Category: Projects

Reviewing 3dcrafter & Art of Illusion

3Dcrafter is a free tool for creating 3D models. It features an easy drag-and-drop function, making it simple to use. However, it is only available for Windows operating systems. The free version has limited features, but upgrading to the Plus or Pro version, starting at $39.99, unlocks more options.

This software exports only in the .pov file format, which is somewhat limited. However, it does support importing files from AutoCAD, 3D Studio, and other formats. 3Dcrafter has a great support system, and there are plenty of online tutorials to help users with their projects.

One useful feature of 3D modeling is its ability to analyze multidimensional data. For example, in a presentation, 3D models can be rotated, filtered, and highlighted to make data points stand out. Colors, shapes, and animations can bring the presentation to life while helping to show patterns and trends in the data.

While 3D models offer many benefits for data analysis, there are also challenges. Better understanding and remembering data while improving communication and teamwork can make work more efficient by saving time and effort compared to 2D models. It also allows for new ways to study information.

For researchers, these tools can make data easier to see, help compare details, and make findings clearer. For example, a researcher studying maritime history could use a 3D model to see how a ship’s design affected its balance and how much cargo it could carry, offering more insight than a 2D drawing. The challenge is picking the right tools, ensuring data and model accuracy, and managing costs and access.

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Carl Sandburg’s “The Great Hunt”

Hello!

In this project, I will use HTML and Codepen.io to properly format and display a poem by Carl Sandburg using HTML code. This builds on Project 10, where I worked with unordered and ordered lists. Through this lesson, I will continue developing my understanding of HTML, focusing on formatting to improve readability and presentation.

Now, let’s see how I do with coding this poem!

Step 1:

Open Codepen.io and login

Click start new pen

Upon starting a new pen three boxes will open up. One for HTML, CSS, and JS.

I will be working in the HTML box.

Example 1:

Step 2:

Insert the poem, The Great Hunt by Carl Sandburg

Example 2:

As you see from above, the poem is not formatted. If you click on the hyperlink I provided at the beginning of this project you will see the formatting of the poem. My objective is to create the same formatting using HTML.

Step 3:

Since this poem has a title, The Great Hunt, I will start by creating a headline.

I will use the <h4> headline element, as I think it provides the right level to highlight the title while keeping it distinct. I added my opening and closing tags <h4> </h4>.

See how the element creates a nice headline.

Next, I am going to start separating the text to create paragraphs.

Example: 3

You can see when I add the paragraph element <p> the text starts to format below.

I added my opening and closing tags <p> </p>.

Step 4:

I’m going to use the <br> element to create a line break. This line break will start to format the poem.

Example 4:

See the poem take shape.

I still have more adjustments to make. As you can see from the formatting of the poem, the spacing is more irregular.

Step 5:

In this step, I am going to look at continuing the formatting of the poem using the <pre> </pre> tags. I am going to wrap the poem in these tags. The browser will then pay attention to the spacing. It also allows me to see where the correct indentations are placed.

I am going to indent the necessary lines to match the formatting of the poem. I am simply going to use the tab key on my keyboard to do this.

Example 5A:

See how my formatting is locked into place using the <pre> </pre> tags.

Quick note …you will see how the spacing between the lines grew after I added the <pre> tags. I want to correct this, so I am now going to remove extra <br>= line breaks. These might not be the exact steps a professional would follow, but I’m learning, and that’s what it’s all about—trial and error.

Example 5B:

See what happens when I remove extra line breaks. The space between lines is reduced.

I am going to continue this to the end of the poem.

Step 6:

I wasn’t happy with the position of the header in this poem, so I started experimenting with the placement of my
tag. I moved it from the beginning of the poem to just before the header. This gave me the flexibility to adjust the header’s position using the tab key. Once again, I’m trying to match the example from the start of the project.

Example 6:

I am happy with these results!

It now looks identical to the example on The Poetry Foundation webpage, which is exactly what this project is aiming for.

Cheers!

HTML & Codepen.io

Eggnog Cookie Recipe

For this project, I am working with HTML and Codepen.io, both of which are new to me. I will document my process as I use them to create unordered and ordered lists.

I found an Eggnog cookie recipe online to demonstrate how to create unordered and ordered lists. The URL link to the recipe I chose for this project is included above.

Let’s get started!

Unordered list

First things, first. Open Codepen.io and login. 

Step 1:

Click start New Pen

Upon starting a new pen three boxes will open up. One for HTML, CSS, and JS.

Example: 1

Again for this project we are going to use the HTML box.

I am going to start by creating an unordered list using the ingredients from the Eggnog cookie recipe.

To create an unordered list, you use <li> and <ul> elements.

li = list item

ul = unordered list

Step 2:

Start creating your unordered list by using <li> elements.

Don’t forget to use the opening and closing <li> </li> elements for each item.

Example: 2

This is an example of what it looks like before you use <li> elements. See how the first two ingredients are not in list form?

The ingredients are displayed on the same horizontal line, making them difficult to read and understand.

Step 3:

Now, let’s finish the unordered list by using opening and closing<ul> </ul>elements.

We selected <ul> because it effectively represents an unordered list.

Example: 3

Don’t forget to have an opening/closing <ul> </ul> elements.

There you have it!

You have just created an unordered list.

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For this project, I wanted to work with ICPSR and OpenRefine. This is my first time using research data and a program to refine it in order to answer a research question.

My process is documented below. 

Research: explore the surveys of State Library Association Lobbying and Political Advocacy Practices, collected from 2017-2018.  

The survey summary:

“The data contained in this study relates to lobbying and political advocacy by state library associations in the United States. Each state has a library association that works to advance the profession, the interests of its members, and library services. To fill a gap in the literature, we conducted an exploratory survey of state library associations. Specifically, we surveyed the legislative chairs of state library associations and Chief Officers of State Library Association representatives. We collected data via Qualtrics during February 2019 and received thirty-five responses representing thirty-one states, including the District of Columbia. The survey contained quantitative and qualitative questions that were organized into six areas: how advocacy is carried out, perceived differences between advocacy and political advocacy, agenda-setting, the use of lobbyists, political partisanship, and education for advocacy in library and information science.”

Step 1:

Upload dataset to OpenRefine

Step 2:

After reviewing the survey results, I noticed that my home state of Michigan was not included. Therefore, I will focus my research questions on my former state, Illinois. I am particularly interested in how Illinois approaches advocacy in library and information science.

Step 3:

Next, I changed the date layout style. This made it easier for me to see the dates of the dataset more clearly.

Step 4:

I renamed the project: Project 4 Survey of State Library Association Lobbying and Political Advocacy Practices.

Step 5:

I parsed the dataset to condense the information into columns. This gave me a view of the survey answers stacked in the column instead of read out horizontally.

Step 6:

I stared the Illinois information row and used facet by star, filing my data based on the rows marked with a star. Again, this is my first time using this program and it was important for me to try the many options.

Step 7:

I removed extra rows that did not contain any data.

Step 8:

I tried the null values options to fill areas in my dataset that were missing data.

Step 9:

Another option I tried was the trim leading white space. Again, this is trial and error to see what I can do within the program.

Step 10:

I used the text facet feature to narrow my dataset to display only data from the State of Illinois. This was a challenging process for me, as I had to rely on several YouTube tutorials and OpenRefine user manuals for guidance. In hindsight, I believe my difficulty stemmed from not asking the right question during my answer search. My goal at this stage was simply to view data specific to Illinois. To clarify my process, I’ve included two screenshots to show the steps in detail, although these might differ slightly for those focusing on a single row of data.

Step 11:

The State of Illinois data is available for view without the distraction of other state data.

Step 12:

The State of Illinois data is available for view with the survey questions included.

Step 13:

Finalizing my question, “how Illinois approaches advocacy in library and information science.”

“The Illinois Library Association’s Advocacy Committee works hand-in-hand with the Public Policy Committee to keep track of legislation that affects libraries and to then advocate with professional members and legislators for the benefit of the profession.”

Reference:

Million, A.J., and Jenny Bossaller. “Lobbying and Political Advocacy: A Review of the Literature and Exploratory Survey of State Library Associations.” The Political Librarian 4, no. 2 (2020). https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/pollib/vol4/iss2/8/.¹