#Interpolation Techniques Project Help

[brocoffeeengineer]

Where 2D Meets 3D: The Rise of Hybrid Animation in 2025

In the ever-evolving landscape of visual storytelling, hybrid animation—where 2D and 3D animation styles intersect—is quickly becoming the medium of choice for animators, studios, and streaming platforms. What was once considered a technical experiment has now matured into a dynamic style that’s transforming everything from animated films and TV shows to advertising and video games.

But what’s behind this growing demand for blended animation techniques? The answer lies in both artistic potential and practical application—marrying the nostalgia of traditional 2D animation with the realism and fluidity of 3D.

The Origin of Hybrid Animation

The use of hybrid animation isn’t entirely new. Animators have dabbled with mixing 2D and 3D since the early 1990s, with Disney's Tarzan and Treasure Planet being early examples. But what was once used sparingly to add depth or novelty has now become a deliberate stylistic choice. Today, hybrid animation is no longer confined to isolated scenes; it forms the core of visual narratives.

Shows like Arcane (Netflix) and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse didn’t just incorporate 2D elements into 3D frameworks—they celebrated the interplay between styles, using it to create a more textured, emotionally resonant experience. These productions helped prove that audiences are not only receptive to, but enthusiastic about, animation that breaks traditional boundaries.

Why Hybrid Animation Works

1. Emotional Warmth Meets Realism: 2D animation excels at conveying emotion through exaggerated facial expressions and gesture-based storytelling. 3D, on the other hand, brings realism—depth, physics, and lighting—that makes environments feel tangible. Together, they strike a rare balance that appeals to both heart and mind.

2. Versatile Storytelling: Hybrid animation isn’t limited by genre. From whimsical fantasies to action-packed dramas, the technique can shift visual tone on the fly, accommodating rapid scene changes without jarring the viewer. This is particularly useful for narrative-heavy content such as anime, where transitions between dream sequences and battle scenes must feel seamless.

3. Aesthetic Edge: There’s a visual uniqueness that hybrid animation achieves which purely 2D or 3D cannot. Artists can use bold outlines, hand-drawn effects, and painterly textures from 2D and integrate them into the lighting, shadows, and dynamics of 3D. This has created an entirely new animation language, one that’s instantly recognizable and immensely marketable.

The Influence of Streaming and Gaming

A major driver behind the surge in hybrid animation is the explosion of digital platforms. Netflix, Amazon Prime, and even YouTube channels have become home to projects that challenge traditional styles. With shorter production timelines and smaller teams, studios are seeking animation pipelines that can offer both quality and flexibility.

Video game cutscenes and cinematics have also adopted this style. Games like Genshin Impact and Guilty Gear Strive feature richly stylized visuals that blend 2D anime aesthetics with 3D environments. This not only enhances visual appeal but improves gameplay immersion, helping players emotionally connect with the narrative.

Tools and Technologies Fueling the Shift

The evolution of software like Blender, Toon Boom Harmony, and Unreal Engine has made hybrid workflows far more accessible. Animators can now simulate 2D textures in 3D spaces or rig 3D characters to move like 2D sketches. Even big studios are relying on game engines to render animation sequences in real time.

AI and machine learning have further accelerated this movement. Software can now automate frame interpolation or generate 3D effects that mimic hand-drawn imperfections, cutting production time significantly without compromising on artistry.

Global Studios Leading the Hybrid Movement

Beyond Hollywood, studios in South Korea, Japan, and Europe are making bold strides in hybrid animation. The Dragon Prince by Wonderstorm, created using a mix of 3D character models and 2D facial animation, exemplifies how studios are pushing the boundaries of visual narrative.

In France, Arcane by Fortiche Productions has set a new industry benchmark, blending painterly 2D environments with rich 3D character work. The show's massive success has inspired studios worldwide to rethink how they approach character design and animation workflows.

The Cost-Efficiency Angle

Hybrid animation isn’t just an aesthetic choice—it’s a smart business decision. While 3D animation requires intensive modeling and rendering, and 2D is labor-intensive when done traditionally, blending the two allows for cost-sharing in labor and hardware.

Studios can reuse rigs, manipulate layers more flexibly, and add hand-drawn elements only where necessary. This optimization means indie studios and freelancers can now compete in visual quality with larger production houses.

India’s Growing Footprint in Hybrid Animation

India, too, is riding the hybrid animation wave. With a large talent pool and increasing access to global software tools, Indian studios are now collaborating with international clients for hybrid projects. The surge in demand for stylized animation has also influenced local storytellers to experiment with format and visual tone.

Particularly in Bengaluru, the animation industry is flourishing, with many aspiring artists turning to structured learning to master the craft. Institutes now offer specialized programs tailored to meet industry standards in both traditional and emerging animation techniques, including a comprehensive Animation course in Bengaluru that introduces learners to both 2D and 3D workflows. This is creating a new generation of animators fluent in hybrid visual languages.

Recent Developments and What Lies Ahead

In 2025, hybrid animation continues to dominate the conversation in major animation festivals. Annecy International Animation Festival this year has received a record number of hybrid entries, signaling the global creative community’s full embrace of this approach.

The announcement of The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep, an animated spin-off blending CD Projekt Red’s 3D models with hand-drawn overlays, is one of the latest examples of hybrid animation going mainstream. Netflix’s growing investment in hybrid projects across Asia also reflects how the technique is reshaping global storytelling.

The Future of Hybrid: More Than a Trend

As audiences grow more sophisticated and diverse, so too must the tools and languages used to engage them. Hybrid animation is not a passing trend—it’s a reflection of where the future of animation is headed: boundaryless, expressive, and collaborative.

For aspiring animators, now is the ideal time to dive deep into both 2D fundamentals and 3D technologies. Hybrid storytelling demands an understanding of both traditions—not just technically, but emotionally. This synthesis of skills is what makes a truly impactful animator in the modern age.

And with cities like Bengaluru becoming hotspots for creative tech education, more young professionals are finding opportunities to upskill through focused programs like a 2D animation course Bengaluru, which blends classical animation theory with cutting-edge digital practice. The future of hybrid animation may be global—but its roots are growing stronger right here.

Conclusion

Hybrid animation is not just the next big thing—it is the thing, already reshaping how stories are imagined and delivered. From award-winning series to indie games and streaming content, the union of 2D charm and 3D depth is redefining the future of animation. As the demand for this skillset grows, aspiring artists would do well to immerse themselves in a well-rounded 2D animation course Bengaluru to stay ahead in this visually rich, creatively explosive era.

[webzian]

The Impact of AI on Ghibli Trends: A Double-Edged Sword

Some of Important Information about Ghibli Trend in terms of Security  by Webzian Digital Services

 Studio Ghibli, known for its iconic animation and rich storytelling, has captivated audiences worldwide for decades. As the world rapidly evolves with technological advancements, artificial intelligence (AI) is making its mark on the animation industry, including Ghibli's beloved trends. While the incorporation of AI into the creative process has its benefits, it also raises concerns.

Advantages of AI on Ghibli Trends:     1.    Enhanced Creativity: AI can assist in generating new concepts, helping Ghibli artists explore fresh ideas. Algorithms can suggest color palettes, environments, and even unique character designs that may otherwise remain unexplored. This opens new doors for creative expression, potentially influencing future Ghibli projects.

    2.    Faster Production: The labor-intensive nature of animation can be streamlined using AI. Tasks like background rendering, frame interpolation, and even character animation can be automated, significantly reducing production time. This means more frequent releases, potentially expanding Ghibli's reach.

    3.    Personalized Experience: AI-driven algorithms allow Ghibli's vast collection of films to be tailored to individual preferences. Personalized recommendations, interactive storytelling, and immersive experiences could elevate the fan base's engagement, creating deeper connections with the studio’s films.

Disadvantages of AI on Ghibli Trends:

    1.    Loss of Traditional Craftsmanship: Ghibli is known for its meticulous hand-drawn animation, a technique that showcases the talent and passion of its artists. The rise of AI in animation threatens to overshadow this craftsmanship, possibly replacing the artistry that has defined the studio’s aesthetic.

    2.    Risk of Homogenization: AI-generated content can sometimes lack the soul and uniqueness found in human-created works. Ghibli’s magic lies in its ability to tell deeply emotional stories with rich, hand-drawn visuals, something that AI may struggle to replicate authentically.

    3.    Misuse of Personal Data and Security Risks: One significant concern about AI is the potential misuse of human photo data. AI systems can be trained on massive databases that include personal images, sometimes without consent, which can then be used to create deepfakes or manipulated images. This raises serious privacy and security concerns, especially when these AI-generated visuals are shared across multiple platforms, potentially leading to identity theft or harm to individuals. Ghibli, like other creators, must be cautious in embracing AI to avoid ethical pitfalls and protect user data.

In conclusion, while AI presents numerous advantages for enhancing creativity and improving efficiency, the risks of compromising traditional artistry and personal security cannot be ignored. Ghibli, renowned for its dedication to artistic integrity, must navigate these challenges carefully to preserve its legacy while responsibly incorporating new technologies.

Web :- www.webzian.com

Email :- info@webzian.com  

[makemovieai]

The Ultimate Guide to AI Picture Generation and Movie Creation in 2025

Artificial intelligence has revolutionized the way we create visual content, and makemovie.ai stands at the forefront of this technological advancement. Whether you're a filmmaker, content creator, or creative enthusiast, understanding how to leverage AI for picture generation and movie making can transform your projects from concept to reality with unprecedented ease and professional quality.

Understanding AI Picture Generation

AI picture generation has evolved from producing simple images to creating stunning, photorealistic visuals that can serve as the foundation for your movies. Using advanced machine learning algorithms, modern AI systems can:

Generate high-resolution images from text descriptions

Create consistent character designs across multiple scenes

Produce unique backgrounds and environments

Maintain stylistic consistency throughout your project

These capabilities make it possible to visualize your ideas instantly, saving countless hours in pre-production and concept development.

The Revolution of AI Movie Making

Making movies with AI has become more accessible and sophisticated than ever before. The technology now enables creators to:

Pre-Production Enhancement

Storyboard generation from scripts

Location scouting through AI-generated environments

Character design and costume visualization

Prop and set design creation

Production Innovation

Real-time background generation

Dynamic scene composition

Weather and lighting condition simulation

Special effects previsualization

Post-Production Excellence

Automated scene transitions

Visual effects enhancement

Color grading assistance

Frame interpolation for smooth motion

Getting Started with AI Picture and Movie Generation

To begin creating with AI, follow these essential steps:

Define Your Vision Start with a clear concept of what you want to create. The more specific your descriptions, the better the AI can understand and execute your vision.

Choose Your Tools Select the right AI tools for your project. makemovie.ai offers an integrated suite of features designed to handle both image generation and movie creation seamlessly.

Understand the Workflow Familiarize yourself with the basic workflow:

Input your descriptions or requirements

Generate initial images or scenes

Refine and iterate based on results

Combine elements into your final production

Master the Fine-Tuning Learn to adjust parameters such as:

Style consistency

Lighting and atmosphere

Character features

Environmental details

Advanced Techniques for Professional Results

To achieve professional-quality results, consider these advanced strategies:

Image Generation Mastery

Use detailed prompts for better accuracy

Maintain consistent style guides

Implement feedback loops for refinement

Combine multiple generation techniques

Movie Creation Excellence

Plan sequences with storyboard integration

Utilize scene continuation features

Implement smooth transitions

Maintain narrative coherence

Best Practices for AI-Generated Content

To ensure the highest quality output:

Quality Control

Review generated content carefully

Maintain consistent quality standards

Document successful approaches

Learn from less successful attempts

Project Management

Organize your assets effectively

Track iterations and improvements

Maintain version control

Document your process

Future of AI in Visual Content Creation

As AI technology continues to evolve, we can expect:

Higher resolution outputs

More precise control over generated content

Better integration with traditional tools

Enhanced real-time generation capabilities

Conclusion

AI picture generation and movie making represent a significant leap forward in creative possibilities. With tools like makemovie.ai, creators can now bring their visions to life with unprecedented ease and quality. Whether you're a professional filmmaker or an enthusiastic beginner, the power of AI is ready to help you create remarkable visual content.

Start your journey into AI-powered creation today and discover how these tools can transform your creative process. Visit makemovie.ai to explore the possibilities and join the future of digital content creation.

[nancy-resma]

Unlocking the Power of AI Image Expansion: Revolutionizing Image Quality and Resizing

Introduction: AI Expand Image

In recent years, AI-driven technologies have revolutionized image processing, allowing for faster and more efficient techniques to expand and enhance images. "AI expand image" refers to using artificial intelligence algorithms to increase the resolution and detail of an image without sacrificing quality. This has become a game-changer in industries like digital marketing, e-commerce, and photography.

AI image expansion leverages deep learning models to predict and generate missing details when enlarging images, which traditionally lose sharpness and clarity when scaled. With AI, users can upscale images while maintaining resolution, leading to enhanced visual appeal and improved user engagement.

What is AI Image Expansion?

AI image expansion is a method used to increase the resolution of images through artificial intelligence. This process involves utilizing algorithms, primarily based on deep learning, to predict and create additional pixels in an image when it is resized or expanded. Unlike traditional image resizing techniques that often result in pixelation, AI-powered expansion works to enhance image clarity by intelligently adding new details and enhancing existing ones.

This AI technology relies on neural networks that have been trained on vast amounts of data to understand patterns and textures. As a result, AI can successfully enlarge an image without the typical blurriness or pixelation that occurs with conventional methods. Whether used for personal projects or professional purposes, AI image expansion is becoming a crucial tool for many industries that rely heavily on visual content.

How AI Image Expansion Works

Ai expand image works by utilizing advanced neural networks trained on large datasets. These networks analyze the structure, color, and patterns within an image to determine how to best add new pixels when the image is scaled up. The AI processes this information and generates new data to fill in the gaps, ensuring that the image remains sharp and visually appealing.

When you use AI for image expansion, the algorithm essentially predicts the missing pixels based on learned data, making intelligent adjustments to preserve natural textures, lines, and details. This is why AI-generated upscaling often looks more accurate and realistic compared to conventional resizing techniques, which rely purely on interpolation methods.

Benefits of Using AI for Image Expansion

The benefits of using AI for image expansion are numerous. First and foremost, AI enables high-quality enlargements, making it possible to upscale images without losing clarity or introducing pixelation. Traditional resizing methods often degrade image quality, especially when scaling images to large sizes, but AI expansion ensures the images remain sharp and clear.

Moreover, AI image expansion can significantly save time. For professionals in fields like e-commerce or digital marketing, manually enhancing images is a time-consuming process. AI automates much of the work, allowing users to focus on more important tasks. It also provides a cost-effective solution, especially for businesses that regularly require high-quality images for product listings, advertisements, or marketing materials.

Common Applications of AI Image Expansion

AI image expansion is widely used in various industries. In product photography, for example, e-commerce retailers often need high-resolution product images for online stores. AI image expansion allows them to quickly upscale photos to meet specific resolution requirements while maintaining high visual quality.

In marketing and advertising, companies can use AI to enhance promotional images for print or digital campaigns. By expanding the images to meet the necessary size requirements, brands can ensure their visuals are crisp and appealing to customers.

In online retail, AI-powered expansion helps ensure that product images look appealing across all platforms, including mobile and desktop. High-quality images are crucial for online shopping, where the customer’s experience is often centered around the visual aspect of the products.

AI Image Expansion in Professional Photography

Professional photographers also benefit from AI image expansion. Many photographers work with high-quality images that need to be printed in large formats or used in various media. AI-driven image upscaling allows photographers to maintain the integrity of the image while resizing it for different use cases, whether it’s for a print advertisement or a large exhibition display.

Case studies show that photographers can rely on AI image expansion to save time during post-processing and deliver high-quality results to clients. By using AI algorithms to enlarge images, photographers can achieve the desired results without the need for labor-intensive techniques, making their workflow more efficient.

Challenges and Limitations of AI Image Expansion

While AI image expansion offers remarkable advantages, there are certain challenges and limitations. One limitation is the quality of the original image. If the original image is of very low quality, AI expansion may struggle to generate accurate details, resulting in less satisfactory results.

Another issue is resolution limitations. AI image expansion may not always be able to restore intricate details or produce true-to-life results in very low-resolution images. Some distortion or blurring may still occur, especially when enlarging images by a significant factor.

Moreover, there are also ethical concerns regarding the manipulation of images. AI can be used to artificially enhance images, which raises questions about the authenticity and integrity of visual content.

AI Image Expansion vs. Traditional Image Resizing

AI image expansion offers several advantages over traditional image resizing techniques. Traditional methods, such as bicubic or bilinear interpolation, involve calculating intermediate pixel values when resizing an image. These methods can lead to blurry or pixelated images, especially when enlarging an image significantly.

AI image expansion, on the other hand, uses deep learning to predict missing pixels and enhance existing ones. This approach results in much sharper, more accurate upscaled images. Additionally, AI can handle complex patterns and textures in ways that traditional resizing methods cannot, producing more natural-looking images.

Future Trends in AI Image Expansion

The future of AI image expansion is promising. As AI technology continues to advance, we can expect more precise and efficient image enhancement. The integration of generative adversarial networks (GANs) and other advanced machine learning models is expected to improve the accuracy of image upscaling further, with better handling of fine details and textures.

AI expansion tools will also become more accessible to individuals and businesses alike, with easier-to-use interfaces and more automated processes. The use of AI in the design and photography industry will likely continue to grow as the demand for high-quality visual content increases.

Conclusion

AI image expansion is revolutionizing the way businesses and photographers handle image resizing and enhancement. Its ability to upscale images without losing quality offers significant benefits for industries like e-commerce, marketing, and photography. As AI technology continues to evolve, its potential to improve image quality and streamline workflows will be crucial for businesses looking to stay competitive in the digital landscape.

For businesses that rely on high-quality visual content, incorporating AI image expansion tools can drastically improve productivity and visual appeal. Additionally, integrating AI with a  product photography app can further streamline the process, enabling businesses to create crisp, high-resolution product images with ease.

[davidjohnstongisschool]

Top Tools and Techniques for Effective Geospatial Analysis

Geospatial analysis is the process of examining geographic data to uncover patterns, relationships, and trends. It plays a pivotal role across industries such as urban planning, environmental management, transportation, and marketing. By leveraging geospatial analysis, businesses and governments can make informed decisions backed by spatial insights.

In this blog, we’ll explore the top tools and techniques for effective geospatial analysis. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced professional, this guide will help you choose the right resources to enhance your geospatial capabilities.

What is Geospatial Analysis?

Geospatial analysis involves processing and analyzing geographic data—data tied to a specific location. This could be coordinates, addresses, or geographic boundaries. By visualizing and interpreting this data, organizations can:

Identify spatial patterns and trends.

Solve location-based challenges.

Make data-driven decisions.

Key Tools for Geospatial Analysis

1. Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

GIS tools are foundational for geospatial analysis. They allow users to visualize, manage, and analyze geographic data in layers, offering insights into spatial relationships.

Popular GIS Tools:

ArcGIS: A comprehensive platform by Esri, ArcGIS is widely used for mapping, spatial analysis, and data visualization. Its robust features include 3D mapping, predictive modeling, and integration with big data.

QGIS: An open-source alternative to ArcGIS, QGIS is free and highly customizable. It supports plugins for advanced spatial analysis and is ideal for those on a budget.

MapInfo Pro: Known for its user-friendly interface, MapInfo Pro is often used for business applications like market analysis and asset management.

2. Remote Sensing Software

Remote sensing tools analyze satellite or aerial imagery to gather data about the Earth's surface. This is particularly useful for environmental monitoring, agriculture, and urban development.

Popular Remote Sensing Tools:

Google Earth Engine: A cloud-based platform for analyzing geospatial data on a massive scale. It's widely used for environmental research and disaster response.

ENVI: Ideal for processing satellite and aerial imagery, ENVI offers advanced capabilities like spectral analysis and machine learning integration.

3. Spatial Data Visualization Tools

Visualization tools transform raw spatial data into intuitive maps and graphics, making it easier to communicate findings.

Popular Visualization Tools:

Tableau: Known for its ease of use, Tableau integrates geospatial data to create interactive visualizations.

Kepler.gl: An open-source tool designed for large-scale geospatial data visualization, offering features like heatmaps and time-based animations.

Carto: A cloud-based platform for spatial data analysis and visualization, Carto is particularly popular for business intelligence applications.

4. Programming Languages for Spatial Analysis

Programming languages like Python and R have libraries and packages specifically designed for geospatial analysis.

Key Libraries and Frameworks:

Python (Geopandas, Shapely, Folium, PySAL): Python’s libraries enable everything from data manipulation to advanced spatial statistics and web mapping.

R (sf, raster, tmap): R offers powerful tools for statistical modeling and spatial data visualization.

5. Geospatial Databases

Geospatial databases store and query spatial data efficiently. They are essential for handling large datasets and ensuring seamless analysis.

Popular Geospatial Databases:

PostGIS: An extension of PostgreSQL, PostGIS is widely used for storing and querying geographic objects.

SpatiaLite: A lightweight alternative to PostGIS, ideal for smaller projects.

MongoDB with GeoJSON: MongoDB supports geospatial indexing and queries using GeoJSON, making it suitable for web-based applications.

Top Techniques for Geospatial Analysis

1. Spatial Interpolation

Spatial interpolation estimates values at unsampled locations based on known data points. It’s widely used in meteorology, agriculture, and environmental science.

Common Methods:

Kriging

Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW)

Spline Interpolation

2. Hot Spot Analysis

Hot spot analysis identifies areas of statistically significant clustering. This is especially useful in crime analysis, disease tracking, and market research.

Tools for Hot Spot Analysis:

ArcGIS Spatial Statistics Toolbox

Python's PySAL library

3. Network Analysis

Network analysis examines the connectivity and flow within spatial networks, such as transportation systems or utility grids.

Applications:

Shortest path analysis for navigation systems.

Optimization of delivery routes for logistics.

Analysis of infrastructure vulnerability.

4. Change Detection

Change detection identifies differences in a location over time, often using remote sensing imagery.

Applications:

Monitoring deforestation and urban sprawl.

Assessing disaster impacts.

Analyzing agricultural productivity.

5. Geocoding and Reverse Geocoding

Geocoding converts addresses into geographic coordinates, while reverse geocoding converts coordinates into readable addresses.

Popular Tools:

Google Maps API

ArcGIS Geocoding Service

6. Spatial Regression

Spatial regression analyzes relationships between variables in a geographic context. It’s used in fields like economics, epidemiology, and environmental science.

Key Methods:

Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)

Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR)

7. Cluster Analysis

Cluster analysis groups spatial data points based on similarities. It’s useful for market segmentation, crime mapping, and disease outbreak analysis.

Common Techniques:

K-Means Clustering

DBSCAN

Hierarchical Clustering

Emerging Trends in Geospatial Analysis

AI and Machine Learning Integration Advanced algorithms are enhancing geospatial analysis, enabling predictive modeling and pattern recognition. For instance, machine learning models can classify satellite imagery or predict traffic flow.

Cloud-Based Geospatial Platforms Cloud computing enables the analysis of massive geospatial datasets without local hardware constraints. Platforms like Google Earth Engine and AWS provide scalable solutions.

3D and Real-Time Mapping 3D mapping tools like Esri's ArcGIS Pro offer realistic visualizations, while real-time data feeds enable dynamic mapping for applications like traffic monitoring.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) AR and VR are being used to create immersive geospatial experiences, such as virtual tours of urban developments or disaster simulations.

IoT and Geospatial Analysis Internet of Things (IoT) devices generate real-time spatial data, which can be analyzed for applications like smart city planning and environmental monitoring.

How to Choose the Right Tools and Techniques

The choice of tools and techniques depends on your project goals, data availability, and budget. Here are some tips:

Define Your Objectives: Clearly outline what you aim to achieve with geospatial analysis.

Assess Your Data: Determine the type, format, and volume of data you'll be working with.

Consider Scalability: For large-scale projects, opt for cloud-based tools or databases with high processing power.

Budget Constraints: Open-source tools like QGIS and Kepler.gl are great for cost-effective analysis.

Conclusion

Geospatial analysis is transforming the way we understand and interact with the world. With powerful tools like GIS software, remote sensing platforms, and programming libraries, combined with advanced techniques such as hot spot analysis and machine learning, the possibilities are endless. By selecting the right tools and applying the appropriate techniques, you can unlock the full potential of geospatial data and drive impactful decisions.

Start exploring the world of geospatial analysis today to stay ahead in this data-driven era!

[allrenoco]

Future of Construction: The Power of AllrenoGPT in 3D Modeling and Beyond

In the ever-evolving construction and real estate industries, efficiency and precision are paramount. Enter AllrenoGPT, our cutting-edge generative AI technology, which is poised to reshape the landscape of PropTech. By leveraging advanced algorithms, AllrenoGPT makes complex processes faster, smarter, and more accessible for both professionals and homeowners.

Mesh Encoding and Vocabulary Learning

At the core of AllrenoGPT lies a revolutionary approach to mesh encoding and vocabulary learning. Traditional methods of processing 3D data involve significant manual labor and expertise. AllrenoGPT, however, simplifies this by creating a structured vocabulary for geometric elements. It rapidly interprets complex mesh data, enabling the seamless understanding and generation of intricate 3D models. This breakthrough reduces time and errors, ensuring higher-quality designs in record time.

3D Model Acquisition with AllrenoGPT

Accurate 3D model acquisition is fundamental to modern construction and renovation. AllrenoGPT streamlines this process by ingesting and analyzing raw data, producing detailed 3D representations in minutes. Whether it’s a kitchen remodel or a full-scale building project, users can capture spatial data from blueprints, photographs, or point clouds, transforming them into actionable models. This not only speeds up initial planning but also enhances collaboration across stakeholders.

Gaussian Splatting for 3D Model Reconstruction

Another game-changing feature of AllrenoGPT is its application of Gaussian Splatting for 3D reconstruction. Unlike traditional methods, which rely on dense and computationally heavy processes, Gaussian Splatting uses probabilistic modeling to interpolate and refine 3D structures efficiently. The result? Highly accurate, lightweight models that can be easily manipulated and rendered without sacrificing detail. This technique empowers architects and designers to visualize projects in stunning clarity, enhancing decision-making and reducing costly revisions.

Positive Impact on the Construction Industry

Beyond its technical prowess, AllrenoGPT drives significant positive change within the construction industry. By automating complex workflows, it cuts down project timelines from months to weeks. Builders and developers can focus on what matters most—bringing their vision to life—while saving costs and reducing environmental impact. From reducing material waste to improving labor efficiency, AllrenoGPT supports a more sustainable and productive construction ecosystem.

Transforming PropTech and Real Estate

The applications of AllrenoGPT extend far beyond construction. In PropTech and real estate, where speed and precision are crucial, our AI-driven platform accelerates property evaluations, renovations, and market readiness. By automating design iterations and facilitating seamless collaboration, AllrenoGPT empowers startups and industry giants alike to deliver projects faster, driving innovation and competitive advantage.

A Faster, Smarter Future

At Allreno, we believe in the transformative power of technology to make life better. AllrenoGPT isn’t just a tool; it’s a catalyst for a new era in construction, PropTech, and real estate. As we continue to refine and expand its capabilities, we’re excited to help businesses and homeowners alike navigate projects with unprecedented speed and confidence.

In an industry where time is money, AllrenoGPT is the game-changer we’ve all been waiting for.

Tags: ai design, bathroom renovation, renovation, bathroom design, interior design

[objectwaysblog]

Data Labeling Strategies for Cutting-Edge Segmentation Projects 

Deep learning has been very successful when working with images as data and is currently at a stage where it works better than humans on multiple use-cases. The most important problems that humans have been interested in solving with computer vision are image classification, object detection and segmentation in the increasing order of their difficulty. 

While there in the plain old task of image classification we are just interested in getting the labels of all the objects that are present in an image. In object detection we come further and try to know along with what all objects that are present in an image, the location at which the objects are present with the help of bounding boxes. Image segmentation takes it to a new level by trying to find out accurately the exact boundary of the objects in the image. 

What is image segmentation? 

We know an image is nothing but a collection of pixels. Image segmentation is the process of classifying each pixel in an image belonging to a certain class and hence can be thought of as a classification problem per pixel. There are two types of segmentation techniques 

segmentation: - Semantic segmentation is the process of classifying each pixel belonging to a particular label. It doesn’t different across different instances of the same object. For example, if there are 2 cats in an image, semantic segmentation gives same label to all the pixels of both cats 

Instance segmentation: - Instance segmentation differs from semantic segmentation in the sense that it gives a unique label to every instance of a particular object in the image. As can be seen in the image above all 3 dogs are assigned different colors i.e different labels. With semantic segmentation all of them would have been assigned the same color. 

There are numerous advances in Segmentation algorithms and open-source datasets. But to solve a particular problem in your domain, you will still need human labeled images or human based verification. In this article, we will go through some of the nuances in segmentation task labeling and how human based workforce can work in tandem with machine learning based approaches. 

To train your machine learning model, you need high quality labels. For a successful data labeling project for segmentation depends on three key ingredients. 

Labeling Tools 

Training 

Quality Management 

Labeling Tools 

There are many open source and commercially available tools on the market. At objectways, we train our workforce using Open CVAT that provides a polygon tool with interpolation and assistive tooling that gives 4x better speed at labeling and then we use a tool that fits the use case. 

Here are the leading tools that we recommend for labeling. For efficient labeling, prefer a tool that allows pre-labeling and assistive labeling using techniques like Deep Extreme Cut or Grab cut and good review capabilities such as per label opacity controls. 

Workforce training 

While it is easier to train a resource to perform simple image tasks such as classification or bounding boxes, segmentation tasks require more training as it involves multiple mechanisms to optimize time, increase efficiency and reduce worker fatigue. Here are some simple training techniques 

Utilize Assistive Tooling: An annotator may start with a simple brush or polygon tool which they find easy to pick up. But at volume, these tools tend to induce muscle fatigue hence it is important to make use of assistive tooling. 

Gradually introduce complex tasks: Annotators are always good at doing the same task more efficiently with time and should be part of the training program. At Objectways, we tend to start training by introducing annotators with simple images with relatively easy shapes (Cars/Buses/Roads) and migrate them to using complex shapes such as vegetation, barriers. 

Use variety of available open-source pre-labeled datasets: It is also important to train the workforce using different datasets and we use PascalVoc, Coco, Cityscapes, Lits, CCP, Pratheepan, Inria Aerial Image Labeling. 

Provide Feedback: It is also important to provide timely feedback about their work and hence we use the golden set technique that is created by our senior annotators with 99.99% accuracy and use it to provide feedback for annotators during the training. 

Quality Management 

In Machine Learning, there are different techniques to understand and evaluate the results of a model. 

Pixel accuracy: Pixel accuracy is the most basic metric which can be used to validate the results. Accuracy is obtained by taking the ratio of correctly classified pixels w.r.t total pixels. 

Intersection over Union: IOU is defined as the ratio of intersection of ground truth and predicted segmentation outputs over their union. If we are calculating for multiple classes, the IOU of each class is calculated, and their meaning is taken. It is a better metric compared to pixel accuracy as if every pixel is given as background in a 2-class input the IOU value is (90/100+0/100)/2 i.e 45% IOU which gives a better representation as compared to 90% accuracy. 

F1 Score: The metric popularly used in classification F1 Score can be used for segmentation tasks as well to deal with class imbalance. 

If you have a labeled dataset, you can introduce a golden set in the labeling pipeline and use one of the scores to compare labels against your own ground truth. We focus on following aspects to improve quality of labeling 

Understand labeling instructions: Never underestimate the importance of good labeling instructions. Typically, instructions are authored by data scientists who are good at expressing what they want with examples. The human brain has a natural tendency to give weight to (and remember) negative experiences or interactions more than positive ones — they stand out more. So, it is important to provide bad labeling examples. Reading instructions carefully often weeds out many systemic errors across tasks. 

Provide timely feedback: While many workforces use tiered skilled workforce where level1 workforce are less experienced than quality control team, it is important to provide timely feedback to level1 annotators, so they understand unintentional labeling errors, so they do not make those errors in the future tasks 

Rigorous Quality audits: Many tools provide nice metrics to track label addition/deletion or change over time. Just as algorithms should converge and reduce the loss function, the time to QC a particular task and suggested changes should converge to less than .01% error rate. At objectways, we have dedicated QC and super QC teams who have a consistent track record to achieve over 99% accuracy. 

Summary 

We have discussed best practices to manage complex large scale segmentation projects and provided guidance for tooling, workforce upskilling and quality management. Please contact sales@objectways.com to provide feedback or if you have any questions. 

[werkboileddown]

[ryunochie]

MME Laughing Man FX READING: a translation by ryuu

The following tutorial is an English translation of the original one in Japanese by Dance Intervention P.

Disclaimer: coding isn’t my area, not even close to my actual career and job (writing/health). I have little idea of what’s going on here and I’m relying on my IT friends to help me with this one.

Content index:

Introduction

Overall Flow

Parameter Declaration

Billboard Drawing

Final Notes

1. INTRODUCTION

This documentation shows how to edit the Laughing Man effect and read its HLSL coding. Everything in this tutorial will try to stay as faithful as possible to the original one in Japanese

It was translated from Japanese to English by ryuu. As I don’t know how to contact Dance Intervention P for permission to translate and publish it here, the original author is free to request me to take it down. The translation was done with the aid of the online translator DeepL and my friends’ help. This documentation has no intention in replacing the original author’s.

Any coding line starting with “// [Japanese text]” is the author’s comments. If the coding isn’t properly formatted on Tumblr, you can visit the original document to check it. The original titles of each section were added for ease of use.

2. OVERALL FLOW (全体の流れ)

Prepare a flat polygon that faces the screen (-Z axis) direction.

Perform world rotation and view rotation inversion on objects.

Convert coordinates as usual.

World rotation and view rotation components cancel each other out and always face the screen.

  3. PARAMETER DECLARATION (パラメータ宣言)

 4  // site-specific transformation matrix 

5  float4x4 WorldViewProjMatrix      : WORLDVIEWPROJECTION; 

6  float4x4 WorldViewMatrixInverse        : WORLDVIEWINVERSE; 

7 

• WorldViewProjMatrix: a matrix that can transform vertices in local coordinates to projective coordinates with the camera as the viewpoint in a single step.

• WorldViewMatrixInverse: the inverse of a matrix that can transform vertices in local coordinates to view coordinates with the camera as the viewpoint in a single step.

• Inverse matrix: when E is the unit matrix for a matrix A whose determinant is non-zero, the matrix B that satisfies AB=BA=E is called the inverse of A and is denoted by A-1 . Because of this property, it’s used to cancel the transformation matrix.

• Unit matrix: asquare matrix whose diagonal component is 1 and the others are 0. When used as a transformation matrix, it means that the coordinates of the vertices are multiplied by 1. In other words:

 8  texture MaskTex : ANIMATEDTEXTURE <

9      string ResourceName = "laughing_man.png";

10  >;

• ANIMATEDTEXTURE: textures that animate in response to frame time. Animated GIF and animated PNG (APNG) are supported.

• APNG: Mozilla Corporation's own specified animation format that is backward compatible with PNG. I hacked libpng to support it, but it was rejected by the PNG group because the specification isn’t aesthetically pleasing.

11  sampler Mask = sampler_state {

12      texture = <MaskTex>;

13      MinFilter = LINEAR;

14      MagFilter = LINEAR;

15      MipFilter = NONE;

16      AddressU  = CLAMP;

17      AddressV  = CLAMP;

18  };

• MinFilter: methods used for the reduction filter.

• MagFilter: methods used for the expansion filter.

• MipFilter: methods used for MIPMAP.

• AdressU: method used to resolve u-texture coordinates that are outside the 0-1 range.

• AdressV: method used to resolve v-texture coordinates that are outside the 0-1 range.

• LINEAR: bilinear interpolation filtering. Uses a weighted average region of 2×2 texels inscribed in the pixel of interest.

• NONE: disable MIPMAP and use the expansion filter.

• CLAMP: texture coordinates outside the range [0.0, 1.0] will have a texture color of 0.0 or 1.0, respectively.

• MIPMAP: a set of images that have been precomputed and optimized to complement the main texture image. Switch between images depending on the level of detail.

21  static float3x3 BillboardMatrix = {

22      normalize(WorldViewMatrixInverse[0].xyz),

23      normalize(WorldViewMatrixInverse[1].xyz),

24      normalize(WorldViewMatrixInverse[2].xyz),

25  };

Obtain the rotation scaling component xyz of the inverse matrix, normalize it by using normalize, and extract the rotation component. Do this for each row. The 4x4 inverse matrix contains a translation component in the fourth row, so it’s cut off and made into a 3x3 matrix.

The logical meaning of the matrix hasn’t been investigated yet. Without normalization, the size of the display accessory is 1/10, which suggests that the world expansion matrix component is used as the unit matrix. Also, each row corresponds to an x,y,z scale.

29  struct VS_OUTPUT

30  {

31      float4 Pos        : POSITION;    // projective transformation coordinates 

32      float2 Tex        : TEXCOORD0;   // texture coordinates

33  };

A structure for passing multiple return values between shader stages.

  4. BILLBOARD DRAWING (ビルボード描画)

35  // vertex shader

36  VS_OUTPUT Mask_VS(float4 Pos : POSITION, float2 Tex : TEXCOORD0)

37  {

38      VS_OUTPUT Out;

39      

40      // billboard

41      Pos.xyz = mul( Pos.xyz, BillboardMatrix );

BillboardMatrix is a 3x3 rotation matrix, so multiply it by the xyz3 component of Pos.

If the object is fixed in the world and doesn’t rotate, then Pos.xyz = mul(Pos.xyz, (float3x3)ViewInverseMatrix); or Pos.xyz = mul(Pos.xyz, (float3x3)ViewTransposeMatrix); cancels the screen rotation. Since the rotation matrix is an orthogonal matrix, the transpose and inverse matrices are equal.

42      // world-view projection transformation of camera viewpoint.

43      Out.Pos = mul( Pos, WorldViewProjMatrix );

44      

45      // texture coordinates 

46      Out.Tex = Tex;

47      

48      return Out;

49  }

Perform world-view projection transformation and return the structure as usual.

51  // pixel shader

52  float4 Mask_PS( float2 Tex :TEXCOORD0 ) : COLOR0

53  {

54      return tex2D( Mask, Tex );

55  }

Return the color of the texture retrieved from the sampler.

57  technique MainTec < string MMDPass = "object"; > {

58      pass DrawObject {

59          ZENABLE = false;

60          VertexShader = compile vs_1_1 Mask_VS();

61          PixelShader  = compile ps_2_0 Mask_PS();

62      }

63  }

Self-shadow disabled? (technique is ignored by object_ss when enabled), run without depth information.

• ZENABLE: enable seismic intensity information (Z buffer) when drawing pixels and make drawing decisions.

5. FINAL NOTES

For further reading on HLSL coding, please visit Microsoft’s official English reference documentation.

[puddygeeks]

𝑊𝑎𝑟 𝑂𝑓 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠 - 𝐶𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟 𝑅𝑒𝑖𝑑 𝑥 𝑂𝐶 - 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 1 : 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑜

Masterlist

Rating: Mature

Summary:  𝐴𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠. 𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝐴𝑈 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦, 𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡.

Fandom: Criminal Minds

Pairing: Spencer Reid x OC

Status: Ongoing

LONG TERM ONGOING PROJECT :)

My writing is entirely fuelled by coffee! If you enjoy my work, feel free to donate toward my caffeine dependency: will work for coffee

𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤. 𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟, 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑎𝑏𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 & 𝑠𝑒𝑥𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑏𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝐴𝑈'𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘. 𝐼𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑦 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑙𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑑, 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤.

Eᴘɪsᴏᴅᴇ: Pʀᴇ Sᴇᴀsᴏɴ 1

Chapter One

The smell of stale coffee was overpowering, almost more so than the lack of daylight in the room. Overworking was common practice here and as such, caffeine addiction was deeply ingrained into our culture. I was relieved to have my own office to allow me to focus away from the highly strung teams that depended on me. Topping up my teacup from the pot, I continued to scan my eyes through the various databases in search of something to provide us with a lead. 

My eyelids were heavy from exhaustion as I battled to hold my concentration and almost jumped out of my chair as a shrill phone rang from the back of the desk. It was a secure line that I’d set up a while ago, but seldom ever used and I quickly got to my feet to close the door before picking up the handset.

“Wonderland.” The careful voice announced a code that prompted a smile to fill my lips and I was immediately flooded with a warm sense of appreciation as I recognised them.

“Well, it’s been some time since I heard that.” I muttered curtly, settling back into my seat and a small satisfied sound on the other end of the line seemed to indicate that she was relieved to have confirmed my identity. “You’re certainly working late, aren’t you?”

“You know how it is. Monsters to catch.” Penelope sighed, allowing me the chance to catch the fatigue in her voice that likely would have been easily missed by anyone else. “Speaking of which, I have a problem.” She confessed, causing me to lean forward with riveted interest. 

“We’ve got one of your boys causing mayhem over here. Your agents are keeping suspiciously schtum on it, territorial as ever. My team wants to stick with the case. I can’t ask for official permission to access Interpol files when we’ve been told to drop it, but if I could just get five minutes in the system…” She trailed off suggestively and I chuckled lightly to myself.

“You’re losing your touch, My Queen. I would have expected you to have found your way in already.” I teased, referring to the name that I’d once known her by as I set to work on bringing up the files of the case. I didn’t need specifics to clarify, I knew exactly which criminal my team was after that had required them to fly to the States to investigate and I heard her sigh.

“Any other time, you know that I would hack first and deny knowledge later, but I can’t plead ignorance on something that we’ve already been clearly told to stay away from.” She groaned, her frustration obvious even over the phone and I began typing rapidly as a plan formulated in my mind.

“I can’t allow access to a foreign agency, my dear. The other techs would rat me out before you’d even found anything.” I explained, chewing on my lip as I entered line after line of code in an attempt to outsmart my colleagues with techniques that would never be used in an official capacity. “However, if a back door was accidentally left open during maintenance, I couldn’t be held responsible for anything that might creep in.” I thought aloud as I sped through screens with a wicked smile, knowing that I could easily avoid any blame this way.

“I’ve assigned all of the correct credentials. Anything that you access will appear as if it’s me doing admin in the case, but be careful. It’s a very limited disguise that won’t last long if anyone starts to dig at it. I can keep our techs busy for a little while, but you know that subtly isn’t my strong suit. Get out before you’re noticed.” I instructed as I entered the last few commands and could already hear her making preparations for the task.

“Oh, sweetheart. I will be gone before they even know what hit them.” She breezed, her voice filled with a confidence that was contagious and I took a deep breath as I allowed it to pass onto me.

“Launching now.” I confirmed, as I entered the final key and my screen began filling with pages of data. “Make it worthwhile. Catch the bastard.”

--⥈--

“You think it’s an inside agent?”

My sector chief stared me down with an intensely disbelieving expression and I struggled to keep my nervousness from showing. It was incredibly nerve wracking to suggest this in a team where I was already the odd one out, but I couldn’t allow my own insecurities to prevent us from getting justice. Ever since I had started here, I’d had the deep rooted feeling that none of my colleagues approved of the decision to recruit someone who should have been arrested and the disdain always seemed most powerful when addressing the man before me.

“That is my belief, Sir.” I answered, hoping that he wouldn’t notice my false confidence and I forced myself to hold his gaze as he crossed his arms. “Valeno has successfully dodged every digital trap that I’ve laid. He’s avoided multiple agencies now and essentially vanished without a trace. It wouldn’t be possible to achieve that without inside knowledge of the measures that we are taking.” I explained, carefully presenting my theory and he remained unmoved as he studied me, causing me to gulp in discomfort.

“Find me proof, Hawthorne. I can’t call a witch hunt based on your bitterness against this team.” Shepard responded coldly, turning his back on me without another word to take a seat at his desk and I gulped down the anger that I felt at this unfair accusation. When I remained rooted to the spot in confusion, he simply gestured for me to show myself out.

I stomped back to my office with my cheeks burning in humiliation and closed the door behind me so that I could sink down against it with my face in my hands. It was endlessly frustrating to have invested so much time into pursuing this trafficking ring, only to have them continuously avoid capture. I was exhausted by this case, unable to remember my last day off since I was assigned to it and I could feel that I was running out of ideas, as I faced a heart breaking lack of support.

A loud alert on my computer pulled me from my wallowing and I rushed into my seat with interest. Flashing on my screen was a warning that made my stomach lurch and I stared at it with wide eyes. After months of silence, someone had finally accessed one of the booby trapped files.

I jumped into action, entering commands at lightning speed and became determined to capture whomever it was that had been defeating me for many long months. They were quick, evading my tactics with ease and I found myself engaged in a maddening game of digital hide and seek in the various systems. It was immediately clear that I was dealing with a professional and I cursed under my breath as I strained to keep up with them, setting fresh traps as I worked in the hope of preventing their escape.

“Oh no you don’t, you little bugger! Not today!” I hissed under my breath, feeling sweet on my brow as I fretted that one wrong move could lose them forever.

As I watched them evade my tracking, then jump straight into blocking me out with expert knowledge, a memory stirred in the back of my mind. The theory rapidly took hold and I wasted no time in throwing out a manoeuvre that I knew would cause a bolt of familiarity if the culprit was who I suspected. Barely moments later, my screen fizzled in error, before displaying a bizarre Tetris overlay that could only be the signature of one person and I gasped, reaching for the phone in a fluster. I could hardly dial the number properly with my shaking hands and stumbled over my words as they answered hurriedly.

“Tell me that you’re the person flooding my system with Tetris right now!” I spat, cutting her off before she could even speak and I heard the noisy typing on the other end rapidly stop.

“I knew it! You’re the only hacker I know that would use Alice in Wonderland riddles to throw me off!” Penelope gasped with excitement and I released a breath that I didn’t even know I had been holding in relief. It had been almost six months since I last heard her voice and although I would usually be pleased to speak to her, I couldn’t help a wave of disappointment at the realisation that I hadn’t caught anyone connected to the case. 

“Well done, Reid! I just almost hacked our best chance of cracking your sicko lady thief. Thank god for your crazy book memory.” I heard her chatting to someone in the background and cleared my throat to regain her attention.

“I’d recognise those moves anywhere. You’re the only person that aggressive in code. What are you doing in my case?” I asked, rubbing at my temples in confusion and though I could hear someone barraging her with questions about who she was talking to, she remained obediently focused on me.

“Your case? I’m researching an abduction for the team.” She revealed, sounding as if she hadn’t even realised what was happening yet and I felt my eyes widen in horror. “Wait a second. Interpol is on this?” She breathed, causing sounds of shock to echo from whoever was in her background and I leapt to my feet as my thoughts bounced around in my mind.

“Penelope, I need you to send me everything you have. Right now! I think you’ve got a much bigger problem on your hands than you even know.” I ordered, flicking through the case files that covered my desk in a fluster and without a moment of hesitation, the details began to pop up on my screen. As I acknowledged the matching signature to the photos on my desk, I held a hand to my mouth in shock. 

“Valeno.” I whispered as adrenaline shot through my entire body and I grabbed my phone as I began marching through the halls of the office. “Get your Unit Chief ready for a call. I’m taking this to the chief now.” I instructed, before hanging up and striding confidently back toward the office that I’d been so rudely dismissed from a short while ago.

Without awaiting permission, I barged inside and switched on the monitor on the wall. I flicked it to the channel that connected to my station and displayed the crime scene photos that were sent by Penelope. At first, Shepard seemed irritated by the brashness of my approach, but as I flicked through the photos with a determined energy, understanding dawned on his features. 

“Look familiar?” I suggested, before spreading the case files out on the table to further explain my point. “Every single detail, exactly the same. Matching victimology, no forensics detected at the scene, no ransom. He’s back.” I insisted, pointing out each fact with a passion that I had rarely allowed to show since I joined this role and he stared up at the screen with conviction.

“Where?”

“Virginia, United States. It’s just like I said. He’s trying to hop jurisdiction to exploit the black spots between agencies and avoid detection.” I explained, feeling equally validated and frustrated that my theory had been correct. This meant that more lives had been destroyed by this man and the realisation caused a wave of nausea to wash over me.

“Sir, the FBI are late to this. They’re only just linking the abductions together. We could get ahead of him this time, if we assisted.” I appealed, holding my hands out in exasperation and he finally tore his eyes from the screen to examine me with an unreadable face.

“You have contact with the team?” He enquired curiously and I nodded in confirmation.

“Yes, Sir. Their Unit Chief is waiting for your call.” I presented, afraid to move a single muscle for risk of damaging the fragile alliance and after a few minutes of tense silence, he finally sighed.

“Set up the meeting through Lucy.” He instructed, causing me to almost run from the room to find our case coordinator, before he called out to stop me.

“If they accept our support, we’ll be heading over to join the team.” He stated calmly and I held my breath as I paused on the spot. “You know his patterns better than anyone. You think you can catch this mole?”

“Yes, Sir.” I asserted, the words escaping my lips before I’d even had the chance to consider them and for the first time, he softened his expression as he viewed me.

“Then you’d better get ready to travel. You’ll be joining us.”

--⥈--

There was something awfully intimidating about entering the FBI headquarters, despite my own professional background. I hesitated at the back of the team, unsure about the etiquette of these kinds of scenarios as I’d never worked on a shared agency case in person, unlike the others. My skills were shared between multiple Interpol teams and as a result, I didn’t have a bond with anyone, especially not in the group that I’d travelled with.

The rest of the agents seemed completely at home as they stepped out of the elevator and made a beeline for the main BAU office, whilst I slowed to a stop in the reception, feeling too overwhelmed to continue.

Everything felt immensely bigger than I was used to and the entire process had been so rushed that I’d hardly had a chance to process any of it. This was my first visit to the States at all in many years and I couldn’t catch up with the emotional effect of this. I brushed the hair that had escaped my scruffy braid out of my face and attempted to straighten out my clothes, convinced that I appeared completely haggard after being made to attend the office straight from a long flight. 

I took a deep breath and forced myself to push open the glass doors to join my team, only to be ambushed before I could.

“Wonderland!” An excitable voice cheered from my side and I turned to find a very colourful woman with a huge mane of bright blonde hair barrelling toward me.

“Penelope Von Troublemaker.” I chuckled as she swept me into a hug that almost knocked me from my already unsteady feet. She smelt fruity and fresh as she squeezed the life out of me and I wheezed for breath.

“It’s wonderful to see you at last, but I really do need to breathe, my dear.” I wheezed, prompting her to quickly jump back, leaving only her hands on my shoulders as she beamed at me.

“You’re so pretty, even more so in person! And classy too. Look at you in your head to toe black chic. I love it.” She breathed, scanning my full appearance with excitement radiating off her in waves and I managed a nervous smile in response. I still remembered Penelope as a late teen with an attitude problem, who often engaged me in fierce competition and was glad to find that adulthood had encouraged her to embrace her natural sparkle.

“Sir. I’m going to take Alice straight to my office to set up, okay? Cool. Thanks.” She called over toward the rest of the office carelessly, pulling me along behind her without even awaiting a response and I couldn’t help giggling to myself as I followed.

Penelope’s office was exactly what I had imagined, full of the same sunshine attitude that she radiated. Her desk was littered with cute figures, bright photos and pen pots filled with fuzzy tipped biros. She had more screens mounted all over the walls than I could even have applied for permission for at Interpol and I noticed that there was a small space at one end of the surface which was completely clear, with a second office chair tucked under it.

“You’re gonna be right here, next to me. If we’re gonna beat this guy, I figured we should team up, just like the old days.” She explained with a fond smile and I felt myself relaxing already in her warm company. “Just go ahead and drop your laptop stuff there and then I can show you where to store the rest of your stuff until we can take you to your hotel.” She instructed, indicating to my small case.

“Oh. This is everything that I have with me.” I answered bashfully, shuffling inside to begin setting up my laptop in the space indicated, whilst Penelope studied me with confusion.

“You don’t have a separate go bag?” She investigated, seeming thoroughly shocked by how little I had with me and I shrugged in return.

“I don’t really ‘go’, Penelope.” I chuckled as I busied myself with plugging everything in and noticed that her expression seemed concerned now. “I didn’t have much notice. I grabbed all of my casefiles and the laptop stuff that I could carry, and then just whatever personal items I could think of. You’ll have to forgive me if I’m not as well presented as you expected. I don’t travel much nowadays.” I added, hoping that this would settle her curiosity but instead she took a seat beside me and scrutinised me thoroughly.

“Why not? Hotch and Gideon even send me out when I’m needed and I don’t have a psychology degree.” She commented as she raised her brows at me, as if she needed to remind me of my own education and I simply shrugged avoidantly. “Are Interpol not making good use of you, Sugar? Whose career do I need to ruin?” She threatened, already seeming riled by the idea and I smiled at her protectiveness.

“It’s more complicated than that. Let’s crack this case and then we get into personal catch ups later, okay?” I suggested, much to her disappointment and my relief, we settled into work.

We spent the next hour comparing information and plotting possible traps, whilst Shepard and the rest of my team busied themselves with integrating into the local team and finding places to work. It was refreshing to work alongside someone for a change and having her input prompted new ideas. 

After a while, the phone rang and Penelope leaned over to answer it on speakerphone so that she could continue examining the document that was between us.

“Hey, baby girl. Tell me you’ve got some good news for me.” A deep voice crooned, causing my attention to bolt upward in confusion, only to find Penelope smirking in satisfaction.

“Well, gorgeous, that I do. I am still 100% single, interested and available for dinner whenever you need.” She announced, earning a chuckle from the man on the line and I quirked a brow at her inquisitively. 

“Also, the Interpol team just arrived. So I have now upgraded to the office of Unrivalled Girl Power, baby.” She added with delight and I felt my curiosity growing by the minute as she spoke.

“That was fast. Alright, Gideon and I will make our way back now. This lead was a bust.” He confirmed, revealing that he was actually a member of her team and I raised my brows in surprise at her demeanour.

“Don’t keep me waiting too long.” She drawled in a husky tone, before hanging up and attempting to return to her work with a smile. I playfully slapped her hands away from the files and thinned my eyes at her.

“I’m sorry. Are you really going to try to gloss over that? Explain, please!” I insisted, leaning closer to her in fascination and she chuckled as she shook her head dismissively. “Who was that, Penelope?” I gasped, feeling as if I might explode from the mystery and she attempted to swat me away.

“That was Derek Morgan. He’s one of the behavioural analysts and a dear friend.” She began, only causing my brows to raise impossibly further and she leaned closer into me to lower her voice. “He’s also an absolute hunk of a man, but you’ll see that in a bit.” She winked, suppressing a cheeky cackle and I felt my mouth drop open in shock.

“And do you speak to all of your dear friends like that, or is he special? He sounds special.” I hissed, grilling her like an excited teenager again, falling straight back into our old friendship as if no time had passed at all and she laughed heartily.

“Oh, please. Nothing wrong with a little workplace flirtation to brighten the day. You know what I mean! You work in Europe. You’re surrounded by romance.” She muttered dismissively as she returned her attention to her screens and I shook my head.

“I absolutely do not! You have no idea, Nels. Europe is not inherently romantic.” I drawled, rolling my eyes at her ignorance and she glanced back at me with a disbelieving smirk. 

“I’m serious. Most of the men at Interpol either think that they’re the real life incarnation of James Bond, collecting as many Bond girls as possible, or they’re married to their work. It’s honestly rather dull. Nothing like you and Agent Morgan. That conversation sounded like a lot more than just playful banter to me. You two have chemistry!” I insisted, a smug smile filling my lips as I viewed her and she quickly brushed me off.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Ally.” She breathed, the slightest hint of a blush filling her cheeks and I made a mental note to revisit this later. “We need to get our strategy ready. Hotch will call a meeting once Morgan and Gideon get back.”

“Garcia, do you have the suspect list that I asked you to pull? I want to run through it before the meeting.” A voice interrupted from the door and I turned to find a tall, slim young man waiting keenly.

“Oh, yes! Let me just get it printed for you.” Penelope answered, pushing the files aside to access her keyboard. “I’m sorry. I got distracted with helping Alice to settle in.” She added, before glancing at me to realise that he and I were looking at each other with interest.

“Ah, of course! Alice, this is Dr Spencer Reid, one of our behavioural analysts. Reid, this is Alice Hawthorne from Interpol. She’s a very old friend.” Penelope introduced with a flourish before returning to her task and I jumped to my feet to shake his hand, only for him to wave awkwardly instead. Though it was an interesting quirk, I was relieved as I hated contact with strangers and was glad that I would have at least one less person that I would have to endure it with. 

“You’re the hacker with the Alice in Wonderland riddles?” He offered, viewing me with interest and I felt my cheeks turning pink the moment that I met his hypnotising hazel eyes. Now I recognised his voice from my call with Garcia and remembered the questions he’d been asking in the background after his rather embarrassing introduction to my work.

“Um, yes. I don’t usually do that. I had a feeling that it was Penelope and I knew that she would understand that. Or at least, I hoped that she would.” I offered, shuffling awkwardly on the spot and he nodded in understanding.

He was dressed remarkably smart compared to many of the other FBI agents, but still had an air of his own style about him that interested me. His neatly combed back hair complimented his handsomely chiselled features and I soon found myself struggling for something to say. I already considered myself to be somewhat socially challenged, but especially when it came to interacting with someone who was unexpectedly well matched to everything that I found attractive, I was a hot mess.

“It’s an interesting choice. Did you know that it was actually rated as one of the world's most influential novels? It’s full of nonsensical rhymes that could easily be used to create a rather complicated ruse, as not many people would know the answers offhand.” He complimented in what I assumed was an attempt to make me feel better about my rather childish tactics and I smiled in appreciation of his kindness.

“There’s actually a rare disorder named after it that is characterised by distortions of visual perception, the body image and the experience of time.” He began to explain and I couldn’t keep myself from interrupting him in excitement.

“Todd’s Syndrome, or dysmetropsia, right?” I interjected, causing his brows to shoot up in surprise and Penelope actually paused what she was doing to turn and look at us both in disbelief. “I’ve never encountered it, but I did study it in depth. It was actually the topic of my dissertation at university.” I clarified, causing a wide smile to spread across his face as he considered me and I could feel Penelope smirking at me from my peripheral vision.

“Your suspect list, Reid?” She offered, clearing her throat as she leaned toward him with a piece of paper and he seemed to shake himself back to reality to take it.

“Yes. Thank you, Garcia.” He blustered, taking it from her in a distracted manner and running his finger down the page at an impossible speed to have actually read anything. Before I could question this, he glanced back up in shock and his posture became alarmed. “I have to get this to Hotch. Nice to meet you, Alice!” He called as he rushed from the room and left Penelope and I silently communicating our confusion to each other.

“Okay, Miss Thing. You can’t sit there and tell me that you don’t flirt at work, and then do that right in front of me.” She crooned, looking after Reid with a mischievous appreciation and I turned back to face her with a shrug, hoping that I could conceal my bashful reaction. “Oh, you want to play innocent? I see how it is. Well, I’m not fooled. I know what I saw and I’m not one to forget.”

[olympusintelligence]

Part 3 Chapter 10

30/11/2018 11:59 (San Francisco Time) Palo Alto Hills, Palo Alto

What a fatal mistake!

Kyle regretted he recklessly entered Andrew’s house five minutes ago. The garden was tranquil, but only hostility existed inside the house.

He thought he had prepared for everything, but currently he knew he would not get anything. In fact, he had no idea if he would survive this ‘lunch’.

There was no way he could have foreseen a gunfight in an African wilderness ensue right after he entered the house. He tried to escape, but the door had been automatically locked. He wanted to call for help, but his cell phone did not receive any signal. Immersed in such an authentic virtual environment, he could not find any windows or exits. He had just managed to avoid a bullet, and taken refuge behind a ‘tree’ with a gun in his hand.

“Seems like you haven’t got used to the VR battlefield,” Andrew, the mastermind behind the plot smirked coyly. Wearing all black, he was hiding behind another tree. “I’m a fair opponent. At least the bullets and the gun I gave you are real.” The specially designed VR hardware that projected this battlefield was still not yet on sale. Users did not have to rely on VR goggles and/or hard disk backpacks to experience its simulated environment.

‘You won’t get any help. Very few people stay in this area at noon. The house is noise-proof, so no one outside can hear what’s going on here.’

Kyle wanted to shoot Andrew, but his opponent was faster. He fired back another round of shots and one of them almost hit his right hand.

You tried to kill me…..I sensed your enmity against me at that time!

‘Who the heck are you? Why are you doing this?’ questioned Kyle angrily. He never thought this harmless-looking young tycoon would have wanted to kill him with his own hand. Andrew’s public profile was too simple for a tech tycoon - After earning a bachelor's degree in computer sciences from Caltech in 2012, he became an intelligence analyst in the NSA, but he resigned in less than a year. A reporter once asked what he did during the two-year gap after his resignation, he just explained that he travelled around the world and wrote the source code for VidChat. He only returned to the US and founded Vid in 2015. And at this age he still did not have any spouse or lover. Currently Kyle knew for sure that the two-year gap was not a gap at all.

Just like Helen, he was Olympus’ operative.

‘Let me show you my gun.” An image of a remodeled silver blue CZ SP-01 Phantom appeared in the middle. Its slider had the pattern of a silver trident on it.

‘You’re…..’ A glimpse of this gun reminded Kyle of a Greek God. He unconsciously trembled with fear.

‘I’m Poseidon.’ Andrew confirmed his guess - his codename was Poseidon. Coldness seethed within his deep azure eyes.  

In Greek mythology, after overthrowing their father Cronus’ tyrannic rule,Poseidon and his brothers Zeus and Hades divided the world by drawing lots. It made him the god of the Sea and other waters. He is as capricious as the ocean- Though he is often calm, when he is in rage he triggers storms, chaotic waves and tsunamis that flood the land, and even shakes the earth with earthquakes.  He is also vindictive- According to Homer’s Odyssey, the hero Odysseus escaped from the cyclops Polyphemus’ capture by blinding him with a wooden stick, but the cyclops was Poseidon’s son. When he prayed for Poseidon to avenge for him, the god was angered and cursed the hero to wander around the sea for more than ten years. In the end, it took Odysseus eighteen years just to return to his home Ithaca, though he had the patronage of the other deities.

‘You’ve anticipated my visit to Palo Alto, so you’ve prepared all these!’  

‘Yea, I leaked the intelligence on the virus to you.’

Kyle finally realized this man was a terrible schemer- a month ago he deliberately leaked the virus source via INTERPOL to lure him to his trap. Obviously he had plotted to murder him for a long time, but he still feigned hospitality before the hackathon. He only showed his true colors at this moment. Throughout their meeting he spotted nothing strange about him.

He was a strong, patient, calculating rival. No wonder he was chosen as a core member of Olympus and his codename was named after the great god of ocean.

Kyle attempted to watch his surroundings so he moved out of his cover a bit. Right at this moment his shoulder suffered a hit. He smelled some blood from his wound.

‘At first I really overestimated you as Helen still insisted to marry you in the face of our boss’ wrath, but now I know you’re just a layman,’ teased Poseidon, who was reloading bullets into his gun. It sounded like a note of the Death’s music piece. ‘I have wanted to fight you for a long time. As our boss finally authorized me to take you out, I’ll be the one to send you to meet Jesus. You should feel lucky that I took the job, or you’ll have died without knowing why.’

Based on his words, Kyle deduced Helen must be another core member of Olympus. ‘What’s the meaning of……’Before Kyle finished his question, Poseidon fired another gunshot.

‘She should never choose you as her husband! I don’t understand why she loves you, not me!’Poseidon burst out, and his graceful appearance became twisted out of envy.

Damn! A rival in love! He’ll not let me stay alive! How can I escape?

Kyle tried to keep his cool in the face of death.

The afterglow of sunset dominated the sky of the virtual battlefield as it turned to dusk. He noticed a mini flashlight up there.

This is it! He stopped hiding and swiftly moved forward to shoot at the flashlight.

Sparks erupted when the bullet crushed one of the VR projectors and the connected hard disk into pieces. The African wilderness was gone. Only darkness was left. Projector screens had been installed on most walls, and black window blinds blocked most light from the outside.Still with shimmers of light from the crevices between the windows and the blinds, Kyle could tell he was in an empty house. He also spotted a backdoor beside the open kitchen.

As Poseidon had lost the field advantage, Kyle instinctively knew he would try to end his life quickly. They kept firing many rounds of bullets at each other while running to the other side.It was a miracle that they did not suffer any hit but almost a hundred bullet holes appeared on the adjacent walls and a scorching smell permeated in the air after the intense gunfight.

Both rivals ran out of bullets, so they tossed their guns aside. But Poseidon had already sprinted near Kyle and tried to give him a hammerfist. Luckily Kyle evaded it in time. He then shoved Poseidon on the ground heftily.

He wanted to do a follow-up punch, but Poseidon suddenly clutched his right hand and dragged him down. He then smoothly placed his right forearm across the front of his neck, and his left hand grabbed the wrist and pulled back the forearm, hence driving the forearm into the front of the neck. In the meantime, his both legs firmly locked his waist and thighs in a triangular position - This is the arm bar choke, a classic Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA technique. Poseidon wanted to choke Kyle to his death.

I’m not gonna die here!

Kyle almost lost his breath, but the near death experience awakened his survival.While he attempted to grab Poseidon’s forearm to loosen the choke, he took out a dagger from his jeans’ lower right pocket. While Poseidon was intent on suffocating him, he pierced it into his left forearm.  

‘Ahhh!’ Poseidon screamed out loud and let go of him unwillingly.

Kyle seized this golden chance. He swiftly pierced his right thigh and left arm with the other two daggers. He planned to use them in case of danger before visiting Poseidon’s home, but he never thought he had to defend himself with them that soon.  

Due to sudden pain, Poseidon could not move and Kyle proceeded to press him down on the ground. As he was heavier and more muscular, Poseidon could not strike back at all.

Blood streams flowed out from their wounds and tainted their clothes. They really smelled bloody.

‘You’d better kill me now!’Poseidon had never experienced such a humiliating defeat. He lost the will to fight back, as he knew too well the fate of an agent captured by an enemy - torture and death.

‘I wanna kill you too, badass!’ Kyle punched his rival’s boyish face hard. His eyes burned with rage. He was very angry at the rival’s well-planned murder plot. ‘But I’m different from murderers like you! I never kill anyone!’ He slapped his face again and shouted, ‘I want you to tell me everything you know. If you don’t say anything, I’ll continue to punch you till you talk!’

Crack!

A bullet had just one through the window bear Kyle. He tried to dodge it when he heard the window crack, but his right arm still received the blow. He then lost his balance and fell on the ground. Poseidon was saved.

‘I can’t believe you’ve got a sniper!’ complained Kyle . Poseidon just looked at him with disdain and sneered. ‘Not my man, but you better run. Hades should be here now. Before becoming one of us, he was the best sniper in SWAT.’

Hades- the king of the underworld?

‘Bastard!’ Kyle was truly frightened. He hastily moved to escape from the backdoor near the open kitchen. He discovered there was a vast swimming pool outside. There was no place for a sniper to conceal himself, but Kyle decided not to stay there as he did not want to face an attack on two fronts. Therefore he rushed to the parking lot facing the forest and climbed the fence to leave the house, despite the risk of getting another hit by the sniper.

He raced downhill on the road, but he heard another noise on his left - a bullet had just hit his left shoulder. Its impact thrust him onto the ground. More blood spilled out.

I don’t want to die here!

He dared not to walk on the open road. With a strong will to survive, he crawled his way into the forest. Although he would have to climb down the slope, the densely grown trees may shelter him from the sniper’s eyesight. Shortly later he barely got up and trudged into the forest.

Still it did not work out.  The sniper had already arrived with a solid black Desert Eagle Mark 19 in his right hand. He had put his sniper rifle back into his backpack. With a lean and athletic figure, the tall Caucasian man had a flat top-cut black hair. He appeared to be in his early thirties. Like any assassin, he preferred black outfit.  When his grey eagle eyes were fixated on his prey, he just pulled the trigger. The gunshot was aiming at Kyle’s heart…..

Kyle knew he was doomed. He could not escape from this close-distance gunfire. Narcissus,  the symbol of Hades, was marked on the slider of the assassin’s handgun.

All of a sudden, another gunfire came. It precisely hit Hades’ bullet  and altered its ballistic course, so two bullets just ended up hitting the trunks of two large trees.  

Kyle was stunned by such marvelous marksmanship. He turned around to trace its origin - A woman with very beautiful curly brown hair just quietly came to the forest.  She was in a black leather jacket, a white tee and light blue skinny jeans. Her rose gold Glock 17 was aimed at Hades.

Her decisive gunshot had saved Kyle from the fate of death.

If this lady joined an international beauty pageant contest, she may get the title ‘ the most beautiful woman in the world’  - A perfect model figure with a refined sweet appearance and a healthy light-tanned skin tone. Her watery black eyes were as sparkling as the starlight. Even without any attractive make-up or sexy outfit, her beauty was way beyond comparison. Though Kyle remained faithful to Helen, he was mesmerized by this beauty who just showed up out of nowhere.

‘Athena’s boy, if you wanna live, then don’t just stand there and stare at me. Come here now,’ she snapped. She never wanted to be any man’s eye candy. Her warning reminded him that he was still in danger. His arms were in great pain.

Hades frowned at her. He apparently knew her well. ‘Aphrodite, you can’t even defend yourself. Now you still wanna save this kid?’  

Aphrodite- the goddess of love and beauty in the world of Greek myths. Kyle had already stood by the pretty lady. He noticed some patterns of roses were printed on her handgun, which confirmed she was another Olympus’ core member.

‘I’ve been entrusted with this kid’s life. Hades, I bet you only wanna protect Poseidon so you’ve come alone. Your men mostly operate in Europe, and you never want Poseidon to have any direct contact with them, so that means no one else has returned to the States with you,’ Aphrodite narrated Hades’ plan with a calm smile. ‘I was trained to neutralize your strengths. If you still wanna fight with me, both of us will be losers. If I were you, I’d better leave and take care of Poseidon. That kid has been at the back. He has not had any concrete field experience. ’

That kid with no field experience has almost killed me……Kyle sighed.

‘Fine, I don’t want us to kill ourselves over the unknown,’ Hades compromised. Both operatives placed their guns back to their holsters at the same time. ‘But our boss has already issued the assassination order against him. Poseidon has snatched the job from me, and actually stalled it for some time.   When the news of his failure is out, he’ll send in someone else to finish the job. You’ve been protecting your partner, and you’re on a run, so you’re not capable of protecting someone else.’

‘Why does your boss want me dead?’ Kyle tried hard to withstand the pain of his bullet wounds. They had stopped bleeding. ‘How’s Helen?’

‘Because you met someone you weren’t supposed to meet and you’re investigating things you should never have known in the first place,’ retorted Hades sternly, but he still revealed what he knew about Helen. He seemed to have some pity for him ‘She has been identified as a rogue agent. She’s now a suspect of the explosion case in Hong Kong. We’ll go after her soon.’

**

12:45 (San Francisco Time) Poseidon’s house

Poseidon was still unable to  move. The left side of his face became swollen after taking in Kyle’s slaps and punches. Traces of blood seeped from the corner of his lips.  

Hades may return in 30 minutes. He may not kill Kyle. Someone might take care of it for our boss.

In Olympus, he was one of the best performers in intelligence analysis. Though he felt ashamed about his defeat at the hands of a layman, he still remained cool-headed and analyzed the situation.

Looks like now is the only time to call her…...

With his only voice, he commanded the electronic communications system installed within the wall to dial a French phone number. It was capable of voice recognition

‘Winter’s here.’ A lady answered the call. She sounded tired.  

‘But the dolphin still swims in winter.’ Dolphin used to be Poseidon’s codename, while Winter used to be Helen’s in the past. All core members changed their codenames after their organization was renamed as Olympus. Through their secret codes they confirmed each other’s identity. ‘In the safe house?’

‘Yea. No one seemed to have cleaned it for a long time. Too dusty.’  Helen looked sickly pale and skinny. She was hiding in a barely furnished cottage house in Paris suburbs.  Her hair had been dyed blonde and made curly. She was in a linen-colored long sleeved tee and a pair of navy blue loose pants. While talking with Poseidon, she was meticulously pasting a fake eyebrow on a latex face mask with a pair of tweezers.  She had only managed to find some fake passports, few notebook computers and other gadgets from a safe box inside for later use. Their phone call had been set to be encrypted and untraceable earlier. ‘Are you ok? Sounds like you’re not well.’

Poseidon grew silent. He was trying hard to suppress his pain, but it seemed Helen sensed it. Hence, he decided to reveal part of the truth.  ‘I just fought with your fiance. He knows you’re alive, and he’s now searching for you. Actually he traced the origin of the virus I made for you to my house.’

‘Then what did you do to him?’ Gloom was all over Helen’s complexion. She recalled the moment she decided to abandon her lover and fake her death. ‘If he dies, we’re not bros. I’ll come back to to kill you!’ she threatened him.  

‘Holy…..That’s your first reaction? I was hurt ! I’m not the one who issued that fucking order. I only took this opportunity to test him. By the way, I actually kept him alive for more than a month!’ Poseidon sobbed pretentiously, acting as if he unwillingly followed his boss’ order.

‘I ‘ve known you for too long, Andrew. I know the true meaning of your little test. You deserve it,’ she snapped back at her long-time colleague. She knew what he was up to. Looks like Kyle really crossed our badass boss’ line. She just dropped her tweezers and rubbed her temples.  

Ha! I really didn’t just want to test him. He took my bait and came here to investigate us! And that bastard has stolen you away from me. Of course I want him dead!

Poseidon had been contemplating to murder his rival for some time. He had loved her for many years.

‘He’s a bit injured but still alive. ’Seems like I’ve lost to both of you. I started to get why you chose him,’ He smiled bitterly. Just like Helen, he had received a certain degree of training in deception, so he swiftly pretended to be accommodating, but if another right moment came, he would strike again. ‘You still have a choice, Helen. You should have returned to that bastard’s arms much earlier!’

‘Can I? 301 people died on that day, including the Firm’s men and my man! If I hadn’t gone there just for a stupid live drop, they wouldn’t have been dead!’ Helen had been guilt-ridden since that explosion. ‘Now we still have no clue about who’s behind this. He’ll only be screwed if I get back to him.’

Am I worthy of his love? I’m only a fraudster.

Both in the past and at present, she had committed many unforgivable crimes. This explosion did not just take away lives. It was also a grave omen. The secrets that she had tried hard to conceal would only be laid bare in front of her loved one.

‘You can’t take care of him. They confirmed you’re still alive. The Firm issued an arrest warrant about an hour ago- Their case officers and our operatives can capture you alive, and we’re forbidden from covering you or giving you any assistance. We’ve also received a shoot-to-kill authorization.’ Poseidon warned her as he noticed that time was running out.

‘Thanks a lot. You guys have already done a lot. Our jerky boss would have found out I’m alive sooner or later. It’s a miracle for you guys to have bided a long time for me.’

‘Ha, he must have known you survived much earlier, so he just organized your funeral in LA sloppily and only sent me to attend the one in Hong Kong. He’s our teacher/criminal mastermind. Our tricks look like a child’s play to him.’ Poseidon started to have a headache when he thought of their boss. Soon he would have to explain to him the operation he ran behind his back. ‘In fact what have you found exactly besides taking out the three small fish?’ ‘ Small fish’ is their jargon for the lower-ranking members or informants of a terrorist organization or a hostile intelligence agency.

‘Nothing substantial. That Indonesian entrepreneur only gave me the name of a small company registered in Luxembourg. It seems like a shell company.’ Actually Helen was mining numerous bank accounts on her notebook computer. She had hacked into many French and Luxembourg banks’ computer systems. A list of account holders was being gathered, but she deliberately withheld this intelligence from him.

‘Even our badass boss almost failed to withstand the pressure from the Firm. The situation can change at any moment. Many lives can be at risk if we’re not careful.’ Poseidon reminded her. ‘From now on you’ve got to keep it low. I hope you will dig up useful leads, Athena, but we can’t be in touch anymore. I just hope after everything settles we’ll still meet as partners and good friends.’ He then hung up the phone. It was rare for him to address her as Athena, as she was dear to him, but he felt really troubled at the circumstances: they may be enemies in the future, as their boss might send him to go after her .  

He suddenly remembered Athena and Poseidon were always rivals in Greek myths- They once battled for dominion over Athens by trying to win the Athenian’s heart with their gifts.Poseidon thrust his trident into the Acropolis and produced a stream of sea water, while Athena offered the Athenians an olive tree. It was much more useful than Poseidon’s -Olives could be food as well as a source of oil for lamps, cooking and wood, so the Athenians supported her and made her the city’s patron. Poseidon was bitter about it, so he sent a monstrous flood to the Attic Plain in retaliation.

I hope we’ll never be like them…...I really love you.

A light sigh pulled him back into reality. Hades had already stood by him for some time.

He felt the urge to laugh at the sight of his co-worker’s wretched state, but as Poseidon glared at him, he maintained his poker face. ‘The medical team and the cleaning squad will arrive in 10 minutes. You still have to wait.’

‘Thanks.’

‘Forget Athena. We may have to deal with her in the next battle. You can’t let your feelings for her control you.’ Hades deleted the dialing record without a single thought once he peeped at the screen of the electronic communications system.

@writing-and-snark @requiemesque @ill-write-when-im-dead @adie-dee @thingswaitingtobewritten

[matlabhwexperts-blog]

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Discreetly Definition and Discreetly Definition – The Perfect Combination

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Here’s What I Know About Discreetly Definition

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[datalabeler]

How is Data Annotation shaping the World of Deep Learning Algorithms?

The size of the global market for data annotation tools was estimated at USD 805.6 million in 2022, and it is expected to increase at a CAGR of 26.5% from 2023 to 2030. The growing use of image data annotation tools in the automotive, retail, and healthcare industries is a major driver of the expansion. Data Labeling or adding attribute tags to data, users can enhance the value of the information.

The Emergence of Data Annotation The industrial expansion of data annotation tools is being driven by a rising trend of using AI technology for document classification and categorization. Data annotation technologies are gaining ground as practical options for document labeling due to the increasing amounts of textual data and the significance of effectively classifying documents. The increased usage of data annotation tools for the creation of text-to-speech and NLP technologies is also changing the market.

The demand for automated data annotation tools is being driven by the growing significance of automated data labeling tools in handling massive volumes of unlabeled, raw data that are too complex and time-consuming to be annotated manually. Fully automated data labeling helps businesses speed up the development of their AI-based initiatives by reliably and quickly converting datasets into high-quality input training data.

Automated data labeling solutions can address these problems by precisely annotating data without issues of frustration or errors, in contrast to the time-consuming and more error-prone manual data labeling procedure.

Labeling Data is the basis of Data Annotation When annotating data, two things are required:

Data

A standardized naming system

The labeling conventions are likely to get increasingly complex as labeling programs develop.

Additionally, you might find that the naming convention was insufficient to produce the predictions or ML model you had in mind after training a model on the data. Applying labels to your data using various techniques and tools is the main aspect of data annotation tools. While some solutions offer a broad selection of tools to support a variety of use cases, others are specifically optimized to focus on particular sorts of labeling.

To help you identify and organize your data, almost all include some kind of data or document classification. You may choose to focus on specialists or use a more general platform depending on your current and projected future needs. Several forms of annotation capabilities provide data annotation tools for creating or managing guidelines, such as label maps, classes, attributes, and specific annotation types.

Types of Data Annotations

Image: Bounding boxes, polygons, polylines, classification, 2-D and 3-D points, or segmentation (semantic or instance), tracking, transcription, interpolation, or transcription are all examples of an image or video processing techniques.

Text: Coreference resolution, dependency resolution, sentiment analysis, net entity relationships (NER), parts of speech (POS), transcription, and sentiment analysis.

Audio: Time labeling, tagging, audio-to-text, and audio labeling

The automation, or auto-labeling, of many data annotation systems, is a new feature. Many solutions that use AI will help your human labelers annotate your data more accurately(e.g., automatically convert a four-point bounding box to a polygon) or even annotate your data without human intervention. To increase the accuracy of auto-labeling, some tools can also learn from the activities done by your human annotators.

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[desperatehornet]

Sequential Practise Week 2: Experimental Animation (Animation @ Real World)

This week, our experimental animation brief included making a (ideally) looping sequence that combines reality and drawing. Namely, filming a real background and having an animated character exist within it. My initial idea was to do something rather complicated, including a character opening a door to find a portal, then jumping through it. While I liked and still like this idea, I actually decided to go with my second, more simple idea of a character writing at a desk with a lamp that keeps turning off. I did this to be able to focus more on the relationship between the animated character and the space around them, without being too ambitious in my concept. Maybe if I decide to redo this practise in the future, I'll try my first idea.

I filmed my desk by itself for 10 seconds, turning my light off and on offscreen to create the film of the background that my character would be in and kept in mind roughly how much space I wanted them to take up in my sequence. I animated the character in TVpaint, first using shapes to establish the silhouette and then refining it later on. This week's practise was definitely more involved and complicated than that of last week, but I did enjoy it a lot. I've always loved the contrast you can get by using film and animation in the same shot, like in film such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and was excited to try doing the same. The only real issue I had was timing the animation to move at the same time as the background I filmed. I had to be very precise to not make the animation look delayed, so I was forced to work around this. I managed to do so by using interpolation, making very brief frames at first at the times I needed and then adding more in-betweens once I was happy with the pacing. I think this was effective, and I managed to work the two mediums together without having to guess how I should animate.

One of the things I really loved about this week's project was thinking about and figuring out how exactly I could make my character interact with the environment and making it look seamless. It was very fun trying to meld two mediums together, and I think this technique of animation is one of my favourites in terms of results. Overall, I loved playing around with filming at different times, and experimenting with two different film mediums together. This week has been helpful In helping me think more abstractly about how I could potentially animate in future projects, and not being afraid to mix reality and digital 2-D animation.

[cri8ive-scrapbook]

Of animation and inspiration

A little (pffff - sorry, folks, my text blog entries are *lengthy*) update on what's going on on the drawing board, and a great book recommendation!

Alright, so... lately I've been dabbing on an old passion that I had forfeit for many years; playing around with video editing software to create animated "lyrics videos" of songs I like. I am very much a Flash baby - I learned to use Flash in the early 2000s and was instantly won over by the great ease with which I could create little animated trailers with my still artworks, or nifty intros for my websites. But being also AuDHD, when Flash was discontinued, I felt too intimidated to try other video editing softwares where I'd have to re-teach myself everything, and gave up on animations altogether. It wasn't until about last year that I was drawn back to it, at first just for some short commercial videos I was commissioned by a client, and discovered an easy enough program like Filmora that allowed me to get decent effects in a simple interface.

The more I used it for work, the more I felt pulled to again create animation from my own art. I made some shy attempts, and the results were encouraging, but I also became aware of Filmora's limits so I'm now using a bundle of it plus Sony Vegas Pro for carrying out something that is as close as possible to what my mind sees. Being an amateur, self-taught and with great lacks in my artistic abilities, fulll frame-by-frame animatics are beyond my scope (possibly forever); but I can get a satisfying result through the interpolation of still pictures, some sfx, and music score to suggest moods and storylines.

When I work on my little "animated" projects, I always feel compelled to re-read Wendy Pini's Law & Chaos book. Because her approach to the Michael Moorcock's Stormbringer movie she wanted to make in her days as an animation student rings so true to my own experience. What I do in digital nowadays is essentially what she did with painstakingly and lovingly crafted traditional art back in the days; tell a story through the use of key scenes visualized in detail, with the artistic rendition (the inks, the perspective, the colors) in charge of the emotional response and a little additional help from technology and background music.

But there's more to this. Because Law & Chaos reasonates with me to a much deeper, personal level. The earlier pages where Wendy explains how her artwork had always been projected toward animation, how she had always wanted her characters to move, is something I could say from the depth of my own soul. Already as a kid I was more interested in the "movement" than in the finishing (which, I suspect, is why I was such a reluctant learner of techniques or more "technical" drawing); I used speech balloons to show the interaction between characters. I remember my mother would occasionally try to discourage me pointing out that comics distracted from the drawing; my poor mother, I think, associated art more with "traditonal" paintings. Occasionally, she would complain that "it'd be better to put up your drawings if it was just the art, without the speech balloons" and sometimes, to amuse her, I tried, but it seeemd to me that the pictures were then "muted", that the stories and dynamics I saw behind them couldn't be expressed because the characters couldn't "speak".

I was always conscious of my limits. I had seen documentaries on the cartoons I loved, and I knew that a lot of work went behind those smooth animations, and a snide part of me already as a kid knew I'd never be able to pull off anything like that. I was (and am) heavy handed; I delete and redraw so often that in the time of traditional art I'd always tear down the paper and that'd work me into a crying fit because then I had to redraw *everything else* and, on second try, the result was always, for some reason, below par with the first permanently ruined attempt. I wasn't patient. I wasn't nimble-handed. I longed to tell stories with my art - but animation seemed a world out of my reach. So I made "mini-comics" instead. I was content. "The small truth" (to quote the character Strongbow in Wendy Pini's independent comic series, the long-running ElfQuest), was enough for me.

Then... around the time I was 8 or 9, something unexpected happened. Computers arrived in Italy too, and quickly became popular, and next thing I knew not only we had them in school but a lot of my class mates had their own computers at home, and *then* suddenly I was reading up on computers, and *then* I suddenly had my own, and a new world of opportunities suddenly opened before me. When everyone and their cousin was hyped about playing videogames (Internet woudln't be a thing until some years later, and ADSL/WiFi until MUCH later down the line), I could only think of two things; a computer would allow me to have my fiction stories actually look like books and it would allow me to animate my drawings. Have them move, finally tell the stories they were imbued with - and without the need for speech ballons or any filters.

Such "wild" dreams from a learning-challenged kid of under-10, back in the late 1990s, can only sound hilarious in hindsight. Scrambling with Paint, creating "pictures" that I find repulsive today, I felt like I was doing something grandiose and one step closer to my dream of seeing my pictures come alive and tell their stories. I was soon to find out it wasn't so easy and computers didn't "magically" animate things - but, with all my limits, I no longer felt like I was a spectator watching on a world that would forever be out of my reach. I was a beginner, a rookie, on the amateur track still. But I had broken past he wall that separated me from that world of fancies. It would take time, it would take patience, but I was en route and now the journey could only go on. And on.

There were pitfallls, as there always are, and moments when I'd just grow so frustrated or have so many hassles to draw me away from that world completely. This, too, I found in Wendy's recollections in the Law & Chaos book. But there were also moments when my heart soared. When Internet became a thing, and I learned about animated GIFs, and the first thing I did was download a gif animator software and sketch a silly doodle of one of my wolves and animate it. It was crude, nonsensical, poorly executed, and if I think back about it today, I wince; but back then I felt like I was yet one step closer to the dream, and I cheered, and I was ridiculously proud of myself and of what I had done. Then came Flash. Another step closer to the dream. Short snippets, little more than "trailers" of RPs or spooky scenettes for Halloween - but it was *happening*. The first breath of life was infused to my still drawings. I'm writing this now before I delve back into the inks of my latest, current project; a full lyrics video, the second I've made since 2022, after two smaller projects (a series of flashes and a partecipation in a MAP video with other friends). If the first was just a test run to see "if I could do it", now I'm more demanding, with myself and with my tools. I'm using two video editors, not one, because I want the "theater of the mind" (thanks, Wendy!) to look exactly as I know it should. I'm trying to put as much work in every still image as I'll be able to. I have made a screenplay, with the exact sequence of each scene set to match certain moments of the music score. I have made a test-run with the rough sketches and am jotting down notes on what aspects will need to be fine-tuned (a more well-timed fade in/fade out effect, a better placed transition, etc). And I'm weeping with joy and going over this gem of a book again just as I'd told a long time friend "Remember all our talks on animation? Well I'm doing it now, I'm there, I succeeded!"

Because I've taken the final step, and now the dream - my dream - is becoming true.