oran doherty BTEC national

Thursday, 15 January 2015

Unit 1 M1

Unit 30 M1

Hardware Basics

Computer monitors are vital with any computer system, they allow you to see everything on the computer. You can watch videos etc using the computer monitor. Everything visual is associated with the computer monitor. The monitors can come in HD therefore producing a brilliant image. However a monitor of great quality comes at a large price. The computer monitor may also not be compatible with all computer systems.

A keyboard is a great piece of hardware to have with a computer, you can use it to type anything on word processor. You can use it for internet searches and anything to do with typing up words. The limitations of this is that they are usually wired and too many wires coming out of a computer can get very confusing. Also a very good keyboard can come quite expensive.

A mouse allows you to move the cursor around the screen wherever you may desire, and allows you to click on any thing on the screen that is accessible. Mouses come with wires which take up space and make things more confusing, the movement of the mouse may be restricted without a mouse mat, thus leading to extra costs.

Hardware input

A digital camera is a basic hardware input which can be used by a graphics designer. The justifications for purchasing a digital camera are that you can use them anywhere and they are small enough to fit in your bag or even in a pocket. They can produce a great quality picture however this is dependent upon the price of the camera. The quality of the image also depends on the lighting. The main limitation is that the price of a high quality camera is very high. Another disadvantage of a digital camera is that a hard disk failure can result in photos being lost because they were not backed up or printed.

A scanner can be utilized when creating graphic images, they are easy to use and allow you to scan any image that is on a piece of paper and visualize them on your computer monitor. This means that you can edit them or use them for designs etc. The limitations of this is that they can be very expensive and some are only compatible with certain sizes of paper e.g A4. Scanner maintenance can be relatively expensive, when owning a scanner you will have to replace many parts of it on a regular basis.

A graphics tablet enable the person to hand draw a design and visualize it on the computer screen. Another justification of purchasing a graphics tablet is that its almost like putting pencil to paper, making things much easier than designing an image on the computer. A limitation is that they are also very expensive for a good quality and it also may be difficult to find a graphics tablet at at a large enough size for a reasonable price. Graphics tablets are much slower than drawing with pencil onto paper, however have their benefits. They can also be awkward to use properly e.g. accessing menus. Larger designs for example A4 can be very expensive.

Hardware output

A printer is a great hardware output that you can have with a computer. I have included a printer because the advantages of having one is that it allows you to print out your work and have a hard copy that you can show people, and you can use it to get an understanding of how the design will look as a hard copy. You can print out basically anything on the computer that you want a hard copy of. The limitations of a printer is that some printers can only print out on a specific paper size for example A4, therefore to have a printer that can print on various paper sizes, it will be very expensive. There will also be further payments for purchasing paper for the printer. Ink can also be costly because it can be rapidly used up.

I have included a projector because this allows you to show your designs, ideas etc. to a group of people. You can present your designs to people. The limitations of a projector is that they can be very expensive and will require a whiteboard to project onto, therefore further costs. Also you will need space on your wall to fit the whiteboard. To use a printer successfully you will need to use it in a dark room to get a good picture. They can also be very difficult to install which is time consuming.

A vinyl cutter is a great hardware output to have because you can control the machine from your computer making them easy to use, dictating the movement of the sharp blade as you desire. This is a great thing to have as it allows you to cut out your designs when making signs banners etc, a vinyl cutter is required. However like many hardware, a good vinyl cutter is going to be very expensive, also depending on the size will also dictate the price.

I chose to include a file storage device and i can justify my choice as they allow you to store data within the computer. Digital data on your computer can only be saved with a file storage device. For example if creating a graphic image, file storage devices allow you to save work, designs etc. and come back and finish them another day as they will be saved on the computer. The main issue with file storage devices is that depending on how much work you are doing, you will require a higher memory file storage device, and the memory that a file storage device has is directly proportional to the price.

Software

Adobe Photoshop is a great software to have installed in your computer system, as it allows you to manipulate a photo, combine photos, crop etc. The only limitations are that Photoshop can be difficult to use and it is very expensive to purchase and install. The android and IOS version of Photoshop does not have as many features, also images can become pixelated and lower quality when expanding them.

I had included Adobe illustrator because it allows you to edit vector graphics. It is a very efficient way to create graphics. However just like most software, it is very expensive to purchase and install, and will also require time to work out how to use it properly. May require watching tutorials before attempting to use it due to having a high level of difficulty to master it. You must have a lot of patience to create a high quality design.

Serif is the last software that i had included, and i can justify my choice because it allows you to precisely draw graphic images in much greater detail, using many different techniques to suit the design you are creating. The limitations are the same as for Photoshop and Illustrator, utilising the software requires time and education, and also a lot of money to purchase.

Monday, 5 January 2015

unit 30 p2

UNIT 30 P2

	Graphic Type	Description	File Type
Image for website	bitmap	A bitmap graphic is composed of many tiny parts, called pixels, which are often many different colors. Every individual pixel can be edited. A bitmap has a lower resolution than as vector. Vector images cannot be seen my browsers therefore a bitmap image is used.	JPEG
Image for vehicle	vector	Vector graphics are created in graphics packages and consist of shapes called objects. Vectors are made up of lines and dots mainly, making up an image of a higher resolution in comparison to bitmap images. The image would have to be enlarged a lot, and if the image was a bitmap then when enlarged it would become distorted, therefore a vector graphic is used.	PDF
Brochure	bitmap & vector	A brochure would have both graphic types, because the heading for example could be a vector graphic image, and there could be a bitmap image underneath the writing. The image would not be very large considering it is on a brochure, therefore a bitmap image is all that is required. The writing should be more clearer, therefore a vector image can be used.	JPEG/PDF

Wednesday, 10 December 2014

Unit 2 D2

2011 Intel i7 with 580 gtx graphics

The only downfall of this computer system is the relatively low score it received in terms of hardware tests, the score received was 18.

-Primary partition capacity: 932 GB

-Drive write speed: 143 MB/s

This could be replaced in order to increase the overall Nova Bench score of the computer system.

All of the components of this computer system scored very highly, however the hardware tests did not go so well, and if this was replaced, the computer systems performance would be even better.

If the hardware of this computer system was improved it would reduce the possibility of the computer system from having any faults. The hardware would continuously function with no issues and using the computer system would be much easier if the hardware tests score was higher.

Less time would be wasted replacing hardware and attempting to fix hardware if the hardware was replaced. A lot of issues would be avoided is the hardware was replaced on this computer system. After replacing the hardware, a Nova Bench test should be run again to see the increase in the Nova Bench score.

The Mac OS X computer system received a higher Nova Bench score for the system RAM. If the system RAM on the 2011 Intel i7 with 580 gtx graphics was improved, it would give it another further advantage over all over computer systems. The Mac OS X only has the edge on system RAM, therefore improvements should be made in order to defeat all competitors to the 2011 Intel i7 with 580 gtx graphics. If the system RAM was improved, the computer system would therefore have more memory and it would be much quicker, therefore i believe that the system RAM should be improved, however it isn't drastically important as there is not much difference between the two computer systems in terms of system RAM.
If the system RAM speed was faster there would be no negative reviews on he speed of the computer, although the RAM speed is high, there is always room for improvement.

There are no other improvements that are required as there is no competitors for this computer system. All other aspects of this computer system are brilliant and therefore there is no need to make negative comments in regards to other components of the computer system.

unit 2 M3

Unit 2 M3

2011 Intel i7 with 580 gtx graphics

The total Nova Bench score for this computer system is 1943, which is the highest score i have yet identified within all computer systems. This means that most of the components of the computer system are functioning incredibly well, and are a high quality.

This computer system received a score of 175 for its RAM system. It has a RAM speed of 11339 MB/s.

175 as a considerably high RAM score in comparison to other computer systems, thus being a positive of this computer system.

The CPU tests score for this computer system totaled up to 796 which is a phenomenal score. The CPU tests score can be broken down into three section;

-Floating point operations/second: 210561168

-Integer operations/second: 914180192

-MD5 Hashes generate/second: 1265105

This is all in tact which can easily be identified due to its huge contribution to the overall Nova Bench score. Al of these can happen many times per second which shows you that the computer system's CPU is in tact.

The graphics tests for this computer system went very well, it scored a brilliant score of 954, which is by far the highest graphics test score i have been able to identify. The graphics test score contributed massively to the over all Nova Bench score.

-3D Frames per second: 2485

These scores are brilliant and therefore this computer system has no competitors in terms of graphics.

The only downfall of this computer system is the relatively low score it received in terms of hardware tests, the score received was 18.

-Primary partition capacity: 932 GB

-Drive write speed: 143 MB/s

This could be replaced in order to increase the overall Nova Bench score of the computer system. All of the components of this computer system scored very highly, however the hardware tests did not go so well, and if this was replaced, the computer systems performance would be even better.

Wednesday, 26 November 2014

Unit 2 M2

The handling of graphics, color and type is a significant portion of a graphic designer’s job. Due to Apple’s long history of being the “designer’s computer,” they have focused on making improvements to their handling of colors and fonts, especially when going from screen and file to print. This means that Apple Mac’s have the edge over PC’s, however the same results can be achieved on a PC. For web design, neither wins, though you should be sure to have access to both operating systems to test your sites across all platforms. The main negative for Macs is that their prices are very high, giving PC’s the edge above them as they can be purchased for much less than a Mac. PC’s also experience less viruses on average in comparison to a Mac, therefore linking into cost again as the running cost of a Mac would be much more expensive. Pc’s are much better in terms of customization, they enable you to much more when customizing your computer system. As far as graphic design is concerned, there is no significant difference in the software available for the Mac or PC. All of the major applications, including the Adobe Creative Suite, are developed for both Mac and PC. There are some handy tools on a Mac which gives it the name the “designers computer”, however there is more software available for the PC. PC has a variety of options, specs, quality, prices, and vendors whereas a Mac has limited options, there is only one vendor, it is much more expensive as an upfront cost and repairing a Mac is more expensive.

Anyone can easily learn how to use a PC whereas a Mac takes more time to become familiar with, they are a more complicated computer system. Most software is compatible on a PC in comparison to a Mac, a lot of software cannot be downloaded and installed on a Mac computer system. Although a mac has a better graphics board than a PC, the PC graphics board is much easier to use.

To conclude, you will do just as well with a PC as you would with a Mac, and it would save you a lot of money. You can get a powerful one for less money than a Mac, and you will be using the same design software. Your creativity will determine the outcome of your work, not the cost of your computer system. PC’s can do everything a Mac can do for a much cheaper price. Although a Mac is often referred as the “designers computer”, the PC can perform equally as impressively in terms of graphics designing, and therefore in my opinion a PC should be referred to as the “cheap designers computer”- thus explaining why i have chosen a PC as an alternative.

Tuesday, 18 November 2014

Unit 30 M1

Hardware

The most important piece of hardware for creating graphics images is a graphics card, which is the piece of equipment that renders out all images and sends them to a display. This would aid the creation of graphics images as it displays the images that you want to use. However these can be very expensive which is a limitation.

A monitor is a vital piece hardware, it provides an electronic visual display for computers. When creating graphic images the images you are creating can be seen on the monitor screen. If you did not have a monitor, the designs you create on a graphics tablet will not be displayed on a screen to visualize. The only slight limitation is that the good monitors can cost up to £200.

You will need a keyboard in order to type up words that you would like to create a graphics image with, and these words can be seen on the monitor screen. If your graphics designs include words, you will need a keyboard. They are cheap and there is no limitations of a keyboard.

A mouse is a very important piece of hardware, it allows you to move around the monitor screen and provides you with the ability to open software programs with just a click of the mouse which justifies why i have included a mouse. They are also relatively cheap.

Hardware input

A digital camera would be ideal when creating graphic images, you can take photos with the camera and sync them to your computer and use the image to create a graphics image. You can edit the photos, use them in designs etc. A justification of including a digital camera is that you can take brilliant quality photos with a high megapixel camera, however for a high megapixel camera the cost will be very high.

A graphics tablet enables a user to hand-draw images, animations and graphics on the tablet, this would be ideal for creating graphic images because it allows you to draw them as if putting pencil to paper, and the image that you draw is then displayed on the computer monitor screen. A justification is that you can accurately and precisely draw an image instead f creating it on the computer. A top quality graphics tablet can cost up to £500 which is therefore a limitation depending on the quality of graphics tablet you purchase.

Scanners can be utilised when creating graphic images, you can place an image on a piece of paper onto the scanner, and the image will be scanned, read and copied. The image from the paper will them be displayed onto the monitor screen ready for you to use when creating a graphics image. These are a great hardware input to have because it allows you to put any image you desire into the computer. A scanner is very expensive though, up to £400.

Hardware output

Printers allow you to have a hard copy of the graphics images you have designed on your computer, they will copy the exact image you see on the monitor screen onto an actual piece of paper. This is useful as it means you do not have to log onto a computer and load up the graphics image to show someone, you can hand them your hard copy that you have printed instead. I can justify why i included a printer, because it allows you to print your graphic designs out to have a hard copy of the image. However if the printer isn't a top quality, the image printed can be blurred, smudged or distorted slightly, meaning you will have o purchase an expensive, high quality printer.

Projectors can allow you to produce a larger image that renders what you visualize on your computer screen, which can allow you to present to an audience to describe and explain the graphics image you have created. My choice of including a projector can be justified because it allows you to show a group of people your designs that you have created. However projectors are expensive and would also require you purchasing a whiteboard to project the image onto which means further costs.

Vinyl cutters allow you to control the machine via the computer, the computer dictates the movement of a sharp blade. which cuts out images from a piece of material. If you are making signs, banners etc a vinyl cutter is vital. Computer designed vector files with patterns and letters are directly cut on the roll of vinyl. Vinyl cutters are mainly used when making signs, banners and advertisements. Advertisements seen on the side of vans, lorries etc. These are brilliant because they allow you to cut out hard copies of graphic designs and use them to your advantage, placing them up on walls, banner etc. The limitation of a vinyl cutter is again the price, the cheapest vinyl cutters that are a high quality are at least £1000.

File storage devices are the data storage devices that are used in the computers to store the data. Without them the digital data you have on your computer wouldn't be saved, unless you had a memory stick. This is essential when creating graphics images because the image you are creating cannot be saved to the computer without storage devices. Depending on the amount of storage you need, the more it will cost, some can be quite expensive and they could also run out of storage requiring you to purchase a new one.

Software

Photoshop is very useful when creating graphic images because it allows you to edit images exactly how you desire. You can also use images loaded from the internet and upload them to photoshop and use the image to merge into your graphics image. I can justify my choice as photoshop allows you to edit the images in any way, it has so many functions within the software it is incredible. The only limitation is that it will cost at least £300.

Adobe illustrator is a vector graphics editor that can be installed onto a computer system to aid the creation of graphics images. It provides a more efficient way to design graphics images. Adobe illustrator will also cost you at least £300, but it is worth it if you are looking to create top quality graphics images.

Serif is a great software available to download, it allows you to precisely draw graphic images, use painting techniques, and easy to use graphic tools for making logos, graphic images etc. These reasons justify why i have included Serif, however the best version of Serif that you can purchase costs nearly £3000, but it will aid the creation of graphics images substantially.

Unit 30 P1/ Unit 2.3 P4

Hardware

The most important piece of hardware for creating graphics images is a graphics card, which is the piece of equipment that renders out all images and sends them to a display. However these can be very expensive. Pci - De/german 3072mb 3gb Geforce Gtx780 Asus Gddr5 Dvi Hdmi

You will need a keyboard in order to type up words that you would like to create a graphics image with, and these words can be seen on the monitor screen. If your graphics designs include words, you will need a keyboard. Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 Wireless Keyboard - wireless - English - US

A mouse is a very important piece of hardware, it allows you to move around the monitor screen and provides you with the ability to open software programs with just a click of the mouse.Logitech Proteus Core G502 - 11-btn Mouse - Wired - USB

Hardware input

Scanners can be utilized when creating graphic images, you can place an image on a piece of paper onto the scanner, and the image will be scanned, read and copied. The image from the paper will them be displayed onto the monitor screen ready for you to use when creating a graphics image.Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500 - 600 dpi x 600 dpi - Document scanner

Hardware output

File storage devices are the data storage devices that are used in the computers to store the data. Without them the digital data you have on your computer wouldn't be saved, unless you had a memory stick. This is essential when creating graphics images because the image you are creating cannot be saved to the computer without storage devices. "File Transporter by Connected Data Private ""Off-Cloud"" Storage Device"

Software

Photo manipulation is a downloadable software for image editing, allowing you to enhance, correct or neaten up an image. These images you edit can be used in your graphic images.

The system that i recommend using is a Mac, most graphics designers use Macs above other computer systems as it is much more suited to creating graphic images. Apple Mac OS X computers are especially useful for designers and many creative professionals choose to regularly update to the latest Mac hardware. Generally, “Macs” are mentioned in the same sentence as “graphic design,” and rightfully so for their excellent graphics and font capabilities, and ease of use.