Wednesday Sun

Sunburn

I went out this afternoon for celebration meal I promised myself for winning some of the categories in the recent Intel competition, and went and got myself sunburned.  I think today was hotter than the last two days put together and I soaked it all in. No sun cream, just shandy to protect me. Silly silly silly, you think I would know better but frankly, I don't go into town very often and three hours is two hours too long in the baking heat.

Progress

Due to my condition once I got back indoors, I was feeling none too bright (but glowing) so did not get much in the way of Reloaded code. I had a full book today so it looks like Thursday going to be double busy :)  I can show off a nice piece of art from Mark which might give you some clues as to the standard we are aiming for with our texture and shader treatment of the new scene visuals.

Impressively, this is just a basic polygon cube with some extremely nice depth bump mapping applied to create the rich surface detail.  This is the theme we will be playing with for a while, and hope to get that level of detail everywhere you look. 

It's hard to picture at the moment, but like any building project we have to start with a brick and work upwards!  With the character animations being finished off (for a first draft at least) we are starting to think about segment meshes, textures, shaders and LOD. This will give us some nice scenes from which to demonstrate future prototypes that feature the engine.  I can't wait to see what we come up with :)

Even though segment adding and deletion are done, I still want to carry on with the map editor and get textures working, legacy segments working again (as well as the new LOD based ones), and tweak back other failing bits like the art draw tools are reversed as I switched the level layout from negative Z to positive Z. I did this in part as exporting levels in the future will make much more sense, but mainly it was because the Instance Stamp system only deals with positive coordinates. It also means when I work on coordinate code I no longer have to mentally reverse the Z axis all the time which will save my sanity some more.

Signing Off

I am assuming lots of fluids and an early night will solve the headache, burning and sickness from my mild bout of sub-stroke.  The meal was nice so that's something good to take from today.  I also managed to clear most of my inbox of emails and all the paperwork on my desk so should be a fine coding day 'indoors' on Thursday.

Tuesday Traversals

Delete And Expand

For want of a better title, the code created today includes being able to completely delete a mesh item from the buffer in real-time and I have finally expanded the level in the map editor to 500x20x500 and reversed the grid Z alignment.

Delete Code

The delete stuff was pretty intense, as I had to record which buffer the reference item exited within, including the exact position of the vertex and index data within that buffer. Shuffling the remaining data to delete the intended data was simple enough, but then re-scanning the entire reference grid in the area to ensure the offsets recorded for the other items reflected the layout inside the buffer was a tough one!  There is a very strange corrupt happening very occasionally so will need to tackle that when it becomes too annoying.  In general though, it's a nice clean fast delete procedure and much better than my first theory which was simply to reduce the polygons to zero size on delete, but that would simply gobbled up memory as you continue adding and deleting during the edit.  With Add and Delete now features of the Instance Stamp system, and integrated into the map editor, it was nice to see the ability to add and move walls and floors.  It is not 100% yet as little things like combining edits are still missing, but the hard grunt work is done now.

Expand Code

The second big code chunk of the day was the 500x20x500 level size. Amazing how BIG it is.  Here is a small rough video (sorry Rick) of just how big the level edit area now is:

As you can see you really will not fill this area, and in order to stay sane and move onto other things I will keep the 99999x99999x99999 level size idea for a future upgrade.  I am not sure such a level size would make sense, but when we start seeing levels made out of 500x20x500 areas, we'll know!

Signing Off

Another hot day in Wales today, and now we've been invaded by flies. It's gone midnight here and I'm stripped to the waste typing code and blog, and each time the fly lands on me and crawls about I wish I had the moral blind-spot to squash the little git. Alas the only bugs I squash are the ones of my own making, so hopefully I can negotiate a truce with the fly and split the office down the middle. He (or her) can have the top half of the office :)

Wednesday should see more segment editing refinement so we can get back to where we w[h]ere, and hopefully segment art, textures and shaders are winging their way to me which will form the filling of my super cool deferred shader sandwich. Our concerns during the prototype stage will be performance, performance and not forgetting, performance.

Teaching awareness at Google: Breathe easy and come into focus

This is the fourth post in a series profiling Googlers who facilitate classes as part of our g2g program, in which Googlers teach, share and learn from each other. Regardless of role, level or location, g2g's community-based approach makes it possible for all Googlers to take advantage of a variety of learning opportunities. - Ed.

Eight years ago, I loaded five boxes into my pickup truck, said goodbye to a career of crunching numbers in hotel management, and started my own massage practice in Washington state.

Soon thereafter, I started at Google as an onsite massage therapist at the Kirkland and Seattle offices, and I was ready for the challenge. But after a few years of massage work, I started to ponder alternatives to massage to further help my fellow Googlers relax and de-stress. Being able to take a moment out of one’s day to relax and decompress is not only beneficial for one’s health, but also may help people be happier and more productive in their day to day lives. So in 2011, I helped launch “MindBody Awareness,” a guided meditation class, as part of the Googler-to-Googler (g2g) program.

It’s no secret that meditation can be an excellent way to relax your body and focus the mind. A plethora of studies have supported that point. That said, one of the hardest parts of meditation is simply giving it a try. For an activity based in calmness and openness, it’s ironic how meditation can, for some, engender feelings of intimidation and even embarrassment at the outset. So we specifically designed “MindBody Awareness” for all levels so anyone can walk through the door and dive right in. Having a friendly, informal meditation class taught onsite by a fellow Googler allows for community building, and immediately relaxes participants whether they’re new to the practice or veterans.

Leading a MindBody Awareness class at our Kirkland, Wash. office

We begin each 30-minute class by going through a Qigong series that consists of 12 different positions held for 30 seconds each. This is how we begin bringing awareness of one’s body and mind into play, shedding the distractions from the outside and becoming more in tune with one’s self. The second portion of the class is a seated meditation, which incorporates changing hand positions, where chimes go off every minute to signal a change in pose. This integrates the mind and the body instead of just one or the other. The chimes help the mind stay focused, and acts as an anchor helping people return to a quiet mind if they happen to get lost in distraction. An engineer who takes my class told me “being aware of what my physical body needs while my brain is busy coding has helped me significantly reduce stress, not get so worn out, and enjoy my job.” Another Googler noted to me that he feels “having a regular chance to slow down, collect [himself] and connect mind and body contributes to a more mindful, lower stress outlook throughout the week.”

Taking a few minutes a day to sync your mind and body can help you relax and stay focused throughout the work day

Through g2g, we’ve made MindBody Awareness and other meditation classes available in 16 different cities, providing an alternative method of stress relief for Googlers around the world. To make it even easier for Googlers to access meditation classes, we offer global meditative Google Hangouts. Googlers can video conference into a meditation hangout for 30 or 60 minutes to practice meditation as a group.

Meditation class offered through the g2g program has also fostered a unique way to build a sense of community. The class has brought Googlers from varying departments together to meet new people by taking a break for 30 minutes to re-charge. The ultimate goal of the class is that Googlers get positive energy flowing that they can bring back to their desks—or anywhere for that matter!

Tips and tricks to help you de-stress

1. Focus on your breath. Take a few moments to allow your mind and body to relax even if it's just for one or two long deep breaths—make sure you can physically see your belly and chest rise. Taking just one minute a day can make a significant difference.
2. Think of your favorite things. Positive thoughts can give a way to a more positive attitude and outlook.
3. Try to focus on one thing. See if you can sit back and tackle your tasks one piece at a time, as if you were working on a puzzle piece by piece. Eventually, it will come together in a systematic way!

Posted by Amy Colvin, Massage Therapist

Powering our Finnish data center with Swedish wind energy

What do a Swedish wind farm developer, a German insurance company and Google’s Finnish data center have in common? As of today, a lot. We’ve just inked agreements with O2 and Allianz to supply our Finnish data center with renewable energy for the next 10 years—our fourth long-term agreement to power our data centers with renewable energy worldwide, and our first in Europe.

Here’s how it works: O2, the wind farm developer, has obtained planning approval to build a new 72MW wind farm at Maevaara, in Övertorneå and Pajala municipality in northern Sweden, using highly efficient 3MW wind turbines. We’ve committed to buying the entire output of that wind farm for 10 years so that we can power our Finnish data center with renewable energy. That agreement has helped O2 to secure 100% financing for the construction of the wind farm from the investment arm of German insurance company Allianz, which will assume ownership when the wind farm becomes operational in early 2015.

This arrangement is possible thanks to Scandinavia’s integrated electricity market and grid system, Nord Pool. It enables us to buy the wind farm’s output in Sweden with Guarantee of Origin certification and consume an equivalent amount of power at our data center in Finland. We then “retire” the Guarantee of Origin certificates to show that we’ve actually used the energy.

As a carbon neutral company, our goal is to use as much renewable energy as possible—and by doing so, stimulate further production. The Maevaara wind farm not only allows us to make our already highly energy-efficient Finnish data center even more sustainable, it also meets our goal of adding new renewable energy generation capacity to the grid.

Of course, using renewable energy is good for the environment, but it also makes long term financial sense. That’s why, in addition to protecting ourselves against future increases in power prices through long-term purchasing for our operations, we also invest in new renewable energy projects that will deliver a return for our money. In recent years we’ve committed more than $1 billion to such projects in the U.S., Germany and, just last week, South Africa. We’ll continue to look for similar opportunities around the globe.

Posted by Francois Sterin, Senior Manager, Global Infrastructure Team

Monday Catch-Up

Weekend Emails

As usual, the weekend left a small mound in my inbox, including what is looking very much like the final inventory panel system for Reloaded.

A few very small tweaks to the artwork and we're there. The system is pretty cool, allowing you to browse items in your inventory, use them, drop them and when tied to a second source, transfer items to and from containers. The graphics will be placed in a common folder so you can customize the artwork for your own games to create your own unique feel and if there is room in the art budget, we might knock out a few colors and variations for you.

We still have some work determining exactly to what extent we provide icons for the items in the list, but we will have a full generic set for all the built-in library assets which will be a good starting point. Naturally you will be able to modify the icon index from the FPE entity properties for those who want to really customize their creations.

Again apologies for the legacy 3D art in the background, we'll be onto new scenery artwork soon!  We're warming to a brighter asset pack this time, something sandy that lends itself well to outdoor terrain environments as well as interesting indoor scenes. We have one test segment but nothing I can show you, so bear with us while we create enough segments and entities to cobble a level together for you.

Signing Off

Today was a hot day, and no air conditioning to cool down the office so it was a slow coding day today.  Hopefully I can expel today's heat this evening and have a nice cool office again starting Tuesday.  With all the paperwork out the way, I can finally see my keyboard again!

U.K. innovators use technology to make the world better, faster

In March, we launched the U.K. Global Impact Challenge, asking British nonprofits to tell us how they’d use technology to change the world. Today, after evaluating hundreds of creative and visionary projects and narrowing the stack down to just 10 finalists, we’re announcing four inspiring Global Impact Awardees.

Three Awardees were selected by a panel of judges including Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Sir Richard Branson and Jilly Forster. Ultimately, the three recipients were selected for their unique application of technology to solve a big challenge and their ambitious but attainable vision:

• SolarAid will enable widespread access to low-cost, safe solar lighting in off-grid African communities currently reliant on kerosene lighting.
• Integrity Action will improve public infrastructure and services in war-torn countries through an online and mobile platform for citizens to report on development projects.
• CDI Apps For Good will revolutionize computing education by engaging youth in the hands-on creation of apps.

We also asked the public to help us choose one additional fan favorite to receive a £500,000 Global Impact Award. Hundreds of thousands of votes were cast between May 17-31. It was neck and neck, but the Zoological Society of London won for its plan to equip next generation camera traps with automated sensors, improving the protection of threatened wildlife.

SolarAid, CDI Apps for Good, Integrity Action and Zoological Society of London

Each of the four nonprofits will receive a £500,000 Global Impact Award and support from Google volunteers to make their project a reality. We believe technology can change the world, and entrepreneurial nonprofits are a big part of that equation. So to help the six additional finalists further develop and kick-start their projects, we’ve provided each with £100,000 in seed funding.

We look forward to the impact these incredible organizations will have on the ground, and we applaud all of the nonprofits in the U.K. and around the globe that are using technology to make the world better, faster. Who knows where we’ll take the Challenge next?

Posted by Jacquelline Fuller, Director, Google Giving

Saturday Secret Report

Rendezvous in Chinatown

As promised, what follows is a secret report marked highly classified, and for Reloaded community eyes only.  What you see and hear from this point is given in strictest confidence and if this blog could self destruct in five seconds, it would!

The Secret Investor

A special ops team managed to sneak out a single photo from the clandestine meeting, which took place in Chinatown, London, England.

Pictured are the two men suspected of masterminding and funding the whole operation, and top priority must be given to these targets.

Disclosure

Although we could not get surveillance equipment into the restaurant, we did get fragments of transcript which seemed to hint at possible futures for the Reloaded product and brand.

It appears that the project is indeed split into several key objectives, with the first and highest amongst them the total completion of the first release this side of Christmas. A second pillar to the plan is the steady release of updates and features on a very aggressive cadence which include a deliberate effort to publish high quality model packs that tap into the enhanced capabilities of the Reloaded technology.

A third pillar, which our sources suggest are highly suspect, is the possible deployment to other platforms, specifically mobile and tablet formats. Information is sketchy at this point and more investigation has been authorised into the possibility of this new threat.

Official spokesmen for TGC stress that this mysterious third pillar is complete conjecture and totally unsubstantiated. It was rumoured that a napkin, containing top secret sketches might have been left at the scene, but as yet the napkin has not been confirmed, and might in fact contain nothing more sinister than sweet and sour sauce.

Signing Off

Four hours from my office chair to London Euston, not too bad!  I could probably do the whole thing in a day if I made it a very long day, but it's good to know I have solid transportation links to the capital. The meeting with my investor friend went very well, and we had a great meal and chat. I could not ask for a more enthusiastic backer, and I am looking forward to delivering an awesome product this Christmas. Like an good superhero, we have agreed to keep his identity a secret, and to keep you guessing I'm wearing a question mark box in the photo too. I was on a secret mission after all!

Corporate spy thrillers aside, normal coding activity will resume Monday with the completion of the 'delete object from instance stamp' code and the start of the deferred prototype when we find out once and for all what the speed cost of the technique is on a standard Ultrabook form factor (i.e.. no dedicated GPU). From the comments made so far, it does seem like the vote is Heavily in favour of deferred rendering, which suggests most users are happy to break out their graphics cards for the task of running Reloaded.  I am curious how many of those voting for deferred are using laptops to edit and play their FPSC games. For Reloaded to really hit the high end of deferred rendering and dynamic shadow techniques, you'll probably need a dedicated desktop GPU!  Performance statistics and reality check to follow.

Once again, thanks for the meal, the company and the chance to talk endlessly about my favourite subjects!