Start
Get an idea, and try to figure out the best method of making it work.
Determine what is needed, to do what.
Graphics - Scan and edit size and resolution.
Graphics and the web were just getting started. As far as capabilities, and displaying correctly.
There were many incompatible formats. Many are long gone and forgotten. Like PCX, TIF and TGA.
Little did I know I was designing a 3D relational design graphical database. At the time I was not a programmer.
And had only good graphics skills at the time. Or so I thought, then I was recognized by Press and Media. I had become
a showcase artist for Micrografx Software, and later won an award for innovation for metallic 3D animated GIF that I had
randomly sent a university. Then I knew I was onto something. So during the evening off the clock, I'd sell animated GIF's.
By 1997 it was paying more than my job.
Since I have long despised structured education, I decided the best way to learn was doing it. At the time I was a Sr. Network Technician for a large oil & gas company. I started learning from home, and earlier I'd found that languages were my thing. Easy to grasp and translate in my head. This included programming languages. So I became a programmer. Luckily there were not that many languages out at the time. Today, it would drive a person crazy to learn and master several. So I stuck with Microsoft product line.
What I wanted to do was supposed to be quick! Six Months tops - Ok choose the database backend and test it capabilities. Easier said than done. The number of databases that were on the market was starting to explode because more and more businesses were needing to categorize their data. Some of the leaders at that time were Rbase, dBase, Simple Database and MS Access. With each having their own caveat. One could not do images, another could not do video. The original design was to have videos that played when they were clicked. But that brought out another legal hurdle. Licensing. You had to secure the rights to use their video, even if it was 25 years old. Just as the original splash screen the artist wanted too much and remember this was a 'sideline' I was not a 500 employee company.
Oct 1997
Get an idea, and try to figure out the best method of making it work.
Apr 1999
Learn each and every product that is needed to do the back ground structure of the program. Remember these programs?
REAL Audio? .ra
REAL Video? .rv
march 2000
Microsoft releases a new Windows version. What I had designed had to be tested on it. Windows Millenium Edition was not ready out of the box. Besides crashing, and having to reinstall Windows several times, I put the project on the back burner. Since the latest OS would not work.
Nov 2000
Windows ME finally works with all the DLL's and former portions added back in. I thought they were intentionally trying to slow me down.
Recordable DVD's become available. But the internet was getting faster too.
Dec 2000
After going through the other database backends, I wanted Access to create an EXE (program) that handled it all. But Access did not make EXECUTABLE files they made .MDE files that still required a 'runtime' version of MS Access program.
Audio, Video, Graphics and Database.
Feb 2002
Having learned programming, databases, graphics and everything I needed to know and getting all the pieces of the puzzle together. Finally have a working stable program. OK now wrap it up, and make an installable package. Yet another fiasco. Finding a program that compresses a program and make it a setup.exe to run on any PC.
2004
Other 'hobbies' and activities were starting to be requested more and more. Graphics, 3D Cartoons, Logos and Animation took the forefront and was quite challenging. So to jump from Electronics, to Programming to Animation to 3D Designs, I just growing by leaps and bounds. All the while having TCMC on the back burner. Even while doing all that I found time to get a spot on Good Afternoon Colorado for an Interior Design feature segment. Totally by accident.
Feature Walls
2008
The project involved finding details on over 15,000 titles, 600 or so artists, and thousands of albums and tracks. As well as the details of those labels that they had published, acquired, or distributed. This was put into a 3D relational database that sorts, searches, and lists all of the info related to Motown (and other Detroit labels and artists) With Motown often buying out or merging smaller companies into their fold, the task was daunting.
2009
Installation
- design an installation routine to install on PC's
Saving Settings
- Make a way to save settings that were last used. [Registry Keys]
Tips
- Make a tips feature that offers tidbits of knowledge
of Artist or Label
Printing
- Make a way to print sections of details
Easy To Use
It also had to have UK Titles, with releases added along with their various label designs
Types of Vinyl.
Color Vinyl, Extended Play (EP), 45 and Albums. And some foreign labels
Discography
Circumnaviagational, artists linked to labels, labels linked to titles, titles linked to artists.
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