Ramadan is tough for everyone sometimes, and the first few days can be almost impossible if you are not used to the month. It can get even worse if what’s on the menu just makes you feel hungrier and may make you break your fast for the day. Try drinking plenty of water to keep tiredness at bay and make the most of your fasting, as looking after your health during this time is easier as you are fasting. Don’t get disheartened with what’s on offer – you can make many recipes easily, without fuss and cheaply too without cutting on quality, which is important during ramadan too.

Vermicilli -found in many Asian stores, simply grab a pan, add the vermicilli, milk and sugar and bring to the boil…delish! You can swap the vermicilli for rice instead for a creamy rice pudding! If you are a beginner be careful the dish doesn’t stick to the pan by ensuring you keep it on a low heat, and stir regularly!

SHANA PARATHAS AND SCRAMBLED EGG- have you ever tried Shana paratha’s? If you can’t stomach the spicy foods on offer during ramadan try a light Shana paratha with a scrabled egg + a chopped spring onion + some butter for sehri time…delicious!

Are you a newbie ready to acquire expertise in making YouTube Animated Videos? You will come across different types of animated videos.  For example, you may come across 2D animation and 3D animation. When we talk about 2D animation, then it involves the use of two axis only. However, when we talk about 3D animation, then it adds depth also.

 Becoming familiar with different terms used when animating videos

Timeline

 A common feature of most of the animation software is the Timeline. It shows the progress of the animation over the passage of time. You can even change the position of the elements using the Timeline.

Frame rate

Another term you might come across when making animation videos is the Frame Rate. It represents the individual images that get displayed in one second. Most of the animation software allow you to set the frame rate.

Scenes and Shots

The images between the edits of the camera get referred to as Shots. The collective shots make the scene.

 Keyframes

 The Keyframes represent the significant poses in a scene.

 In-between

Well, In-between refers to all the frames that help in defining a scene.

 Understanding the Types of Animation

3d Animation

 One of the most popular animation is 3D animation. It helps in creating digital characters. It makes use of motion path for defining character movement. The frames get interpolated between the key frames.

The texture and light need to be adjusted for the 3D animation to improve the final output.

2D Animation

 Well, 2D Animation involves drawing the characters frame by frame. The hand-drawn animation can get done analog or digitally.

 Stop Motion Animation

 The Stop Motion Animation involves the manipulation of the real-world objects. The object gets moved and then photographed one frame at a time. When the frames get shown in a sequence, then they create the illusion of Movement.

 2D Vector Animation

 Well, 2D Vector Animation gets carried out using 2D digital Puppet. What makes 2D Vector Animation stand out is that the characters can get manipulated similar to 3D Gigs.

 Motion Graphics

You can make dynamic presentations in Motion Graphics. What you need to keep in mind is that the Motion Graphics can be both 2D and 3D.

 Figuring out the steps of YouTube Animated Videos

 Step 1: Choose an animation tool

 When you want to make an animated video, then you need a great animation tool. For example, you can consider using Moovly. It is cloud-based animation tool. The best thing about cloud-based tools is that you do not have to download anything.

 When you are new to animation, then you need to go for software that is easy to use. One such option is Visme. It is also a cloud-based software. The best thing about this software is that it has pre-made templates. Plus, you will be able to access free stock photos. You will also get access to pre-animated characters through this tool.

You will also find different types of animated charts through this tool. You can also go for Crello. It has plenty of animated templates. You can get access to library of videos. The novice animators need this help because they need a starting point.

 Step 2: Select a template for your video

You do not need to create a clip from scratch initially. What you need to do is make use of a pre-animated clip. You can modify the content of the clip so that it suits your story.

 Step 3: Commencing with Animation

 You can drag and drop objects on the software stage. When you add the objects on the stage, then they appear on the Timeline also. Now, here you have the freedom to edit your object. You can lengthen it. You also have the option to shorten it. You can also synchronize your objects with sound here.

 You can add many animation effects to your object on the Timeline. For example, you can fade or bounce the object.

 Step 4: Adding a music track to your animation

 Now, you need to use your creativity when choosing the track. It needs to set the right mood for the animation video. For example, you can add the sound of an explosion or ticking clock. First you should search the sounds or music. You should create a separate folder to save the music.

After that you will need to import the music to the tool where you are creating the animation. You will need to copy the imported sound to your side bar. One thing you must keep in mind is to use Royalty-free music for your videos.

 Once you get done with the animation, you will need to publish your videos. Go for a software that allows publishing. When you create animated videos, make sure that they are not lengthy. You need to keep one thing in mind.

The Animation videos are more of Teasers. They should not be lengthier than 60 to 120 seconds. It will be great to have an engaging script with your video. The speaking speed should be about 150 words every minute.

 It is crucial that there should be visual consistency in your videos. Remember, your animated video will not work if you do not have a defined goal. It is essential to have an effective call to action with your animated videos.

 When making an animation video, you need to create a story that gets into the heart of your audience. You need to choose the perfect color and tones for your video. The reason is all these things make an impact at the end of the day.

When you want to make an animation video, then make sure that you do some research. See the kind of animation videos people are making and this will give you a basic idea about what you need to make.

Remember, coming up with an animator video is going to be a trial-and-error process. You cannot come up with a perfect video in one go. The best approach will be to consistently build your learning curve. Try to overcome the imperfections in your video with the passage of time.

Author Bio

Jane Collen is a creative content writer and digital marketer at BuzzFlick. She works closely with B2C and B2B businesses providing blog writing, video script writing, ghostwriting, copywriting and social media marketing services.

Solar Power, a renewable source of energy, is one of the most available sources on Earth. However, being an intermittent source of energy, it needs to be enhanced by storage or another energy source. Even though solar energy systems nowadays still have low average efficiencies, due to modern technology, research is being put into developing high-efficient and low-cost systems daily. Using solar energy is beneficial because it allows a more environmentally friendly or a “greener” way of living. It is also a freely available resource, which is one of its many advantages as once installed and does not cost more than the cost of setting up and routine maintenance.

Concentrating Solar Energy Systems such as “Stirling Disks” are large solar power plants that use modern technologies to convert light energy into useful electric energy. A direct technology of using solar energy involves the usage of Photovoltaics, which is a system is directed for small appliances and homes.

Solar Power Information

It is important to know of some information about solar power before purchasing it. The definition of solar power is “energy systems that produce energy directly from sunlight”. It is the conversion of sunlight to electricity. Most of our energy resources are anyway indirect forms of solar energy. Without the sun, the wind would not blow. Additionally, the sun causes evaporation of water which results in water collecting up in rivers after condensation. This water is used for hydro electrical power. Without the sun, water would be eternally locked in a solid state: ice. Moreover, bio-fuels cannot exist without the sun as well. If you were to go more into depth it is also the sun that allows life, which in turn, would provide fossil fuels. An essential fact about Solar pv energy is that it is a renewable source of energy as sunlight could be used any time.

Solar power is transmitted directly by “photovoltaics” (PV), or indirectly with “concentrating solar power (CSP). Photovoltaics are used to power small to medium sized equipment such as calculators to off-grid homes. CSP involves two methods: the first method is to simply boil water which is then used for providing power; the second and more complicated method entails technology such as the sterling engine dishes which use a sterling cycle engine to power a generator. Another detail to keep in mind that even though installation of solar power is costly, this cost has decreased significantly over the past couple of years making it affordable for almost everyone. Furthermore, small solar applications are also being used to replace other sources in the developing world. Since solar power is a renewable source of energy, this means you can pay up front for the next twenty years or so of energy. However, non-renewable energy sources are purchased as consumed.

Solar Power Efficiency

So how efficient is solar energy in reality? Research states that the current photovoltaic conversion efficiency is about 15% and improving day by day! Additionally, some experimental models are yielding over 40% efficiencies! This shows that solar energy is becoming more superior than what is was about twenty years ago. Solar panel efficiencies are averaged at 20%. However, do not be discouraged. The most advanced solar energy systems are estimated to have an average of 40% efficiencies. However, when converting the resulting electricity (from solar energy) into light the efficiency does reduce by 15%.

Thus, solar panels do have a reduced efficiency when it comes to lighting up our homes. Nevertheless, the most proficient way of making most of solar energy is to utilize as much direct sunlight through day light and passive solar heating technologies and also use the highest efficiency solar panels for the rest of our energy requirements. High efficiency solar cells are a type of solar cell that averages the highest efficiencies in comparison to standard solar cells. Even though solar power systems generally still have low average efficiencies, a lot of research is being put into developing high-efficient and low-cost systems daily.

The Advantages of Solar Energy Technology in Your Life

Even though solar energy does have its downsides, such as intermittency, where it has to be combined with a form of storage or another source of energy, it still has many advantages to it. Such advantages include reliability, cost, environmental friendliness, aesthetics, and sustainability. Solar energy, for one, is more reliable than wind power and hydro power. This is because the sun will continue to rise for the next 4 billion years without fail, whereas, wind and water might not be available daily. In cases such as during the night and cloudy nights, where solar power is not useful the problems are eased as intermittency is 100% predictable. Furthermore, another advantage of solar power is that although clouds diminish solar power it does not eliminate it.

One essential advantage of solar collectors is that they require minimum maintenance one installed and also provides free energy. Additionally, although solar cells do wear out, their lifespan is measured in decades. The durability of photovoltaic cells improves year by year. More importantly, even though solar cells have been an expensive method of generating electricity, this cost is reducing per kilowatt per year. In addition, solar cells also operate cheaply after installation. Furthermore, solar power has its advantages when it comes to environmental friendliness. Nowadays, everyone is going “green” in order to conserve and protect our earth. Solar power is an efficient way of going green, since it produces zero pollution.

Solar powered generators are known not to even produce any noise! Moreover, even though solar energy requires a lot of space, space that is found on rooftops of existing structures is more than enough to produce an adequate amount of solar energy without occupying any extra land area. One of the advantages of solar power is that it is estimated that our earth is continually flooded with 175 trillion Kilowatts of solar power per day. This means that there is an extraordinarily reliable annual energy supply of 1,530,000 Terrawatt hours daily. On the other hand, resources such as oil, coal, gas, nuclear power and wood produce 15 times LESS than this. So presuming that the sun is going to keep on shining for another estimated 4 billion years, solar power is a highly sustainable resource.

However, you might be discouraged by the look of many solar cells. Do not worry. Due to the advantage of modern technology photovoltaic cells are becoming available in many colours such as black or brown, to match roof top colours. Additionally, how often is it that we would look at the rooftops of a house anyway?

Solar Power and its Benefits

This renewable source of energy has many benefits. This is the reason it is being advertised increasingly due to the combination of modern technology and simple sunlight. So what makes solar power beneficial to our lives? Well most importantly, since solar power is intermittent it is not advisable to run a solar power system in areas with low sunlight level. It is helpful to have a backup system in the events that the sun does not shine for a few days. However, on the good side, if there is a power outage you will still have electricity if you run on solar power. If more energy is required simply add more solar panels.

Solar energy is useful because it can be used for many day to day tasks, such as heating water, drying clothes, powering attic fans and small appliances, produce lighting for both the indoors and outdoors of a building, and better yet power cars! Additionally when using solar energy, you eliminate the cost of foreign and other sources of energy in your home. Even better, utility companies might buy that extra energy from you if you solar power system produces more energy than you require.

A further benefit of solar power is that gas or power grids are not required to run solar power systems, so even if the installation is initially expensive, running the system does not cost a thing! Another vital benefit to keep in mind is that solar power technology is constantly improving in an effort to decrease cost and increase efficiency. Using solar power is beneficial because it allows a more environmentally friendly or a “greener” way of living with zero pollution. It is also a freely available resource, which is one of its many advantages as once installed, it does not cost more than the cost of setting up and routine maintenance.

Solar Power Technology

Due to the rapid improvement in solar technology lately many homes are solely dependent on solar power globally. This leads to the question of how solar energy is put to use. It is claimed that most solar systems can collect heat created by sunlight striking an object. An example of this is to simply concentrate light with mirrors or lenses to produce enough heat to start a fire. This indirect method of producing solar power is known as “Concentrating Solar Power” (CSP). As briefly mentioned earlier, CSP systems use the simple technology of lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. The consequential heat is then used as the heat source for a conventional power plant. The “Parabolic Trough” and the “Stirling Dish” are two examples of concentrating technologies. In all concentrating solar power systems a working fluid is heated by the concentrated sunlight.

It is then used for either power generation or energy storage. Furthermore, it is important to provide the continuous availability of energy since solar energy is not available during the night. Since solar power is an intermittent energy source, all available energy made available should be taken when available, stored, or transported via transmission lines to where it can be used. In storage solar energy is stored at high temperatures using molten salts. These molten salts have low-cost, high specific heat capacity and can distribute heat at temperatures compatible with conventional power systems. This expertise helps increase efficiency of the system.

A direct method of solar technology involves the “Photoelectric Effect”. It was in 1839 that Edmund Becquerel discovered the technique of producing an electric current in a solid material using sunlight. Once this method developed it was found out that photoelectric or photovoltaic effects caused certain materials to switch light energy to electrical energy at an atomic level. The Photoelectric Effect uses the simple method of reflecting, absorbing or direct pass of light. However, it is only the absorbed light that actually generates electricity.

Hopefully this information should be useful if you are considering using solar power as an energy source for your home. Just remember even though there are certain disadvantages to think about, the number of advantages outweigh the number of disadvantages. These disadvantages can be improved vastly as technology improves. Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that solar powered appliances have vastly changed for the better when compared to ten years ago.

Keep in mind that solar energy systems are suitable in regions with a lot of available sunlight. So do not opt out to get a solar panel system unless you are completely sure of the surroundings. Again, as suggested earlier, it is best to have an alternate energy source in case of low availability of sunlight. Although solar power is an energy source that has only been recently utilized, it might just become the most crucial energy source of the future.