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Meetings

Wakefield RISC OS Computer Club meets on the first Wednesday of every month. Our meetings usually consist of a talk or demonstration, with plenty of time for informal discussions and trips to the bar before and after.

Recent meetings have included visits from major RISC OS hardware, software and operating system developers, along with demonstrations of specific pieces of software by experienced users. In addition, we have covered a wide range of other subjects including digital photography, hardware upgrades, networking and problem solving. More information about the topics covered in recent meetings can be found further down the page, and details of future meetings can be found below.

Meetings start at 7.45pm, at the West Yorkshire Sports and Social Club in Wakefield. Doors open at 7.15pm, and the scheduled part of the evening is generally complete by about 10pm. See the directions to the venue for details of how to find us.

Visitors are always welcome to attend our meetings (with the exception of the AGM in January) – there is a fee of £2 on the door for non-members.

Forthcoming meetings

The following meetings are planned for the near future (note that presentations may be re-scheduled due to events outside of our control).



	Details to be announced Wednesday, 6th October





	Details to be announced Wednesday, 3rd November





	An Evening of Festive Fun Wednesday, 1st December

Building on last year’s evening of “interactive and entertaining” events, we once again plan to end the year in a light-hearted way. Keep a look out for more details as the date gets closer – the evening will involve a festive quiz, mince pies and more!

Previous meetings

WROCC’s meetings cover a wide range of topics relating to RISC OS and computing more generally. The list below shows what we have had in our calendar over the past four months; for a longer list including some links to more detailed reports, see our past meetings page.

There are also some photographs of past meetings available:

WROCC’s 25th Anniversary in April 2008.
Professor Steve Furber’s visit in February 2009.

For our members, information, web links and file downloads relating to previous meetings can be found in the meeting resources section of our members’ area.



	Something on the A9home September 2010

Peter Richmond came to show us ‘something’ on the A9home – or many things, in fact. Starting with an overview of the hardware for those who hadn’t met one before, he went on to look at graphics and sound: manipulation of complex PDFs in ArtWorks and the playback of music and video. To close, he mused on the use of touch screens, audio-visual control systems and the possible uses of an A9home within such a system.



	ArtWorks Animations August 2010

Richard Ashbery returned for another look at ArtWorks – this time showing us how the vector graphics system can be used to create simple animations. After explaining the basic concepts, we were shown how to use the software to create a series of animation frames with the help of its multi-page facility. These were then exported as sprites, before being linked together as an animated sequence using InterGIF – after which, Richard showed us a number of detailed animations that he had created earlier.



	3D Printing and Computer Aided Manufacture July 2010	Read a full report of the July meeting...

Mike Cook used his annual visit to tell us about the 2010 Maker Faire in Newcastle, before moving on to look at the billed subject. Starting with an overview of what 3D manufacture was, he showed us some videos of the “RepRap” and “MakerBot” which can both make objects in plastic – and the “CandyFab”, which can do the same in caramelised sugar. To close the evening, he looked closer to home at his own project to build a 3D CNC-controlled milling machine.



	Video Editing June 2010	Read a full report of the June meeting...

Our own Terry Marsh had a look at what is involved in editing videos using Serif MoviePlus X3. Starting with the basics of getting the footage from camera to computer, he went on to talk about cutting the clips down and sequencing them before adding transitions and cross-fades, titles and other effects. The possibilities for adding still images and background music were considered, before we saw how to turn the finished product into a video file or DVD for distribution to others.

For details of our meetings before June 2010, visit the past meetings page.

Wakefield Hospice collections

With immediate effect, we will be accepting unwanted mobile phones and used printer ink cartridges and toner cartridges for recycling, on behalf of Wakefield Hospice. Just bring them along to monthly meetings, and deposit them on the ‘check-in desk’ by the door. Please make sure that the items are securely bagged and clearly labelled, and in the case of mobile phones it would help to include any chargers and accessories, but do remove the SIM card beforehand.