DeVeDeNG

DeVeDeNG

I have been looking for a program to help create DVDs from movie files. I have found a program via the Debian users mailing list called DeVeDe which is really easy to use.

Installing devede and other related packages.

Firstly you need to install the software with

apt install devede

In general I use brassero to record the cd / dvd

apt install brassero

I have also used youtube-dl to download youtube videos for off line viewing.

apt install youtube-dl

What next.

Firstly you need to create a new directory within your system /home structure, then download a video. This can take some time depending on how long the video is that you’re downloading, the speed of your connection and other factors.

Once done you can use Devede to create your DVD.

Under Debian this can be found on the Sound and Video menu folder as DeVeDeNG

We want to create a DVD video so select the first option in this menu.

You are then presented with :

Now click add

From here navigate and select files to add to your dvd.

You will then be taken back to the main window.

We can now set up a menu, the create menu with the titles is ticked, by default so if you now click menu options:

We can fine tune our dvd menu.

If you are adding more than 1 video you may want to check the play all option. You also need a menu title. The other options are about customizing the look and feel of your dvd. Once you are happy with this. press OK to go back to the main screen and press forward.

You can now select where to save your ISO file. The default seems to be /home/user/movie, which is probably fine. Note that this folder should be EMPTY if not anything within this will be erased. I changed my folder to movie2 to be on the safe side.

Once the process is complete you will have an ISO file You also have an option to burn this to a DVD, in which case your default burner software will open. This part is beyond the scope of this post. I will do a separate post for that

Once you have an ISO you can open it in VLC player (for example) and test it works OK and you’re happy with everything you can navigate to where you saved your iso file, right click and in my case I would open in Brasero.

REFERENCES

• Free Software Foundation

TAGS

#YearOfTheFediverse,#DeVeDeNG,#DVD,#Creation

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

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TeX Live Road Map

Posting this, for anyone interested in the 2021 TeXLive Roadmap to release.

TeX Live is intended to be a straightforward way to get up and running with the TeX document production system. It provides a comprehensive TeX system with binaries for most flavors of Unix, including GNU/Linux, macOS, and also Windows. It includes all the major TeX-related programs, macro packages, and fonts that are free software, including support for many languages around the world. Many operating systems provide it via their own distributions. 

Read more

Plan for TeX Live 2021:
15feb: candidate/final sources committed, test builds begin.
28feb: tlnet (and TL'20) frozen, tlpretest starts, CTAN updates continue there.
15mar: code freeze for final build, major bug fixes only.
27mar: final updates from CTAN, final doc tweaks.
29mar: deliver TL image for TeX Collection packaging/testing.
5apr: deliver TeX Collection DVD image for manufacturing.
10apr: public release (also of MacTeX).
June?: delivery of DVDs to members. 

#texlive,#latex,#roadmap,release2021,#ctan,#typesetting, #packages,#install,#mactex,#windows,#linux,#document, #creation

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Creating an archive

In order to submit levels for rocks and diamonds, I needed to archive all the levels together. Under Debian 10 xarchiver, is one tool that can be used for this.

It should be a case of

1. Goto folder with files in
2. Select all files you would like to add
3. right click on one of the selected files and select create archive

I have added a short video below, other than the slight hiccup with selecting the files, this will produce a tar.gz archive file.

#Debian,#Buster,#xfce,#xfce4,#archive,#xarchiver,#creation.

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Overleaf Webinar 30th July 2020

Todays Overleaf webinar covers How to Create Professional Looking Documents In-House

Date : Thursday 30 July Times (UTC): 11:00am ET/3:00pm UTC/08:00am PT

Sign up for free here

#Overleaf, #webinar, #files, #professional, #document, #creation

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Rocks and Diamonds – Level Creation 3

Placing the same element, multiple times, in the playing area, in random positions.

As mentioned my previous post I am going to briefly discuss random placement of elements on the playing area.

It is important this point to stress that the game editor will randomly place the selected element multiple times, and NOT just place random elements on the playing area.

On the game editor find the following block.

Within this there is a random placement button, depicted by a dice. Select this:

If you now click on one of the game elements for example a green emerald, and press the dice the editor will place several on the playing area.

You don't need to keep everything where the editor puts it, feel free to delete and add others manually elsewhere, but where you need lots of one thing it may help.

This is one of the features you end up wishing you had known about, especially when you have spent weeks, creating levels by manually placing the items multiple times.

Don't for get to add your exit block manually.

Placing lines of blocks.

The third button in, is a line drawing tool. As this sort of relates to the above, I will cover this too. Pressing the line button and then selecting, for example a wall element, you can draw straight lines. This makes it quicker and easier to draw longer walls or even mazes for example.

Links

• Personal Level Set
• Rocksndiamonds

#games, #levels, #rocksndiamonds, #level,#creation,#codeclub, #random

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Licenced under Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

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Rocks and Diamonds – Level Creation 2

Further to previous post you can see that creating levels for Rocksndiamonds is fairly simple.

I would like to share the following tips for any budding level designers:

• Start simple
  • Experiment with different game elements
  • Add new elements as you create new levels
  • Don't overwhelm users or players
• Testing levels
  • Self test levels
  • Get others to test
  • Get feedback
  • Consider any feedback
  • Act on feedback
• Set the time so that there is :
  • Enough time to complete the level
  • Have a few seconds left over
  • Set time once level is completed
• Mix it up
  • Start simple and work up to more complex levels
  • As you create more complex levels throw in a simple level

• Make use of the game editor features to save time such as:

  • Random element placement (discussed in next post)
  • You can draw lines
  • Shapes
  • Fill feature, don't add 25+ blocks manually

• Have fun

• Take regular break

• Stop and comeback later, this gives a fresh view

• Submit and share levels with the game developers, they can be part of the game level archive

  • If doing this, remember to follow online safety rules
    • Ask permission from an adult
    • Make sure you have not included your name or contact info in any levels
    • Follow any guidelines for submitting levels
      
      

Links

• Personal Level Set
• Rocksndiamonds

#games, #levels, #rocksndiamonds, #level,#creation,#codeclub

You can find me on Friendica at zleap@social.isurf.ca

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Licenced under Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

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Rocks and Diamonds – Level Creation 1

We have Rocksndiamonds installed at the library for Code Club.

I am going to write a series of tutorials on level creation. Firstly a very basic how to create a simple level.

When you load the game you are presented with the main menu.

The two items we are concerned about here are :

LevelSet and the screen at the bottom. This screenshot shows level 12 with a preview at the bottom of the menu. This is part of my own level set.

If you click on LevelSet you get the following

Select custom and make sure this is set to 1, which it will be by default. Now LevelSet will read 001

CREATING A LEVEL

If you now click on Level Creator You get a similar screen to that below: ( this is one of my own levels you will get a blank playing area with just the brown sand)

I have already created a very basic level here. We can explore how this is done.

Firstly the default level created is huge usually 128x128, this is too big for what we need. On the right hand side there are lots of options. Clicking on CONF:

Brings up the level properties.

For this level we are going to set

• Size to 8 x 8
• Gems to collect to 4

Press Escape to return to the editor area.

For a level to work we need at least 2 items.

Exit door

Emeralds to collect

If you click on the item to select, then click on the level to place it on the playing area.

Press Enter to test.

Press Escape to go back to the editor, you now need to save your new level. Click SAVE, this can be found in the same panel area as conf

Answer yes. Your level is now saved.

Pressing esc from the editor takes you back to the main menu. The new level will be shown at the bottom.

So adding a new level is pretty easy.

You may want to create your own level set as the above adds to an existing level set.

Links

• Personal Level Set
• Rocksndiamonds

Location of level files in different Operating systems.

• Linux – ~/.rocksndiamonds/levels
• Windows –
• Mac

Note : The file levelinfo.conf is important without this the levels won't show up when you copy them to a new location.

#games, #levels, #rocksndiamonds, #level,#creation,#codeclub

You can find me on Friendica at zleap@social.isurf.ca

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