UPSB v3

Pens & Mods / [project][2.10] Pen modification Database

  1. Zombo
    Date: Thu, Jun 12 2008 12:07:46

    "Pen modification Database"
    Project leader: iMatt
    Project description: A search-able Database where users can find near all the pen modifications by category such as
    -----------------------
    Retractable/non retractable
    Separate categories for pencil mods
    Materials used
    Cost in multiple currencies
    Weight
    Length
    and etc. The list continues vastly.

    Why: To allow a pen spinning to find a pen that suites there needs without having to play the guessing game at obscure odd named modifications

    Example topic: The main part I would be working on would be compiling pen mods and reformating tutorials for a search-able format.

  2. Sfsr
    Date: Thu, Jun 12 2008 13:00:24

    Wouldn't this be quite easy to set up using the Wiki? We just need to add more mods and categories.

  3. iMatt
    Date: Thu, Jun 12 2008 16:53:12

    QUOTE (Sfsr @ Jun 12 2008, 08:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
    Wouldn't this be quite easy to set up using the Wiki? We just need to add more mods and categories.


    There's only so me "we" as researchers can do to the Wiki. Except I want this thing to be search-able criteria, and search by parts used and such.

  4. Zombo
    Date: Fri, Jun 13 2008 01:53:14

    every mod listed on the wiki lists the material, so its searchable.

    furthermore, you have categories such as " Mods using Pentel RSVP" which allow you to filter by pen.

    however if you want something better, the database will need:
    - a feature where you can list a bunch of pens, and returns all pens which can be constructed with a subset of these pens. (this would surpercede the "what mod can i do with" thread)

    - search by physical attribute: such as length, weight, etc. This is technically feasible with the wiki, but difficult.

  5. Shadowserpant
    Date: Fri, Jun 13 2008 06:10:54

    i think a big part of this project would be getting more mods on the wiki. Say... all of them? Or at least anything worth looking at. I think another tutorial guideline should be to post a tutorial on the wiki as well. Maybe not a requirement, but it should be heavily encouraged. Guitrum has added his G2-CTE on the wiki already... and yet no MSXA? The mods database is far too small to even worry about making it searchable yet.


    When I heard about this project, I pictured a simple setup on the wiki where the user could simply click little checkboxes or circle things of requirements for the pen he's looking for. The checkboxes would be organized into:

    Pens Used - A list of every pen used in every mod in the database. The user clicks every pen he wants to use on the mod, and the list is narrowed accordingly. Also i think there should be subsets on some pens that break down the pen parts. If you click the main part, all of the boxes are automatically checked. For example, checking RSVP Pen would automatically check RSVP Barrel, RSVP Grip, RSVP Backcap, RSVP Inktube, and RSVP Cap.

    Type of Pen - The user could further narrow down the search by what type of pen is it, such as writable/unwritable, double sided/single sided, and retractable/nonretractable.

    Cost - I'm not sure this will be necessary, as the user should already be checking off the pens he has. But in the case that the user hasnt bought the pens yet and wants to make whatever he can with the money he has, this could work. It could be a simple textbox and dropbox stating (amount) (currency) or less.

    I think weight and length should be sorting options for after the search is complete.

    What do you guys think?

  6. iMatt
    Date: Fri, Jun 13 2008 06:48:43

    Your seeing what almost exactly what i am. The only thing I need to worry about is that trying to make tutorials on the wiki, most on the forums or on UCPSB don't have the proper format which I proposed. I know I could remake some of the tutorials..but only so much money I can spend for that. The real problem with other people submitting wiki-tutorials is that they're just too lazy to do so.

    As far as the categorizing goes, I was hoping just to have like a drop down list sorted like
    Length: 15-16cm
    17-18cm
    18-19cm and so on.
    Weight: Grams(self explanitory)
    Pens Used: RSVP (along with the rest of the normal pens)
    Pens used (2): if there's another pens thats ued
    Pens Used (3): and so on.
    Writing type: Pen or pencil
    Double sided: Yes or no
    Retractable pen if applicable: yes or No
    -------------------

    Regarding the parts individually, thats way too much for a database, trying to input every PEN part is like counting pieces of hay. Just using the which pens are used seems like a more realistic type of search.





    QUOTE (Shadowserpant @ Jun 13 2008, 01:10 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
    i think a big part of this project would be getting more mods on the wiki. Say... all of them? Or at least anything worth looking at. I think another tutorial guideline should be to post a tutorial on the wiki as well. Maybe not a requirement, but it should be heavily encouraged. Guitrum has added his G2-CTE on the wiki already... and yet no MSXA? The mods database is far too small to even worry about making it searchable yet.


    When I heard about this project, I pictured a simple setup on the wiki where the user could simply click little checkboxes or circle things of requirements for the pen he's looking for. The checkboxes would be organized into:

    Pens Used - A list of every pen used in every mod in the database. The user clicks every pen he wants to use on the mod, and the list is narrowed accordingly. Also i think there should be subsets on some pens that break down the pen parts. If you click the main part, all of the boxes are automatically checked. For example, checking RSVP Pen would automatically check RSVP Barrel, RSVP Grip, RSVP Backcap, RSVP Inktube, and RSVP Cap.

    Type of Pen - The user could further narrow down the search by what type of pen is it, such as writable/unwritable, double sided/single sided, and retractable/nonretractable.

    Cost - I'm not sure this will be necessary, as the user should already be checking off the pens he has. But in the case that the user hasnt bought the pens yet and wants to make whatever he can with the money he has, this could work. It could be a simple textbox and dropbox stating (amount) (currency) or less.

    I think weight and length should be sorting options for after the search is complete.

    What do you guys think?

  7. Zombo
    Date: Fri, Jun 13 2008 13:47:14

    im not aware if wiki can give you this type of advanced search though. would need to look into plugins

  8. iMatt
    Date: Fri, Jun 13 2008 16:25:02

    yeah probably. but I don't think they're of any cost

  9. Shadowserpant
    Date: Fri, Jun 13 2008 16:57:39

    yea i guess individual pen parts could be a little much
    i think we should start a big push to get more tuts on the wiki.
    And maybe make up new guidelines for wiki tutorials? or maybe that's not necessary...
    but the fact is, with the tutorials we have now, i could easily just click through all of them

  10. Sfsr
    Date: Fri, Jun 13 2008 17:07:34

    We should make a template for wiki-tuts, that people can just fill in.

  11. Shadowserpant
    Date: Fri, Jun 13 2008 17:11:59

    oh yea! i like that idea. then people wouldn't be as lazy

    wait a minute
    wouldnt we need to set this up first, before we have everyone go make tutorials? so that they could input all the criteria necessary for these searches? or are we going to do that afterward? we already have to do so for the existing tutorials

  12. iMatt
    Date: Sat, Jun 14 2008 01:37:32

    QUOTE (Shadowserpant @ Jun 13 2008, 12:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
    oh yea! i like that idea. then people wouldn't be as lazy

    wait a minute
    wouldnt we need to set this up first, before we have everyone go make tutorials? so that they could input all the criteria necessary for these searches? or are we going to do that afterward? we already have to do so for the existing tutorials


    Just make a sticky that says: PEN MODIFICATION TUTORIALS, then just have an updater bar to say when a new tutorial has been made or added.

    The existing tutorials once translated can be deleted or w/e the moderators want to do with them.

  13. iMatt
    Date: Sat, Jun 14 2008 18:37:09

    I think i've made an executive decision to just re-format pen tutorials one the Wiki. I'll experiment with my MCX tutorial and then see if I can make a template for the Wiki like Sfsr proposed. It may not be the final goal, but gotta start somewhere.

  14. Shadowserpant
    Date: Sun, Jun 15 2008 06:14:21

    QUOTE (iMatt @ Jun 13 2008, 05:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
    Just make a sticky that says: PEN MODIFICATION TUTORIALS, then just have an updater bar to say when a new tutorial has been made or added.

    The existing tutorials once translated can be deleted or w/e the moderators want to do with them.


    i have no idea what you mean..
    im talking about the wiki, and this search thing
    if we wanna make things like pen used and type of pen searchable with an efficient search engine, they'll have to be inputted by eaxh tutorial, won't they? so we dont want to start a big push for new tutorials BEFORE we set it up..
    that is, if we can set it up... i know nothing about that kind of thing

  15. iMatt
    Date: Thu, Feb 5 2009 07:51:08

    Also a side note on here. This is going to be a long process, but right now what I'm gonna try doing is seeing if I can just make a database program.

    Any new mod can be manually added to part of a server where updates could then distributed as needed. Again, LONG project.

  16. Zombo
    Date: Thu, Feb 5 2009 14:09:49

    are you still interested in creating an algorithm for generating the "hashvalue" of mods?

    always us to make a binary search tree

  17. iMatt
    Date: Thu, Feb 5 2009 15:25:20

    QUOTE (Zombo @ Feb 5 2009, 08:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
    are you still interested in creating an algorithm for generating the "hashvalue" of mods?

    always us to make a binary search tree


    What I'm wondering is if this would be an easier online JAVA application or not, but yeah I already took hash into consideration.

    Not saying I can figure out within a day haha. But I'll definitely be looking at that.