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The Post for Kids Who Want to Build Haxe Games Good and Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too
We have developed a lot of HTML5 games lately using Haxe and the Flambe framework. There's a few 3rd party tools that have come in handy while building these games and would be good for any developer or designer to be aware of.
If you don't have Haxe and/or Flambe installed, follow Kipp's previous blog post about how to install Haxe with NME. Then go here: https://github.com/aduros/flambe and follow the install guide to get started with the Flambe framework.
Sublime Text 3
Sublime Text 3 is a great text editor that has a lot of built in languages and even more that you can add support for. There's even a Package Manager you can install that has auto-updates and allows you to easily install a language package of your choosing. Luckily, there's one already built for Haxe! Open Sublime Text and Package Control by pressing cmd + shift + p. Install the Haxe package.
There's a weird problem with the path for Flambe and Sublime Text 3, so install this Mac Path Fix here. Once that's complete, simply drag the root of your project into sublime text. Open any .hx file and press ctrl+shift+b to open a menu where you can choose which build target you want to deploy to. Once you've selected a build target, simply press ctrl+enter to launch the application!
Make sure that you have the Flambe server running from your root project as well. Open Terminal and change directory to your project root. Then run 'flambe serve' (without quotes) to run the Flambe server for your project. Now you're all set! Sublime Text should now automatically run your designated build target.
Glyph Designer & Particle Designer
We use Glyph Designer for all localized text in a game. It's a great easy-to-use application for creating stylized fonts that can easily be edited or duplicated at any time. Designers should definitely become familiar with this software so they know the limitations of what can be done. The main thing to keep in mind is all the settings you can tweak are on a per-character basis. Meaning in Photoshop, try to stay away from adding effects that are added to a word as a whole because it could be difficult to replicate in Glyph Designer. Another thing to avoid in Photoshop is skewing the text. It is allowed from our clients to give them the PSD so they can change any word to any language, but that rule is mostly meant for titles and special names. Try to avoid having to cut out the text as an image as much as possible.
This is a view of a new font in Glyph Designer. On the left you can quickly search for any fonts that are already loaded onto your computer. At the bottom left is the font size and type settings (bold, regular, etc).
Note: If you have multiple places that use the same font, but have different sizes, simply export the font at the largest size needed then scale it down in code.
The center shows a preview of what all of the glyphs will look like when you export it. All font settings are on the right and can be figured out pretty quickly just by playing with them, but let's take a closer look.
This is the Texture Atlas settings. I've almost always used the default settings here, though feel free to play with the spacing and padding to see different effects they can have on your font.
The Glyph Fill and Glyph Stroke are exactly what they say. Change the color type between Solid, Gradient, or Image. When choosing colors, the only down fall is not being able set a color based on a hex value. I've found using the RGB Sliders and getting the color info from Photoshop works the easiest when trying to match colors. For the Glyph Stroke, all the settings here are pretty robust and is best to play with these numbers to get the results that you want.
These are the last of the options. Glyph shadow adds either an inner or outer shadow. You can change the direction the light source is coming from and the blur radius. If the color is too dark, remember you can adjust opacity in the color selection box under RGB Slider. The Included Glyphs settings are all of the characters that will be included in your file upon export. I've found for games that need localization it's best to click the NEHE button, then copy/paste these characters into the text box:
Also, make sure Substitute Missing Glyphs is selected, this will try to make a character look like it's for this font even if the font itself doesn't support that character.
One of the great features of Glyph Designer is you can actually save as a Glyph Designer file in case you need to come back and edit the font at a later date. When you're done with your font, click the Export button in the top right. I've never had to change the default settings here, but feel free to play around with it. When naming your font, it's best to include any details you can in the name for anybody to quickly know what that font is about. I've been using this structure: fontName-color-size. Ex: arial-orange-64. That way anyone will know the size is 64 and it's an orange Arial font. Simply click "Save" and it will save a PNG and .fnt file for that font to import into anything. In our case a Flambe game.
Particle Designer is another tool that developers can use to easily create particle effects that match anything you're trying to do. The interface is super simple to use, and is already full of sample projects to use as a starting place for just about anything you can think of. There's a great video tutorial here that walks you through all the settings.
You can download/purchase these here. Glyph Designer costs $39.99, and Particle Designer only costs $14.99. If you buy them together, you get a $3 discount! Yipee!
ImageAlpha and ImageOptim
These 2 programs go hand-in-hand. They're both free and together create a very powerful png image compression software. Make sure you have both already downloaded, then follow these steps to optimize some images. For example, take this picture of famous model Derek Zoolander.
It's original size is 841KB Saved for Web from Photoshop. This was a jpg with a white background that I quick selected and deleted, then Saved for Web to make a png. Simply drag and drop this image into ImageAlpha.
You can choose different backgrounds to check your image against, but it doesn't save the image with that background. It's only there to help you see the quality of the image before it's saved out. ImageAlpha's default settings are Median Cut and Dithered. I've never had to change any of those settings. The main setting of importance is the Color slider. If you have a really simple button that's only using a few colors, you will see a huge savings in your file size. The Show Original button here just toggles the display back to the original image so you can compare them easily to see if you've cut out too many colors or not.
Now do a File -> Save As… (Cmd+Shift+S) to open this dialog box. Make sure that "Optimize with ImageOptim" is checked. ImageAlpha will automatically make the save directory the same as the image that you are editing. Now click Save. If you're overwriting the original, another menu will show asking you to Replace the image.
ImageOptim will automatically open and start crunching down the image. Here's the result of our Zoolander image.
Now our image is only 370KBs. A 57% file size savings and the quality is still amazing!
You can't batch convert with ImageAlpha. If you drag and drop a bunch of images onto it, ImageAlpha will open a separate window for each image. It can go pretty quickly this way if you get into the rhythm of Save As, Close Window(Cmd+W). ImageOptim will queue up multiple images so don't be afraid to work quickly. You can batch convert with ImageOptim, but you won't get the file savings of reducing the amount of Colors in the image.
This tool should be used for more than just Haxe games. It's great for anything you're doing with PNGs. You might ask "Does it work with jpgs?" No. You should already be familiar with optimizing JPGs from Photoshop. A JPG won't get much more compressed after that. You can download ImageAlpha here and ImageOptim here.
The last tool in my toolbox is called Flump. It's a brilliant tool that can take custom Flash animations and export them into a format that is small on file size and easy to use. There's already great instructions on the Flump GitHub page, so I won't go into it again. The Flambe game framework has built-in Flump support for animations.
These tools have greatly helped the day-to-day workflow of our Flambe games. I'm sure they will help you too.


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DARIEN, Conn. — Joseph Eugene "Joe" Costello, a municipal bond trader at JJ Kenny and a resident of Darien, died on Sunday, June 25. He was 58.
His wife, Rosemary Peters Costello, owns and operates the retail store Everything is Rosey.
Costello was born on July 9, 1958, at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City.
Raised in Crestwood, N.Y., he graduated from Iona Preparatory School. Then he attended Fordham University until transferring his sophomore year to Georgetown University, where he majored in history and captained the Rugby Team. He also earned his juris doctor at Georgetown Law and was admitted to the New York and Connecticut bar associations.
He joined JJ Kenny as a municipal bond trader and spent over 30 years with the firm. He was in the office on Sept. 11th, 2001, when he assisted in the evacuation of his office and aided a colleague in the 44-flight descent to safety. He retired from the firm in November 2015.
He was part owner of the United Puett Starting Gate Business, the leading supplier of starting gates to every major racing venue in the United States. He made it a point to attend the Belmont Stakes and Saratoga as often as he could.
He and his wife traveled to Argentina, Uruguay, Costa Rica, and much of Europe, and they were planning a trip to Italy to celebrate what would have been their 25th wedding anniversary in September.
Costello was a member of the St. Thomas More parish and the Stamford Yacht Club and a former member of the New York Athletic Club.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his son Keane Thomas; his brother Michael from East Haddam; five sisters-in-law and two brothers-in-law; and eight nieces and nephews as well as his Welsh Springer Spaniels, Fiona and Finnegan.
He was predeceased by his brother Jimmy; and parents, Alice and Thomas Costello.
A wake will be held Sunday, July 9, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Thomas M. Gallagher Funeral Home, 453 Shippan Ave., Stamford, on what would have been his 59th birthday.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated Monday, July 10, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 374 Middlesex Road, Darien.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The ASPCA. To send condolences to the family, visit www.gallagherfuneralhome.com .
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subset: commoncrawl


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Often times the first page of a journal takes the longest to complete. We found a great writeup on many inspiring ideas and ways to use a journal. http://rookiemag.com/2012/08/emmas-with-a-few-edits/ Something we believe at Moleskine is that you don't have to... Read More
Moleskine @ ETC
Balancing analog and digital in life is nothing new but linking them efficiently is. That is why we are very happy to share the news of our new partnership with Evernote and the Evernote Smart Notebook. Productivity enthusiasts and anyone... Read More
Good & Bad
First the bad news – No Author-A-Month to feature and share with you here. Now the good news – When you upload your work to myMoleskine, your art will now be featured on our homepage (until somebody new posts). We... Read More
Website Updates
Very soon we will be able to share our new website with everyone! We are very excited to start this new chapter of a digital journey with all of our amazing fans. We want to make sure everyone is aware... Read More


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The Rutherford County Farmer's Market has free classes that begin at 9 a.m. in the Lane Agri-Park Community Center each Tuesday and Friday while the market is open. The Lane Agri-Park Community Center is located at 315 John R. Rice Blvd.
This week's classes:
"Home Grown Bouquets" is the topic on Tuesday, August 19. It will be presented by Teresa Fly, RC Master Gardener, beginning at 9 a.m. Bring the outdoors inside by making your own quick & easy arrangements. Hands on!
On Friday, August 22, the topic is "Fall Lawn Care." This class starts at 9 a.m. as well. Extension Agent Mitchell Mote will present.For cool season turf grasses such as Tall Fescue and KY Bluegrass, fall is THE time for major tasks from planting to renovation. A lot of advertising is done in the spring by some major seed and fertilizer companies about seeding and fertilizing your lawn, and while some fertilization is recommended on cool season turf in the spring and cool season grass seed can be planted in the spring, fall is the time when 75% of the fertilizer for cool season turf is recommended to be applied and fall is by far the best time to plant cool season grass. Warm season grasses have different requirements in the fall than the cool season grasses do and they should be managed differently. We traditionally get a number of questions from clientele regarding lawn care in the fall and this class is planned to help answer some of those questions.
If you need additional info on these or other classes, please reach Janie J. Becker, Extension Agent, 615-898-7710.


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The SSC Silver Anniversary Team recognized the conference's first 25 years of competition in the sport of women's volleyball. Voting was conducted among the athletic directors at each of the SSC's nine member institutions. Although the SSC was founded as a men's basketball conference prior to the 1975-76 season, volleyball was added as a championship sport in the 1981-82 academic year. A total of 20 student-athletes and one coach representing four different institutions were selected to the Sunshine State Conference Silver Anniversary Volleyball Team.
Karla Bersano, Barry, 2001-2002, 2004
Fernanda Brino, Barry, 2003-2004
Missey Crain, Florida Southern, 1988-1990
Kim Crawford, Florida Southern, 1993-1994
Kim Dix, Tampa, 1988-1991
Danielle Faggion, Tampa, 1996-1999
Fernanda Ferreira, Barry, 2001-2003
Cristiana Florea, Saint Leo, 1999-2002
Jade Harper, Barry, 1998-2000
Sandy Hudson, Florida Southern, 1981-1982
Mickisha Hurley, Barry, 1992-1995
Wei Liu, Barry, 1993-1995
Dawn Rawlins, Tampa, 1995-1998
Michele Rosamiglia, Barry, 2004-2005
Ania Ruiz, Tampa, 2000-2003
Jill Stephens, Florida Southern, 1991-1994
Becky Thyhsen, Florida Southern, 1989-1991
Elvira Vakhidova, Barry, 1994-1997
Ericka Womack, Tampa, 2002-2005
Cindy Yuan, Barry, 1995-1998
Top Players of First 25 Years: Danielle Faggion, Tampa (1996-1999) and Mickisha Hurley, Barry (1992-1995)
Top Coach of First 25 Years: Chris Catanach, Tampa (1984-present)


text: Isabelle is Gainsboroughs interpretation of an absolute classic sofa bed design. The square arm design sees subtle introductions of features with the plain front often associated with this style transformed by the piped detail. Available in a range of fabrics that are completely on-trend and as it's a Gainsborough sofa bed, you can be assured of the quality and comfort that has long been associated with the brand.


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These Superb Chefs Made Yangming's ALS Benefit Unforgettable
What happens when many talented chefs come together at Yangming to produce a benefit for Alex's Lemonade Stand? Magic. Guests enjoyed a unique tasting dinner prepared by some of the areas top chefs, including Nectar's Patrick Feury; Loic Barnieu from La Belle Epoque; Keith Thomas of Sola BYOB; Peter Felton of Food Fanatics/ US Foods, The Plough & the Stars' vegan chef Lenka Zivkovic; Christone Neugebauer of Christine Marie's Catering and chefs Vince Viola & Muyang Shen from Yangming. Majestic Wine & Spirits/Delaware Valley Culinary and Sommelier Society provided fine wines and lemon-kissed cocktails, and local craft beers were poured with pride by the Conshohocken Brewing Company. Chefs Thomas Macrina and Mike McComde were on hand to support Yangming's Chef's Table initiative and the ALS.
"It's deeply gratifying to have so many great chefs donate their time to make this charity event possible," said event host and Yangming owner Michael Wei. Every dish created for the sell-out event, from the appetizer to desserts, featured "A Taste of Lemon." Savor all the flavors, and all the love, in this charming video.
A Taste of Lemon Menu
Chef Patrick Feury/Nectar
Spicy Yellowtail, Meyer Lemon Jam, Vegetable Maki
Chef Keith Thomas/Sola BYOB
Lamb Meatballs with Lemon Basil Yogurt
Chef Loic Barnieu/La Belle Epoque
Roast Chicken with Lemon and Thyme
Christine Neugebauer/Christine Marie's Catering
Pan Seared Salmon with Limoncello Butter Sauce
Chef Peter Felton/Food Fanatics/US foods
Chili Mint Roasted Pork Shoulder
with Preserved Lemon, Masa Tortilla, Chard Radish
Chefs Vince Viola & Muyang Shen/Yangming
Seafood Lemon Pesto Dumplings, Crispy Lemon Shrimp & Lemon Mousse Parfait
Vegan Chef Lenka Zivkovic/The Plough & the Stars
Raw Vegan Lemon Cashew Crème Brûlée
paired with Mango Lemonade
Conshohocken Brewing Company
Craft Beer
Majestic Wine & Spirits/Delaware Valley Culinary and Sommelier Society
Wine and Specialty Cocktails


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Saturday, April 17, 2010
A wee tote
This little tote is only about 6x9" It's great for small portable projects like knitting, sewing and assorted hand work. And not to forget it's perfect for girls of all ages to go shopping!
Posted by Cheryl at Saturday, April 17, 2010
6 comments:
Just LOVE shopping bags.Great bag Cheryl.
- Sunday, April 18, 2010 4:53:00 a.m.
- Judy said...
That's cute...cute super cute!
- Sunday, April 18, 2010 8:17:00 p.m.
- Judy said...
Is it obligatory to be named Judy to put comments on your blog?
- Sunday, April 18, 2010 8:18:00 p.m.
- Anne Marie - Toronto said...
So, if I change my name to "Judy", will I be allowed to post on your blog? I agree with the other Judy, it's a cute tote. Are you using it for shopping or teaching it at another Judy's shop? Inquiring minds want to know!
- Wednesday, April 21, 2010 2:20:00 p.m.
- magpie said...
My fine feathered friend, your comments are always welcome. I made this little tote just because!
- Thursday, April 22, 2010 4:20:00 p.m.
- Alec Smart said...
Kind of small for grocery shopping uh ? You need about 20 of them unless you're buying just a box if pizza pockets and a Snickers bars.
- Wednesday, June 09, 2010 5:10:00 p.m.
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