Course MAterials: Software
All students enrolled in this course must install these free software packages on their computer, and be ready to use them in class:
Autodesk Maya: http://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/maya
Autodesk Mudbox: http://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/mudbox
Download the "Inventor Professional" package (install the latest version). License: Students get a 36 months free license.
This software package will be used for professional 3D design of mechanical parts.
Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE):
Download the latest version of the software. License: Open source.
This will be used to program the Arduino micro controller board.
Screen Capture Software:
All you need to get in addition to software is a headset with microphone (Dr. Schlaf uses this Logitech model) and you are ready to go.
ActivePresenter: http://atomisystems.com/activepresenter/
ActivePresenter is a complete solution that integrates screen capture recording with timeline editing. The free version appears to have no superimposed watermarks and also has not time restrictions. Works only on Windows PCs.
Jing: http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html
"Jing is a computer service that lets you capture basic video, animation, and still images, and share them on the web". Free software from Techsmith that can capture a selectable screen area for up to 5 min and provides some simple editing features.
Screencast-O-Matic: http://www.screencast-o-matic.com
The free version is useful, but imprints a logo on your captures.
On Macs the 'built in' Quicktime software is great for screen capture, while iMovie can be used for editing videos.
Compressing videos: Generated videos should not be larger than 100 Mb. If your software outputs larger files, one great way to compress them into compact high-res mp4 files is to upload them to YouTube and then download them again. YouTube put a lot of effort into compression to save space on their servers. Here is a tutorial how to do this.
iCircuit (it is available for iOS, Android, OSX, Windows. Cost: $9.99): http://icircuitapp.com
This is a great little app for quick circuit simulation. It features drag and drop circuit diagrams and real time simulation, i.e. one can playfully engage with circuits. It is not a full Spice simulator, but great for the quick exploration of electronics concepts. If you are new to electronics, this is the app to get.
Additional Software:
Fritzing: http://fritzing.org
This software package can be used to document your Arduino-based control circuit.
Autodesk Maya: http://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/maya
Autodesk Mudbox: http://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/mudbox
Download the "Inventor Professional" package (install the latest version). License: Students get a 36 months free license.
This software package will be used for professional 3D design of mechanical parts.
Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE):
Download the latest version of the software. License: Open source.
This will be used to program the Arduino micro controller board.
Screen Capture Software:
All you need to get in addition to software is a headset with microphone (Dr. Schlaf uses this Logitech model) and you are ready to go.
ActivePresenter: http://atomisystems.com/activepresenter/
ActivePresenter is a complete solution that integrates screen capture recording with timeline editing. The free version appears to have no superimposed watermarks and also has not time restrictions. Works only on Windows PCs.
Jing: http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html
"Jing is a computer service that lets you capture basic video, animation, and still images, and share them on the web". Free software from Techsmith that can capture a selectable screen area for up to 5 min and provides some simple editing features.
Screencast-O-Matic: http://www.screencast-o-matic.com
The free version is useful, but imprints a logo on your captures.
On Macs the 'built in' Quicktime software is great for screen capture, while iMovie can be used for editing videos.
Compressing videos: Generated videos should not be larger than 100 Mb. If your software outputs larger files, one great way to compress them into compact high-res mp4 files is to upload them to YouTube and then download them again. YouTube put a lot of effort into compression to save space on their servers. Here is a tutorial how to do this.
iCircuit (it is available for iOS, Android, OSX, Windows. Cost: $9.99): http://icircuitapp.com
This is a great little app for quick circuit simulation. It features drag and drop circuit diagrams and real time simulation, i.e. one can playfully engage with circuits. It is not a full Spice simulator, but great for the quick exploration of electronics concepts. If you are new to electronics, this is the app to get.
Additional Software:
Fritzing: http://fritzing.org
This software package can be used to document your Arduino-based control circuit.