John VanSickle <evi### [at] hotmailcom> wrote:
> PM 2Ring wrote:
> >>Ye goodness, that's an old post!  I haven't used that web site in over
> >>five years.  I've updated my macros to make use of the new SDL features.
> >
> > Good to hear! At least the old Web address let me know you were the author.
> > What's your new Web address?
>
> It turns out that while I updated my macros, I never got around to
> uploading the update to my new site.

But whaere is that new site, John?! I tried Googling with your name & POV,
but I got too many hits. :)

> > That code looks familiar. :) BTW, where do we find CutCylinder()?
>
> Ach!  CutCylinder is found in my Thoroughly Useful Macros:
>
>    http://enphilistor.50megs.com/macs.htm

Ta.

> > Also, is there any reason in particular that you dropped the ROT13 encoding
> > on the back letter? I like ROT13. :)
>
> Probably because the new macro accepts only one letter, and I was too
> lazy at the moment to write ROT13 code, and since most of the time only
> one side is visible, it doesn't matter much.

Ok, I'll pay that. I find it pretty hard to read the back of your original
blocks anyway, unless the light's at a fairlty high angle.

>
> I've noticed that real-world alphabet blocks have an upper case letter
> on one painted side, the ROT13 on the other side, the lower case
> versions letters burned into two of the four unpainted sides, and a
> picture of something starting with the two letters burned into the two
> remaining sides.  Sometimes the background of the painted sides is
> painted white.

That sounds right. I thought about doing the pictures on the sides; it
shouldn't be too hard to find something suitable. But another idea I had
was putting a picture on one side in the form of a mini-photo (complete
with old-fashioned white frame). I'm making some pictures for my sisters,
with a 'photo' of each of their children stuck onto a block bearing their
initial.

> When I updated the macro, I decided to make the color a user option,
> even though in a set of real-world blocks, a given letter usually has
> the same color throughout the set.  This was for artistic reasons,
> because if every 4th block has the same color, then A, E, I, M, N, R, V
> and Z will be colored the same in ROT13 blocks, and that results in too
> much of that color.

Good idea. Colour should be balanced in a toy like this. Also, for my little
niece Ruby, I definitely *have* to use a red or pink block. :) She has a
very pink complexion and flaming red hair.

<Offtopic>
I spent a bit of time memorizing ROT13 (back in the days of Fidonet), so I
can read & write it pretty fast, once I warm up. I invented a word game
called rotagrams to help me practise. Try to construct a word or phrase,
such that when you ROT13 it, you can rearrange the letters to make the
original word or phrase. Or for even more fun, try to make a different word
or phrase.

Gnxr pner, Wbua!

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