Programming in Blender

*blink* I can’t believe I just spent the last four hours programming in Blender as a way to kill time.

I think I’ve realised something about myself, though. I’m easily addicted to problem-solving. As long as I am reasonably familiar with the parameters of the problem, I can spend endless hours trying a bunch of ways to get the job done. This explains why I can get sucked in so easily into things like programming, philosophy, and gaming (especially the latter). After all, a game is usually nothing more than a bunch of problems dressed up in an attractive package. And game design is even better – it involves solving problems about how to construct interesting problems for other people to solve.

The last two weeks at work have been a classic example of this, and surprisingly quite fun. My students are making their computer game prototypes now, and calling on me for help whenever they get stuck. Sometimes I can’t help them, but most of the time I can at least suggest some avenues of approach to the problem. And sometimes I can solve it outright, then and there. I guess all that experience working with programmers on several games does pay off, even though I still don’t do much programming. I can think like a programmer, which is half the battle in itself. But how do I teach Arts students who have a phobia regarding programming that it’s not really about math as much as it is about logic (which is also used in law and philosophy), and sheer perseverance through trial-and-error? I’ve come to realise that craft of teaching involves the destruction of mental blocks and attitudes that hamper the students as much as it is about forming good habits of thought and imparting skills.

In any case, it looks like I’ve acquired a new past-time… trying to make simple games in Blender by myself, just for the sheer fun of it. It’s also useful to prove to my students that it IS possible in the time frame given (if I can create a game by myself in 6 weeks, surely they can create a similar game with 5 people in the same amount of time…). And it’s always nice to practise a rusty skill. I’m kinda sick and tired of people assuming that I don’t know how to program and looking down on me for that, when actually it’s just that I don’t mention my programming skills because I know they’re not up to par with other first-class programmers I know, and I prefer to specialise in design and writing anyway.