Tag: business

Introducing 3DBug!

It was October 24, 2024 when we wrote here about a big top-secret project involving Joomla. After over 600 hours of development and promotional efforts, we are pleased to announce that 3DBug is finally here and available on the Joomla Extensions Directory!

This is, of course, a huge achievement and an important milestone.

What is 3DBug?

3DBug is a component that you install on your Joomla website. It lets you use graphics of any sort to build a “world”. Within the world, you position “rooms”, and within the rooms, you position “assets”. Rooms and assets can be associated with various digital media, including 3D models and scans (a.k.a. “gaussian splats”). Furthermore it lets your world integrate with any content in Joomla.

Virtual tour with 3-D room view built with 3DBug Joomla component
Virtual tour with 3-D room view

The end result is a versatile multimedia display and navigation system which can be used for virtual tours, games, e-Learning, galleries, site maps, and e-commerce, among other things. A more detailed description can be seen on the 3DBug website.

Why does it exist?

Over the years, Confidant gained experience with a number of very interesting projects:

As time went on, a question began growing in Allan’s little brain: Is there any way I can combine all of this experience into a single product?

Screen shot showing a map using SVG graphics being displayed in the 3DBug component administration context
3DBug administration interface with an SVG map

The dreams became more vivid, and as plans began to take root, there were other fortunate developments rapidly advancing in technology.

  1. The Joomla Component Builder tool released some major updates which supported the latest version of Joomla.
  2. A.I. was becoming a very useful tool for debugging and solving complex coding challenges.
  3. Gaussian splat technology has been rapidly advancing as the new standard in immersive 3-D web graphics.

The result of these three factors was that the project, which normally would require a large multi-disciplinary team, was streamlined into something which could be handled by a single person with spare hours over the course of about 18 months. So here we are celebrating!

3DBug combines 3D graphics with your shopping cart system
Integration with shopping cart

What does the future hold?

It seems that this was an interesting enough project that Allan was accepted to be a speaker at the Joomla World Conference 2026 in Potsdam, Germany. Leading up to that time, we will be very busy enhancing documentation, securing development and/or marketing funding, and doing promotional activity. It remains to be seen whether 3DBug itself will be a profitable long-term business or simply a nice portfolio piece.

If you have any need for this tool or have a custom application idea, please get in touch. We’ll be happy to explore a solution for you!

How NOT to Evolve from Freelancer to Agency

I recently ran across an article explaining how a freelancer can become an agency, and it sent chills up my spine. That may have been partially because I work in my poorly-heated office during the depths of the Saskatchewan winter. Nevertheless, in recent years I’ve become a big believer in the power of freelancing and here’s why.

Quality of life

I live 2 blocks away from a major street. Every morning at about 7:50, cars are lined up all the way to my house waiting to get through the traffic light. I’m usually in my bath robe at that point, thankful for that extra hour of sleep. Let’s say going to an agency and working the day averages 8 hours per day including commuting. I average about 6 hours per day in my office. That gives me over 450 extra hours in a year. I’m sure my kids will be thankful later on that I was around that much more, even if I stop making crêpes for breakfast. Furthermore, Mother Nature might even reward me with some extra oxygen to breathe instead of exhaust fumes.

I’m doing what I love

I like the hands-on work of my business. The graphic design. The creativity. The coding. I know a few people who started out in the role, and when their company grew to a considerable size they were doing more meetings, paperwork, and administration. No thanks.

We have the tools

Agencies still have their place, but technology nowadays enables freelancers to assemble, collaborate and disperse very easily.

Right now I’m part of a contracted development team with members from California, Prince Edward Island, and Saskatchewan. We use Google’s tools for video meetings, document sharing, and calendar. We use GitHub and Lighthouse for bug tracking and code versioning. I’ve worked in a large interactive agency before and the only thing I’m missing now is the opportunity for social engagement. The work still gets done just as efficiently.

Tools like FreshBooks or Harvest, coupled with internet money transfer make it so easy to contract or be contracted. Why burden yourself with a payroll if you don’t have to do so? If you know the right people, it makes a lot of sense nowadays to use freelancers.

It’s not for everyone

One thing I appreciated about that other article was that it was realistic. Not every freelancer should become an agency, and in the same way not everyone is cut out for freelancing. It’s still more paperwork and admin than working for a salary. Interpersonal skills are essential to stay connected to other developers and your clients. There are slow times where you’re wondering when the next job will come in. I can find those factors to be tiresome at times, but in the end—working less, getting paid more, doing the stuff I love, and being close to the people I love is my priority. Freelancing just happens to provide those things.