Assignment 3 - Mechanix Usage and Analysis

Overview
For the third course assignment, you are asked to do problems 1 through 11 of the TAMU Mechanix Tutorial and then write about the experience.  Mechanix is one of the largest projects in the Sketch Recognition Lab, and it uses  a combination of many recognition algorithms to automatically evaluate student truss drawings.  Truss analysis is important in several areas of engineering, like civil engineering, and Mechanix aims to be a personal tutor as it teaches these concepts to students.

While most of you probably do not have a background in civil engineering, the Mechanix tutorial you have been assigned should be very easy to follow.  Ultimately, the goal is that this assignment be a good learning experience while providing you with an introduction to the state of current sketch recognition software.

Instructions
First, you should complete the steps below to gain some experience using Mechanix.

1. Go to http://faculty.cs.tamu.edu/hammond/mechanix.php and download Mechanix Student Version from the links on the lower right side (Direct Download Link).  Note: If you're having trouble downloading, try connecting from campus or through the VPN.
2. Ensure you have Java installed, either the JRE or the JDK; you should have version 7 or greater.
3. Once you have Java installed and have downloaded the Mechanix application, double-click it to run the installer.  This will download the latest version directly from our servers for you.
4. Now, with Java and Mechanix ready to go, you should see a login screen to Mechanix.  Login with the user name given to you from this spreadsheet.  Note: The password and user name are the same.
5. Select the TAMU Mechanix Tutorial; there should be only one.
6. Step through problems 1 to 11, reading the instructions and submitting until you receive a "Correct" response each time.  Mechanix provides a checklist and specific responses at each stage of the submission, so feel free to submit as often as possible until you get the correct solution.
7. Problem 12 requires extra knowledge not well explained in the text.  This part of the tutorial is more a demonstration of the types of problems which Mechanix can handle in different contexts.  However, because it is only for demonstrative purposes and not well suited to this course, you do not need to complete problem 12.  You may if you wish, but it will not be counted.

Next, based on your experience using Mechanix, you must write a short post on your blog about the "Do's and Don'ts of Sketch Recognition Systems".  Specifically, list at least 5 aspects of Mechanix which you liked as the "Do's" and list at least 5 aspects of Mechanix which you disliked as the "Don'ts".  These aspects may refer to the usability of the system, design of the interface, or any other observation relevant to sketch recognition software in some way.  You may present the lists as bullets or paragraphs, but there should be 10 distinct observations clearly contributed in the post.

Obtaining Credit

Your submissions will automatically be visible to us on the instructor side, so you do not need to submit any certificate or problem solutions to show that you completed the tutorial.  However, we need to know who is who, so you must use the user name provided in the spreadsheet.  Remember the user name and passwords are the same.

To obtain credit for the "Do's and Don'ts of Sketch Recognition Systems", ensure you have posted your 10 observations (5 do's and 5 don'ts) to your blog.  This should be the same blog you provided a link to on the spreadsheet provided with Assignment 2.

Due Date
This assignment should be submitted in two parts.  It should be completely finished by Monday Sep. 5, but the Mechanix tutorial itself should be done by class on Friday Sep. 2.

Mechanix Tutorial
Sep. 2, Friday @ 11:30 AM
Only excused late submission (e.g. late enrollment)
Consider this as a sort of "checkpoint" so that we can ensure everyone has gained familiarity with Mechanix and address any problems that arise before the blog assignment is due Monday.

"Do's and Don'ts of Sketch Recognition Systems" Blog Post
Sep. 5, Monday @ Midnight
25% deducted per day late
This is when the "Do's and Don'ts" list should be posted on your blog.

Assignment 2 - Blog Creation

Overview
For the second assignment, you are asked to create a research blog where you will post your reviews and reference information for the papers you will read.  This blog may also be used to submit other assignments throughout the semester.  It will be shared with other members of the class, and you should leave comments open so that your classmates can make remarks on your posts.

Instructions
Go to Blogger and create a new blog.  If you are already logged in with a Google Account (either your TAMU or personal), you should be taken to your Blogger dashboard.  From there, click "New Blog" to start your research blog.

As mentioned before, make sure that comments are enabled, although they may be moderated if you wish.  You may name the blog whatever you like.

Obtaining Credit
You are not required to create any posts or make any comments on other blogs at the moment.  Just create it.  In order to get credit for creating it, and also to share the link with your classmates so that they may find your blog, please access the Google Sheet below and provide a link to your blog next to your name.

Note that you must be signed in as your TAMU account in order to have edit permissions.

Student Blog Links

Due Date
Sep. 2, Friday @ Midnight
25% deducted per day late

Assignment 1 - CITI Training

Overview

As the first assignment for CSCE 624, you are required to finish two training modules provided online by the CITI Program:

• Social and Behavioral Responsible Conduct of Research
• Group 2. Social and Behavioral Research Investigators and Key Personnel

By completing this training, you will be able to submit an IRB form that will allow you to collect data for your course project.  It should also be helpful to your general research work outside of this class.

Instructions

To do the training, please follow the instructions in the link below:

TAMU Human Subjects Training

Everything you need to know should be provided on that page, but the gist is that you should register with CITI Program under Texas A&M University.  From there, select the modules you need to complete (RCR and Group 2) and go to your courses to begin.  There will be several sections and quizzes after each section.  More details will be provided on the CITI page, and the training should take a couple hours on average.

Obtaining Credit

Once you have completed both modules, download a PDF certificate by going to "Print Report".  Send this certificate to the course grader, whose email address is given on the course syllabus linked from this post.

Due Date
Aug. 31, Wednesday @ Midnight
25% deducted per day late

Note: Group 1 is biomedical training and is not required for this course.  You may complete it if you wish, but it is much longer than the other two modules.

Course Syllabus

The syllabus is available on Google Docs from the link below:

CSCE 624 Syllabus

The content for the syllabus is largely static, so you don't need to worry about checking it often.  Please read it at least once to be sure you understand the course structure and instructor expectations.

Welcome to Sketch Recognition!

Welcome to CSCE 624 for Fall 2016!

Sketch recognition is the field of automated recognition of hand-drawn diagrams, shapes, and other images by a computer.  Because drawing provides a visual reference, it is an augmentative form of communication used all throughout daily life.    It is pervasive in everything from education and business to healthcare and home.  Like many human forms of communication, while we have mastered the art of drawing and recognizing images, computers still struggle with this ability.  In this class, we will cover multiple sketch-related concepts, beginning with the origins and history of the field up to many more modern approaches.

Posts will follow with more details about the course and the first assignments, but for now, please remember:

• This blog is the course web page.  Be sure to check regularly as useful information will be posted here throughout the semester regarding assignments and course policies

We should have a lot of fun this semester!