blog post: halfway thru winter 2023

src/pages/blog/w23_midpoint.md

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+---
+layout: "../../layouts/PostLayout.astro"
+title: "Halfway through Winter '23"
+description: "Database design and a little fun with shaders"
+pubDate: "Feb 10 2023"
+heroImage: "/post_images/shaders/purple_curtain.jpg"
+---
+
+Just a little update now that we're about halfway through the quarter. I've been having a lot of fun in my graphics
+shaders class. The above image was created in OpenGL/GLSL using a combination of displacement mapping, bump mapping,
+and per-fragment lighting. Below you'll see the same texture with with much more significant bump mapping.
+
+![Bumpy purple curtain](/post_images/shaders/purple_curtain_bumped.jpg)
+
+Here are some screenshots from a couple other projects as well. Believe it or not, the same elliptical pattern is being
+used on the sphere and the duck. The sphere just has noise applied to distort the pattern!
+
+![Blue ducky with green elliptical dot pattern](/post_images/shaders/elliptical_dots.jpg)
+
+![Orange sphere with noisy red pattern, vaguely resembles the Sun](/post_images/shaders/sun.jpg)
+
+Of course static images don't quite tell the whole story, these are screenshots from programs that alter the shaders'
+uniform variables over time. If possible I'd love to post videos at some point when I'm more proficient with GLSL.
+
+In other news, I'm also taking Intro to Databases this quarter and our term project is well underway. For this project
+I am working with a partner to design and implement a database for an online video game. Complete with leagues and
+leaderboards, our goal is to design an efficient MySQL/MariaDB database to record gameplay statistics.
+
+It seems pretty common for students to avoid group work at all costs. I think there are sometimes good reasons for that
+hesitation, however I've really enjoyed working with another person on this project.
+
+In closing, it's been a good quarter so far. It's worth noting that this is also my penultimate term at Oregon State!
+In approximately 5 weeks I'll be moving on to my capstone project!