided to dig out my rather tired and neglected Tenor Banjo and renovate it. I found this reference to the actual model, much to my surprise.
I am in the process of renovating a Windsor Ambassador Supremus Tenor Banjo one of the Whirle range with the registration number 450220. This number appears to refer to the model rather than the individual instrument. The banjo was given to me by my Jazz crazy friend, fellow Guinness drinker, founder and leader of the Wyre Levee Jazz Men, the late, lamented, Dr. Andy Gardner. I hate to admit it but at the time it was just a banjo to me. I had not really taken much notice of its pedigree, hitherto.
When I gave up playing in the band the banjo found itself consigned to a shelf at the back of the garage, since when it has moved house twice. I feel really guilty for not knowing more about it as an instrument, and for having so badly neglected it.
However, prompted by the Facebook post from a friend, to a link of Blind James Campbell and the Nashville Street Band performing "John Henry" I was prompted to dig it out and get stuck into renovating it. I have ordered a new calfskin head and a new set of strings, so watch this space.
Here are a few photographs of the parts of the banjo in their present state.
The photographs speak for themselves, the split head, the missing head tensioning hooks (3) as well as the manufactures badge and the patented Pyxe tailpiece. The original nickel plating is quite badly corroded and the woodwork shows a few knocks and bangs. But all in all, it is perfectly repairable and I hope to have it sympathetically restored fairly quickly subject to finding a few missing bits.
For those who may be interested there is a brief history of the banjo in the BBC project "A History of the World - In 100 Objects" web page. One of the objects being a Winsor Tenor Banjo. Follow this link to find out more.
The Tenor Banjo is used extensively in both Irish traditional music and Traditional Jazz. It has a shorter scale than the G Banjo, and 4 strings tuned CGDA, but it is common for Irish musicians to retune down to GDAE using thicker strings. Used in jazz and popular music earlier this century, the tenor banjo has 4 strings and is usually tuned CGDA.
Tenor banjo should not be confused with plectrum style which was used much like the tenor but has a longer neck (22 frets) and a different tuning. Jazz players like the extra frets because they can use the same chord shapes and patterns in different positions. The Plectrum Banjo or 4-String G banjo has the same tuning and neck length as a 5-string G banjo but omits the 5th string. The lack of a 5th string peg facilitates quick thumb movement up and down the neck and as the neck is longer than on the tenor banjo a lot more chord inversions are available to the jazz player.
I am in the process of renovating a Windsor Ambassador Supremus Tenor Banjo one of the Whirle range with the registration number 450220. This number appears to refer to the model rather than the individual instrument. The banjo was given to me by my Jazz crazy friend, fellow Guinness drinker, founder and leader of the Wyre Levee Jazz Men, the late, lamented, Dr. Andy Gardner. I hate to admit it but at the time it was just a banjo to me. I had not really taken much notice of its pedigree, hitherto.
When I gave up playing in the band the banjo found itself consigned to a shelf at the back of the garage, since when it has moved house twice. I feel really guilty for not knowing more about it as an instrument, and for having so badly neglected it.
However, prompted by the Facebook post from a friend, to a link of Blind James Campbell and the Nashville Street Band performing "John Henry" I was prompted to dig it out and get stuck into renovating it. I have ordered a new calfskin head and a new set of strings, so watch this space.
Here are a few photographs of the parts of the banjo in their present state.
The photographs speak for themselves, the split head, the missing head tensioning hooks (3) as well as the manufactures badge and the patented Pyxe tailpiece. The original nickel plating is quite badly corroded and the woodwork shows a few knocks and bangs. But all in all, it is perfectly repairable and I hope to have it sympathetically restored fairly quickly subject to finding a few missing bits.
For those who may be interested there is a brief history of the banjo in the BBC project "A History of the World - In 100 Objects" web page. One of the objects being a Winsor Tenor Banjo. Follow this link to find out more.
The Tenor Banjo is used extensively in both Irish traditional music and Traditional Jazz. It has a shorter scale than the G Banjo, and 4 strings tuned CGDA, but it is common for Irish musicians to retune down to GDAE using thicker strings. Used in jazz and popular music earlier this century, the tenor banjo has 4 strings and is usually tuned CGDA.
Tenor banjo should not be confused with plectrum style which was used much like the tenor but has a longer neck (22 frets) and a different tuning. Jazz players like the extra frets because they can use the same chord shapes and patterns in different positions. The Plectrum Banjo or 4-String G banjo has the same tuning and neck length as a 5-string G banjo but omits the 5th string. The lack of a 5th string peg facilitates quick thumb movement up and down the neck and as the neck is longer than on the tenor banjo a lot more chord inversions are available to the jazz player.
01/01/2018
Large Format Photography - School of Arts Loughborough University
I found the Photography Blog of Ben Dolman & Alan Duncan who are from the School of the Arts at Loughborough University when looking for information about Wet Plate photography. The Blog is a great resource for almost all things photography but particularly analogue and alternative photography.
I was attracted at first by their Build a 10x8 Large Format camera articles but soon discovered lots of other goodies. I suggest you follow the link http://cdtp-photography.blogspot.co.uk/ and discover a well constructed and written Blog that is cram packed full of info and ideas for yourself. Happy reading...
I was attracted at first by their Build a 10x8 Large Format camera articles but soon discovered lots of other goodies. I suggest you follow the link http://cdtp-photography.blogspot.co.uk/ and discover a well constructed and written Blog that is cram packed full of info and ideas for yourself. Happy reading...
06/11/2017
Enlarge Photos Better than Photoshop - Free Software
Re-posted from PetaPixel
Upscaling a photograph always means trading resolution for size. And while Photoshop’s “preserve details” scaling does a pretty good job, there’s a freeware program called “A Sharper Scaling” that can do it even better.
The program—which is available for Windows users only, sorry Apple folks—was developed by Steffen Gerlach, and on his website he compares it to Bicubic Interpolation (BI), BI and sharpening, and Photoshop Preserve Details with noise reduction set to zero.
Even in the small comparison images there, the difference is obvious. Here’s just one of the samples he uses. From left to right, it shows 150% scaling using bicubic interpolation, BI + sharpen, Photoshop Preserve Details, and finally, A Sharper Scaling:
Click image to enlarge
The difference is a bit more obvious when upscaling a graphic, shown here at 200% in the same order as above:
Click image to enlarge
If you’re a Windows user, there’s really no reason not to give this simple program a shot. When you open it up, you’ll be greeted by a very simple interface that will let you use your own image or try out one of three sample images provided for you so you can see just how much better the program is than traditional algorithms.
After that it’s as easy as uploading a photo, selecting the scale size or upscale percentage, and letting the program do its thing.
To learn more or download the freeware for yourself (it’s compatible with Windows 7 and up) head over to the Sharper Scaling website or by clicking here for download
I have tried it and it seems to work very well.
Upscaling a photograph always means trading resolution for size. And while Photoshop’s “preserve details” scaling does a pretty good job, there’s a freeware program called “A Sharper Scaling” that can do it even better.
The program—which is available for Windows users only, sorry Apple folks—was developed by Steffen Gerlach, and on his website he compares it to Bicubic Interpolation (BI), BI and sharpening, and Photoshop Preserve Details with noise reduction set to zero.
Even in the small comparison images there, the difference is obvious. Here’s just one of the samples he uses. From left to right, it shows 150% scaling using bicubic interpolation, BI + sharpen, Photoshop Preserve Details, and finally, A Sharper Scaling:
Click image to enlarge
The difference is a bit more obvious when upscaling a graphic, shown here at 200% in the same order as above:
Click image to enlarge
If you’re a Windows user, there’s really no reason not to give this simple program a shot. When you open it up, you’ll be greeted by a very simple interface that will let you use your own image or try out one of three sample images provided for you so you can see just how much better the program is than traditional algorithms.
After that it’s as easy as uploading a photo, selecting the scale size or upscale percentage, and letting the program do its thing.
To learn more or download the freeware for yourself (it’s compatible with Windows 7 and up) head over to the Sharper Scaling website or by clicking here for download
I have tried it and it seems to work very well.
05/11/2017
How to rebuild the Picasa database
It is sad that Google have, in their wisdom, withdrawn support for Picasa. Picasa is/was a simple but effective image database and editing software.
While in the middle of a job of sorting out a selection of images from my vast back catalogue of images, Picas crashed with a database corruption error. The simple answer to the problem would have been to uninstall and reinstall Picasa. Unfortunately, the software is no longer available. or at least so it would appear from a quick search on line.
I searched for a solution and came up with the following web page on Photos Resources - How to rebuild the Picasa database.
A number of options are offered but Method A requires reinstalling the programme which wasn't an option so I followed Method B. I have to report Method B worked for me. For the record, I was using Windows 10.
In case the page disappears I reproduce it here, with thanks to the original author.
The alternate, safer way (Method B)
Advantages:
Safer because you can go back to your previous database if you don't like the results.
It is not necessary to reinstall Picasa or tell it which folders to watch if they were already defined.
Most Face Names will be restored due to keeping the database Contacts.xml file.
Disadvantages:
Requires some familiarity with Windows operations and knowledge of "Windows Explorer" including ability to select, copy, paste, and delete files.
See Limitations on Rebuilding (above) for limitations to any method of rebuilding the Picasa Database.
Database Rebuild Procedure:
1) Close Picasa.
2) Navigate to the Google application data folder on your computer. There are numerous ways to get there; here are 3 methods:
Press the "Windows button" on your keyboard (sometimes labeled "Start") plus the R key - to open the Run screen.
Click the round "Start" button (lower left corner of your desktop) (to find the search box).
Open Windows Explorer and paste the appropriate path below into the path field; press Enter.
Paste the appropriate path below (depending on your operating system) into the Run screen or into the Start search box:
Windows XP: %userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\
Windows Vista / Windows 7 / Windows 8 / Windows 10: %LocalAppData%\Google\
3) In the Google folder, you'll see two folders that have "Picasa" in the folder name: "Picasa2" and "Picasa2Albums.
(Note that these folders have Picasa2 in their folder name even though the program is Picasa3)
You will now copy those two folders, so that you have a backup. Here's how to copy the two folders:
Right-click on the Picasa2 folder and select Copy, then right-click again into an empty space in the Google folder and select Paste.
Copying could take a long time (for example, 30 minutes or more) if you have a large collection of pictures. The copied folder will be named "Picasa2 - Copy"
Repeat the copy and paste process with the Picasa2Albums folder. The copied folder will be named "Picasa2Albums - Copy"
These two "- Copy" folders are your backup copy of the Picasa database.
4) In this step, you will be doing some deletions of database files.
In the Google folder, double-click on the "Picasa2" folder to open it, then double-click the "db3" folder to view the database files.
Read carefully: You will now delete all the database files in the db3 folder except these three files:
scanlist.txt
thumbindex.db
thumbs_index.db
5) Start Picasa... and wait... it will probably take an hour or more to scan your pictures and about 2 hours per 10,000 pictures to rescan the face tags.
(it will rescan the faces, but Picasa will see that you tagged them already and assign the correct name automatically).
Note: 1. You May get a couple of CBlock errors when Picasa starts, Just answer OK to each.
2. If Picasa fails to start follow Picasa Fails to Start Using Alternate Method B directions below.
6) Evaluate the results long enough to be sure you are happy with the newly rebuilt database.
If the rebuilt database is not satisfactory, and you want to roll back to what you had before the rebuild, follow Roll Back to Previous Database directions below.
If the rebuilt database is satisfactory, you may want to delete the backup copy of the previous database, see Remove Previous Database directions below.
End of Procedure
Roll Back to Previous Database after trying Alternate Method B: If you don't like the results after the rebuild you can roll back to your old database by following these steps:
1) Close Picasa.
2) Navigate to the Google folder as in Step 2 of Method B above.
One way to do that: Open the "Run" window by pushing the "Windows button" (sometimes labeled "Start") + R
Paste the appropriate path below:
Windows XP: %userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\
Windows Vista / Windows 7 / Windows 8: %LocalAppData%\Google\
3) There are four folders named Picasa2, Picasa2Albums, Picasa2 - Copy, and Picasa2Albums - Copy.
The 2 "- Copy" folders are the Backup of the "Old" database that was saved before the rebuild.
The Picasa2 and Picasa2Albums folders are "New" database that was generated by the rebuild procedure.
If the two "- Copy" folders are not there, it is not possible to roll back to the Old Database.
If you want to Keep a copy of the "New" database in case you want to try it again, rename the Picasa2 folder to Picasa2_new, and the Picasa2Albums folder to Picasa2Albums_new.
If you are sure you don't want to keep the "New" database you just generated, delete the 2 folders Picasa2, and Picasa2Albums.
Right-click on the "Picasa2 - Copy" folder and rename it to "Picasa2"
Right-click on the "Picasa2Albums - Copy" folder and rename it to "Picasa2Albums"
4) Start Picasa. It should start up immediately in the condition it was before the rebuild. There may be minor scanning if photos were added or changed.
End of Procedure
Remove Previous Database after using the Alternate Method B:If you like the results after the rebuild you can remove the unneeded previous database by following these steps:
1) Open the "Run" window by pushing the "Windows button" (sometimes labeled "Start") + R
Paste the appropriate path below:
Windows XP: %userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\
Windows Vista / Windows 7 / Windows 8: %LocalAppData%\Google\
2) There are four folders with "Picasa" in the folder name: Picasa2 , Picasa2Albums, Picasa2 - Copy, and Picasa2Albums - Copy.
Delete the two folders "Picasa2 - Copy" and "Picasa2Albums - Copy".
If the two "- Copy" folders are not there, the previous database was already removed.
End of Procedure
Picasa Fails to Start Using Alternate Method B:In Alternate Method B Step 5, Picasa could fail to Start if there is a critical error in a remaining Database file,
or if there are errors in the Watched folders list.
If Picasa fails to start or finds no photos, do the following:
1) Close Picasa.
2) Navigate to the Google folder on your computer. There are numerous ways to get there; here are 3 methods:
Press the "Windows button" on your keyboard (sometimes labeled "Start") plus the R key - to open the Run screen.
Click the round "Start" button (lower left corner of your desktop) (to find the search box).
Open Windows Explorer and paste the appropriate path below into the path field; press Enter.
Paste the appropriate path below (depending on your operating system) into the Run screen or into the Start search box:
Windows XP: %userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\
Windows Vista / Windows 7 / Windows 8: %LocalAppData%\Google\
3) In the Google folder, you have previously copied the folders named: "Picasa2" and "Picasa2Albums, so you should already have the two - Copy folders for backup.
4) In the Google folder, double-click on the "Picasa2" folder to open it, then right-click the "db3" folder and delete it.
5) Start Picasa. You will see a welcome page asking you if you want to scan everything or only My Pictures. Select Only My Pictures. You will see another page asking you about Photo Viewer. Select 'Don't Use Picasa Photo Viewer, you can enable it later if you want it.
6) Picasa will now start scanning for photos and folders ... it will probably take an hour to scan your pictures and about 2 hours per 10.000 pictures to rescan the face tags...
7) If you want to decide which folders Picasa should scan, then after Picasa starts scanning, go to the top menu Tools -> Folder Manager. In the Folder and drive tree on the left set all drives and folders except any you have photos in to "Remove from Picasa", and click OK. Then go back in to the Tools -> Folder Manager, and set any folders you want to see in Picasa to "Scan Always".. and click the OK button to continue scanning including any newly selected folders.
End of Procedure
12/10/2017
The 5 best free alternatives to Windows DVD Maker
As Windows DVD Maker software is no longer available FREE with Windows 10 I needed to find alternative software for authoring DVD's.
I found a useful review on the Digital Citizen website. They list 5 options some of which can be used on a variety of platforms. I was interested in Windows software.
Digital Citizen Conclusion
These are the best free alternatives we've found for Microsoft's Windows DVD Maker. While any of these five can do the job, our opinion is that the best are DVD Styler, WinX DVD Author and DeVeDe. These are the apps with the largest number of DVD customizing features, they support a wide range of video and audio input formats, can embed subtitles and let you design your own custom menus. Furthermore, they’re also honest software: they don’t try to install unwanted programs on your computer, nor do they ask you to pay money in order to utilize them fully.
I had previously used DVD Flick but found the menu authoring options rather poor as did DC but it worked well as a video to DVD converter.
To see full reviews and to DOWNLOAD the software go to Digital Citizen website. Its clean and appears free from adware traps etc but as always be cautious about anything you download.
I will report back on my experience.
UPDATE...
I started by downloading DVD Styler. Warning you are offered FREE software during the download, make sure you tick the right boxes if you don't want it and who does...
UPDATE 2...
I gave up on all these options and went back to using Picturestoexe a very versatile piece of software used by photographers for making slideshows or AV presentations. The software includes a powerful video editing and authoring module. I had forgotten however that DVD's are low resolution. Wasted a lot of time on that problem.
LINK https://www.digitalcitizen.life/best-free-alternatives-windows-dvd-maker
I found a useful review on the Digital Citizen website. They list 5 options some of which can be used on a variety of platforms. I was interested in Windows software.
- DVD Styler
- WinX DVD Author
- DeVeDe
- DVD Flick
- Freemake Video Converter
Digital Citizen Conclusion
These are the best free alternatives we've found for Microsoft's Windows DVD Maker. While any of these five can do the job, our opinion is that the best are DVD Styler, WinX DVD Author and DeVeDe. These are the apps with the largest number of DVD customizing features, they support a wide range of video and audio input formats, can embed subtitles and let you design your own custom menus. Furthermore, they’re also honest software: they don’t try to install unwanted programs on your computer, nor do they ask you to pay money in order to utilize them fully.
I had previously used DVD Flick but found the menu authoring options rather poor as did DC but it worked well as a video to DVD converter.
To see full reviews and to DOWNLOAD the software go to Digital Citizen website. Its clean and appears free from adware traps etc but as always be cautious about anything you download.
I will report back on my experience.
UPDATE...
I started by downloading DVD Styler. Warning you are offered FREE software during the download, make sure you tick the right boxes if you don't want it and who does...
UPDATE 2...
I gave up on all these options and went back to using Picturestoexe a very versatile piece of software used by photographers for making slideshows or AV presentations. The software includes a powerful video editing and authoring module. I had forgotten however that DVD's are low resolution. Wasted a lot of time on that problem.
LINK https://www.digitalcitizen.life/best-free-alternatives-windows-dvd-maker
Large space before footnotes in MS Word
While formatting the template I used for my PhD Thesis I came across the problem of bizzar formatting of the footer when footnotes were inserted. The problem could occur for no apparent reason. However, I discovered this fix which works. I acknowledge the source - Jess Writes Words - I reproduce the post in full...
It’s frustrating having programs screw up on you when there’s a pressing deadline to meet. Today while editing my 40-page behemoth of a PW report (before adding all figures, tables and double-spacing and enlarging the fonts) I was unlucky enough to encounter this issue:
After the footnote divider line, but before the footnotes themselves, there would be a huge expanse of blank space. It was wreaking havoc on my formatting and turning all my tables into multiple-paged impossible-to-read clusters of cells.
Turns out this is caused by something called a footnote separator which you have to go to Draft mode (under the View tab in MS Word 07 and up) to edit it.
Go to the View tab, then choose Draft.
Go to the References tab and click Show Footnotes. (On Macs, go to View > Footnotes – thanks to commenter Gerard for spotting this)
In the drop-down list that appears in the Footnotes area, choose Footnote Separator.
Delete any extra spaces, carriage returns etc. It’s handy to have “show non-printing characters” switched on.
Repeat for the other one – I think it was Continuous Footnote Separator.
Go back to View and switch back to Print Layout.
It’s gone!
LINK
Quick Fix: Large space before footnotes in MS Word
Posted on 25 September 2010It’s frustrating having programs screw up on you when there’s a pressing deadline to meet. Today while editing my 40-page behemoth of a PW report (before adding all figures, tables and double-spacing and enlarging the fonts) I was unlucky enough to encounter this issue:
After the footnote divider line, but before the footnotes themselves, there would be a huge expanse of blank space. It was wreaking havoc on my formatting and turning all my tables into multiple-paged impossible-to-read clusters of cells.
Turns out this is caused by something called a footnote separator which you have to go to Draft mode (under the View tab in MS Word 07 and up) to edit it.
Go to the View tab, then choose Draft.
Go to the References tab and click Show Footnotes. (On Macs, go to View > Footnotes – thanks to commenter Gerard for spotting this)
In the drop-down list that appears in the Footnotes area, choose Footnote Separator.
Delete any extra spaces, carriage returns etc. It’s handy to have “show non-printing characters” switched on.
Repeat for the other one – I think it was Continuous Footnote Separator.
Go back to View and switch back to Print Layout.
It’s gone!
LINK
07/04/2017
VLMC, Open Source Video Editing
Reblogged from CDM Create Digital Music
Open Source Video Editing from VLC Creators – QuickTime Pro Replacement?
Get VLMC
http://cdm.link/2010/01/vlmc-open-source-video-editing-from-vlc-creators/
https://code.videolan.org/videolan/vlmc
Now, the VLC folks are readying a companion to their player called VLMC. It’s in a very early state, but it could be the editor you’re missing. And VLMC is part of an all-out onslaught to finally bring open video to the masses. VLC is based on FFMPEG, which is not the most developer-friendly video framework (though it is very capable and fast).
Open Source Video Editing from VLC Creators – QuickTime Pro Replacement?
Get VLMC
http://cdm.link/2010/01/vlmc-open-source-video-editing-from-vlc-creators/
https://code.videolan.org/videolan/vlmc
Now, the VLC folks are readying a companion to their player called VLMC. It’s in a very early state, but it could be the editor you’re missing. And VLMC is part of an all-out onslaught to finally bring open video to the masses. VLC is based on FFMPEG, which is not the most developer-friendly video framework (though it is very capable and fast).
20/03/2017
How to Embed a PDF file in to a Blogger Blog using Google Drive
One of our readers requested us to
figure out how they can embed PDFs in their Blogger blog. There are many
ways through which we can embed PDFs or other documents like Microsoft
Word, Spreadsheets, PowerPoint Slides, and Excel Spreadsheets into our
Blogger Blog. However, Google Docs is probably the most authentic and
reliable way of embedding the PDF documents in a website. Therefore,
today in this article, we will show you How to Embed PDFs or any other
documents in Blogger Blog Posts.
First, go to https://drive.google.com
and Sign in into your Gmail or Google account so that you have the
admin privilege to the documents that would upload from your system hard
drive.
After signing in to your Google account, the next thing is to upload a
PDF file from your system hard drive. On pressing the upload icon from
the left side panel a drop down menu will pop out which would consist of
two options i.e. File and Folder. Just select “File” and head to the
next step.
How to fix Google Chrome Icon Missing From Taskbar (Windows 7 + 10)
Short description:
1. Start Google chrome
2. Right click new page icon on taskbar, locate Google Chrome from the bottom, right click and choose Properties
3. Click Change icon, you will receive Windows missing file message, close it.
4. Click browse and locate your Google Chrome installation folder
C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application (Windows 7 32bit)
C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application (Windows 7 64bit)
5. Choose Chrome.exe file and select the icon.
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