One Small Step
One Small Step For A Human...
You can almost complete the quote, you have known it for ages, but I have felt this quote and almost lived it!
It has been one month now since I started building a Geometric Kernel, and I have received mixed responses. Some said it's a foolish endeavor. This got me thinking about whether I'm really foolish or if this is the cost we have to pay when we start something that has never been done before.
But what do I really want to do? I can't be running around everywhere, saying that I want to build a Geometric Kernel, right?
What is my true motive? I believe you, of all people, will understand it. You guys signed up just for a not-so-good-looking single-page app, and I have received 103 responses. I wasn't even anticipating half of it!
Then what is it?
I will ask you a question, have you heard about this?
Jack of all trades and master of none
I have been called this a number of times, it's true. I have never delved deeply into a subject where I could become a master of it. I used to feel dejected whenever I was reminded of this. Then, one day, it came to me as a revelation: Jack doesn’t have to be a master. What if Jack was never meant to be a master? Jack is the way he is. Jack wants to try hundreds of different things and find out what’s right for him. Things became simpler for me when I started accepting that it’s okay to fail and to try whatever feels right in the moment.
Do I feel right in the moment? Absolutely, yes. One month ago, I didn’t have the slightest idea where to start. Still, I did it, step by step, commit by commit. It is said you get lost in the art, similar to the way a pianist gets lost when they play, or how a runner becomes one with the road in a marathon. I can see myself becoming part of the process. It feels like I’m in a zen-like state.
The real question is, If I don’t know anything, how will I do it? I do ask myself this, and every time, I know that I’ll figure it out. I have faced many rejections in my life, so I know how to find a way and get what I want. I have a simple goal to build a Geometric Kernel.
But still, I will be asked? why? To put an end to the question - Why not!
How long will you write open letters instead of being the change?
Have you heard people writing letters to their future selves? The idea of doing it was simple, something better will work out in the future. It is good to make you feel better but that lacks momentum.
I say the real changemakers are those who write an action plan instead of goals. Just goals are an illusionary state. They give a good high but do not bring much change. I posted this on my wall two weeks back and if you see it, you will see both a dream and an action plan. The action plan might not be the perfect breakdown of what I wanted to do, but I did it.
Where is the action plan in this? You might say it’s just a couple of Post-it notes. And you’d be right, that’s all it is. If you can break down the plan into smaller parts, and then break it down even further into more manageable pieces, then you’ve done it. We don’t need to overcomplicate it. Once you start working on it, you’ll naturally discover what else needs to be done. It will come to you effortlessly, your keyboard will become a piano, and you will become a pianist.
What was my action plan?
I started reading a book called Geometric Tools for Computer Graphics by Philip Schneider and started reaching out to people and an Industry Expert suggested I start with the basic set of operations. The next thing I did was, I aimed for extrude operation. How do I get the plane extruded? I need a plane first. How can I create a plane? I need some points and then I triangulate them. How can I triangulate the plane? There is a paper which talks about this problem. How do I compute all this? I started learning about Rust and documenting my learnings as much as I could. I have a simple Rust Program, and I can now use the WASM. Stitched together everything and I have my POC ready!
And the POC?
An Extruded Cube
A simple geometric shape, a giant leap for a Kernel
The simple cube might not look as powerful and fascinating as standard industry software. But I want to tell you, that the spark has started, people have been ignited and things will change.
Over the coming weeks, I will be adding various tools to the Kernel. I have already created an Infinite Grid. More announcements soon!
I'll keep this space updated and share more of my learnings. If this post resonated with you, sign up below, and spread the word on LinkedIn and with your friends! Be a changemaker!
Something for you before we meet again - OpenGeometry and ThreeJS