Here’s some exploration into basic python setups, notes for myself as I’m a beginner in this…

Install NumPy into Houdini:
Use binary installer, it detects an installed standalone python32bit (not houdini), and places files into the python libraries. Append standalone python’s path to Houdini’s to access all modules:
import sys
sys.path += ['C:\dev\Python25\Lib\site-packages']
import numpy
# start using the numpy functions, in my case I like the powerful array module that acts like N-dimensional matrices in matlab.
You can run these in the initialization scripts like pythonrc.py or 123.py.

Or simply move the numpy folder from: C:\dev\Python25\Lib\site-packages
to: $HFS\python\lib\site-packages

While learning HOM I managed to break Houdini:
Cannot create geometry error, toolsutil.py has some access denied issue. Lights and cameras work, but creating and editing geometry all give the same error.

Perhaps I overrode the geo node or some basic node type accidentally? Whatever happened, I somehow removed the Houdini presets (it seems the only files shared across multiple Houdini versions besides maybe python?) from $HOME\HoudiniVersion\, and Houdini regenerated the files and basically reset itself. Actually weird problems often are fixed with reseting all preferences/presets, and worked for Maya and Houdini for me.

Screen capture of a few tools developed for past projects
It is similar to a previous maxscript I wrote for recursive plant growth. But since maya has paintfx, the recursive part and manual curve shape designs are not coded into the version for maya. However I added more flexibility with an easier UI.

Future work: more integration with Maya’s other modules besides paintFX.

It’s a simple site so the challenge is more SEO and publicity.
I kind of like the logo, but I’m not sure how graphics/iconish the page should get, or keep a simplistic style (some optics research company). The contact form works now.
Akaylight Corporation

See original tutorial  HERE.

JW Player Embedded

Question: How to embed JW Player in any Flash file?

Here’s all the necessary resources and more:

Basic embed Flash in html: http://www.longtailvideo.com/support/tutorials/Embedding-Flash
Embed JW Player in Flex: http://developer.longtailvideo.com/trac/wiki/FlexEmbedding
JW Player API: http://developer.longtailvideo.com/trac/wiki/FlashAPI
JW Player flashvars: http://developer.longtailvideo.com/trac/wiki/FlashVars
load external SWF in Flash stage: link
LONG forum posts: http://www.longtailvideo.com/support/forum/Setup-Problems/11830/Embeding-JW-player-4-0-in-a-flash-website-AS3-
more… http://www.longtailvideo.com/jw/?search=embed+flash

Thanks to some members in the longtail forum, I frankensteined a working presentation without being very familiar with AS3. See example here:
sample portfolio

JW specific imports, or you can import all JW stuff:

import com.jeroenwijering.events.*;
import com.jeroenwijering.player.*;
import com.jeroenwijering.plugins.*;
import com.jeroenwijering.utils.Configger;

Optional, store a URL string of the player with parameters, like size, autoplay etc.

To keep things simple, put all files (yes html, player files, host SWF, all videos) in the same directory. My version did organize elements into a nice folder hierarchy. Though since referencing parent folders (eg ../parent) doesn’t work perhaps due security or silly syntax, my videos folder is in the player folder. I dislike this hierarchy in terms of strict relations, but at least folders separate element types cleanly.

Link in the SWF JW player by the procedure in the above Adobe page, using a Loader object. Take care relative directories in the URL is relative to the html page caller, not the host SWF caller.

Note relationship: html page -> your custom SWF -> embedded (loaded) JW Player SWF

Then some good event handlers as the bulk of you customization:

function loaderHandler(e:Event) //SWF player loaded
function playerReady(e:Event=null) //initialized. Now use the API to send/receive
function resizePlayer(), buttons etc //the interactive UI bulk

Then much of the UI connections just take time. You can see I retained the standard JW skin. You can replace it, use all your own controls etc. All the controls still work, except fullscreen, which I need to somehow intercept and relay to a correct parent "window".

There quite some differences between the WordPress hosted version and blog installed on a private host.

I’m working on an installed WordPress, with lots more flexibility. But uploading has permission problems.

Now I can use the WordPress upload interface, and FTP uploaded files can only be linked by absolute URLs so it’s very cumbersome. I need to upload via FTP, but use short relative links to refer on posts/pages. That would be easier to organize and for future site migration.

Not the shortest, but I got a relative link to work. So allows at least migrating domain name, thanks to a Permalink plugin to change the link addresses.

Also, the wordpress.com version is especially slow (installed is no better, probably the similar WP interface always had speed issues). Maybe using a desktop blogger would help. If they made it all Ajax like Yahoo/Google, then it would be much faster

EDIT: got mass uploading to streamline. After trying several plugins, I decided to forget the WP upload UI entirely. Some plugins did nicely in attempting to organize uploads/folders, but they’re dragged down by some WP UI simplicity/slowness. So in a recent gig where I was asked to place many files in organized folders/categories, I FTPed directly, and used relative links in the WP page posts. This allows a bit more flexibility in future migration. And the folder plugins would place files in the same compatible locations as the manual FTPs. Only difference is the former has a WP database record (which is not useful yet). All the file links work on the pages/posts, so WP installed does have more flexibility it seems.

Also for the default Flash uploader, Firefox is nonfunctional, while Explorer uploads quickly. I find that weird because Flash is the same plugin from Adobe…hmm….