Topic: Ask something - We can help.

[Snarky]

Yeah, there's nothing wrong with the sentence grammatically speaking. Any objections are stylistic. Some people might think this construction is overused or just sounds silly, or they might associate it with people they look down on (e.g. teenagers, journalists). But it's not nearly as faddish as the sarcastic "Not!" (e.g. "You look great. Not!") that was popular a few years ago.

As Eric sort of hints, Oliwerko's version actually means something quite different. "... Or was it?" implies that the speaker knows but isn't telling (for now); "wasn't it?" indicates that the speaker doesn't know for sure.

[Sinsin]

Hello folks.
         recently I have started dabbling with web design and have taken it upon myself to learn HTML5. Everythings going quite well although I do have one question . I am currently using Notepad++ but can anyone recommend another stand alone HTML editor which is free and has a WYSIWYG kinda layout. I only ask for free ones as Im a beginner and dont want to spend hundreds on programmes like Expression if I cant understand it.

[Khris]

free wysiwyg html editor

Or are you looking for a specific recommendation?

[Sinsin]

If you can just have a look at the question I wrote again Khris you will note that I did insert the word "recommend". Now not to come across all harsh n stuff but is it any wonder that some people may feel that they cannot ask questions around here without having a belittling answer thrown straight in their face.. Seriously Iv lurked on these forums since 2005 and all I wanted was a recommendation and I get a not to witty smack down WTF has happened to this place ??

[abstauber]

Well, you're already using a great tool. The rest depends on what you're doing - going for some javascript or maybe php? Then you might want an IDE.

Eclipse based IDEs:
http://www.aptana.com/ (good for javascript / web 2.0 stuff)
http://www.eclipse.org/proposals/php-ide/ (obviously php )

Editors:
Beside Notepad++, there's also :
jEdit, which needs a few plugins to be usable for html
http://www.jedit.org/

This one is also pretty nice:
http://www.activestate.com/komodo-edit

In general I'd try to stay away from visual editors like Frontpage or Dreamweaver clones. But if you insist, you might find Kompozer useful
http://kompozer.net/index.php

[Khris]

Sinsin:
Sorry, but I did consider the possibility that you're looking for a specific recommendation, if YOU will read MY post again.
Also, sometimes people just ask really dumb questions. If you think that a belittling answers is never ok, let's agree to disagree.

I use Notepad++ myself and I absolutely love it. That and Firefox, Firebug and F5 are really all I need.

[Sinsin]

Thankyou peeps.
       Like I say I'm not being shitty or owt just thought that I have seen loads of questions from trolls and other noobs which have fair enough warrented a reply like "RTFM". No beef with no one everyone stay cool.
I will browse these different links when I get home from work TA

[Tuomas]

Hello dear forum,

I turn to you again on a stupid question, mainly because it should be obvious but isn't:

I bought a Dell laptop with a Windows 7 in it, which it installed immediately at startup, and set my location to Germany by default, since that's where I bought it.

I can't change my location, and this makes stuff like googling hell (I can't find any English or Finnish sites).

I heard I'd have to install Windows again anew, but I didn't get an install CD. I'm asking if you knew where I could find a bootable one. Windows 7 lets me return to the last functioning point and set to factory defaults, but all these points are *after* the installation, and what I need is a thorough format.

The MS site offers a solution if I have the CD, but doesn't say how to get it. So if anyone had an .iso or at least an idea or something. It seems all the threads I can find are at least a year old and offer no answers...

[Sinsin]

I'm sure you can change it without reinstalling. Try this

Click the circle window button ( Start.. or whatever they want to call it these days)
Click -- Control Panel
Click -- Clock, Language, Region
Click -- Region, Language
Go to Location Tab
Change Location etc.
Click Apply

DONE!! I hope 

[Khris]

Just get the iso as torrent; since you paid for the license, getting the CD is just a formality and shouldn't be illegal. Here's one: link
Then get the Windows 7 USB tool to create a bootable thumbdrive so you don't have to burn it.

[abstauber]

No need for a torrent, you can legally download the windows 7 isos from here
http://www.chip.de/artikel/Windows-7-Neu-installieren-mit-kostenlosem-ISO-2_46353200.html

[Tuomas]

Thanks a bunch guys.

Sinsin: I am aware of such option, and it's already set for Finland, which is where I am, but it stills thinks I'm German and want to browse German sites. Sigh, I can't even open English versions of the Microsoft sites because my computer thinks I'm German, and won't give me an option.

[abstauber]

You're sure that this isn't a browser setting? In Firefox you can decide which language version of a website you prefer and I bet that this option is in IE as well.

[Wyz]

I don't know if it is what you are looking for but there is actually a way to get rid of the location in the google search engine.
Just visit this link: http://www.google.com/ncr

[Tuomas]

I know it's not about the browser settings, I've been through them many times, and the same thing occurs with Firefox, Chrome and Opera.

Wyz. This seems to make a difference, although I'd rather that it changed the search into a Finnish one, when now the results are English, not a bad choise though. And the problem is, google's not the only thing thinking I'm German

[Wyz]

In that case you'll need to do this: Change the system locale

More important is that you'll need to set your location there.

[Snarky]

I'm looking for a tool to create a high-quality, cartoony looping wave animation with 3D reflections. The ones I've found are only able to do ripples; I want proper, choppy ocean waves. I'm assuming I'll need some kind of 3D app, but some guidance (w/ examples, if possible) would be appreciated.

[Anian]

I'm looking for a tool to create a high-quality, cartoony looping wave animation with 3D reflections. The ones I've found are only able to do ripples; I want proper, choppy ocean waves. I'm assuming I'll need some kind of 3D app, but some guidance (w/ examples, if possible) would be appreciated.

It'd be nice if you could give an example of something similar to what you want. You want a beach scene, or like a boat on the waves and realistic textures or cartoony ones?
Try looking through this http://www.cogfilms.com/tutorials/Blender-Seascape-Tutorial.pdf although by your description this is again not what you want. In Blender the thing should be called "Blender Ocean Sim" so find tutorials on that, otherwise it's the Fluid Simulator (but this will take some getting used to). I haven't actually been that much into Blender, so I'm not that familiar with it.

Other than those kind of waves, you'd probably have to go for a simulator of some sort (Cinema4d might have them, Houdini, or look within UDK (Unreal Development Kit), it might have a good renderer for waves and a tutorial). When you get the waves, then get the "cartoony" look with a shader. Most work is otherwise is done with texture animation, so no so much waves, but those ripples you mentioned.

[Snarky]

You can see the sort of waves I'm looking for here. There will be various objects casting light, which is why I want reflections. The cartoony part is less essential, and I can experiment with shaders and filters to get the effect I need.

[Mods]

Technology hates me. Anyone familiar with hardware, are you able to tell me what parts A, B and C are on this image of a hard drive?

Basically I plugged it into a faulty extension lead and subsequently this chip (A) inside it blew. I've trawled some threads but it's tiresome, so I'm hoping someone can just tell me straight out what I could otherwise spend 2 hours scrolling through in thread after pc tech thread. It's a Seagate Barracuda 7200 250gb. It still turns on and the light shows it's alive, but it's not spinning, PC won't recognise it, etc etc. Certain online help suggested if this "surge" were to occur then the diode would blow, but it seems that didn't happen on this occasion.

Is this salvagable? Something suggested simply replacing this chip with a bit of soldering, other things suggested it HAS to go into repair and that could cost hundreds. A friend said it's completely unsalvagable. It'd be useful to know. I think I read the largest chip is where all the data is stored, but wasn't able to verify that. I'm glad this external HD lasted me 5 years, gutted it broke this way - and there is some very important stuff on it. It's my backup drive. So now it's time to have a backup and a backup of a backup in the future

Pic is a bit blurry, I don't have a very good camera. Many thanks for any help! M