Where to go from here?

(From email, sorry no photos)

<I>Article Question:
Which should I post on next? Part II of the next gen article, images and video on the current state of the portfolio, or begin the series on the 2012 computer build?
</i>

Plugging away and working hard at multiple projects at once makes it hard to finalize and complete any single task; especially when they are all large and extended in length; ie. My portfolio for SCAD, studying for the GRE, freelance projects, board game design ideas, UDK level... I'ts hard to complete anything without jumping from one task to another.

As I work on my UDK level for my portfolio entry, (part of the admission process for my MFA @ SCAD) I have been experiencing SERIOUS feature creep. So much so that I had to step back from the process and "cool off". I started with a simple building walk through in a desert setting, then I created meshes and materials, added lighting and terrain and textures to add to the look of the level. Each newly designed static mesh had to be modeled in 3DS Max, textured and exported, then imported and placed. The level still seemed vacant though, so I researched kismet, added some locked doors, and attached triggers to keys and animated the doors opening upon using the correct key. Now that I have "gameplay" in the form of a "lock and key" search I want to build on the premise and create a variety of keys and color code them to different areas in a labyrinth form... If only I had 6 months... As opposed to days! It would certainly move quicker if I had a better system with which to develop on. This 1.8 gHz laptop with 1GB ram crrraaaaawwwwlllllssssss....

Moving on from the UDK level, and the frustration of lag, I figured I would animate some sequences of models and scenes I had developed in 3DS max. Creating fly-throughs and 360 degree model views are also encouraged for the portfolio submission. Sounds good to me. Set up some lighting, a nice smooth camera on a path, mental ray lights/shadows/material, a few tweaks an voila! Oh yeah.... Slow computer. 28 hours later I am 126 frames into the 301 frame animation. Grrrrr. Thank god I'm rendering to stills so at least I can stop start and not lose the time. I wish I could upgrade this machine!

So needless to say, the computer I am working on is too slow. It was, after all, a $400 purchase 3 years ago... Nothing extravagant. Certainly purchased for general use, not as a workhorse. Too bad the Toshiba did fart out... Otherwise I'd be on that and doing fine. But as I close this post I contemplate my next one... Do I finish the 2nd part of the "next ge article"? Do I post images/video of the projects? Or do I begin the series on the new build. Either way.... I have to do all of them at some point, but I ponder which to do first. Suggestions?

-C

Sent on my Sprint® BlackBerry® because Im too lazy to get off of my couch and use my computer...or Im driving.