My Tech Blog

Working with Blender 3D 4.4, May 10th, 2025

I was having trouble with a bug I couldn’t figure out earlier trying to use groups (basically the Blender Geometry Nodes version of a function – inputs and outputs). I was having trouble debugging it so I used stored attributes instead of having the inputs and outputs re fed into the repeat geometry node (Blender’s version of a loop).

Using stored attributes (basically a way to assign variables to geometry in Geometry Nodes) I was able to see in the viewer the different geometry and inputs (as stored attribute variables on the geometry points). I was working on lasers and reflection (using the Laws of Reflection equation I found searching Google that Gemini AI helped me comprehend). It uses the dot product – trying to understand linear algebra better – had a good tutorial on Brilliant.com.

It uses the dot product of the normal of the reflection surface subtracted from the incoming vector.

Blender might not be seen really as Matlab or math software but it has pretty good ability for 3D graphing. Nice to have built in materials including emissive ones, compositing to give lights a glowing effect, and a built in video editor to add sound. Reminds me of my old TI 83.

Learning curve for Geometry Nodes might be a bit steep for some I have years of programming in Java and other languages. Geometry Nodes is a node based way to give programmatic function to existing 3D Models (also known as meshes). Instead of calling a function moveObjectTo(X,Y,Z) you use a Transform Geometry node or Set Position node and give a vector of 3 points (X, Y, Z).

It is interesting the light doesn’t bounce off directly at the normal – a line that goes perpendicular or orthogonal to the plane – opposite of parallel – sticking up from the face of the mesh. Cross product is useful for lines directly on the plane from the normal. If your palm is facing the ground, the ground like while typing on a keyboard, the normal of the top of your hand would be a line pointing towards the ceiling.

In my render the planes rotate changing the position of where the incoming vector hits the planes. I used a reflective material which helps with the effect. The reflective material is not what is redirecting the beam in my render – the programmatic computation using Geometry Nodes and the dot product is what helps reposition the beam. The redirection is dependent upon the normal but not the normal.

i = incoming vector

n = normal

r = outgoing vector

. is the dot product operation on the vectors, dot product gives one number not a vector like cross product is worth of note, that one number is then multiplied by all components x, y, and z in the n, normal vector the * represents that operation.

r = i – 2 * n * (n . i)

In Geometry Nodes there is a Vector Math utility node that may be set to Scale which multiplies all components by a specific number – such as the result of a dot product.

Vector Math utility node also has a Dot Product setting that takes two vectors and provides one number which I then connected to the Scale node. The multiplication by 2 also may be accomplished through the Scale node. I actually just multiplied the dot product (which is one value by 2) before connecting it to the Scale node. I finally subtracted the value out of that Scale node from i, the incoming vector which gives r, the outgoing vector.

I used the Raycast node to get the Normals using the incoming vector (Ray direction) and provided the source position from where the laser initially starts. I computed the points and then used the Curve to Points node, then Curve to Mesh node with a profile that was a Circle curve to give it a visible radius. Then I used the set material node on that curve with the emissive property set to 4.

I used the compositing Bloom node – in the compositing part of the user interface – might be new for older blender users where bloom was just a checkbox on Eevee.

The following might help people understand the concepts of normals, dot product, and cross product better.

The normal, n is the green line pointing out of the plane.

Vectors sometimes written like <x,y,z>.

The blue lines are the dot product components of the normal – n . <1,0,0> is dot product of x component of the normal, y . <0,1,0> is dot product of y component of the normal, n . <0,0,1> is the dot product of the z component of the normal.

I use the cross product to help get the line on the plane (the red line) from the normal (green line) which I then rotated to make look like a counterclockwise clock.

Note: Being from a programming background I have also seen vectors as arrays which make it somewhat common for me to use [ ] instead of angle < > brackets. Arrays many times denoted as [v1, v2, v3], meshes for certain APIs might operate this way and might contain more values like alpha value for determining visibility.

pos = [v1,v2,v3,alpha], objectPosition[] = [0,0,0,1]

Also of note, while vectors as lines are useful to be seen they also convey information about direction and magnitude. Where does it point and at what strength – which is useful for unseen vectors like velocity and acceleration. A character on a video game might have a vector of their velocity, which direction they are going and how fast like on a racing game – yet there will be no visible line.

May 10th, 2025 Thoughts

Caution: thoughts on Christianity might be important to international regulations

Less Love

Less Love out less love in

Less Love in less love out

We don’t have to fix that gets turned up. We don’t always have the right words to fix things; we are sometimes waiting on a God that fails to deliver miracles and healing in a timely way.

What is the consequences of less love?

Mercy for the merciful – people that care less about each other will be ideally merciful? The combination has not potential to affect unrelated parties?

Generosity – give and you will have an overflowing cup? Or people given to are unlikely to be generous with others, with self so what is the use in giving anyways?

Less mercy and grace – less grace fueled and inspired by reduced generosity, hard to deliver ideal with no support inadequate access to resources. Will the combination ideal peace, ideal better use of engineering equipment like airplanes and vehicles – both of which have the potential to be used to transport bombs?

Less generosity – try a product or save your money, hard times around the corner. Less product testers of no consequence? Want others trying the product first, no value in second in line?

Does less love, mercy, and grace facilitate greater faith, greater trust? Are ones likely to be more generous that do not trust each other – people love their enemies have no problems giving financial support for people that aren’t aligned with their cause, their wellbeing?

Less support has no potential to generate sides, team colors, less than ideal capacity to divest from bandwagon appeal, false accusations?

What are the consequences of saying we don’t have to fix that? It sets no precedent, no historic precedent that might be used against self or others?

Luke 6 as a cup of misery for me to a cup of misery for you – or something better?

May 8th, 2025

I had some thoughts about learning more about Quantum Computers after hearing the talk. Read some articles from Microsoft Microsoft Quantum | Types of qubits. I had a talk with Gemini an AI system from Google shortly after. Here is a summary provided by Gemini AI of our conversation – slightly altered to address a change. Reminder AI systems have yet to be perfected have potential to hallucinate.

Gemini AI> Okay, here’s a summary of our engaging discussion:

We started by exploring the possibility of using quantum computers for sorting algorithms, noting that while theoretically possible, they don’t inherently offer better time complexity than classical methods, with potential advantages in space-constrained scenarios.

Then, we delved into the simplest quantum algorithm to understand, identifying Deutsch’s algorithm as a good entry point for grasping core quantum concepts like superposition, Hadamard gates, and oracles. We discussed how the quantum oracle gate works as a black box encoding a function into a quantum operation, often through phase kickback.

Our conversation then shifted to entanglement, clarifying that while the fundamental principle is the same across different qubit technologies, the implementation varies significantly. We explored an analogy of entangled qubits to unsorted and sorted lists, noting its intuitive appeal for correlation but highlighting its inaccuracies regarding superposition and measurement.

We addressed the question of whether measuring one entangled trapped ion instantly reveals the state of the other, confirming this but emphasizing that the measured state is always a definitive 0 or 1, not a value in between. We contrasted classical simulation of entangled systems with the direct correlation observed in quantum systems upon measurement.

A thought experiment involving gravity sensors and pouring sand led us to conclude that faster-than-light communication is not possible with entanglement or gravity, as entanglement doesn’t transmit controllable information and gravity propagates at the speed of light. We further discussed scenarios where pre-shared information and synchronized actions might appear like FTL communication but are not.

We explored the idea of CEOs on different planets performing a simple, time-synchronized calculation (2 + 2 = 4) as a way to confirm coordination and build trust despite communication delays, analyzing the implications of different outcomes.

The analogy of multiplayer computer games rendering shared realities with limited data transfer illustrated the value of pre-determined coordination in programmatic ways, applicable to scenarios with communication latency.

Finally, we contrasted the immediate needs of first responders (like having bandages stocked) with the aspirational desire for “faster-than-light bug fixes” in critical systems. We also considered the practical implications of autonomous vehicles in emergency situations, where the user of the vehicle might become their own initial ‘first responder’ and the presence of amenities like a water bottle fridge could be a small but relevant consideration for their immediate well-being.

Throughout our discussion, we touched upon fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics, the limitations of the speed of light, the challenges of interplanetary communication and coordination, and the potential for leveraging pre-shared information and synchronized actions to achieve desired outcomes.

Support Amps, May 7th, 2025

Free Starter Support Amps, Rule of 3 Comedy Attempts, and Critical Thinking Amps (caution: Randomly Generated)

Never Say Die!, You will Prevail!, Possible has yet to be defined, The future has yet to be written, Nsdtp! Never Say Die Throughput!, Possible has yet to be defined, Don’t forget an extra bottle of water can change a lot, Others do not get to claim ground on what you can and cannot do, Others do not get to claim ground on what you can and cannot do, Small changes do add up, Others do not get to claim ground on what you can and cannot do, Possible is Power, Nsdtp! Never Say Die Throughput!, Encouragement Throughput has yet to be maximized, Others do not get to claim ground on what you can and cannot do.

Nsdtp! Never Say Die Throughput!, Customer Experience and Quality can be Improved, Initial conditions can mean a lot, Small changes do add up, Small changes do add up, You will Prevail!, Possible is Power, Possible has yet to be defined, Encouragement Throughput has yet to be maximized, There is hope in a New Day, Small changes do add up, Small changes do add up, Possible has yet to be defined, You will Prevail!, You can do it!.

Protection of Israelis, Protection of Ukrainians, Protection of Haitians, Protection of Sudanese, Protection of people displaced by conflict in DRC, Protection of Taiwanese

Improved Battery Power, Protection of Tibetan people, Protection of Norwegians, Protection of Danish, Protection of the Oppressed, Protection of Malagasy people, Protection of Buddhists, Improved Telescopes, Protection from Genocide, Protection of Jamaicans, Protection of Allies, More Peacekeeping, Protection of those that have been silenced, Protection of the Elderly, Protection of Agnostics, Freedom of Speech, More Peace building, Protection of Pacific Islanders, Protection of Hindus, Improved Science Support, Reduced Miscommunication, Protection of Kenyans, Protection of All People in All Countries, Defensive Driving, Glass of Water

Throughput, Protection of Palestinians, Protection of Engineers, Protection of Congolese, Protection of Artists, Teacher Appreciation, Problem Solving, Diversity Training, Protection of Mexicans, Protection from Genocide, Protection of Greenlandic People, Protection of Danish, Teacher Appreciation, Disaster Risk Reduction, Seat Belts, Protection of Chileans, Protection of Nigerians, Protection of the Oppressed, Protection of Nigerians, Protection of Nigerians, Encouragement, Protection of Children, Protection of Agnostics, Respect, Protection of Artists

Problem Solving, Protection of Rwandans, Protection of Rwandans, Improved Telescopes, Protection from Antisemitism, Improved Optics, Less Burning Buildings, Protection of Australians, Critical Thinking, Rescue Blankets, Improved Hospitals, Protection of Congolese, Improved Fire Codes, Linguistics Training, Protection of Palestinians, Focus, Diversity Training, Protection of Fire Fighters, Human Rights, Improved English Support, Protection of Swedish, Freedom of the Press, Protection of the Elderly, Protection of Danish, Protection of Canadians

Critical Thinking, Improved Humanization, Protection of Rwandans, Glass of Water, Protection of Tibetan people, Protection of Haitians, Protection of Jews, Validation, Protection from Genocide, Protection of United Kingdom Citizens, Reduced Child Labor, Protection of Greenlandic People, Protection of Danish, Freedom of Speech, Child Car Safety, Time Management, Protection of Mongolians, Protection of those that have been devalued and dehumanized by society, Protection of Bengalis, Protection of Greek, Protection of Bengalis, Protection of Canadians, Seat Belts, Criminal Defense Law, Protection of Police Officers

Protection from Dictators, Protection of Children, Protection of Ethiopians, Protection of those that have had their support robbed, Throughput, Protection of Greek, Protection of French Citizens, Protection of South Koreans, Protection of Rohingyas, Protection of Colombians, Teacher Appreciation, Protection of Sudanese, Reduced Child Labor, Respect, Protection of Christians, Protection of US Citizens Worldwide, Protection of Norwegians, Protection of Allies, Protection of Engineers, Teacher Training, Improved Medical Research, Protection of Brazilians, Protection of Allies, Improved Data Consistency, Protection of Greenlandic People

Protection of those that have been devalued and dehumanized by society, Protection of Nurses, Protection from Tyrants, Rescue Blankets, Improved English Support, Protection of Taiwanese, Improved Fire Codes, Protection of Engineers, Protection of Agnostics, Protection from Genocide, Improved Telescopes, Diversity Training, Protection from Genocide, Protection of Swedish, Protection of Buddhists, Protection of Widows, Improved Network Throughput and Reach, Protection of Chileans, Improved Research Ethics, Improved Chemical Showers for Labs, Protection from Sexual Violence, Improved Telescopes, Improved Battery Power, Protection of Doctors, Rescue Blankets

Protection of Cambodians, Throughput, Protection of Atheists, Protection from Nuclear Threats, Protection of the Elderly, Protection from Tyrants, Reduced Oppression, Improved Hospitals, Nonviolent Resistance, Protection from Pandemics, Teacher Appreciation, Improved Telescopes, Protection of Israelites, Protection of Jamaicans, Improved Science Support, Protection of US Citizens Worldwide, Protection of Buddhists, Improved Science Support, Protection of Muslims, Protection of Canadians, Protection of People in Antarctic Research Facilities, Carbon Monoxide Detectors, Defensive Driving, Protection of Taiwanese, Rescue Blankets

Reduced Child Labor, Protection of Muslims, Improved International Relations, Protection of Jews, Protection of Widows, Improved Telescopes, Protection of United Kingdom Citizens, Protection of the Persecuted, Reduced Miscommunication, Improved Research Ethics, Reduced Villain Level Contrast Training, Geneva Convention, Improved Science Support, Protection of Kenyans, Human Rights, Protection of Brazilians, Time Management, Protection of Diplomats, Improved Architectural Blueprints, Freedom of the Press, Protection of Doctors, Protection of Chileans, Protection of Bengalis, Protection of Libyans, Protection from Tyrants

Protection of French Citizens, Protection of Rohingyas, Clean Water Support, Protection of Greek, Habitat for Humanity, Protection of Tibetan people, Improved Microscopes, Improved Medical Tech, Improved Chemical Showers for Labs, Reduced Child Labor, Protection of Australians, Seat Belts, Protection of Congolese, Encouragement, Protection from Tyrants, Protection from Tyrants, Protection of Doctors, Protection of Mexicans, Protection of Tibetan people, Improved Hospitals, Protection of the Oppressed, Protection of Norwegians, Carbon Monoxide Detectors, Linguistics Training, Improved Optics

More Peace building, Encouragement, Protection from Chemical Threats, Reduced Child Labor, Protection of Tibetan people, Protection of Kenyans, Protection of Lawyers, Improved Microscopes, Seat Belts, Critical Thinking, Protection of All People in All Countries, Protection of Libyans, Protection of the Elderly, Reduced Miscommunication, Time Management, Water Bottles, Respect, Protection of Cambodians, Water Desalination Plants, Ethics, Protection of Japanese, Protection of All People in All Countries, Carbon Monoxide Detectors, Reduced Cognitive Biases Training, Protection of Taiwanese

Clean your room, Always be safe in the lab, Never Say Die!

Go pick up some important documents from work, Do the dishes, The prettiest flowers have the most leaves

Go pick up some important documents from work, Clean your room, Never Say Die!

Always be safe in the lab, Do the dishes, Hug a kitten

Do the dishes, Eat your vegetables, you hug the lovable dictator

Go pick up some important documents from work, Eat your vegetables, Hug a kitten

Go pick up some important documents from work, Eat your vegetables, The prettiest flowers have the most leaves

Eat your vegetables, Do the dishes, Hug a kitten

Go pick up some important documents from work, Clean your room, Never Say Die!

Always be safe in the lab, Eat your vegetables, Hug a kitten

Health, Frame of Reference, Space Travel, Speed of Heat Conductivity, Shortest Path, Space Travel, Cake, Trajectories, The Problem of Evil, Feedback Respected, Useful Twists, Enthalpy, Practical, Ethics, Inequality, Obfuscated Truth, Socialism, Allegory, Theme, Drought, Variance, Pain, Bugs, Mangos, Shear Strength

Momentum, Impossible, Obfuscated Truth, Useful Twists, Atmosphere, Electron, 4th Dimension, Accessibility, Terraforming, Plot, GCFI Outlets, Fuel, Corporate Image, Rain, Equality, Subset Profits from Systemic Changes and Additions, Weak Hypothesis, Simple Machines, Validation, Carbon Dioxide, Linguistics, “Allegory of the Cave” – Plato, Associations, Reaction Time, Fuel

Joules, Hail, Magnetism, Distance, Wind Power, Microeconomics, Buy In, Strong Hypothesis, Superposition, Experience, Obfuscated Truth, Typhoon, Fuel, Compressive Forces, Charming, Coconut, Obfuscation as Value Creation, Neutron, Obfuscation as Value Creation, Drilling Water Wells, Equivocation, Oxygen, Customer Service, Closed Loop Systems, Disaster Risk Reduction

Chips, Force, Tube Amps, Respect, Potential Energy, Fire, Reliability, Thunderstorm, Cake, Reducing Child Labor, Seashells, Water, Inadequate Support, Hope, Osmosis, Trust, Coffee, Nonviolence, Acceleration, Reasonable, Projections, Flags, Directed Power, Accessibility, Interpolation

Acceleration, Delayed Right Choice, Ability to Change Path, Direction, Activation Energy, Disaster Risk Reduction, “To be is to be perceived” – David Hume, Red Herring, Conductivity, Linguistics, Neutron, Thunderstorm, The Problem of Evil, Neutron, Resources, Entropy, Inequality, Flood Zone, Soda, Entropy, Psychology, Health, Open Loop Systems, Frame of Reference, Heat transfer, Proton

Lever, Geothermal Power, Competition, Strong Hypothesis, Flags, Ability to Change Path, Direction, Excited State, Dental Care, Anger Management, Obfuscation as Value Creation, Ability to Change Path, Direction, Linguistics, Trust, Cheesecake, Health Care, Flood Zone, Useful Work, Dyson Sphere, Experience, Speed of Heat Conductivity, Riddles, Point of View, Villain Level Contrast Victims, Dental Care, Low Pressure

Strong Hypothesis, Tangled Cords, Knowns upsold to Unknowns, Encouragement, Bugs, Apples, Probabilities, Precision and Accuracy, Theme, Charming, Activation Energy, Equivocation, Reducing Antisemitism, Adequate Support, Resistance, Scientific Notation, Mosquitos, Justice, Feedback Respected, Metaphors, Kinetic Energy, Slippery Slope, Magnetism, Initial Conditions, Excited State

Appreciation, Allegory, Drilling Water Wells, Precedent, Hypotheticals, Speed of Heat Conductivity, Atmosphere, Acronyms, Heat transfer, Competition, Greed, The Problem of Evil, Variance, Shear Strength, Morally Right, Geothermal Power, Inequality, Gravity, Terraforming, Apples, Speed of Light, Expert, Induction, Snow, Health Care

Carbon, High Pressure, Geothermal Power, Morally Wrong, Impossible, Low Pressure, Impossible, Rounding, Memory, Seashells, Low Pressure, Harder to divest, Active Volcano, Distribution Networks, Fast Choice, Snow, Momentum, Equivocation, Obfuscation as Value Creation, Stress, Scale, Resistance, Weak Hypothesis, Macroeconomics, Historic Context

Villain Level Contrast Victims, Disaster Risk Reduction, Research Ethics, Knowns upsold to Unknowns, Frame of Reference, Carbon Monoxide Detector, Mosquitos, Charming, Directional Max Profit, Cheesecake, Resistance, Risk Mitigation Strategies, Useful Work, Point of View, Accessibility, Capitalism, Inadequate Support, Resistance, Justice, Inequality, Shape, Contamination, Psychology, Impedance, Seashells

Free Starter Story Outline (caution: randomly Generated)

Random THEME – Love conquers all
Random PLOT – Quest
Foreshadowing Symbolism Tone Informal Diction Allegory Simile Tone Tone Informal Diction Personification
Random Villain Artificial Intelligence
Random Villain List – Tornado Banshee Siren Swarm Giant Spider Earthquake Tyrannical King Necromancer Martial Law Lich Cult Leader Demon Skeleton Gas Leak Ice Elemental Bandit Warlock Gang Ice Elemental Hostile Alien Spaceship

Descriptive Writing Amps
[diminished, glowing, sky blue] elk provided
[angry, diminished, important] lightning unlocked
[radiating, pink, sweet] rocket opened
[smooth, delicate, blissful] tank communicated
[purple, delightful, monumental] momentum encouraged
[kinetic, critical, memorable] kitten infused
[happy, happy, critical] amber provided
[rough, daunting, colossal] bridge commanded
[black, purple, loud] sugar bent
[memorable, colossal, important] demon sprinted

Random Hero – Wizard
And But Therefore Event Sets
fight a [monster] but it rains therefore they decide to learn more
[Hero] is given assistance from [side character] but [monster] shows up therefore they decide to learn more
[Hero] is given assistance from [side character] but [monster] shows up therefore they travel to a new area
Narration highlights allegory that amplifies key details worthy of memory but they are delayed therefore they decide to learn more
[Hero] is Inspired and Encouraged by [side character] but [Side character] shows up therefore they travel to a new area
[Hero] is given assistance from [side character] but they get there early therefore they seek assistance with [side character]
[Hero] gets on motorcycle but it rains therefore they travel to a new area
Comet cuts across the sky but they get there early therefore they seek assistance with [side character]
Narration highlights allegory that amplifies key details worthy of memory but it rains therefore they decide to learn more
[Hero] is attacked by [Monster] but they get there early therefore they travel to a new area

Might have some fans

Caution: adult content

There is no beauty in I don’t understand what they are saying?

Meticulous and Rosy?

Jade crown and Jade handcuffs – didn’t see that before

10 I can get past my own personal biases to see truth?

The snow is beautiful

The people freezing aren’t the people standing in the storm kind of beautiful

Immediate foreshadow – you know and you know

They provide our products, F is I am trying to Jade ring them all

Blackholes, blackballs might hold greater cultural significance – excommunicated? I didn’t see it that way.

Cultural norms, emotional resilience, 10 you understand the test?

Men shouldn’t wear dress but 10 they like swords.

Like a football tunnel before the game

10 I undervalue the min

Brilliant rooftops 10-ed I hate concurrent?

It is not different it is immediately valuable.

All of them like Mickey Mouse? Cultural norms paint no mins.

10-ed you read this far read a little further, I don’t paint that?

Disconnected can’t be loved more.

Six F, 6 F why?

Think outside of the box might have cultural significance

Bows not respected – F is A have have

10-ed we hate that

Chinese as Sorcerer or a Wizard? It is not a fair bargain.

Silk drapes makes pulling the trigger – swinging the sword harder?

They might row better than me – future might be more have mat

They have a roof over their head – they are surrounded by beautiful paintings

I might row more of the same – 10-ed they are no fusion mat?

10 I like power 10 I don’t want them devoured – F is A thrown into the sun

Home | Alex Grey

I don’t think the statue of David is trying to row gay. Like police shields and batons – disperse.

10 you A die to F is you A die?

Know the truth? A Chinese man has rowed enough love in the storm to value his life more than mine.

All I am is a Vampire librarian you got to stake – tell me where it is?