As we are getting close to a software release here at work, I was giving the task of updating the installers. Some of which had last been build with version 5.1 (by the looks of them). My other task was to make “One installer to install them all”. After trying an MSI Basic project for the first install (prior to the “One Installer for all” directive) and had some issues. I would point any people with issues to the people on the InstallShield community site which were very helpful and responsive.

I then changed to InstallScript based project, and it now all works. I have heard that only MSI based installers will work on Vista, but we will cross that bridge when we get there. The scary thing is how there are so many different ways to skin the cat (or hide install steps/actions) in InstallScript. Worst is that I feel confident reading a InstallScript project and understanding what it’s all doing. I feel the big target of “install guy” freshly paint on my back.

All this aside it feels good to have gotten mostly to the other side.

For testing the installers I have been using Microsoft Virtual PC 2004. This has been a dream, until this point my workstation had not really used both processors and all 2 gigs of RAM, but it’s nice to have two VPC’s running the installers and have the box still responsive. This is something I have gotten used to, and now my home PC is painful when compiling our larger projects. The IS team has it really switch on here, and they have the whole software install purchase workflow sorted really well. It makes requesting things a pleasure. But the best part is installing the “Network install CD” in and build new machines in VPC and the whole process is so well scripted. These guys rock.

Best humour email of the week comes from David with the video David “The Hoff” Hasselhoff - “Jump In My Car”

after watching the cheesiest video ever, watch the making of video as well. Great stuff.

For the last three weeks I have been building a castle for Jacob’s birthday (Friday 30 June).

It turned out a treat. Features of the castle are:

• Two towers
• Battlement
• Draw bridge (with real chain for bridge closing action)

I’ve attached some pictures of it been built.

First photo is after cutting the wood with a cross cut saw, then jig sawing the battlement gaps out. This took one morning and two evening’s to-do.

Second picture is of the cut-out parts from step one standing together, held with rubber bands.

Third and Fourth pictures are of the gateway cut out, and the edges & battlement sanded. This took two more evenings’ to-do, but the finish, made the castle look and feel much nicer. Even with it being raw MDF.

Fifth pictures are after the castle has been screwed together and the drawbridge chain has been added. This took two evenings also. Three drills would have speed it up over two as changing the screw driver bit for the counter sink bit wasted time.

The last photo is the completed castle is Jacob’s rooms. Michaela did three sessions of painting. A sealant was used on all the cut edges of the MDF, a white primer, putty filling of the screw holes and lastly the colour coat. I then painted the darker grey brick work.

After the new Lego was built, the castle was enjoyed thoroughly.

Greig has posted a game AI comp on his web site (Arctic Blue Games), in which we are to program some AI to compete the Sokoban puzzles/mazes/games.

Been the complete Java neophyte, and Microsoft fan boy, I ported the Java to C#. I have put my copy of Greig’s code here.

Not sure if I’ll get some running code before the 15th for the first round of competition, but I stand a better chance now I have a compliable code.

Not that I’m sure he will accept my renegade code base. But I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

Well, in the day’s I’ve been working. I am now a Senior Software Engineer as Trimble NZ Ltd. I’m working in the Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies group. And yes I have noticed what the stocks been doing since I started.

In the evening Michaela and I have been house hunting. Yay for permanent employment, banks are willing to lend you money.

So I haven’t been doing anything worth blogging about. Except for going to QEII and spending an afternoon hydro sliding with the kids on Queens birthday Monday. We did some jumping off the diving boards as well, and Mahalia jumped off the five meter board which impressed the heck out of me.

Last week I should have posted that I was going down to Invercargill to compete in the Underwater Hockey South Islands. I would then said that I was in the B team, and a little sad that we had so many good players that I was playing down a grade. But then I would have had to update the post to say: Due to people pulling out I’m now in the A grade team. Woot. And I’d say something like, I feel bad for the B grade team loosing me, and that I’ll be the weakness player ob the A grade team. But because I didn’t write the post, I didn’t have to say any of that.

So now that I’m back and 14+ hours of my life have been spent travelling. I can say thank god I wasn’t in the B grade. A few other clubs (there is only Invercargill and Dunedin to choose from) thought it was good to put A grade teams in the B grade, thus our B grade team lost all five games they played. This was disappointing for the team. But they did score one goal in the 3rd 4th playoffs. Instead I played in the A grade, where only two people are from Christchurch and the rest are import via university. God bless the engineering department at Canterbury. Anyway in the A grade we won all our games, and won the tournament. WOOT! So now I have a Gold medal. It was some crazy fast hockey, against some teams that though fouling and general dirty play are in the spirit of the game.

Side notes of the tournament, yes I stalled Bryn’s Ute (after two hours driving in fifth gear, I forgot about the clutch). Some unpleasant Invercargill yobs thought it was fun to punch the smaller people in our group (me being in the set of targets), luckily I’d had a few celebratory drinks, and didn’t really feel it.

I just got an email from Week-Bix about the All Black Vault, and while the email was messed up (not sure if it was Firefox or Gmail’s fault) the actual site is very slick. I really like the panning screen effects, and how parts of the screen hint and glimmer. A nice UI if you have the bandwidth.

Michaela and I went to see Siones Wedding last night. I had no expectations at all (didn’t actually know anything about it) and found very funny. It was a great Samoan comedy. So my advise it go, expect nothing, and giggle and laugh you head off.

I hadn’t seen a Google search in xx-hacker before and though it was the funniest thing. Googling about xx-hacker found some useful links, one of which is the Google front page in leet speak.