[Darko]

Hey guys,

Over the past 6 months or so iv became fascinated with Computer Aided Design. Virtual Reality. Special effects. Games. Basically any graphics a computer can make from scratch. Not really websites.
I'm moving into 4th year at the moment. Basically a complete doss year where ill have a massive amount of free time. Im looking to learn more about a computer other then how to win at games/msn/xfire stuff like that. I thought learning HTML would be good but then was told dreamweaver does all that. Then thought of Java/Java Script. But was told id need college for that.

My question is, is there anything i can learn to help me in the long run with a career?
I still have a lot of time to think about my future career, but i want to make sure iv tried out the technical side of computers early on.

Any advise?

[Chantelle]

HTML and websites kinda go hand in hand although alot of apps are now html just web based but not internet

you can get a free express studio which helps build with interface and allows you to switch to source code

www.asp.net
In my opinion from a carear point of view far more worth it than say php. plus theres loads so you can learn html asp and vb all rolled into one, alot easier than it sounds..

As for CAD then thats a differnt ball game, that can be alot more engineering / technical based.

proper CAD is very much deisgned for a HIGH end PC market as they use specific expensive hardware so thats a cost you may have to consider if your learning from home, your avarage PC isnt going to be up to the cutting edge 3d stuff without a £500 (750 euro graphics card)
Its up to you, maybe youd need to think about it more before you decided where abouts you want to look since they are all very different routes

[FlapJack23]

Who told you that you need to go into College to learn Javascript?? It's extremley easy, and can be learned just by either looking at a website, or getting a book. I'll have to argue with Chantelle that PHP is better then ASP because more sites use it, lot's of content management systems and forums use it so you can just look at the source of the forums, and it has lots of guides online.

And Dreamweaver's HTML Isn't as good as that which you program by hand. Besides, notepad is cheaper.

You can try and play with blender which is free, and is used to make models for games.

I hope any of that helped.

[Chantelle]

Both php and asp are tit for tat but id say

You want a carear use asp.net its far more scope nowerdays

you want a hobbie use php

you can look at all the biased websites you want both willl lie and use false evidence.

Plus most of the ones i have seen at least php side are well out of dat and talking about asp 1.0 lol, I also would say that works on the asp side also however.

but asp is becoming the future alot more business apps and intranets use it. its superior for application.

Its intergral to IIS, active directory autheticity if you wish and even exchange. so alot of businesses will go for it.

But which ever is suited to use

You cannot go wrong with either

[Richard]

Firstly while I have no technical knowledge of the detail usage setup etc I can give some pointers since we implemented or have alot at work.

You have been a little vauge though , Do you want to draw graphics? modelling or programming.

If your looking to learn developing or applications and websites I would definateely go to

http://asp.net

Alot of CRM, and our application now use this, its free and by learning it could not only make you a web deevloper but you use other languages so you actually become an application developer.

We use a 3rd party IT firm who do pretty much anything you want freom their teams, I disagree with the idea of pursuing php from a carear perspective, it was an option but it made no economical sense, not to mention our other apps now are server pages.. so as project manager my choice was simple.

CAD - I would look into it for an engineering point of view, however if you have linux or run a Mac I wouldnt advise it, Linux doesnt have teh software support and Apple do not have teh software of the hardware to run some of the hybrid 3D CAD which you see. So your looking at a pretty powerful windows PC there.

Although if your looking to do games then I have no idea as its not in my field of expereince.

[Darko]

Well, while im still extremely vague with what i want to be, im now aiming myself towards the course "Physics and Computer SImulation" its 420 points in Trinity college dublin.
I'v never been into CAD, ASP, all that until now, so spare with me if i have im completely lost in what your saying to me. Really what im looking to prevent is if i go to that course, or any other to do with a computer, i dont want to be there and asked to do something with java, cad, asp etc, me not know, them think im a retard because i should already know it.
Is there anything i should already know before going to college?
Is there anything i can learn before college to make the transition easier.

Is there some basic program/language that spans over most computer courses that i should be learning?
Im not really looking for something that is dedicated to one part of computer programming.

If you catch my drift

[Richard]

have any details on the course?

I woudl have thought a course should teach you all of that from ground up

unless the course has and pre-requisits? but if the course has a link or any info it might help

[Chantelle]

Thats the thing programming covered so many different languages and such..

I do not tend to dabble in it in the deep end if when I have too, do what I need to do.

If there is a course in mind best to get some info on it then you can get a gist of where abouts you will be working on.

[FlapJack23]

Learn some simple javascript if you want to learn something easy, or something harder like C++ or C or Java if you want something more complicated.

Basically, once you figure out how programming works, it's REALLY, REALLY, REALLY easy to pick up other languages.

[Darko]

Thanks for the posts back guys
Im at the moment being torn between VR + CAD related courses and Astrophysics.
Ill update you when i can

Wheres the best place to learn javascript etc? Youtube? A particular website?

[Chantelle]

Id agree if you get the basics understanding and remebering some languages then alot of other stuff comes together, and in many cases alot of the language is similar.

If your interested in programming for serious might be a good idea to pick up a book which can take you through it thorouhly..

Although your best bet aswell is... to get the tools and have a go

If you ever get stuck sometimes looking at what other people have done and copying it and editing it and understanding it is a good way to learn.

CAD is a different ball game all together, I suppose its almost a technical and engineering or architect style role there.. You looking to plot and design?

I must admit VR sounds very interesting! Wonder what you learn on that? I guess its a case of programming and graphics and simulate how they work and respond..

[FlapJack23]

w3schools.com is a place to learn all sorts of languages.

[Melissa]

Thanks for the posts back guys
Im at the moment being torn between VR + CAD related courses and Astrophysics.
Ill update you when i can

Wheres the best place to learn javascript etc? Youtube? A particular website?

Alot of what you specify has totally different routes

I suppose an analogy woudl be to say your saying

Im interested in Electrics, plumming and fixing cars lol

But you get what I mean, the start point is difficult until your sort of in the right zone of where you want to go.