Welcome to netbeetle.com, the personal website of Josh Beitelspacher. I just added a Google search to the bottom of this page and Google ads to every page on this site. I'm not expecting to make any money, but it will be interesting to see what kind of ads Google will show on my pages. I also updated the color scheme changing of the site. Now to change the color you only have to click on the image at the bottom of the page.
This section contains a resume in PDF form and some other information. I am currently a senior computer science major at the University of Oklahoma. Originally from South Dakota, I chose to attend the University of Oklahoma because of excellent scholarship opportunities for National Merit Scholars. I enjoy programing, web development, and graphic design, as you could probably tell from this site. Resume (Adobe Acrobat format) 28 September 2004 A PDF of my current resume. List of High School Involvement and Awards. 24 May 2001 A comprehensive collection of everything I was involved in during high school. Written as part of a scholarship application.
Look here for my system specs and current uptime. I am currently using my second home built computer. If I were to buy a complete computer system, it would most likely include low end parts, and overall system stability would be greatly damaged. However, by building my own I can carefully choose the best possible parts, and in the end the difference is very noticeable. Current UptimeHere is my current system uptime. This graphic is created using a PHP script hosted on my computer.System Uptime System Specs Motherboard: Asus A7N8X Deluxe
Processor: AMD Athlon XP 2100+ (Palomino)
System Memory: 2 x 256 MB Corsair XMS3200 C2
Graphics Card: Radeon 8500
Hard Drives: 120 and 40 GB Western Digital Hard Drives
Optical Drives: Toshiba 16X DVD and LiteOn 52X CD-RW
Case: Antec Performance Plus 660AMG
Power Supply: Antec Truepower 330W
Monitor: Samsung SyncMaster 191T (19" LCD)
OS: Windows XP with all the graphical fluff turned off
This site is in the middle of a large update process. Find out what's going on. This page has information about how this version of the site was created. It may be interesting for web authors that demand the precision of html coded without the aid of WYSIWYG editors, but don't have the time to maintain a large site by hand. Problems with the Old WebsiteThe original netbeetle.com was never meant to expand into a collection of over 50 pages, but it hit that mark rather quickly. Also, while the majority of these pages were simple HTML, pages such as the OU Pictures gallery took much time to write or update by hand. An initial solution to this problem involved the use of my SHTML to HTML program (available in the downloads/programs section). While that solution did work well to a point, there was still a large amount that had to be done manually to update the site. There had to be a better solution somewhere. Why XML and XSLTThe solution I found was the Extensible Markup Language (XML) and Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT). These two W3C specifications allow for any XML document to be transformed into a new XML document with a different structure. This allows for the easy creation of an Extensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML) based website, because XHTML is itself an XML based format. XSLT would also support the creation of HTML, but it seems like taking a step backward from the full potential of an XML and XSLT created website. In the end this allowed this entire website to be created from just two files, where before it would have taken more than 50. Also because the template based XSLT language has conditional operators and works recursively. A website created in this way can have menus that are automatically generated from the content and change according to where in the website the user is. This can be seen in the branching and highlighting of the menu to the left. The ConversionIt took much longer than I originally expected to go from a straight HTML to an XML based website. It is actually quite a lot to learn, and applying it to a complicated website with many different types of pages also proved difficult. But in the end, the change was well worth it. I should now be able to rapidly update my site at a moments notice. I create all my XHTML pages on my computer using Saxon, an open source project freely available to everyone. However, it is also possible to generate pages live on a web server. But for someone that wants to create a large site without having to pay for any WYSIWYG software or a web server capable of generating dynamic pages, using XML and XSLT to build a complete website is a free way to make a site that rivals any on the web. Here are the full XML and XSLT documents that were used to create this entire site. Although they look very complicated at first remember that these two pages weigh in at just 75k compared to the transformed site that takes up 250k. netbeetle.xml netbeetle.xsl
Find out about some of the things I am currently working on. These are some programming projects that I am currently working on. I am working on these three projects somewhat concurrently, but so far most of my time has been spent on the physics engine, the Physics2D package. When the physics engine is finally done, and meets my standards for realism, the SpaceBattle and Pool games should not be far behind. The Pool class is not a game yet, it merely shows balls in collisions. This is very useful in diagnosing problems with the physics2D package, running Pool for a few minutes will show numerous problems, mostly during the break. The SpaceBattle class is a little more complete, it gives the user control of a spaceship flying around a star. Eventually the ships will engage in combat. It is my goal to have a multiplayer network game complete before the end of the summer. UPDATE - The physics engine has been revamped to use vectors in a more effective way. This also makes it possible for this physics engine to be made three dimensional with only the addition of another dimension to the vector class. No other changes should be necessary. Although I have given up on my multiplayer SpaceBattle game in Java, it may eventually happen in C++, which I am in the process of learning. See the new physics model in action in the executable jar file. Click anywhere on the screen to make the cue ball move. The farther away, the faster it goes. Because edge behavior is not yet modeled directly in the physics classes, some undefined behavior can occur at high speeds. So, it is best to click relatively close to the white ball. class physics2D.Object2D class physics2D.Plane2D class physics2D.Vector2D class Pool (main) class PoolTable class Ball class SpaceBattle (main) class Space class SpaceShip class Star interface Drawable Executable JAR
Definitely the highlight of the site. Lunar Lander and Secret Word are going to take the internet by storm. So far I have written two games in the Java programming language. The first, Secret Word, was required for my first semester Java course, however I exceeded the specifications a little. The second is a lunar lander game I made over the 2001 Christmas break.
Guess the secret word in as few tries as possible. This is a little game I made for my first semester Java course. It went slightly beyond the requirements. The version here is modified to fit the requirements of Java applets. This is the first Java applet I have produced. To play the game guess letters that are in the word. You can either type the letters or click the buttons. Typing a space will go to the next secret word. The source code for the applet is available here. The regular application source file and class files are available in the downloads/programs section.
Pilot a lunar lander in this exciting game. Unfortunately the Java Plugin is required. This is a game I started working on during Christmas break. It is a simple lunar lander game with limited functionality. To play the game use the arrow keys to control the lunar lander. Arrow key up accelerates the lunar lander in whichever direction it is pointed. Left and right turn the lander. Down returns the lander to upright position. Spacebar (and F3) resets the lunar lander after a successful landing or a crash and restarts the game after pausing (p-key). Scoring for each successful landing is based on the velocities at impact and that number is taken times the square of the number of screens passed. A large bonus is also awarded for very good landings. The result is then added to the total score. After a crash fuel returns to full and after a landing fuel increases by up to 75% if needed, but no more. The circular gauge shows the angle of the ship (thick line) the direction the ship is going (thin line) and the current landing conditions (center color). Grey means landing conditions are not meant, red means landing conditions are barely met, yellow adequate, and green indicates a perfect landing. The source code for the applet is available here. The regular application source file and class files are available in the downloads/programs section.
Papers I have written for various college courses, including one that has been published in the 2002 Oklahoma Honors Undergraduate Research Journal. These are some papers I have written for various college classes, arranged by date with the most recent listed first. I would have included some papers written in high school, but, after looking back at everything I wrote in high school, there was nothing worth posting. Some of these papers have properly formatted works cited pages. Others do not, because the assignments did not require them, but it should be obvious from the text what sources were used and no plagiarism is intended. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view all these papers. A Misguided Monument to Freedom 25 February 2002 This paper calls into question the willingness of freedom loving Americans to indiscriminately label John Walker Lindh a traitor without the slightest bit of consideration. Written for a second semester English composition class. Rights for All 1 February 2002 An argument about the potential problems with the USA Patriot Act, a questionable piece of legislation passed in haste after the September 11 attacks. This paper focuses specifically on the rights of non-citizens and was written for English 2. Computer Science and Intellectual Property 14 December 2001 This paper discusses the effects that intellectual property rights can have on the scientific discipline of computer science. This was written as the final for Honors 2973 - "Perspectives: What is Science?" basically a course on the sociology of science. This paper was selected for publication in the 2002 University of Oklahoma Honors Research Journal. Nothing out of the Ordinary 14 December 2001 This paper focuses on how gender is represented in animated media. It was a forced topic for my entire English 1 class. I take the position that any gender differences in animation are merely a reflection of society. OU Observatory 27 November 2001 A so called "community profile" of a local Norman landmark. The observatory turned out to be an interesting place. Written for English 1. No Regrets 23 October 2001 I was reluctant to post this paper. It is the only one on this page that is written in first-person and based on personal experiences. This paper is about the 2000 South Dakota Class 11-A Football State Championship Game, in which I played a part. Social Influence on Science 11 October 2001 This paper was a midterm for my Honors Perspectives class. It may be hard to understand without reading the books mentioned, but it should still make a fair amount of sense.
Some wallpapers, active desktops, and Java programs and utilities. MineSweeper was just added to the programs. This page is a collection of everything I have made that others may find useful or interesting.
These are active desktops for computers with Windows 98 and later. For those that do not know, active desktops are HTML pages designed to be used as wallpapers. These active desktops are designed for computers with Windows 98 and later. They are used just as an image wallpaper would be, but there are some added features. First, these wallpapers are completely scalable to any resolution, and second, all these wallpapers display the current date in the lower right hand corner, and the current holiday, if any, in the upper right hand corner. Most major holidays are included, except ones that fall on different weeks of different years such as Easter. This is a generic active desktop that is extremely customizable through the use of an external setup file. This was the first active desktop, and the other two are just variations of this one. This version includes the space backgrounds from the downloads/wallpapers section. However, any sequence of pictures can be used through the configuration of the setup file. HTML Preview Download ZIP File The official wallpaper of netbeetle.com. Features the netbeetle.com logo on a green background that perfectly matches the site. HTML Preview Download ZIP File This wallpaper stars Bender, the alcoholic robot from Futurama. Futurama is a great animated show shown Sunday nights on Fox, and Bender is undeniably the best character. This wallpaper is a tribute to the recently cancelled show. HTML Preview Download ZIP File
This section consists of .jpg wallpapers and zipped collections of wallpapers. You can see how some of these wallpapers were made in the graphic design/image editing section. This is a collection of wallpapers that I have made mostly in Adobe Photoshop. The latest addition, at the bottom right hand corner, is the official wallpaper of netbeetle.com. Feel free to save any of the wallpapers to your computer for use as a wallpaper. VentureStar See the making of this image in the graphic design/image editing section. Akira See the making of this image in the graphic design/image editing section. Sunrise See the making of this image in the graphic design/image editing section. Midway The ship is a screenshot taken from the game Wing Commander Prophecy, the background is completely original. Pirahna The ship is from a promotional shot for Wing Commander Prophecy, the background is completely original. Excalibur This was the ship in the Babylon 5 spin-off that lasted only a few episodes. Enterprise The Enterprise from the new Star Trek series flying over a satellite photo from spaceimaging.com. Through a Nebula A Wing Commander ship rendered from a model made by Mephistopheles. Defiant The Defiant from Star Trek DS9 escaping from an enemy. Equinox The Equinox flying over a heavily modified Hubble Telescope Image. Tie Fighter A Tie Fighter flying past Mars. Official Wallpaper of netbeetle.com My first "official" wallpaper. Download your resolution here: 800x600 | 1024x768 | 1152x864 | 1280x1024 | 1600x1200
Download some Java programs that I have written, both for classes and for personal amusement. In order for any of these files to be useful to you, you at least need a Java runtime environment. The Java Plugin is probably the easiest way to get a working version of Java for those that do not already have one. These are some Java source files and executable jar archives for anyone that is interested. A minesweeper clone with some simple AI added. If you get stuck hit F3 to get updated probabilities for the entire board. The closer to white a cell is, the less chance there is a mine there. Also F4 will automatically fill in all the cells that it is 100% sure of. Hitting F3 and F4 will basically play the whole game. F5 will clear the cell that is least likely to have a mine. F2 restarts the game. MineSweeper.java JMineSweeper.java Board.java Cell.java MineSweeper.jar The LCD Test program was designed to allow LCD users to compare the ghosting on different monitors. It allows the user to change the colors, speeds, and sizes of the bars through a setup file.

 Because it is written in Java it can be very slow at large resolutions, the speed is entirely dependent on the resolution. Vary the resolution to get the speed you want, or modify the setup file.

 Quick note about LCDTest.cfg: This file should be modified very carefully, the format must remain exactly the same. Also, you can add as many colors as you want, just list them in hex format. class LCDTest (main) class LCDTestGraphic LCDTest.cfg LCDTest.jar The non-applet, in other words original, form of the Lunar Lander game in the games section. Almost entirely identical to the applet. Java Source File Executable JAR The secret word game from the games section in a non-applet form, file io significantly different in this version, among other changes. The jar application requires a properly formatted word list file called "WordList.txt" to be located in the same directory in order to work. Java Source File Word List File Executable JAR This program was relied on very heavily in the making of the first version of this site. This is a command line program that takes two arguments. The first is a directory with a website in it. The second is the destination directory. The program first copies all the files to the new directory and then proceeds to convert all shtml files, with server side includes, into ordinary html files that can be viewed anywhere. I used this tool to add the header, navbar, copyright, and footer into every page without having to worry about manually doing it. FileCollection HTMLWriter SHTMLReader SHTMLtoHTML Executable JAR Batch files for users of Windows NT/2000/XP. These files can be associated with .java and .class files in order to allow double click compilation, execution, and packaging. Extract the batch files into any directory listed in your system's path variable and merge the registry file into your registry to setup the file associations. The .reg file will override existing file association settings. You also need to move FindClassName.java and FindClassName.class into any directory listed in your system's classpath environment variable. NT Batch Files ZIP (can now run classes in packages)
A gallery of old work done by the now defunct J&J Web Development. If only we had actually made any money. These are some of the better web sites that I have created. Most of these sites were designed almost five years ago, from when I was in eighth grade to my freshman year of high school. This website, netbeetle.com, is a much better example of my current work. All the graphics on these sites are original. The coding is also completely original and was done using only Microsoft Notepad. The two commercial sites on this page, Hard Drive Central and National Association of Tower Erectors, were design prospects that were turned down by the respective companies. J&J Web Development Contains a graphic archive that shows some original graphics. Makes use of JavaScript and Style Sheets. New J&J Web Development Webpage I only worked on this page for two days. No links work because only the first page was ever completed. Hard Drive Central The headline automatically scales to any size window. Uses high quality, original animated gifs. National Association of Tower Erectors This pages uses frames to display a menubar and a document. No links work because only the first page was ever completed. SDASCOE This page was charity work for a non-profit organization. It is a good example of an almost entirely plain text site that is still appealing. Killer Bees Has fullscreen console mode with functioning buttons. Makes use of JavaScript to change content. Killboard Exactly replicates the look, and works the same as the killboard in a game. Makes use of JavaScript to change images.
This page highlights my interest in graphic design with examples from my high school yearbook and some step by step image editing examples. Graphic design is a hobby of mine. I've had a chance to express it by making websites, designing my high school yearbook, and doing other things. This entire site is filled with examples of things I have designed, so make sure to look in the downloads section and the websites section for more.
This page shows how some of the wallpapers (available in the downloads/wallpapers section) were made. It breaks the process down into several large steps that may not be very meaningful to those that have never used Photoshop. But, either way, you should be able to get an idea of the process involved. Here are brief descriptions of how some of the images in the downloads/wallpapers section were made. These images are original in that they are significantly altered from the source material they came from. However, the pictures present on these pages were made using pre-existing images found on the Internet. Again, these images were produced for non-commercial interests and no copyright infringement is intended.
See how this image was made. This page shows some key steps in the making of the Akira wallpaper available in the downloads/wallpapers section. OriginalsThe original images, the first is a render of a model taken from a Star Trek fan page, and the second is an actual photo taken in orbit. I am not sure where either of these images came from. If any one knows, contact me so I can give proper credit. Step 1This is a mask created in order to separate the ship from its background. Only the areas in white will be saved, and the rest will be made transparent. Step 2Here is the ship placed on the planet before any editing is done. What results is a very non-interesting image, that just seems thrown together, which it is. Step 3This is the planet layer with a gradient at the horizon and a circular gradient across the surface in an attempt to show sunlight. Step 4Some layers of colored clouds to make the image more interesting. Step 5The ship placed back on top of the planet and the clouds. However, the image still seems pasted together because the ship is not connected to the background. FinalAnother layer of clouds was added above the ship, and a brightness/contrast layer over the whole image really puts the ship into the scene. Notice how the ship takes on an blue hue to match the surroundings that was absent in the images above. See the full size image in the downloads/wallpapers section.
See how this image was made. This page shows some key steps in the making of the Sunrise wallpaper available in the downloads/wallpapers section. OriginalsAn image of Michigan taken from the space shuttle. Step 1The earth separated from the rest of the image and placed into a new file. Step 2A color layer put over the Earth to make it look like a strange alien planet. Step 3A new file with a star background a large lens flare. Step 4The planet pasted on top of the new background. At this point it looks very disconnected and does not fit at all. Step 5An orange and yellow horizon added behind the planet. This is the first step in making the planet appear to fit on the background. FinalThere are two important changes in this final step. The first, and most obvious, is a gradient added across the planet surface to show the sunrise. The second, more subtle but almost equally important, is an embossed layer of the planet overlayed on the planet. Notice how the clouds on the planet appear to stand out much more in this version. This is due to the emboss layer, and it adds a great degree of realism to the image. See the full size image in the downloads/wallpapers section.
See how this image was made. This page shows some key steps in the making of the VentureStar wallpaper available in the downloads/wallpapers section. The VentureStar was a design by Lockheed Martin Skunkworks for a single stage to orbit vehicle to replace the space shuttle. The design was recently scrapped I believe. OriginalsThis image was taken from either a Lockheed Martin or NASA site, I do not remember which. Step 1This is a mask created in order to separate the VentureStar from its background. Only the areas in white will be saved, and the rest will be made transparent. Step 2Here is a background with blue and green clouds and some motion blurred stars. Step 3The Venture Star placed on the new background. Step 4Some flame like things coming from what kind of looks like a thruster at the back of the VentureStar. FinalSome lens flares added for increased dramatic effect, probably not the most realistic, but it does look good. See the full size image in the downloads/wallpapers section.
In high school I was very involved in every aspect of producing the yearbook. I wrote, edited, and submitted pages, but the part I enjoyed the most was the design. Some of the better page designs I came up with and the two covers I designed are shown here. I worked on the Hamlin High School Yearbook for three years. In my first year I took the role of design editor. As design editor I created all the section design templates and the cover (shown below). My junior year I added the athletics section editor to my list of responsibilities, and my senior year I added overall editor to the list. In my three years, the Hamlin High School yearbook earned All-State honors all three times, due in large part to good design. Yearbook CoversDesigning the covers was by far my favorite part of the entire process. The 1999 and 2001 covers are shown below. Regretfully, I did not design the 2000 cover, and the yearbook was left with a generic stock cover. Click on the thumbnails below for a larger view and some details. The 1999 Hamlin High School Yearbook cover Not the best color scheme in the world, but a very solid design. The 2001 Hamlin High School Yearbook cover This cover turned out really well, the background was a nice dark blue pattern, and the writing was in shiny silver foil. It is impossible to show on screen, but the real version looked great. Sample Pages from the 2001 YearbookDesigning page templates was another very satisfying part of the job. By creating well designed templates, the yearbook started with a huge advantage every year. Athletic Division A typical division page. The division pages were one of my most unique designs. This design was only modified slightly from the one used the previous year. Homecoming A typical student life page. The student life design template was one of the simplest yet it was still clean, sharp, and modern looking. Golf This page has the distinction of being the first all digital page in a Hamlin yearbook, meaning the pictures were scanned in at the high school rather than at the publisher. That is why there are pictures on this page as opposed to the blue boxes on the other two.
Pictures taken around the campus of the University of Oklahoma. These are some digital pictures that were taken around the campus of the University of Oklahoma during OU/Texas weekend in 2001. Arch on the South Oval This is one of the two arches at the south end of the South Oval. Garden on the South Oval This is the South Oval's rock garden. Red Telephone Booth One of the many bright red telephone booths scattered about campus. Football Flowers Campus decorations during football season. The Seed Sower A statue on the South Oval that often is seen carrying oranges or roses during football season. Texas Sucks October 11, 2003. Texas loses again, 65-13. I was there till the end along with 35,000 OU fans and about 8 Texas fans. It couldn't have gone any better. Fountain by the Library This is a fountain directly north of Bizzell Library. The Bizzell Library Clock tower The clock tower straight west of the library's main entrance. One Student Still Here The front of Bizzell Library with one student walking past. Campus was almost entirely empty over the three-day weekend. Nielsen Hall Entrance One entrance to Nielsen Hall, the physics and astronomy building. Nielsen Hall Classroom A lecture hall in Nielsen. OU in Stone Writing on the time capsule on the South Oval. Collegiate Gothic Architecture The east side of Bizzell Memorial Library. Arch on the South Oval This is a close up on one of the two arches at the south end of the South Oval. Carson Hall One of the engineering buildings. A Tree An old tree north of the library. Looking Down A tree in the hole outside the library. Covered with Ivy The north side of the library. Another Fountain The fountain in engineers garden outside Carson. Sarkeys Energy Center This building can be seen over the stadium in NCAA Football 2002 for the Playstation 2. Yet Another Fountain The fountain on top of Sarkeys. Sarkeys Garden The garden on top of Sarkeys. The OU Fieldhouse Looking at the OU Fieldhouse over the reflecting pond by Memorial Stadium. The OU Watertower Its a watertower. Champions The backside of the scoreboard at Memorial Stadium, with the 2000 championship newly squeezed in. Adams Hall Home of the college of business at the University of Oklahoma. Some Flowers Some flowers in the garden between Adams and Bizzell.
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