#compose a transformation matrix

[kaontic]

We are in the eye of the f*cking hurricane, people

[melishade]

Did you watch Transformers One yet or are planing to? Because I just did yesterday and hoooooly fuck. Holy fuck.

That being said I go ham the second I get the notification of a new chapter godspeed

So yes, I have seen it, and It's been at least two weeks, so I'm going to talk about my thoughts now. Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen it yet.

So I absolutely adored Transformers One, and it is one of the best Transformers movies that I have seen in a while. The plot! The world building! The characters! Oh my god! It was great!

So what did I like:

-I absolutely adored all of the nods to previous Transformers iterations. The soundtrack paying nods to Transformers Prime, especially the Resting Place of the Primes soundtrack. Makes sense since the composer was on the TFP soundtrack. Meanwhile, some of the iconic G1 poses for Optimus were present throughout the story. I'm certain there were other nods to previous iterations, but it's littered all over the place.

-I adored Orion Pax finally being made into a feral gremlin. In the Aligned Continuity, it was stated that Optimus was essentially living out in the woods before Alpha Trion found him. So TF1 Orion manifesting that energy was awesome.

-I adored the dynamic between Orion Pax and D-16, with such simple and massive things showing how they valued each other's friendship, only making the division and ultimate betrayal that much more devastating. Orion giving D-16 the Megatronus sticker, D-16 helping Orion escape the guards. The two doing the race together and going to find the Matrix together. These were all sweet moments that make us feel the pain of them falling into their respective roles. It also really helps that Orion and D-16 are in the same caste system instead of different ones. Many have criticized the power imbalance because of the caste differences, especially in TFP. So putting them on the same playing field does help establish how they handle their environments.

-Also, I adored D-16 descent into becoming Megatron. Some people do say that D-16's descent into Megatron was rushed, and I do agree with it somewhat. D-16 switched on a dime in a matter of three days while Orion still stuck to his morals through and through. But think of it this way: you've devoted your whole life to the system that you grew up in. Worshipping Sentinel like everyone else was, only to find out this guy betrayed the Primes, sold out Cybertron to the Quintessions, robbed you of your fucking T-Cog, and then lied about it to your face. Orion was constantly questioning the system and challenging it long before the reveal, which is why Orion immediately thought of what to do next. How do they fix it? How do they stop Sentinel and build a better world? D-16's whole world view was shattered in one moment, and from that moment on, he's not given any room to breathe and process his emotions properly. Everything else after that, from Sentinel Prime poorly branding him to the High Guard emphasizing strength over everything else. D-16's world view is constantly getting warped to the point where only ruthlessness matters. So when D-16 is at that pivotal moment where he's holding onto Orion, he decides to let him go, killing whatever inkling of kindness remained, leaving only Megatron.

-Oh Sentinel you bitch! I had a gut feeling from Bayverse, TFA, and Aligned Continuity, that Sentinel was going to be some sort of asshole. I just didn't know how. I thought he was going to just be a pansy in the face of the Quintessions. But instead, he sold out his own people to the Quintessions?! He killed the Primes! HE ROBBED BABIES OF THEIR T-COGS?! Bro what the fuck! You deserved to be ripped in half!

-Surprisingly, I adored Bumblebee. When watching the trailers, I was super worried that Bumblebee would be really bad comedic relief. And while there were some moments that did drag on, the movie knew when to pull back and let Bumblebee have a serious moment. Not to mention, the movie does justify Bumblebee's chatty nature, which is just a reflection of how absolutely fucked Sentinel's whole system is.

-Elita is a whole mood in the story. She worked hard to get a position she strived for, only to get fired because of Orion's decisions, is suddenly dragged into Orion's mess again, and then finds out everything is a lie. Like she genuinely did not want to be there and had to roll with the punches.

-I loved the subtle nods to how messed up Sentinel's system is. Orion scarfing down as much energon as he could. Miners being easily expendable and working in dangerous conditions. Bumblebee's forced isolation in a sublevel no one has even heard of. Getting robbed of your T-cog as a baby!

-The Birth of Optimus and Megatron was some fucking poetic cinema!

-The fight scenes were awesome!

-The A-a-tron is a reference to Key's substitute teacher sketch. I just know it.

-Comedy was on point and so was the angst.

-Voice acting was well done, although I did notice they reused the "C'mon" line for Elita at least 3 times."

-Shockwave: Why should we follow you?!

Elita punches her fist.

Shockwave: We will follow you! (I die laughing every time I hear that.)

-Airachnid going full murder bot and trying to stab everything with her claws multiple times.

-"NO I WANT TO KILL HIM!" My jaw dropped when D-16 said that.

Also I kind of got spoiled at the fact that both Sentinel and Orion were going to die. I blame the Youtube Algorithm for spoiling me. But I did not expect Sentinel to get ripped in half and for D-16 to fucking drop Orion!

What did I not like (or what gave me pause):

-Them kind of decided to use Airachnid in order to expose Sentinel. Like how did they know how to use the console in order to play back her memories?

-Alpha Trion saw D-16 tweaking so hard and so fast and still decided to give him a T-Cog! Yes, I know how charged the situation was but damn it Alpha Trion!

-I kind of expected the Quintessons to play a bigger role in the first movie, but they didn't. Which is probably good in hindsight because the story should focus more on the fallout of D-16 and Orion Pax. I just wish we saw more of the Quintessons. Maybe in the next movie.

-They really learned how to use their T-Cogs super fast. Also, how did getting T-Cogs teach them how to fight? D-16 was a miner for most of his life and is suddenly going toe to toe with Starscream, a trained military officer.

-Speaking of the high guard, I felt like the foreshadowing of them could have been better. I mean we do see them in the trailers, why couldn't we get a diagram of Starscream or Shockwave when Orion was rooting around in the archives instead of referencing them by name? Spiderverse does this type of foreshadowing quite a bit.

-As much as I liked Elita being so annoyed at everything throughout the story, I do have to agree with @lets-try-some-writing review of Elita in Transformers One (They also provide a really in depths analysis of the movie. So please check it out if you can). She is pretty arrogant throughout the story and doesn't really develop into being a kinder more understanding person. Also, how did she know how to fight before acquiring a T-Cog?

-I definitely see the argument about D-16's descent to Megatron is too rushed. Again, it did take like two to three days. I can see why people wouldn't buy it. (However, I'd argue that it's done better than Eren's descent into madness in AOT.)

-There were a few people calling Orion hypocritical for not wanting to kill Sentinel but he and a few others were killing a bunch of his guards. There's another video that goes into it. It's blanking on me, but the general idea is how Orion killed in self defense during a coup, and once he exposed Sentinel, there was no real need to kill anyone anymore. D-16's pain and rage towards Sentinel is extremely understandable, and I don't think that Orion's comment of 'not being like Sentinel' was meant to come off as hypocritical. Orion has been seeing D-16 spiraling for the past few days and isn't really sure how to stop it, nor does he really get the chance to. He's afraid of losing D-16 to his rage and anger and just wants him to calm down and stop before D-16 did something he was going to come to regret. Could Orion have been more proactive in doing this? Probably. But just like D-16, Orion is overloaded with new information, new threats, and the consequences of everything.

-I also agree again with @lets-try-some-writing on how D-16 had much more of a motivation compared to Orion. Like we know that Orion wanted to build a better world and prove that miners were more capable then what they were programmed to be, but what motivated him to do that in the first place? What was the thing that initially inspired him to do more and be kind and optimistic?

There are others who have conveyed their thoughts and written an analysis far better than what I have. This is just me rambling. But I still recommend watching the movie for those that haven't. It's a fun ride with fun nodes and it was clearly made with care and love for the franchise.

Also I finished the next chapter for AOP. I just have to make some edits before publishing.

[himboblackdragon]

Catalog of LBFaD drama name origins

Mythology -> book -> drama

Dongfang Qingcang / 东方青苍: The origins of this name are hotly contested, and to be honest the only hypothesis I remember is the Azure Dragon of the East. East being "Dongfang," and the dragon itself being alternatively called "Qing long" and "Cang long." (x)

Haotian Tower / 昊天塔: The tower where DFQC was imprisoned in, in both media. There's no Haotian Tower in mythology, but "Haotian God" is one of the names of the emperor of heaven. (x)

Ninth You / Jiuyou / 九幽: One name for the mythological netherworld, the capital city of the Moon Tribe in the drama. The capital city of the devil tribe in the book. (x)

Sansheng / 三生: The name comes from the "Three Lives Stone" (sansheng shi 三生石), which represents a lot of things in Chinese tradition, but probably the most salient being a rock in the underworld near the Oblivion River. In the novel universe, the rock is graffitied with the names of the ones the dead passing by wished to see most. The stone seems to have transformed into human form in the first book of the series, succinctly titled Sansheng, which tells the love story between Sansheng and Moxi, the novelverse God of War. (x)

Siming / 司命: A folk god, and usually male, who oversees human fates. In the CLJ novel she is responsible for writing the Fate Books. (x)

Xirang / 息壤: Mythological self-expanding-and-growing soil. Although it plays a key role in the book, it only appears in a throwaway line in the drama, when Changheng suggests building XLH a new body out of it. (x)

Mythology/literature/history -> drama

Chengying Sword / 承影剑: One of the ten famous swords of China, in historical and literary tradition. From the Spring and Autumn Period. (x)

Chonghua / 重华: Chonghua is the given name of a legendary emperor of China. (x)

Haotian Matrix / 昊天阵: "Haotian God" is one of the names of the emperor of heaven. (x)

Hellfire / 业火: A Buddhist concept, the fires of karma. (I'm pretty vague on what it actually is and where it exists.) In the book, DFQC's powerful fire is usually just called "raging flames" (lieyan 烈焰), and it's red instead of blue. (x)

Liyuan / 澧沅: Li and Yuan are two of the four big rivers that flow through Hunan. Coincidentally, also the names of two of the four rivers that flow into Shuiyuntian, that flooded when DFQC broke the pearl. (x)

Love Tree / Seven-Emotions Tree / 七情树: The name "seven-emotions tree" comes from the phrase "seven emotions and six desires," (qi qing liu yu 七情六欲). The exact emotions and desires this refers to differ based on school of thought. (x)

Lord Dong / 东君: A deity often paired with Yunzhong-jun as one of the two primordial gods. Seems to be a sun deity. His name literally means "Lord East." (x)

Lord Yunzhong / 云中君: A god from mythology, often paired with Lord Dong as one of the two primordial gods. Sometimes interpreted as a woman. (x)

Oblivion River / Wang Chuan / 忘川: A river in the land of the dead. To cross it, you must first drink a soup that makes you forget your past lives. (x)

Qu Shui / 曲水: Literally "winding waters," the name of Xiao Run's pageboy might come from the upper-class drinking game "Qu Shui Liu Shang" 曲水流觞, in which players "wait by a winding stream and compose poems before their cups full of rice wine float down to reach them." His nickname Ququ'r is phonetically very similar and means cricket. (x x)

Return to Ruin Realm / Guixu Zhi Jing / 归墟之境: "Guixu" was a place far to the east, that every body of water eventually emptied into. The characters break down into "return (to)" and "ruins." The "Zhi Jing" makes it "Region of Guixu" or "Guixu Area." (x)

Tai Sui / 太岁: A folk deity, but not necessarily evil. (x)

Xuanwu God / 古神灵玄武: Xuanwu is a constellation representing a tortoise-snake spirit. (x)

Xunfeng / 巽风: His name most likely comes from the "xun" trigram of the Eight Trigrams, of which the element is wind, or "feng." (x)

Yingzhao / 英招: Legendary creature that has the body of a horse, the face of a man, stripes like a tiger, and wings of a bird. Not like our waddling ball of fur at all. (x)

Yunmeng Lake / 云梦泽: One of the largest lakes in China in ancient times, now mostly nonexistent. (x)

Book -> drama

Bone Orchid / Gu Lan / 骨兰: It has more of a dried-vine aesthetic in the book.

Chidi Nüzi / 赤地女子: The god of war of the heavenly realm, in both media. DFQC's nemesis and the object of A'Hao's obsession.

Dayu Battalion / 大庾兵: Only mentioned once in the drama, along with the Tieyu Battalion 铁羽兵, as forces that Shangque has mobilized in response to Xunfeng's insurrection. Dayu's the name of DFQC's adorable (to me) pet sky/sea serpent.

Destruction of Heaven / Ruins of Ten Thousand Heavens / Wan Tian Zhi Xu / 万天之墟: A formless place where Siming can be found, in both the drama and the book. The book series further specifies that the Destruction of Heaven sits above the Three Realms and the Endless Desolate City (无极慌城 wu ji huang cheng) below.

Dieyi / 蝶衣: Ronghao's loyal right-hand woman is also present in the book.

Fairy Execution Platform / Zhu Xian Tai / 诛仙台: Where Changheng is to be executed after talking back to Yunzhong. In the book this was a platform over a mass of the book equivalent to evil qi/suiqi, which XLH was cast off from, almost getting eaten alive by the evil qi.

Fate Books / Mingbu / 命簿: The combination of these two characters seem to be an invention of the novel, and are records of the destinies of living people collected and administered by the land of the dead.

Fate Tree / Mingge Shu / 命格树: "Mingge," in both the novelverse and in the Love You Seven Times drama, are the stories high immortals (in CLJ's case, Siming) write to direct the fate of mortals. I'm not clear on the distinction between mingbu and mingge in the CLJ book.

Lucheng / 鹿城: In the book, a militarily important city of the Jin Dynasty, although the drama has styled it more into the Tang Dynasty, some thousand-plus years later.

Ronghao / 容昊: In the book, the wheelchair-bound master of the demon commerce city who's later revealed to be Chidi's obsessed student. We're not given the first character of his name in the book; it only ever calls him A'Hao.

Shangque / 觞阙: The name of the prime minister of the devil realm in the book, horrified by DFQC's erratic behavior while his body is being partially controlled by XLH. Show!Shangque's personality likely came from Dayu, Book!DFQC's overpowered flying serpent who follows him around like a loyal dog.

Shuofeng Sword / 朔风剑: "Cold northwest wind" sword, it's Chidi Nüzi's weapon in the book and the drama. It stays in sword form in the book, but becomes a geographical feature and a seal in the show.

Thousand Dreamland / Thousandfold Illusion / 千重幻境: A realm of endless very similar illusions that Ronghao/A'Hao tries to trap DFQC in to prevent him from finding XLH, in both media.

Xiao Lan Hua / Orchid / 小兰花: Our heroine!

Xie Wanqing / 谢惋卿: One of Chidi Nüzi's mortal incarnations in both media. However, in the book she is a general who's betrayed by the man she loves, an ordinary mortal, while XLH and DFQC watch.

Misc

Changheng / 长珩: Changheng's not in the book, but the book does have a troublemaker by the name of Changming 长命 who is DFQC's biggest "love rival" (he's like ten years old), and I wonder if the "Chang" part of Changheng's name comes from Changming.

Flying Fairy Pavilion / Life-Ending Pavilion / 飞仙阁: A reference to Xie Wanqing's real identity as the Fairy God of War. Also a euphemism for death.

Haishi / 海市: Conceptually, comes from the demon/nature sprite city, yaoshi 妖市, in the book. For the drama they got rid of the demon part and called it Haishi, Sea City.

Tongyun / 彤云: Xie Wanqing's maid, and an actual word that refers to red clouds or "dark clouds before snow." (x)

Xiao Run / 萧润: I'm not sure the Run part of his name is a reference to anything, but the Xiao is probably there to make the Xiao-lang wordplay work. (x)

Yannü 盐女 and Cangyan Sea 苍盐海: The "yan" is the same as in "Yannü." Which came first, I wonder? (The "cang" is the same as in Dongfang Qingcang.)

Sans Data

I do not know any special origins of, or was too lazy to look up:

Black Sash 黑杀斩, Bone-Devouring Spikes / Frost-Salt Nails 噬骨霜盐钉, Cangyan Sea 苍盐海, Changle Street, Cloud Shadow Mirror 云影镜, Danyin 丹音, Dark Pine Forest 暗松林, Dream of Nine Serenities / Jiuyou Dream 九幽一梦, Eternal Flame 长明火, Evil Qi / Suiqi 祟气, Firefly stone 奇幻流萤石, Fountain Palace 涌泉宫, Four-Water Pearl 四水宝珠, Fuju Cave 弗居洞, Glazefire 琉璃火, Granny Tie 铁婆婆, Green Flame Wine 绿焰酒, Hall of Divine Waters / Shenshui Ting 神水厅, Heart-Hidden Pin 藏心簪, Hidden Treasures Shop 藏珠斋, Jieli 结黎, Jinling, Jingyiya Teahouse 静逸雅轩, Karma Jail / Karma-Spanning Abyss 渡业渊, Liufang Pavilion 留芳阁, Night-Stream Building 夜溪楼, Northern Sea / Beiming 北溟, Primordial spirit 元神, Qingchuan 青川, Ranxi Flower 燃犀花, Shaking Light Peak 摇光峰, Shuiyuntian 水云天, Shuyu Forest 漱玉林, Silent Moon Palace / Jiyue Palace 寂月宫, Silver Lake 银湖, Soul Transformation Cauldron 化魂鼎, Soul Transformation Grounds 化魂墟, Southern Fairyland / Extreme South Fairy Continent 南极仙洲, Spirit Lock Gate 灵锁门, Spirit-Shattering Abyss 碎灵渊, Spirit Stones 灵石, Tianji Mirror 天极镜, Universe Pills 无极乾坤丹, Wind Prison 风���, Wind Warriors, Wuqi 巫芑, Wuxian Clan / Witch-Salty Clan 巫咸族, Xilan 息兰, Xingluo 星落, Xishan 息山, Xiyun 息芸, Xuanshuang Whip 玄霜神鞭, Xuanxu Realm / Mysterious Realm 玄虚之境, You Jade Ring 幽玉戒, Yujing 玉京

Much thanks to sassybluee's Reference for Fic Writers.

This post is subject to change. Additions, corrections, and discussion welcome.

[talonabraxas]

Maha Vairocana, Cosmic Sun Buddha Talon Abraxas

Vairocana is one of the Five Dhyani Buddhas created by Adhi Buddha. In Sanskrit, the name vairocana means "luminous" or "embodiment of light". In Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, and Vietnamese Buddhism; Vairocana is called as Dari Rulai / Piluzhena Fo, Dainichi Nyorai, Nampar nangdze / Namnang, and Dai Nhat Nhu Lai respectively. In the above mentioned Buddhism, the Buddha is seen as the embodiment of Buddhist concept of Emptiness. While in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, Vairocana is considered as a Primordial Buddha and is located at the center. He is also referred to as the "great illuminating one," “the Life force that illuminates the universe," and importantly, "all-encompassing Buddha". Therefore, Vairocana is mentioned in different sutras.

In Brahma Net Sutra, it is written that Vairocana Buddha is seated on a top of a lotus pedestal and surrounding of that lotus there are thousands of flowers. These flowers are the Sakyamuni Buddhas, which supports a hundred million worlds. It is also mentioned that Sakyamuni Buddha is born in each world. They all attain Buddhahood at the same time under Bodhi tree. All these Sakyamuni Buddhas have Vairocana as their original body.

In Flower Garland Sutra, also called Avatamsaka, Vairocana is presented as the ground of being and the matrix from which all phenomena emerges. He is regarded as the Dharma Body of the historical Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama).

In Samantabhadra Meditation Sutra, also called as the "Sutra of Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue", Vairocana is mentioned as a Buddha who has similar characteristics as that of Sakyamuni Buddha. And he roams around a place called "Always Tranquil Light".

Lotus Sutra, also called Saddharma Pundarika Sutra, is composed in the first century B.E.C. In this sutra, it is believed that Buddhas are said not to die even though their physical bodies degenerate. It is also mentioned that Buddha has explained that he has always lead the beings to their salvation and will always continue to do so. Therefore he is considered as the most sublime or truest reality in the universe.

In Mahavairocana Sutra, Vairocana is depicted as the universal Buddha from whom all other Buddha are originated. He is also represented as the source of enlightenment who helps others to be free from causes and conditions. It is also mentioned that Vairocana taught about the Dharma to Vajrasattva but it was incomprehensible to learn for them. That's why Vairocana provided esoteric techniques and rituals to help Vajrasattva to conceptualize the Dharma beyond verbal form. Therefore, Vairocana is also referred as a teacher, without whom there would have been no Buddhism, and also there would not have the path to enlightenment.

Even though Vairocana is mentioned in various Sutras, the doctrine of Vairocana Buddha is largely based on the teachings of the Mahavairocana Sutra. This Sutra is thought to be the earliest comprehensive manual of Buddhist tantra. It is believed that this Sutra is composed in the 7th Century.

Iconography

Vairocana Buddha is often depicted as seated in the lotus pedal which is supported by a pair of two great lions. Symbolically, it is represented that when the lions roar, all other remains silent and listens to him. Likewise, when one is spreading Buddha's teachings almost all others remains silent and listens to the Buddha's valuable teachings. When Vairocana Buddha is depicted as meditating, it is believed that the image of Vairocana helps to transform the delusion of ignorance into the wisdom preached by the Dharma. Similarly, when Gautama Buddha turned the wheel of Dharma, it illuminated the hearts of people which was darkened by ignorance.

When Vairocana Buddha is depicted in Buddha statues, he is also shown in Dharma chakra mudra. This mudra is formed when the thumb and index finger of both hands touch at their tips to form a circle. The left hand faces inward which covers the right hand which is facing outward and the hands are held against the chest. The remaining fingers of both hands remain extended.

Since Vairocana is believed to be the aggregate of all the Dhyani Buddhas. Therefore, He has the complexion of pure white since white produced when all the colors merge together. His symbol is the dharma wheel. When all Five Dhyani Buddhas are depicted together in a mandala, Vairocana is placed in the center. He is often shown larger than other Buddhas around him. He is Lord of Akanistha Ghanavyuha Pure land which existed in the center. His consort is White Tara and his Bija starts with Om. In Vajrayana Buddhism, it is believed that Vairocana Buddha helps to overcome ignorance and delusion when a person chants his mantra.

Vairocana Sadhana - Diamond Realm:

[thelittlesupernova]

Snowflake Obsidian, stone of clarity

❄️ Snowflake obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass distinguished by its black color and unique white or grayish-white snowflake-like patterns. These patterns are actually clusters of cristobalite, a type of quartz, that form as the obsidian cools. This makes it visually striking and a favorite among collectors, jewelers, and those interested in metaphysical properties.

🖤 It is formed from rapidly cooling lava with a high silica content. The crystallization of the cristobalite within the glassy matrix creates the snowflake patterns. This unique geological process gives the stone its name and appearance.

❄️ Snowflake obsidian is used to help individuals stay grounded, fostering a sense of stability and balance in their lives. It is said to assist in balancing emotions, helping users feel more centered and composed.

🖤 Many believe it acts as a protective stone, warding off negativity and psychic attacks.

❄️ Snowflake obsidian is used to cleanse and purify one's energy field, dispelling negative thoughts and emotions.

🖤 It is said to encourage self reflection, helping individuals confront their inner truths and recognize harmful patterns. It is also used to aid in letting go of outdated beliefs and behaviors, making space for growth and transformation.

❄️ Snowflake obsidian can help in accepting past traumas or mistakes, promoting forgiveness and emotional release. It's energy can soothe feelings of isolation, loneliness, or despair.

🖤 It is used to bring clarity of mind, making it an excellent tool for meditation and spiritual practices. It also helps individuals connect with their higher selves and receive insights for their spiritual journey.

❄️ Primarily associated with the root chakra, snowflake obsidian helps with grounding and strengthening one’s connection to the Earth. It can also be used to enhance intuition and spiritual perception when meditated upon.

[brotoman-exe]

Some Transformers Prerendformers AU Backstory Ideas

Autobots

The Autobots as a whole started as those who followed Optimus Prime once more open resistance against the treatment of the lower castes and Sentinel Prime's increasing acts of cruelty. Eventually many smaller groups would also come to follow the Autobot banner and once rescued from the Gladiator Pits of Kaon, Megatron would serve as co-leader since many that first joined Prime were Megatron's fellow miners and the newly arisen Prime even once saying he'd learn to inspire from how Megatron inspired him. After Sentinel's defeat and Megatron's fall the label Autobot remained only for those that chose not to follow Megatron.

Decepticons

Born from Megatron's galaxy wide famous speech titled "You Are Being Decieved" given after the first liberation of Tarn and before his capture and imprisonment in Kaon's Gladiator Pits it became the name and symbol of Megatron's most loyal supporters. At first just an in group under the greater Autobot movement composed of those directly reporting to Megatron after his rescue, it became harsher and more combative against others as friction between Optimus and Megatron began to become more frequent. Eventually when the breaking port was reached Megatron would declare the name Decpticon as the moniker of those who would truly reclaim the glory of the Cybertronian race in this galaxy.

Optimus Prime

Obviously still starts with the name Orion Pax. Cold Constructed shortly after Sentinel Prime coming to power Orion was part of what was called the Convoy batch of sparks all designated for tasks such as long haul transport of materials, those that remember him as Orion would find it ironic that in his human disguise when trapped on Earth so long after he decided to do the same work, as Sentinel was kicking production and mining into high gear with eyes on expansion. Naturally friendly and possessing a warmth that put off many of his overseers as "too alive" Orion would manage to make friends all across Cybertron with mechs Cild Constructed and forged alike. Some chief among those being the miner Megatron, illegally operating doctor Ratchet, and Iacon guard captain Ironhide.

It was the friendship with Ironhide and Ratchet that saved Orion's life as they got word about Sentinel having created a drone fleet to "phase out" the convoy as turned out their frequent interactions with other Cybertronians, and many such as Pax himself helping distribute the writings of one Megatron, was proving too have them become empathetic to the plight of the lower castes. Orion would flee into the still not expanded into wastes of Cybertron later learning that only two other of his batch mates survive. Those two becoming leaders of small resistance cells, Pyra Magna with her Rust Renegades and Ginrai with his Burning Justice, that would later fold into the greater Autobot cause. The three surviving Convoy would also, despite disagreements, would come to view themselves as true siblings.

While traveling the wastes; Orion's goal was to make it to Tarn where news of Megatron leading a revolt had spread hoping to link up with his old friend. Instead he was pulled by a sudden need to drive elsewhwre. He found himself finding some lost temple from Cybertron's past which inside contained the missing Matrix of Leadership. It joined with and transformed him the mech known as Orion Pax leaving that temple now as Optimus Prime. Finally arriving in Tarn Optimus would find many scattered and scarred rebels worried they'd be next since Megatron had been captured and sent to the Gladiator Pits of Kaon. Gathering these lost and in danger mechs Optimus swore he'd help them and find a way to save Megatron because "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."

Megatron

Cold Constructed for mining near the tail end of Nova Prime's reign Megatron of Tarn was one of the few miners that actually survived until Sentinel Prime took over. During Nova Prime's time things were much more lax about what materials ended up in the workers hands since Nova believed the Comd Constructed were hardly above drones access to reading or viewable materials did no harm as they were unintelligent and naturalky docule. So that means by the time the transition began Megatron could actually be considered a very educated mech even if others wouldn't believe in the fact he was intelligent at all. Once Sentinel was in charge though he knew better about the Cold Consteucted's ability for intelligence, unfortunately he saw that as a threat and the greater number of Overseers that were said to be there to fix the problems of workplace safety also became harsh jailers with almost any kind of reading banned. As well Sentinel applied even stricter conditions on what knowledge new Cold Consteucted Cybertronians could have installed at initial activation.

Aware enough to be disgusted by this Megatron took action. First he began illegal schools in the mines. Teaching all new workers how to read beyond just the words on some signs around the mines, math, basic science, and anything else he could get materials for. These classes led many younger miners viewing Megatron as mentor like what all forged Cybertronains were allowed to have. Megatron also began writing and crunching numbers to release papers about how the use of a Cold Constructed, or later assigned under Functionist Endentured Servitude for younger Forged, work force and their mistreatment was both unethical and not even mathematically efficient. He'd have these writings distributed with the help of some mechs part of the Cold Constructed batch known as the Convoy and Forged Cybertronians who were already sympathetic.

Unfortunately he was eventually found out and in attempt to silence him one of his overseers began to beat Megatron brutally. Fearing for his own life Megatron reached out, grabbed a mining drill, and struck the Overseer with it killing them. This erupted into the entire mine starting an open revolt and before Megatron could process taking his first life he was standing on a balcony having taken the city of Tarn and giving his famous speech "You Are Being Decieved". For a time the restructuring of the city was going well but then in a surprise attack agents loyal to Sentinel Prime captured Megatron taking him away and began to try and retake the city.

Sentinel Prime was a mech bot astonishingly cruel and at time paradoxically sensible. The latter comes up in that he knew just killing Megatron now meant creating the type of martyr not seen since the begining of Nova Prime's own liberation of Cybertron, the former shined in his decision to try and remedy that by breaking the revolutionary. So Megatron was made prisoner in the Gladiator Pits of Kaon forced to fight for his life almost every day and the brutality required to do it shown to the planet in a bid to make his followers think he was nothing but a violent brute stripped of any intelligence or rhetoric. Unfortunately this ended up working against the Prime as not only did Megatron become popular as a gladiator but the Senator running the Pit Ratbat refused orders to actually later just pull the trigger and kill Megatron even having his 'son' Soundwave leak recordings of Megatron's fights in which he gave speeches upon winning. Of course Ratbat thought Megatron would never escape just wanting all the money this popular fighter was bringing him. So he wasn't counting on a combination of Soundwave's infatuation with the revolutionary plus hatred of Ratbat's treatment, the other the top gladiators the Combaticons becoming loyal to Megatron plus having rediscovered the lost power of combination, and Optimus Prime leading a strike force to save his friend all leading to his downfall.

Once rescued Megatron would become co-leader of the Autobots but by then a darkness had already been born that would come to almost engulf the mech's spark and quickly lead to the begining of the Autobot vs Decepticon war.

Ratchet

A bot that can truly be called an elder Ratchet had been serving as a medic for a large amount of Nova Prime's initial unification and when the new Cybertronian Governement was established Ratchet was provided his own hospital to run in Iacon. At first this was fine but then the medic learned about the Cold Constructed. Having no involvement in their creation he was also appaled when he did an independent investigation into the conditions they were under. He attempted to argue against the injustice of it all but by this point those that had fully entrenched themselves in the new political power structure of Cybertron had no reason to change how the tide was turning and Ratchet was "encouraged" to drop the subject.

Instead he went to ground and started illegally medically treating the Cold Constructed and any other bot that Nova, later Sentinel's, society was leaving behind. Many of the Cybertronians who served under Nova and didn't get involved in the government, plus a minority of politicians who were too afraid to actively speak out against the rest, respected Ratchet letting him get away and do what ever he wished to aid those that needed it.

Sentinel and those that he promoted were much less forgiving and the old mech found himself being turned away and in some cases attacked when trying to provide others with care. It started to seem hopeless but then Ratchet met a young Orion Pax and as time went on he began to see in him what Nova was like before the weight of his decisions and apathy let him compromise on the dream he had fir Cybertron. When Orion Pax returned on the scene as Optimus Prime, Ratchet decided this time he'd be working right along the new Prime and just maybe finally get the equal society where all can be treated well.

Sixshot

Throughout Cybertron's history there was organizations that seemed to possess abilities that went beyond what normal Cybertronian's should be capable of. The Six Clan of Cyber Ninja were one such group discovering techniques that not only let ones spark comfortably exist in a frame or alt mode it was not attuned to at creation but also increase the total number of forms one could become. Sixshot was the current leader of the clan when he revealed himself to the bit who would become Nova Prime. Seeing the Quintessons as an existential threat he broke the clans policy on neutrality and secrecy teaching the young leader how to have flight incorporated into his frame with a third mode to match, then actively fought to free Cybertron and unify it with Nova's forces.

When the conflict ended Sixshot took a majority of the Six Clan back into hiding at their monastery not having any interest in politic now that the threat had passed. Later when Sentinel took over he came not to recieve training but to challenge Sixshot for right to command him and his clan. Sentinel lost horribly and Sixshot scarred the Cybertronian leader stating to never try and find his clan again.

Years later though another would come to their door. This time a recently freed Megatron who had heard legend of the Six Clan from fellow gladiators. He chose to be humble and requested simply training for him and some of his men so they might better fight for their freedom. Sixshot after some negotiating agreed and trained many of these at the time Autobots. Some stand outs include Megatron actually managing to master four modes the three besides robot being a tank, heavy armored fighter jet, and a cannon; A newer recruit Soundwave learned the secrets of size shifting and stealth; Springer who was part of another group of rebellious working bots called the Wreckers became a triple changer; One of Optimis Prime's lieutenants Jazz learned the fighting styles and weapons of the cyber ninja but kept to a single alt mode type he was forged with; One final student of note was a fellow miner of Megatron's Lugnut who desired strength and the ability to fly because he was injured and unable to chase after "Glorious Megatron" when his leader had been abducted and taken to Kaon, while not able to mentally match the Cyber Ninja mentality at all he did succeed in his goals even adapting a cyber ninja fighting move into what he called a Punch Of Kill Everything.

Once these students were trained Sixshot wished them well and expected Cybertron to be back to peaceful so he could go back to looking after his clan in peaceful isolation. Instead later still Megatron returned again. This time not humble but like Sentinel before him demanding a challenge to command the Six Clan as part of his now independent Decepticon faction. Unlike Sentinel, Megatron could back up his talk and defeats Sixshot. From then on the Six Clan were sworn to the Decepticon cause whether they wished to be or not and became a deadly force in Megatron's new war against the Autobots.

[utopicwork]

i have a few Bread3D questions

how are rotations done in Bread3D? quaternions/rotors (marctenbosch.com/quaternions is a pretty good resource), or rotation matrices, or euler angles? axis-angle?

do you compose all the transformations into a single 4x4 view matrix? (most 3d engines i know of use this technique)

how do you do hidden surface elimination? zbuffer? face sorting? backface culling (insufficient for nonconvex shapes)?

will the rendering primitive be triangles or will it be able to handle other shapes as well? (e.g. true sphere)

also, one of the interesting side effects of rendering to low resolution is that per-pixel operations (like fragment shaders) are less painful.

Rotations are done with euler angles at the moments but I want to have a manipulable axis of rotation so I'll do it with quaternions after I've done some reading (thank you for the link I'll add that to my reading list)

The visual output uses some rather simplistic division operations that I'm going to work into something better as I go

Hidden faces get drawn over at the moment Ive been working on automatic face sorting though

Currently rendering primitives are just whatever face polygons are requested but that'll change. Though I am trying to keep it pretty low resource intensity

And yeah! I like rendering to a low resolution because of that and because Pillow is very snappy at low resolutions

[poisonheadcrabsalesman]

Can you love a machine? That's what Lasky wants to ask the Master Chief as he sits in front of Sarah's new promethean form. The Chief, immune to the Composer, but not immune to the suffering he feels about dragging her on this mission. In return, she is immune to his guilt because - well, does she even cycle emotions.

He hated seeing both of them like this. Halsey had come up with a "radical approach" for integration. To see him readily sacrifice himself once again, laying on an operating table face down with his spine exposed.

All to give him back Sarah. "Electrophysiology synced, Doctor." Roland's somber voice says from his pedestal, serving as an intermediary between the Chief and Sarah.

"John?" Halsey asks, as she monitors his gamma and beta waves to see if it dips.

He doesn't say anything, face down, probably being in the worst pain that he's ever been in with the multitude of probes across exposed nerves.

After a tense thirty-seconds, before Halsey could ask again, this time a thin underlay of panic in her voice, the Chief took a deep inhale as he, Roland, and Sarah started to make the same twitching movements.

Lasky almost leapt to stop Halsey before the monitors lit up with various things: a Forerunner, the matrices, the inner workings of Roland's complex decision trees and matrix transformations, flashes of Sarah -

"Memories, Captain Lasky." Halsey muttered, as if it was obvious, "They are in synchronization. They are attempting to rebuilt Commander Palmer's humanity from a mixture of organic electroimpluses through the filter of Roland's ... matrices."

"Halsey-" Glassman interrupts as a myriad of alarms start go off, and Roland starts screaming, "Master Chief's bios - they're all over the place and they're fluctuating wildly - he's going to go into arrest. You need to stop."

"We are almost there." She said through gritted teeth.

Memories of flashing lights, Roland screaming that it burns as the Chief started to seize on the table.

"End it, Halsey!" Lasky said, "We can't lose three people on one day."

"Almost there." She replied, her hand making a stopping motion between him and four other Spartan IVs.

"Halsey!"

"Sir, we're losing anti-grav on decks four, seven and eight. Local hydroponics have sprung leaks and S-Deck is reporting power outages."

"His Gamma waves are reaching critical values, even for an integrated Spartan, Halsey!"

"You're going to fry them all!"

"Almost there."

Cortana's face flashed on the screen, and Roland asking the question: "promise us you'll figure out which one of us is the machine"

The helplessness that Lasky felt was something that he hadn't felt since Cadmon's death, or fuck, even Chryler's death. What did he do? Just stand there and let it happen?

"Catherine Halsey, I'm ordering you to -"

A watcher deployed from the Promethean's back and in a screech, it and Roland said: "Beginning neurological reconfiguration. Recomposing harmonies. Our song has changed. We sing Alone."

Memories started to flood screens, children fighting each other, a small hand reaching for a bell. A woman in a playground asking to flip a coin.

"For heaven's sake, am I medical now?" Halsey proclaimed, grabbing a syringe and flicking her finger to turn over the table.

Then, Roland asked, whether it was Sarah, Chief or Roland himself:

"Am I a machine?"

Mehs, I am going to get you. You attack me in my own inbox, trying to hurt several of my guys at once. This is beautiful. We are getting operating tables involved? Okay Mehs okay. Hi friend

[govindhtech]

AMD Versal AI Engine: Powering Next-Gen Intelligence

What is Versal AI engine?

The Versal Premium line, which integrates AI Engines, has exceptional adaptive signal processing capability and is designed for the most demanding compute and data transportation applications in wired communications, data center computation, test and measurement, and aerospace and military.

Versal AI Engine

The AI Engine Array Interface may be configured with to the AMD LogiCORE AI Engine IP. Through tiles included in the AI Engine Array Interface, this array is linked to both the Network on Chip and the programmable logic (PL). This IP specifies the clock controlling the AI Engine array and permits the definition of the number of AXI4-Stream and memory-mapped AXI interfaces with their corresponding width and orientation.

Key Features and Benefits

AXI4 configuration interfaces that are memory mapped.

AXI4 master interfaces that are memory mapped.

AXI4-Stream master and slave interfaces having 32, 64, or 128 bit data widths that may be adjusted.

Fast streams may be enabled by choosing to enable registered interfaces.

Programmable logic (PL) stream clocks automatically associate.

Designing AMD Versal AI Engine

Image Credit To AMD

AMD Developing Versal AI Engine with Vitis Model Composer AMD With Vitis Model Composer, algorithms designed for Versal AI Engines may be quickly simulated, explored, and coded from inside the Simulink environment. This may be accomplished by importing kernels and data-flow graphs into Vitis Model Composer as blocks and adjusting the block GUI parameter to control the behavior of the kernels and graphs, or by utilizing the AI Engine library blocks.

Additionally, the tool lets you use a combination of AI Engine and programmable logic (HDL/HLS) blocks to create and simulate a design. By seamlessly integrating Vitis Model Composer AI Engine blocks with Simulink source and sink blocks, simulation results may be viewed.

For usage in the Simulink environment, Vitis Model Composer offers a collection of blocks that are optimized for speed. These consist of:

AI Engine blocks

Image Credit To AMD

Comprises a collection of intricate AI Engine DSP building elements pertaining to mixers, FIR, FFT, and DDS.

includes blocks for importing graphs and kernels that may be directed to Versal devices’ AI Engine section.

HLS (Targeting PL and generates HLS code)

Targeting PL and producing HLS code, HLS provides preset blocks that contain bit-wise operations, logic, linear algebra, and math functional blocks.

Block the import of HLS kernels that are intended for Versal devices’ PL section.

HDL (Produces RTL code and targets PL)

Blocks for modeling and synthesizing DSP, arithmetic, and logic components on an FPGA

contains a FIR Compiler block that targets the Versal design’s specific DSP48E1 and DSP48E2 hardware resources.

Blocks that facilitate communication between the AMD HDL blockset and the AI Engine.

Unleash DSP Compute with AMD Versal AI Engines

For next-generation DSP workloads, speed up demanding high-performance DSP applications.

AMD Versal AI Engine Technology Enables High-Performance Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Requirements

Clients developing next-generation DSP applications need enormous computational power, which conventional FPGA designs cannot effectively provide. Large quantities of DSP blocks and programmable logic resources may be used by compute-intensive DSP applications like FIR, FFT, and General Matrix Multiply.

The total computation capability that conventional programmable logic devices may provide may be greatly diminished by this need. For demanding DSP workloads with stringent power constraints, just expanding the number of DSP blocks and programmable logic available is not a scalable solution.

In these situations, Versal AI Engines are intended to provide a more effective computing solution.

Boost Compute and Use Less Power

Optimize performance and transform your DSP designs.

Did you know that you may increase scalability and efficiency to satisfy the growing needs of high-performance, next-generation DSP applications? Learn 5 strategies to improve your DSP designs using AMD Versal AI Engines.

Access Benchmarks Comparing Versal AI Engines to Previous Programmable Logic Technology

Please get in touch with sales or your FAE for test results and source designs for head-to-head benchmark comparisons between designs that use just Programmable Logic and adaptable SoC + AI Engine designs that use AMD Versal adaptable SoCs.

Get Started with Versal AI Engines for DSP

Increase DSP compute density for the next generation of demanding DSP workloads by speeding up the most demanding high-performance DSP applications.

Read more on govindhtech.com

[nevis-the-skeleton]

Timeline of my AU TFP "The Polar Star"

Age of Harmony: 

– Unicron and Primus are in harmony and get along well. Unicron contains his negative energy and emotions.

- Creation of the first Prime: Megatronus (creation of Primus and Unicron), he got the Capacity of the Traveller

- Creation of the other Primes: Vector Prime, Solus Prime, Micronus Prime, Alchemist Prime, Nexus Prime, Onyx Prime, Amalgamous Prime, Quintus Prime, Liege Maximo, Logos Prime, and Autonomous Maximus

- Solus Prime's constructions: The Forge, Tenebris, Omega Keys, Phase Shifter, the Matrix

- First interaction between Unicron and the Quintessons

- Unicron's anger grow more and more towards his brother 

War of Chaos:

- War between Primus and Unicron

- Solus Prime's constructions: Lair of the Primes, the relic capable of defeating Unicron (unnamed), Apex Armor, the Star Saber

- Sacrifice of Megatronus 

- Banishment of the Spark of Unicron 

- Invasion of the Quintessons 

- Death of other Primes, enslavement of Primus 

Age of Enslavement:

- Enslavement of the Transformers by the Quintessons 

- Creation of other forms of life: flora and fauna (induced by the Quintessons) 

- First appearance of the Predacons

- Fight between the Quintessons and the Predacons (the Transformers being the prey) 

- The Quintessons try to get rid of the Predacons by sending them to another planet (thanks to a space bridge): Earth (those sent there die of hunger)

- The All-Spark continues to create Predacons

- Great Cataclysm (a meteorite crashes into Cybertron) 

- Extinction of the Predacons 

- First appearance of Scraplets and Worms of Rust 

- Appearance of the first Awakened (Transformers endowed with a conscience) 

- Primus create a new Traveller : Alpha Trion, thanks of the remain of Unicron's energy

War of Warth:

- War between the Awakened and the Quintessons

- Primus choose Nominus to be the next Prime, and tell his story to him

- Nominus tell everything to Sentinel

- Death of Nominus after saving Sentinel

- Sentinel tells the story of Primus and Unicron to the Awakened (hiding parts, such as Megatronus Prime being a creation of the two Gods) 

- Sentinel is named Prime 

- Victory of the Transformers against the Quintessons 

Age of Rise:

- Creation of the Senate, composed of the first Awakened: Sentinel Prime, Alpha Trion, Shockwave, Dai Atlas, Jhiaxus, Tyrest, and Proteus

- Composition of a temporary Caste System

- Creation of the main City-States: Kaon, Iacon and Vos

- Studies of the plans of the ground and space bridges of the Quintessons

- Vos creates its own system and becomes independent of the Senate

- The Slaves are the criminals (not indefinitely, with exceptions)

- Miners are Slaves and Workers (alternative mode: Drill)

- Creation of other smaller City-States: Praxus, Tarn, Helex, Delphi, etc. 

- Colonization and cyberformation of planets: Velocitron, Caminus, etc.

- Earth is discovered and is named: E-147

- The Transformers discover on E-147 (Earth) a Transformers Graveyard used by the Quintessons during the Age of Enslavement

- Appearance of Techno-Organics: Evolved form of Cybertronian fauna 

- The All-Spark no longer spawns bots with the Drill alt mode

Golden age :

- The Caste System becomes permanent 

- Slaves are criminals, abandoned Sparklings, orphans and handicapped

- Creation of the First Generation of Cold Constructions

- The Transformers come into contact with prehistoric men

- The first humans transmit the legend of the Transformers until Antiquity, before being forgotten

- Creation of Synthetic Energon

- Discovery of the first Cold Construction with a conscience: Soundwave 

Silver Age:

- Creation of the Gladiator class 

- The Seeker Quake becomes Vos' favorite (the favorite being the robot most likely to become Air Commander, chosen by the Nobles)

- Creation of the Second Generation of Cold Constructions

- The Seeker Skyquake hits a noble who insulted his brother

- Dreadwing and Skyquake are sent to the Colonies (place of banishment)

- Creation of the Latest Generation of Cold Constructions 

- The Seeker Quake is accused of having murdered his conjux and loses his title of Favorite

- The Seeker Quake is sent to the Colonies

- Most Cold Constructions become self-aware 

- Primus create another Traveller, thanks of the remain of Unicron's energy, but the Sparkling dies after being out of the All-Spark

- The Constructor of Cold Constructions create an Hybrid, with a Spark of Cold Constructions and the body of a Sparkling stillborn

- Thrust is named Commander and Prince of Vos

- Sentinel Prime is looking for the Hybrid, but the Constructor tells him that the Hybrid is dead

- Slavery of Cold Constructions 

- First Purge: Massacre of the Cold Constructions of the Last Generation (the Generation which least follows its program) in a hangar, after the promise of a change 

- Revolt of the Cold Constructions, led by Soundwave 

- Massacre of most of the Revolutionaries, Soundwave is sent to the Arenas 

- Megatronus and Soundwave meet

- Cold Constructions are placed below Slaves in the Caste System ranking 

- A crane named Hook becomes a doctor: first robot that does not respect the function of they alternate mode 

- Creation of the IDS: Institute for Deviant Studies (Cold Constructions that don't follow their program) 

- Discovery of the first couple between a Transformer and a Cold Construction (deceased) 

- Start of Decepticon Ideology: Initiated by Megatronus  

- Seeker scientists at Trypticon Station create an energon which is supposed to multiply, but it doesn't work on Cybertron

- Send this energon into space to hope it multiplies on other planets

- Acceptance of a disabled person in the Seekers class: Skywarp (Teleportation ability, extremely rare)

Bronze Age:

- First non-scientific vehicles accepted at Iacon Academy: Starscream and Skyfire 

- Encounter between Megatronus and Orion Pax

- Death of the scientist Skyfire during an expedition to planet E-147, murdered by his partner, arrest of the latter 

- The Hybrid is found and send to the IDS

- Conjuxion between a Slave and a Citizen: Megatronus and Orion Pax

- Destruction of one of the main building of the IDS, a level 7 Cold Construction escapes 

- The Decepticons have a symbol: The face of a First Generation Cold Construction 

- Megatronus and Starscream meet 

- Starscream joins the Decepticon ideology

Age of Rust:

- Rust Invasion on Colonies 

- Massive Infection on Velocitron 

- Closure of Space Bridges to prevent a potential spread of Rust on Cybertron 

- Dispatch rescue ships to impacted Colonies 

- Emigration of Velocitronians on Cybertron and Caminus 

- Space Bridges are destroyed

- Seeker Starscream becomes Vos' Favorite

- Rise of Decepticon ideology, Senate concern 

- Establishment of an anti-Decepticon Propaganda

- Megatronus adopts the name "Decepticon" used by the Senate in their Propaganda 

- The Decepticons are persecuted, but Megatronus does not give up 

- Second Purge: All identities of the Cold Constructions are revealed and the Senate asks the people to destroy them 

- Seeker Starscream challenges Commander Thrust in a Duel Wing, Starscream wins the duel

- The Winglord presents to the Senate his new Commander and Prince: Starscream 

- First declarations of the Prince about a Cybertron without Caste System, intention to go in this direction when he will be Winglord 

- Assassination attempt on Prince Starscream 

- Terrorist acts during Megatronus' speeches 

- Orion Pax is declared Prime by the Senate

- Orion Pax is a spy for the Decepticons, tries to help Megatronus from the inside 

- Shockwave captures Megatronus for scientific research

- Starscream creates a rescue team to save Megatronus

- Megatronus offers Shockwave to join the Decepticons to continue his scientific research and help the cause at the same time

- Shockwave and Starscream's relationship doesn't improve

- Sentinel Prime discovers Orion's double game

- Sentinel Prime turns Orion Pax against Megatronus: Orion Pax leaves the Decepticon cause

- Attempted murder against Megatronus 

- The Decepticons hideout is discovered and the members are arrested 

- Starscream helps the Decepticons escape 

- Purification of Kaon: The inhabitants of Kaon are massacred by the Enforcers, the Senate seeks to permanently eradicate the supporters of the Decepticon cause, most of the Techno-organics are killed there. Megatronus and the Decepticons intervene and try to save as many civilians as possible.

- Wrath of the Decepticons 

Age of Vengeance:

- Megatron retaliates violently against the Senate infrastructure 

- The Autobot camp is founded by Orion Pax to intervene against the attacks 

- Starscream is against these acts of violence and leaves the Decepticon cause 

- Vos becomes Neutral 

- The Senate tries a new Purification against Tarn which is intercepted by Orion Pax

- The Autobots cut bonds with the Senate 

- The Decepticon symbol changes, expressing their anger 

- The Decepticons destroy the Senate: Sentinel Prime and Alpha Trion are the only survivors 

- Alpha Trion and Sentinel Prime join the Autobots (both are presumed dead) 

- Recruit Smokescreen is assigned to protect Alpha Trion and the Archives with the Elite Guard in Iacon 

- The Decepticons declare war on the Autobots 

Great War:

- The City-States of Iacon and Kaon enter in the War.

- Praxus, Delphi team up with the Autobots 

- Tarn, Helex and Thesarus ally with the Decepticons 

- Neutrals move away from large Cities

- Shockwave creates the incendiary bombs that will be used on Vos

- Bombardment of Vos by the Decepticons who make it seem like it was the Autobots 

- Prince Starscream joins the Decepticon cause again, the Vossians follow him 

- Iacon is destroyed by the Seekers demanding revenge 

- Starscream is named Second-in-Command of the Decepticons 

- The IDS is destroyed by the Decepticons during the attack on Praxus

- Ultra Magnus discovers that Sentinel Prime is plotting behind Optimus/Orion's back

- Shockwave creates the Tox-En

- Starscream is kidnapped by Overlord 

- Starscream sends Energon data from the Trypticon Station into space to prevent Overlord from gaining access to the Dark Energon 

- Starscream discovers the truth about Vos, Megatron and Starscream's good relationship is destroyed 

- Starscream attempts to join the Autobots with his Seekers, until he discovers Sentinel Prime is on their side

- Shockwave creates the Spark Extractor

- Orion Pax finds the Matrix, Sentinel Prime tries to kill him to steal it, but fails 

- Orion Pax really becomes Optimus Prime

- Primus asks Optimus Prime to bring back his brother : Unicron

- The Autobots chase away Sentinel and his followers 

- The Sentinels faction is created

- Shockwave creates the first Vehicons

- Slaughter of Neutrals by Decepticons and Sentinels 

- Soundwave and his minicons are captured by the Sentinels, Soundwave and Laserbeak are the only survivors

- Sentinel Prime seeks the All-Spark to reformat the Decepticons 

- Starscream is captured by the Sentinels to find the All-Spark by using his energon radar

- Starscream escapes and slaughters the Sentinels on his way

- The Decepticons capture Sentinel Prime

- Shockwave creates the first Insecticons

- Arcee and Tailgate are captured and tortured by Airachnid, Tailgate does not survive it

- the All-Spark is found by Autobots and Decepticons

- Optimus and Megatron fight for the All-Spark, Megatron intends to do the same as Sentinel

- Both Starscream and Optimus refuse to allow the All-Spark to be used for evil purposes

- The All-Spark is hidden in Theta Scorpii

- The Decepticons discover that Alpha Trion is alive

- Shockwave creates the Immobilizer

- Alpha Trion sends all the relics, and destructive inventions of the Decepticons into space before being captured and killed by the Decepticons. He also hid the last Omega Key in the body of the rookie Smokescreen.

- Shockwave is thinking of a way to recreate Space Bridges

- Sentinel Prime dies under torture

- Airachnid quits the Decepticon cause and goes renegade

- The incessant bombardments weaken Primus who has already been sick for a long time because of the Quintessons

- Energon becomes non-existent and great famines hit both sides

- The Autobots send groups to seek the energon sent to other planets, Optimus' team finds Earth

- Cliffjumper and Arcee are captured by the Decepticons

- Shockwave and Starscream find the location of Optimus, who invites the Autobots to join him on a planet with energon

- Shockwave is presumed dead after the explosion of the Space Bridge

- Arcee and Cliffjumper join Optimus

- Primus, exhausted, goes into stasis, most of the Cybertronian fauna and flora starve to death

- Megatron goes after Optimus

- Autobots and Decepticons scatter through space

- Cybertron is left to his fate, dying

#############################################

You can discover the next of this story on Ao3 and Wattpad ;) : "The Polar Star" (TFP)

Wattpad (french)

Ao3 (english)

[dragon-snoots-a-boopin]

So, I have finally gotten around to seeing Transformers One and now I want to talk about what I did and didn't like about it. THERE WILL BE SPOILERS, you have been warned.

What I Liked:

I really liked all of the bot designs. The sort of classic square nature mixed with some roundness here and there really does work in my opinion. I especially liked seeing some designs like Soundwave's alt mode being based on their alt mode from this Bumblebee movie toy and I believe it was the same for Ironhide towards the end of the movie too. Shockwave's alt mode looked to be based on their alt mode from Fall Of Cybertron/Rise Of The Dark Spark, at least I think it was. Those generic trooper guys looked kind of like the Vehicons from Transformers Prime, which I am sure was not intentional but, just something I thought of when I saw them.

The score by Brian Tyler was really great too and a great choice of composer in my opinion. Not sure if it was intentional but, I could hear some ques to the music of Transformers Prime in there too and I liked that. But, overall, a really great score.

The animation was all really good and really clean to me.

I thought that the voice acting was very good. Going into the movie, I had heard and read people saying that Hemsworth just sounded like himself and I have to disagree as he did a distinct voice for Orion and for Prime and neither sounded the same and neither sounded like his normal voice. Same goes for the other voice cast as well.

What I Didn't Like/Could Have Been Better:

The plot was incredibly predictable and it was easy to see from pretty early on that something was off about Sentinel Prime, even if I didn't know the specifics but, it was not a shock to me when learning of his betrayal.

D-16 becoming evil, while it was something we all saw coming, needed to happen more gradually than it did. Once they learned of Sentinel's betrayal, D-16 right off the bat wants to bury Sentinel Prime. Then, D-16 get the t-cog and it's like a switch is flipped, evil mode activated. From the beginning of the movie, D-16 should have been much more anti-authority but, no, they're all about follow protocol which, makes no sense for their character and who they become.

I don't really like this iteration of Orion Pax because there are no inklings of the characteristics of who they'll become later in the movie. Elita-1 says in a speech that Pax does all these courages things and I just don't see it. To me, all the things Pax does are without any logic and they just happen to work out based purely on dumb luck. I hate to say it, but I think that Pax should have had to work a lot harder to be worthy of The Matrix Of Leadership than just taking a shot for Sentinel Prime. I just don't think that Pax did all that much to really be deemed worthy of it and it feels like Pax needed to have it because plot.

I'm not the biggest fan of making both Pax and D-16 miners as I think their origin story of Pax being book smart and D-16 being street smart and sharing the same ideals (at first) for the future of Cybertron has a little more impact.

I really wish they had also made D-16 a gladiator, would have been cool to see some gladiator combat in the pits of Kaon but, oh well.

B-127's entire personality and character is that they never stop talk and that's it.

Elita-1's entire personality and character is that they think they're better than everyone and that's it.

The humor was very hit and miss for me, with more misses then hits.

The mid and post credit scenes were alright. The mid credit scene was just there for the funnies and the post credit scene was just Megatron vowing revenge.

Overall, for as much as I like and recommend the movie, it could have been a lot better too. Still good and enjoyable and I recommend giving it a watch.

[mitigatedchaos]

What’s the/a capital matrix?

I don’t have an opinion on use frequency regarding ‘matrix’, by the way

Well that's the problem. Looking back at that post, it's not clear that it's the best choice of words.

Though this is not just about capital, the average American is benefiting from the energy equivalent of about 12 full draft horses working continuously, 24/7, being channeled through the capital matrix. Cars, aircraft, milling machines, excavators - just flick a switch and off you go. (Because it’s low-dimensionality, it isn’t the same as real labor, but in terms of overall production, it’s astounding.)

Matrix A

Officially, according to Merriam-Webster, a matrix is a material ("such as soil or rock") within which some other object ("such as a fossil") is embedded. Some figurative uses are from this basis - for instance, in the movie The Matrix, the human population are kept in virtual reality pods, and the context that they live in is a computer simulation... called "the Matrix."

Matrix B

A mathematical matrix is a two-dimensional array of numbers. Basically just think of it as a grid of numbers.

This is also used figuratively, often to describe things similar to a table (the document element), or a spreadsheet.

To quote Merriam-Webster quoting Forbes,

And in the two-by-two matrix of men and women being warm and not warm and competent and not competent.

A mathematical matrix is usually composed of vectors. You can think of a 3-dimensional coordinate, which consists of three numbers (three "elements"), as a common variety of vector.

The Social Matrix

We could imagine a "social matrix" where we represent each person in a community's relationship with each other person in that community as an element in a vector.

For instance, maybe Alice, Beth, and Carol all live together in one house. Alice hates Beth (1 out of 5 stars) and likes Carol (4 / 5 stars), so: { -, 1, 4 }. Beth is neutral on both Alice and Carol: { 3, -, 3 }. Carol loves Alice and mildly dislikes Beth: { 5, 2, - }

We can arrange this as a grid:

[4] [3] [-] [1] [-] [2] [-] [3] [5]

Though it's only a model (relationships don't reduce to a single 5-point scale), this has the effect of being both a mathematical matrix and describing the social context within which Alice, Beth, and Carol are embedded.

To quote a Rationalist Tumblr user who I am not going to name because they are not a discourse participant and I am not going to drag them into the discourse:

I was enmeshed in a social matrix where lots of people are dating each other and making new connections happens almost automatically once you’re plugged in enough into the network.

We could map out who is dating whom in this Tumblr user's life with a matrix in this style.

Now, as for capital...

Capital Matrix A

We can actually model the economy as a whole using 2-dimensional matrices, and solve for the equilibrium, assuming that we can describe the production function for each enterprise or sector in linear terms. Think of it as a static ratio, the sort of thing you might see in a video game like Anno 2070. "2 apples + 1 wheat = 1 apple pie," that sort of thing.

Energy is a key term in this system. We would channel energy through this system in order to transform inputs into outputs.

In reality, production isn't static, and input-output ratios are not linear (due to many factors, including economies of scale), which means that you can't just solve the problem of economic planning by feeding everything into a single big table in a computer.

That's our first matrix analogy for capital. In some ways it's very similar to the idea of the social matrix, as the capital matrix is also the context that we're working within, and is modeling the relationships of the production systems through the use of vectors.

Capital Matrix B

We can also view capital, such as a metal stamping machine, as composed of two components - the material it's physically composed of, and the configuration of that material.

While the actual physical material is a solid, thick, physical object, the configuration is a simplified construct that humans dreamed up. If you're using high-resolution voxels (volume pixels), you could mark the material at each point using a 3-dimensional matrix, and then simulate the flow of energy and materials through that system to produce an output.

Another definition given by Merriam-Webster is a mold from which a relief surface ("such as a piece of type") is made, or a die (such as used for metal stamping), or an impression of a phonograph used to duplicate it.

Mathematical matrices can also be used to transform the contents of another matrix, such as rotating the points, flipping, or scaling.

One way to view capital is as a reusable pattern used to gain leverage in reordering the environment according to some intention.

So, from the metaphorical perspective, we could view capital as applying an ordered sequence of transformations to an initial input, exerting forces on an objects, which would be modeled with vectors.

This is where the analogy breaks down a bit, because that's not a matrix. That's a sequence of matrices. And we're not doing a scaling operation; we're often doing a lot of destructive editing.

(I still need to get through more of the textbook I have about matrices.)

So, to come back to the quote...

Though this is not just about capital, the average American is benefiting from the energy equivalent of about 12 full draft horses working continuously, 24/7, being channeled through the capital matrix. Cars, aircraft, milling machines, excavators - just flick a switch and off you go. (Because it’s low-dimensionality, it isn’t the same as real labor, but in terms of overall production, it’s astounding.)

For the first analogy, I think we're fairly solid. (Even though the actual production functions aren't actually nice simple lines.)

For the second analogy, I feel I'd want @regina-bithyniae 's opinion on whether it's a fair use of the term.

Matrices as New Metaphor

What I was actually getting at with my question about whether other people are using matrices as a metaphor is a bit weirder, though.

As you know, the new deep learning AI systems are based on matrices, and specialized hardware that allows massively parallel execution of matrix operations.

I don't know if you can sense it, or if others can sense it, or if it's just me, but the limitations of Llama2-70b, the text-based large language model, feel like the limitations of Stable Diffusion, the image-based model that "predicts" images from noise.

It's frustrating, because I can't put it into words, but after fucking around with Stable Diffusion long enough, you can feel the way you're reaching in and probabilistically pulling things out of its training data. This includes a sense of when you're requesting things that are less represented in its training data, and so are less 'probable,' gradually sliding into things you can't make it represent because they're not in the training data at all.

With LLMs, it feels like you're reaching in to a library in the same way, trying to influence which part of the library it's pulling from.

Both have issues with abstractions, being able to depart from their training data to a degree, but requiring human assistance to work out more complex subjects in layers of intermediate reasoning.

Metaphors or frames of viewing the world often come from real life, and our descriptions of more abstract phenomena are often based on abstracting more concrete real life meanings.

New technology provides new real-life concepts, leading to new ways for humanity to understand the world - new metaphors. (And "the brain as computer" is better than "the brain as clock," for instance.)

Obviously, describing things in terms of a bunch of vectors has its uses. (I have described max1461 and I as 'using different weights, but on similar models.')

If describing things as a 'matrix' is becoming more common, I'm wondering if it's related to underlying exposure to the new technology and its description as working based on matrices, or if this is part of our demographic cohort aging (as Tumblr becoming more nuanced seems to be).

It might also be that it isn't becoming more common. There probably isn't a good way to separate out the metaphorical usage using Google Trends, though.

[tacticalvalor]

«────── « HEADCANON » ──────»

As late-night boredom often has it, I decided to look at ETH.3N (Ethan) and try to determine his approximate composition and overall weight… Because unlike other robots on this blog, there really isn't a frame of reference to make a quick guess (e.g., Legion being more directly comparable to a living, organic species).

Or maybe there is, but I decided to take the complicated route!

So, like I have done for both Therapont and Alduin, I have decided to sit down and calculate these things manually. Despite me being bad at both math and chemistry! Both subjects I have almost failed at least once.

… This should go over well.

Put below the cut because I took explained everything like I was writing a damn thesis.

To start off, I want to clarify where I'm starting from. There are two key assumptions being made here:

Ethan is proportionally modeled after the average athletic human man. This is because the C6 classification of robots are designed to be worker drones and, specifically in Ethan's case, to be stand-ins for human soldiers.

Ethan is primarily composed of a 2-phase alpha-beta type Titanium alloy known as Ti-6AI-4V Titanium (6AI-4V), which is lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and incredibly strong. This type of metal is used in various modern military pieces of hardware, spacecraft components, medical/surgical devices, jet engine compressor blades, and other recreational equipment uses.

To explain a bit more on why 6AI-4V Titanium is one of the stronger (if not, strongest) metallic alloys, I want to briefly explain what a "2-phase alpha-beta type" really is. And to do that, I'm going to quote Yoshiki Oshida MS, PhD, in Bioscience and Bioengineering of Titanium Materials (Second Edition), 2013… or rather, the excerpt reposted onto Science Direct's website [LINK]:

Basically, titanium and titanium-based alloys can be classified into α type (HCP: hexagonal-closed packed crystalline structure), near α type, (α+β) type, and β type (BCC: body-centered cubic crystalline structure) alloy groups. Alloying elements added to titanium are divided into two groups: alpha (α) stabilizers and beta (β) stabilizers. Elements, such as Al, Sn, Ga, Zr, and interstitial elements (either singly of C, O, and N or in combination), dissolve into the titanium matrix and are strong solid solution strengtheners which produce little change at the transformation temperature (β-transus: 885°C for pure Ti) from the HCP (α) to the BCC (β) structure of pure titanium when heating and from BCC to HCP when cooling. Hence, they are known as α-stabilizers and exhibit good high-temperature performance. Alloying elements that decrease this phase transformation temperature are referred to as β-stabilizers. Generally, β-stabilizing elements are the transition metals, such as V, Mo, Nb, Ta, and Cr, providing much friability. Besides these alloying elements, Fe, Cu, Ni, Si, and B are frequently added to Ti-based alloys for improving mechanical strength, chemical stability, castability, and/or grain refining. By increasing the α-phase portion, it is generally recognized that (1) β-transus temperature increases, (2) creep strength as well as high-temperature strengths enhance, (3) flow stress increases, and (4) weldability improves. By increasing the β-phase portion, it is known that (1) room temperature strength increases, (2) heat-treatment and forming capabilities enhance, and (3) strain-rate sensitivity increases so that superplastic forming (SPF) is more favorably applicable.

What this translates to is that through mixing certain elements into the titanium, you get the properties of these elements reflected into the newly developed alloy. And titanium is already… fucking incredible.

So you add more shit to it, and you get something very, very versatile.

Particularly, with 6AI-4V Titanium, the primary elements being added to create the alloy are Al (Aluminum) and V (Vanadium), with both making up approximately 5.50%-6.75% and 3.50%-4.50% of the alloy respectively. Of course, there are smaller traces of other elements, such as iron, carbon, yttrium, etc., but these are trace compositions with little to no overall impact on the actual alloy. For those curious about the breakdown, here is a screenshot of the average chemical composition of 6AI-4V Titanium, courtesy of the Service Steel Aerospace Corporation:

With that background, we can get into the mathematical portion… almost. There is still the matter of Ethan's proportions. I couldn't get through to the original source material, but I did find the below image in "Modeling and Simulation of a Passive Lower-Body Mechanism for Rehabilitation" by Singh et al. (2016) [LINK]

With these proportions in mind, we can assume Ethan is about 188 cm, or about 6 feet and 2 inches.

And then we get approximate breakdowns for each limb section (e.g., upper arm, lower arm).

Of course, these are not entirely accurate, as Ethan's build is not 1:1 with the human body. However, looking at a full body concept of Ethan (pictured below), we can forego really making any major adjustments as he's close… enough.

A bit on the stockier side, so I will account for this by simply adding 1.5x the baseline calculations. Why 1.5? It's an easy number. It adds up quick, though, so I would say it's a good guess.

And finally—par a brief disclaimer—we can get into the math.

DISCLAIMER: I am using TW Metals' calculator [LINK] to determine the approximate weights of each section. They do not have the specific alloy of titanium listed on their site, as they only list what they sell (I'm assuming). So, for the closest weight, I utilized the calculator's input for pure titanium. The weight will be off, but it's the closest I can calculate given the information I have on hand.

So! Let's begin.

First, to utilize the calculator, I have to break Ethan down into parts. Sad.

But it's fairly simple, given the visual references on hand.

Given the nature of Ethan's design, most of the metal is going to be plated (thicker than sheets), so I can really just break down the human body diagram and get a baseline for the amount of plates he has (minus the intricate joints and more defined features, such as his chest chassis and the various abdominal-like grooves).

I then make calculations using the calculator, assuming a varying number (between 6 and 8) of sheets are used per limb section (front, back, and sides; not a super thought out measurement, just an estimate), assume the sheets themselves are (at the bare minimum) 6mm thick, and that's how I got my final estimated range.

With these assumptions noted and input, we get the following approximations for each body section:

HEAD - 8.29 kg // 18.28 lbs TORSO - 35.34 kg // 77.92 lbs ARMS - 15.7 kg // 34.62 lbs HANDS - 2.88 kg // 6.35 lbs HIPS - 12.6 kg // 27.78 lbs LEGS - 47.3 kg // 104.28 lbs FEET - 2.66 kg // 5.86 lbs

And for that bulk adjustment mentioned earlier:

HEAD - 12.44 kg // 27.43 lbs TORSO - 53.01 kg // 116.87 lbs ARMS - 23.55 kg // 51.92 lbs HANDS - 4.32 kg // 9.52 lbs HIPS - 18.9 kg // 41.67 lbs LEGS - 70.95 kg // 156.42 lbs FEET - 3.99 kg // 8.80 lbs

Yeah, not a lot of math to really showcase, so I'll skip right to the good shit:

Ethan would, given my assumptions are fairly accurate, weigh between 124.77 kg // 275.07 lbs and 187.16 kg // 412.62 lbs.

Give or take. Not accounting for the weight of his circuitry and motors.

Which is a pretty sizeable margin, but again, that simple little 1.5x adjustment for bulk makes the difference. So, in my classic fashion, I will simply take the average of these variables, and use that as my canonical weight.

AKA: Ethan weighs 155.97 kg // 343.85 lbs.

Yay.

[talonabraxas]

Maha Vairocana - Cosmic Sun Buddha Talon Abraxas

Vairocana is one of the Five Dhyani Buddhas created by Adhi Buddha. In Sanskrit, the name vairocana means "luminous" or "embodiment of light". In Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, and Vietnamese Buddhism; Vairocana is called as Dari Rulai / Piluzhena Fo, Dainichi Nyorai, Nampar nangdze / Namnang, and Dai Nhat Nhu Lai respectively. In the above mentioned Buddhism, the Buddha is seen as the embodiment of Buddhist concept of Emptiness. While in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, Vairocana is considered as a Primordial Buddha and is located at the center. He is also referred to as the "great illuminating one," “the Life force that illuminates the universe," and importantly, "all-encompassing Buddha". Therefore, Vairocana is mentioned in different sutras.

In Brahma Net Sutra, it is written that Vairocana Buddha is seated on a top of a lotus pedestal and surrounding of that lotus there are thousands of flowers. These flowers are the Sakyamuni Buddhas, which supports a hundred million worlds. It is also mentioned that Sakyamuni Buddha is born in each world. They all attain Buddhahood at the same time under Bodhi tree. All these Sakyamuni Buddhas have Vairocana as their original body.

In Flower Garland Sutra, also called Avatamsaka, Vairocana is presented as the ground of being and the matrix from which all phenomena emerges. He is regarded as the Dharma Body of the historical Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama).

In Samantabhadra Meditation Sutra, also called as the "Sutra of Meditation on the Bodhisattva Universal Virtue", Vairocana is mentioned as a Buddha who has similar characteristics as that of Sakyamuni Buddha. And he roams around a place called "Always Tranquil Light".

Lotus Sutra, also called Saddharma Pundarika Sutra, is composed in the first century B.E.C. In this sutra, it is believed that Buddhas are said not to die even though their physical bodies degenerate. It is also mentioned that Buddha has explained that he has always lead the beings to their salvation and will always continue to do so. Therefore he is considered as the most sublime or truest reality in the universe.

In Mahavairocana Sutra, Vairocana is depicted as the universal Buddha from whom all other Buddha are originated. He is also represented as the source of enlightenment who helps others to be free from causes and conditions. It is also mentioned that Vairocana taught about the Dharma to Vajrasattva but it was incomprehensible to learn for them. That's why Vairocana provided esoteric techniques and rituals to help Vajrasattva to conceptualize the Dharma beyond verbal form. Therefore, Vairocana is also referred as a teacher, without whom there would have been no Buddhism, and also there would not have the path to enlightenment.

Even though Vairocana is mentioned in various Sutras, the doctrine of Vairocana Buddha is largely based on the teachings of the Mahavairocana Sutra. This Sutra is thought to be the earliest comprehensive manual of Buddhist tantra. It is believed that this Sutra is composed in the 7th Century.

Iconography

Vairocana Buddha is often depicted as seated in the lotus pedal which is supported by a pair of two great lions. Symbolically, it is represented that when the lions roar, all other remains silent and listens to him. Likewise, when one is spreading Buddha's teachings almost all others remains silent and listens to the Buddha's valuable teachings. When Vairocana Buddha is depicted as meditating, it is believed that the image of Vairocana helps to transform the delusion of ignorance into the wisdom preached by the Dharma. Similarly, when Gautama Buddha turned the wheel of Dharma, it illuminated the hearts of people which was darkened by ignorance.

When Vairocana Buddha is depicted in Buddha statues, he is also shown in Dharma chakra mudra. This mudra is formed when the thumb and index finger of both hands touch at their tips to form a circle. The left hand faces inward which covers the right hand which is facing outward and the hands are held against the chest. The remaining fingers of both hands remain extended.

Since Vairocana is believed to be the aggregate of all the Dhyani Buddhas. Therefore, He has the complexion of pure white since white produced when all the colors merge together. His symbol is the dharma wheel. When all Five Dhyani Buddhas are depicted together in a mandala, Vairocana is placed in the center. He is often shown larger than other Buddhas around him. He is Lord of Akanistha Ghanavyuha Pure land which existed in the center. His consort is White Tara and his Bija starts with Om. In Vajrayana Buddhism, it is believed that Vairocana Buddha helps to overcome ignorance and delusion when a person chants his mantra. Vairocana Mantra : Diamond Realm：Om。bie-zha-da-du。fan。 Womb Realm：Ah。e。la。hum。kan。

[glzwoodw]

Understanding Wood Anatomy and Structure.

Whether we fully appreciate it or not, wood anatomy lies at the heart of every woodwork centric decision.

Whether you’re a seasoned carpenter, a cabinetmaker, a furniture maker, or a specialist woodworker, a deep understanding of what’s beneath the surface of a timber slab, board or length can transform your approach to any project in a positive manner.

Why Wood Anatomy Matters.

When we take the time to explore the internal world of wood, its cells, annual rings and grain patterns, we unlock some essential insights into its strength, durability, workability and visual appeal.

This foundational knowledge empowers us to select the right wood for each application, this can optimize our overall performance and elevate the quality of our craftsmanship of the woodshop’s finished products.

The Building Blocks of Wood.

At its core, wood is composed of three primary substances:

Cellulose: These are the long, rigid fibers that form the backbone of the wood’s structure and provide its tensile strength, much like I suppose how steel rods can reinforced concrete.

Hemicellulose: This acts as a supportive matrix, hemicellulose binds the cellulose fibers together and contributes to the wood’s overall flexibility and resilience.

Lignin: This complex polymer functions as a natural adhesive, filling spaces between cellulose and hemicellulose to give the wood rigidity and resistance to compression.

This intricate interplay between these 3 components creates a material that is both versatile and in some cases incredibly strong, suitable for everything from structural beams to intricate furniture.

Cellular Structure Is Key.

Wood’s unique properties stem from its microscopic cellular structure, which includes:

Fibres: These elongated cells provide mechanical support and tensile strength, especially prominent in hardwoods.

Vessels (Pores): Found primarily in hardwoods (angiosperms), vessels transport water and nutrients throughout the tree. Their size and distribution influence the wood’s texture and appearance.

Parenchyma Cells: These living cells store nutrients and help with metabolic functions, also playing a role in the wood’s appearance and workability.

In softwoods (conifers), water transport is managed by tracheids, which are cells that combine the functions of fibres and vessels.

The Annual Rings Are Nature’s Growth Record.

The annual rings visible in a cross-section of a tree are a visual diary of its life and the environmental conditions it faced up until the time we took a saw to that tree. Each ring typically represents one year of growth, with:

Wider rings indicating faster growth (often resulting in lower density and lighter weight).

Narrower rings reflecting slower growth (usually denser and stronger wood).

Understanding ring patterns is crucial for assessing timber quality and determining which wood is best for structural versus decorative uses.

Grain Patterns Determine Beauty and Function.

A wood’s grain pattern, whether straight, wavy, or interlocked, affects both its aesthetics and its mechanical properties:

Straight grain usually signals a uniform, strong structure, ideal for load-bearing applications.

Wavy or interlocked grain can create stunning visual effects but may present challenges during machining due to unpredictable strength and movement.

Earlywood and Latewood What Are The Seasonal Differences?

Within each annual ring, you can discover:

Earlywood (Springwood): Formed during periods of rapid growth, these cells are larger and more porous, making the wood lighter and less dense.

Latewood (Summerwood): Produced later in the growing season, these cells are smaller, thicker-walled, and denser, contributing to the wood’s overall strength.

The proportion and arrangement of earlywood and latewood can influence not just the wood’s strength, but also its stability and response to changes in humidity.

Wood Anatomy Is Fascinating.

Developing an improved understanding of wood anatomy and structure over time is a powerful bit of knowledge for any woodworker.

By appreciating the cellular composition, annual growth patterns and grain characteristics of the many different tree species, you can make more informed choices that may end up enhancing both the finished product beauty and performance over time of your creations.

A technical knowledge of wood anatomy can further enhance your craftsmanship, allowing you to match the right wood to the right job and to bring out the very best in every piece you make.

My Key 5 Takeaways:

Very Usefull Knowledge: Understanding wood anatomy can be crucial for making informed choices in construction, furniture-making and forestry.

Cellular Structure Matters: The fibers, vessels, and parenchyma cells in wood determine its strength, durability, and overall performance.

Growth Rings as History: Annual rings record a tree’s growth patterns and provide valuable clues about wood density and quality.

Grain Patterns Count: Grain direction and pattern influence both the visual appeal and the mechanical properties of wood.

Seasonal Growth Differences: The contrast between earlywood (springwood) and latewood (summerwood) is key to assessing timber quality and selecting the right wood for specific applications.

If you would like to read my full article that relates to this piece of writing, you can find it here: Understanding Wood Anatomy And Structure - GLZWoodworking

I first published this information on Medium 11th June 2025.