Tools and Platforms

Following are a number of tools and platforms, both software and hardware, that we’ve found useful in making time-related work.

Hardware

• Arduino - microcontrollers
• Raspberry Pi - Linux-based microprocessors
• Bantam Tools (formerly Othermill) CNC machines

Software

• p5.js - browser-based JavaScript API based on Processing, written for beginning programmers.
• Vectorworks - we rely on the free educational version of Vectorworks’ software for students and educators
• Suncalc is a javascript library for calculating the apparent position of the moon and sun given a date and latlong. Mooncalc is the same for the moon. This web app by Don Cross shows the movement on a map of many solar system objects, updating in real time as you move the map.
• Temporal - a proposal to update JavaScript’s Date API. Includes non-gregorian calendars, simpler handling of timezones, integration with IANA timezone identifiers, and more. For a useful summary, see this blog post. Temporal is currently in the proposal stage for inclusion in the JavaScript core, as of July 2021.
• Gearotic CAD - tools for generating eccentric gears
• Chroma.js - a JavaScript API for all kinds of color conversions.