tigert.com | my life and stuff um, what do I write here?

Free Software for Designers

So yeah. Inkscape is pretty cool. The user interface, while still needs some work, has come a long way. It is a pretty neat, capable design tool for a variety of things. Like desktop icons, or, maybe airplane paintjobs?

This is something I did for our aviation club recently. The base photo is a "blank" side view of the airplane, a Cessna Skyhawk - the same type we have on the club. I loaded it into Inkscape, and sketched the paint scheme over it with Inkscape's great bezier tool. Inkscape has layers so it was easy to "lock" the photo on the background without accidentally moving it while sketching on top.

This is definitely one of the interesting graphics applications to keep your eyes on.

If you have done print design yourself, you know the feeling when you see the first printouts of the job you worked on, sweating to get it all right and correct.. to see it on paper, in physical form. I dont know if I am weird, but it feels warm and fuzzy (given the print company did not botch it completely )

Now, to see your design, applied by a painter guy, with masking tape, and having it turn out pretty much like you originally intended, and seeing it in real life, 3D for the first time.. that is pretty cool too!

Cool things you can do with free software..

Category fun

So, I think this might be my first chance to post something that goes on both category "Aviation" and "Linux"

A battery-propelled self-starting sailplane (glider) with embedded linux controlling the lithium-ion battery pack and engine system

"The advantages" (of Linux) "are obvious -- we can modify or adapt anything we want. And we are starting to know the system well."

Pretty cool! Wish I had one of those.. Some day when I have a lot of free time (hah) I want to design graphics and usability stuff for airplane cockpit displays. On Linux.

Blue1 simply rocks.

So, I have just returned from Guadec, Stuttgart last night, expect some photos and comments soon once I get a chance to wade through the pictures I took during the event and our photo shoot session with Garrett and Tor the day after the conference.

But I wanted to say this: Blue One - the SAS-owned Finnish airline has an awesome spirit for serving the customer. Basically, my initial SAS flight from Stuttgart was delayed due to the plane being late arriving to Stuttgart - we took off about 30 minutes late I think. This resulted in a pretty quick switch in Copenhagen, I basically walked very fast to the departure gate, and the plane started to board right away, so I knew there was no way my checked in bag could make it. "They'll bring it to me tomorrow, suck, but such is life.." I thought. But I was happy to be proven wrong.

We taxied off for takeoff, and I found it peculiar that we took a rather long route to the runway - usually it has been pretty straightforward and short way until takeoff, but this time it felt a bit like a detour. Then we stopped for a moment and suddenly it all made sense: I think I heard a "thunk" from the cargo bay, and then I saw the "baggage belt" vehicle speed ahead away from the plane. They had stopped at the edge of the technical area and the ramp dude must have brought my bag into the plane - since there it was in the baggage belt in Helsinki when I arrived!

All I can say is thank you! This is one of the small things that makes me choose your company the next time as well if possible.