It was a perfect match. I get to use one of my primary tools, the awesome Unity engine,&nbsp; to develop a handful of projects for a permanent installation at a Long Island state park. Some projects were slated for either a rack mount Windows machine or a <a href="https://www.brightsign.biz/">BrightSign</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I love the idea of a BrightSign, a small device without the overhead of Windows to drive some interactive content. I did some simple tests and gave the OK to use these as playback devices for a number of projects for this installation. In Unity, the ease was to switch platforms from Standalone to WebGL simply by clicking a button (sort of).&nbsp;Of course there would be some tinkering of settings and some content adjustments to get it to work just like a native standalone application. But if I could build it and run it from the <a href="https://www.google.com/chrome/">Chrome browser</a> on my machine, then what would be this issue of running it on a BrightSign which uses a modified, older version of <a href="https://www.chromium.org/Home">Chromium</a>. Let’s do this.&nbsp;The first issue that was solved by the standard web (<a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/66708598/unity-webgl-build-on-brightsign-player-stuck-loading">Stackoverflow</a>) search was to change the publish setting -&gt; Gzip to fix the BrightSign from loading the Unity WebGL instance.&nbsp;&nbsp;Wait. There’s another issue. Why aren’t the external PNGs or MP4s loading up? I like to load&nbsp; graphics, videos, and text externally. I’ve been doing it for decades; starting withXML and now of course, it’s all about a good ‘ole JSON file. BrightSign was thrilled to load the external JSON file, but not so much the external media files.&nbsp; Hours (maybe days) were spent on debugging with the thought that it must be a file system thing but when you have a deadline, you get to a point where you have to change course. I tried to embed the media files, but Unity WebGL ain’t having that.&nbsp;&nbsp;Here’s a solution that failed -&gt;&nbsp; export the media as image sequences, then bring the sequences into Unity as an animation. Nice! After pushing the WebGL files to the BrightSign, the animation sequences did some world class flickering. Not so nice! I debugged and the BrightSign engine did not like the RGB Compression on the image sequence. This was starting to make me unhappy. I tried to adjust it to a compression scheme to make the BrightSign happy, but Unity took forever during the bundling and compression process and that caused Unity to “not respond”.&nbsp;&nbsp;One of the many things I’ve learned over the years is that there are many paths to get to a destination. When it became obvious, it was revealed that the Unity -&gt; WebGL -&gt; BrightSign work path was not going to work. What could work? In BrightAuthor, the tool used to develop and push ‘apps’ to BrightSign players, there is an option to build an HTML presentation. So here I am doing the ‘pivot’ from a Unity WebGL app to a&nbsp; Hypertext Markup Language, (HTML) + Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) + Javascript (how did this get built in 10 days?) project.&nbsp;

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Unity + BrightSign, part 1

You can buy one from the big box stores or local garden nurseries. It is not until you select a small tree, make decisions as to which branch or root remains, when it becomes official, personal. This is my first bonsai. I have a prelude with two attempts before this juniper; first to transform a dwarf Christmas tree (a gift from our real estate agent) and the big box mini pine tree into a bonsai.&nbsp;Both died - the first after heavy-handed clipping, the other after neglected watering and locked in the original planter pot.&nbsp;The lesson was noted. My First Bonsai - inside for a day I was there at the <a href="https://minnesotabonsaisociety.org/">Minnesota Bonsai Society</a> novice spring class. There were dozens of trees and this one spoke to me. In a cycle of searching, pruning, wiring, uncertainty, and just running out of time, I arrived at the end of this session. Did I cut too much? Did I remove the right branches?, Does this make sense? What did I just do?&nbsp; At the end, I had my first bonsai tree. Still bright green yet open for the sun. I’m sure I followed the instructions for the critical recovery period.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The juniper is an outdoor tree.&nbsp;The location is a shaded area. Perfect. Unfortunately, the heat was on. After a week, I noticed my bright green tree was going dull brown. Like a desperate friend, I gave the tree more attention in the morning and afternoon: checking the soil, misting the browning leaves and branches, and adjusting the tree’s sun position.&nbsp;There was dieback. Could it be from over trimming, over temperature, or maybe over watering? I’m not really sure. I’m just starting out. I am not upset about the results of my 1st bonsai (helps to hear that my instructor suffered similar results with his tree from the same session).&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://roncunningham.com/backend/uploads/bonsai_0009_6e657a402d.png" alt="bonsai-0009.png" srcset="https://roncunningham.com/backend/uploads/thumbnail_bonsai_0009_6e657a402d.png 245w,https://roncunningham.com/backend/uploads/small_bonsai_0009_6e657a402d.png 500w,https://roncunningham.com/backend/uploads/medium_bonsai_0009_6e657a402d.png 750w,https://roncunningham.com/backend/uploads/large_bonsai_0009_6e657a402d.png 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>My First Bonsai - after the heat.</figcaption></figure>The bonsai lesson, unlike the gardener or one who tends to plants, these tiny trees demand daily attention. I smile at the tree as I see back budding, new growth, and a sense that the tree is going to be alright. The tree is adjusting much like me - some things die and some things grow. Isn’t that what life is about. Bonsai to continue...

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Bonsai Start

The right tool for the job. That phrase is a core principle in my work and home. Sometimes I'll explore workarounds and "creative" solutions, but when it comes to any kind of construction it is best to use the right tool. Ultimately, you will save money, time, and have better results. Recently, I have been getting a quick lesson is working with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category_6_cable">Category 6 ethernet cable</a>. I got a good deal on 1000 ft roll of CAT6 not knowing that it's not as easy to work with as CAT5 or CAT5e. It came down to the connectors. Of course I thought I could use my 15+ year old RJ45 crimper and connectors, but my cable failure rate was 75%. That's very frustrating.&nbsp;<a href="thoughts/at-home-with-category-6-part-1">I wasn't sure what to do</a>. Do I toss nearly 950 ft of CAT 6 and replace with CAT5e or do I get the right tool and connectors? Rather than going backwards, my first step was to get RJ45 connectors made for CAT6 - 23 gauge. I thought this would fix my issues. Not so much. If I were lucky, I'd get 100 Mbps from these freshly crimped cables. That's no good. I have gigabit internet and switches. 100 Mbps is a loss. Welcome to 2020!&nbsp;My next step was to watch a couple of youtube videos as well as search for new crimpers. My attention shifted to the type of connectors. I discovered the awesome invention of pass-through connectors. The issues with my original RJ-45 connectors and the ones I got for CAT6 was that the pins where not making full contact with the pairs (wires). I liked the idea behind pass-though connectors. The wires pass-though the connector and get a clean cut during the crimping process. I ordered an inexpensive kit as well as some pass-through connectors. My first cable was perfect. My switch displayed the a lovely green LED on the connected ethernet port and not the dreaded yellow! I'm running 1000 Mbps! Well sort of. You know there's overhead and all, but the pipe is wide.&nbsp;My two cents. If you decide to go with CAT 6 cable, be prepared to update your old RJ-45 crimper and get one with "pass-through" crimp/cut feature. In addition, get some RJ-45 connections and make sure the gauge of the wires (23 gauge in my case) fit and that they are pass-though. There's another type out there that keeps the wires separate while inserting into the connector. I haven't tried it, but my quick, limited experience is that the pass-through approach is super easy. Cheers.

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At Home with Category 6, part 2

If only I had known. It had been years since I crimped my last bit of ethernet cable. I've pulled and crimped many feet of category 5 (Cat5) cables from trade show floor to retail store installations. I am just getting gigabit fiber internet at home and I need to spread the speed across the house. Wi-fi is fine, but hardware connections are best. The router was brought in to the basement and I wanted to run some ethernet cable upstairs to center of the house and from to a network switch and an access point will bathe the upstairs with wireless happiness.Of course I'm thinking I should do the right thing and just grab some Category 6 (CAT 6) cable - it's a higher number (than 5) so it must be better. In this setup, I was kind of wrong. At the end of the day, it's ok, but for my experience I just need to split the difference (between CAT5 and CAT6) and go with Category 5e - the 'e' stand for enhanced. I think. The problem with CAT6 for this home install is this difficulty in getting a clean crimp using a "classic" crimping tool and RJ45 connectors. Terminating CAT5(e) is much more forgiving than CAT6 and it's not going to get you more network speed. Unless you're running 10 Gigabit network in your house, go with Cat5e. Cheers

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At Home with Category 6, part 1

<h1>Start</h1>It's been over a year. I've been searching for the right decoupled Content Management System (CMS); avoiding the obvious and exploring the limited open-source systems out in the wild world of the internet. During this time, I've gotten my feet wet in the DevOps pool and venturing in exploring <a href="https://nodejs.org/en/">Node.js</a> and app deployment to <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/">Amazon Web Services</a>.&nbsp;What is the obvious? If I were to say "More than 25% of websites on the internet run on this system (including this one)." You would know, right? <a href="https://wordpress.org/">WordPress</a> is the answer. For a creative tech, some times we want to go to the edge, only to realize we should just sit down and work with what we know.&nbsp;I know WordPress; been working it for like 15+ years. But like all the other stuff in this space, I'm continuously learning and felt compelled to go "new school". From where I stand PHP is crazy old-school while JavaScript ES6+ and Node.js are the answers to everything. This is not true. If it ain't broke don't fix it. Well in the world of JavaScript there are a ton of things broken. But I digress.<h1>Requirements&nbsp;</h1>I mentioned that the CMS work I've been tasked with has to be open-sourced. You know there's a budget. There are a number of proprietary paid services that could work, but $ is the critical deciding factor.&nbsp;The project I was working on needed to have Application Programming Interface (API) endpoints. Another developer was working on a client facing application that needs to make a call to a CMS. The CMS, my project, queries a database, the sends information back to the application - usually in the form of JSON object.&nbsp;<h1>Exploration&nbsp;</h1>A quick Google search for "Headless CMS" will reveal about 12 to 15 main players with only a handful offering open-source solutions. I think I started with <a href="https://getgrav.org/">Grav</a> - which I really liked. The flat-file system is really attractive to me. In the end it was not the right match for this project so I had to move on. I can see it being useful for a local installation without an internet connection.&nbsp;The next one I got really excited about was <a href="https://strapi.io/">Strapi</a>. It's a Node.js app and thus requires a web server that runs Node. For the well trained it's pretty awesome. There's a very active community behind it, but in the end it required too much for me to maintain. There really is some place called "Node Module Hell"! Perhaps once its out of Beta, then I'll have another go round.&nbsp;The latest one that does get all my attention is <a href="https://getcockpit.com/">Cockpit CMS</a>. It great system that checked most of the boxes on my list. It is very easy to deploy to a web server running PHP and it's all self contained. The front-end is clean and easy to use. The only challenge is the lack of documentation and examples when you need to learn how to make a change or extend it. The is a forum and a small community chiming in but at it's core, it's all the product of one person.&nbsp;<h1>Next&nbsp;</h1>That obvious answer that I mentioned earlier will be another one to consider. I believe I will return back to it. There is no getting away from WordPress. It is such an easy platform (once you understand how it works) that right out the zip file it can be used as a Headless CMS. Add some custom post type plugins or write your own, then it becomes a very useful tool in creating API endpoints.&nbsp;My next step is to do a fresh local install and play around with it. I'll keep you post. Cheers.

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Headless & Decoupled CMS

There are infinite routes in software development that lead to the same destination. Some paths are "Intellectual" while others are just "down and dirty. I'd like to think my approach is some where in the middle. Logical, but also making the deadline; going for speed, readability, and efficiently. And of course without the bugs.Over the past year, off and on, I've been updating some inherited legacy Unity 4.x code; bringing it into the latest Unity version (2019.3x). What started out as a Windows desktop app is now being published as a WebGL project. The future may also include iOS and Android deployment as well.&nbsp;The Unity Universe is vast, there are entire regions that are foreign to me and others I just have causal awareness. About two weeks ago, there was a need to simplify. With just a few bytes in my mind about Unity's <a href="https://unity.com/unity/features/editor/art-and-design/cinemachine">Cinemachine</a> I through this could be a good replacement for the existing code. I was dealing with updating old code that moved the Main Camera around a 3D game object. There were hardcoded floats and confusing <a href="https://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/Vector3.Lerp.html">Lerp</a> functions wrapped in a bunch of if/then statements.&nbsp;Once I dug into the Cinemachine tool, just after a few online tutorials I knew it was the right choice to simplify everything; just in case someone else needed to make changes with the updated code. I was delighted that I could remove a massive code block in the Update function.&nbsp;The best experience was blending, which is the ability to transition between two virtual camera positions. I geeked out not just as an interactive software developer but more so also as a film school graduate (with a focus in cinematography). Honestly it was like my first time launching Adobe After Effects 20 years ago.&nbsp;Eyes wide are open at what can be done with this tool. I'm looking forward to digging deeper and discovering what I can create with Unity's Cinemachine.&nbsp;

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Happiness with Unity's Cinemachine

There is no better time than to observe users in the wild than day one of a trade show. After setting up monitors and computers, techs must be around but not in the booth. If we’re lucky there are tables near the exhibit. During this time, I like to observe not just how users interface with machine and software but it’s also a time to reflect on what the agency and/or developer did with the software that powers those interactives.&nbsp;I have a unique perspective on the user experience when it comes to interactive software development. Of course, while designing software the overall UX and UI are of critical importance, but there is also the other person that often gets neglected. That person is the on-site tech, the one responsible to make sure the client is happy and that everything works. It’s not a glamorous role and when you think about it we are the last mile in what is usually a long distance sprint.&nbsp;Over the years, I’ve witnessed the transition from specialized interactive software development and production companies loose traction as marketing/advertising agencies create content for these trade shows, specifically Pharma trade shows. These agencies generally come from a print and/or web background. The problem is that when you take a web developer – usually front-end and have that person or team make something that runs on a desktop there is generally something that gets lost in translation.&nbsp;While I’m sitting, observing from my awesome vantage point here at Moscone West, I thought I’d jot down some items that should be considered when developing software content intended for the trade show and event circuit.&nbsp;<ul><li>While HTML5/JavaScript/CSS is a very attractive “write once, run everywhere” solution, consider wrapping it in Electron to make an executable. If it could run without a web server, that’s cool. If this bundle of joy requires a web server, it’s adds a layer of unnecessary complicity to the install. Self containment is pure happiness</li><li>Even better use AIR. Adobe Animate/Flash is still the best and fastest way of developing interactive content&nbsp;</li><li>Provide a configuration file (JSON or XML is good for this) that can:&nbsp;</li><li>Show or Hide the cursor&nbsp;</li><li>Load external content&nbsp;</li><li>Change the timeout value to go back to the attract loop&nbsp;</li><li>Suggest an attract loop for your client&nbsp;</li><li>Provide a secret button or button-click/touch scheme to quit your program.&nbsp;</li><li>Often kiosks and setups don’t have a keyboard handy which makes it difficult to hit ESC or ALT+F4.&nbsp;</li><li>Add a data tracking/capturing file and save it as JSON (preferred) or XML (old-school) file.&nbsp;</li><li>Include a README file. Give information to the tech.&nbsp;</li></ul>That’s pretty much it in a nutshell. I may come back and adjust when I get feedback from my techy friends and co-workers. I know there are many options and considerations when it comes to developing interactive software so this list might not apply to all apps, but please think about the person installing your program on-site. We all like boring, uneventful shows. Good software and installs make that possible. Which in turns makes for happy clients (that pay on time).

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Suggestions for the Event Software Developer

My first bit of coding wasn’t a webpage or application but a laserdisc controller. The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ragray.com/idc.htm">RA Gray IDC-02</a>&nbsp;was a small metal box about half the size of a standard book. &nbsp;I remember I was handed this device and told to re-engineer the functionality to an existing installation. &nbsp;I used Happ Control arcade style buttons connected to a button encoder which plugged into the IDC-02 via DB-25 connection. &nbsp;It was a hands on learning experience. I soldered a lot of RJ-11 to DB-25 serial cables making sure I got the pins correct in order to tell the Pioneer LDV-8000 Laserdisc player where to go.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://roncunningham.com/backend/uploads/idc_02_feature_updraft_pre_smush_original_bfbade2245.png" alt="idc_02_feature-updraft-pre-smush-original.png" srcset="https://roncunningham.com/backend/uploads/thumbnail_idc_02_feature_updraft_pre_smush_original_bfbade2245.png 208w,https://roncunningham.com/backend/uploads/small_idc_02_feature_updraft_pre_smush_original_bfbade2245.png 500w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>RA Gray IDC-02. Thanks for the team at RA Gray Controls Division of The White Rabbit Company, Inc for providing this image. I was sorry to hear about a fire that destroyed all their media assets for their legacy products over a decade ago.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Whenever I describe programming to someone I start off with the most basic logic statement, IF/THEN. If it is raining, then take an umbrella. That’s how I learned it back in the day. In fact I can tell you that I used it all the time. As I learned more about coding &nbsp;and various techniques my process improved.&nbsp;I’m embarrassed to say my code for this project included at least 20 or 30 different IF/THEN statements. If button five is pressed then go to and play frame 2245 on this laserdisc. I’m pleased &nbsp;to say I quickly learned more efficient logic structures such as SWITCH statements which look like this:&nbsp;What this means is that if Button Five is selected then go to frame 2245. If Button Six is pressed then go to frame 5030. The syntax could look different depending on the programming language, but the functionality is the same.&nbsp;I’ve come along way since those early years and I appreciate new techniques that are more sophisticated, modular, and efficient. On the Windows side, I’m digging into and becoming more comfortable with WPF/XAML &nbsp;DataBinding and finally getting a firm grasp of the MVVM design pattern. On the OSX/iOS side I’m receiving a long overdue re-introduction to &nbsp;Xcode and Objective-C (maybe Swift might be the answer).&nbsp;What did you do 20+ years ago? Have you improved your process? Do you smile at your growth?

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My First Code

I miss my family. It’s been nearly a week that I’ve been in Toronto. It has been the longest I’ve been away from our family since we’ve made that move from Brooklyn to the Bay Area. It feels like a time warp setting up LCD screens, computers, and moving cases from the aisle and making sure everything is working as planned. This is the work that I did back in the day before the consistent programming work. I’m grateful for the opportunity to get some cash but I also appreciate the chance to see the opportunity. If you haven’t had the chance to experience life on the road setting up trade shows, then it makes you look at going to various cities less as an adventure and more of a specialized job.&nbsp;Overall, it’s still a great experience but there is always the missing; of wife and kid. I’m in hotel and it’s quiet; without interruption and headphones on. I’m writing out ideas, developing new software, and making a master plan that involves promoting my skill set, experience, and insight. I’m not undervaluing my worth and it feels pretty damn good. With&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nightmaresonwax.com/">Nightmare on Wax</a> pumping though the headphones and the Sun making an appearance every 15 minutes or so I’m feeling the spark of a new adventure.&nbsp;I’ve been on the show floor and running into old colleges and dropping not just hints but the fact that I’m seeking work in the interactive programming and technical directing field. That was my work world before and after the ice cream business.&nbsp; When I look around other the booths and check out their content I know that I can produce better content with more ROI.Additionally for the on-site technician, I can see that some of the processes haven’t improved&nbsp; over the years. This observation has given me some ideas for some specialized software that can help the on-site tech as well as the tech company that supports the end client. I’m reminded that simplicity is beauty and there is no reason why that should not be considered in the design of even utility applications. I realize that I do care about the UI/UX experience even for the tech. That’s where I started and that’s where my heart is. Stay tuned for more…