Some of the reasons behind the growth of DHA phases in Rawalpindi/Islamabad

(Source: https://www.dhai-r.com.pk/)

During the years from 2022 to 2024, almost all sectors (in real estate) in Pakistan faced loss, except some projects that are successful even now. For instance, DHA Rawalpindi/Islamabad, has experienced a good level of profit during the past two years, as compared to all other projects. For instance, considering DHA Phase 2, the property that was about 3 crores to 3.15 crores during the end of 2022 or the start of 2023, now (in 2024) that is about 5 crores to 5.5 crores, and considering DHA Phase 5, the property that was about 1.5 crores to 1.75 crores at that time, now that is about 3 crores to 3.25 crores. This is about 80% to 100% return on investment (ROI).

There can be different reasons for the success of DHA project. One of the first reasons relate to property location, and another reason is that of who’s taking your money, i.e., who is the project developer. Behind DHA phases, project developers are related to Army Welfare Trust (AWT), which is very strong project developer. The AWT is headed by lieutenant general. This is one of the reasons that the people who purchased property in DHA get one of the most secured properties. It is also important to note that even though the economic situation is not good, people have not stopped making homes in DHA.

Another reason is that DHA phases in Rawalpindi/Islamabad have gotten two interchanges through Islamabad Expressway during the past two years. People have found it easy to enter DHA through Islamabad Expressway.

Source:

Makaan Solutions - Real Estate Success: Why DHA Rawalpindi & Islamabad Stand Out (2022-2024) | Makaan Solutions - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqFAFa7SnM8

Day 3: A challenge to learn basics of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using lavaan and semPlot packages in R

 

During the next 12 days, I will learn and repeat the basics of structural equation modeling (SEM) using lavaan and semPlot packages in R.

You can search my lavaan posts by typing: #UsmanZafarParacha_lavaan , and semPlot posts by typing: #UsmanZafarParacha_semPlot

============

During this day, initially lavaan and semPlot packages are loaded and a SEM model is defined using the following lines of codes:

 

# Load the packages

library(lavaan)

library(semPlot)

 

# Define the SEM model

model <- '

  # Direct effect of Perceived Product Quality on Brand Loyalty

  BL ~ c1*PPQ

 

  # Indirect effect via Customer Satisfaction

  CS ~ a*PPQ

  BL ~ b*CS

 

  # Mediation effect (indirect path)

  indirect := a * b

 

  # Total effect

  total := c1 + (a * b)

'

 

In the above code, a path model is defined representing the direct and indirect effects. Direct path is shown by the effect of Perceived Product Quality (PPQ) on Brand Loyalty (BL) and indirect path is shown by the effect of Perceived Product Quality (PPQ) on Customer Satisfaction (CS) on Brand Loyalty (BL).

Then a supposed data is generated using the following lines of codes:

 

# Simulate some data for 300 participants

set.seed(123)

data <- data.frame(

  PPQ = rnorm(300, mean = 5, sd = 1.5),  # Perceived Product Quality

  CS = rnorm(300, mean = 5, sd = 1.5),   # Customer Satisfaction

  BL = rnorm(300, mean = 5, sd = 1.5)    # Brand Loyalty

)

 

# Adding some correlation between variables to make the SEM model meaningful

data$CS <- 0.5 * data$PPQ + rnorm(300, 0, 0.5)   # Satisfaction depends on Product Quality

data$BL <- 0.3 * data$PPQ + 0.4 * data$CS + rnorm(300, 0, 0.5)  # Loyalty depends on both PPQ and CS

 

Then the SEM model is fit to the data using lavaan package using the following lines of codes:

 

# Fit the model to the simulated data

fit <- sem(model, data = data)

 

# Get the summary of the model fit

summary(fit, fit.measures = TRUE, standardized = TRUE)

 

Then the model is visualized using the semPlot

 

# Plot the SEM model

semPaths(fit, "std", layout = "tree", whatLabels = "est", edge.label.cex = 1.2,

         edge.color = "black", nCharNodes = 5, style = "ram",

         residuals = FALSE, exoCov = FALSE)

 

Source:
ChatGPT

Post 29/30: VFX tutorial for Blender – Rendering a Full Scene with All Elements

Goal: Combine the various techniques you’ve learned throughout the last 28 days to create a fully animated and visually complex scene.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Scene Setup:
• Open Blender and create a new project.
• Choose a central object for your scene (e.g., a character or a dynamic object). You can use any previous model or create something new.
• Arrange a few additional objects around the scene to create a more immersive environment. Make sure they differ in texture and materials for variety.
2. Lighting:
• Add multiple light sources. Use different types like point, sun, or area lights to create dynamic lighting.
• Experiment with dynamic lighting (Post 12) by animating the intensity or movement of the lights.
3. Camera Setup:
• Position your camera to capture the best angles of your scene. If necessary, animate the camera (Post 16) to move or zoom through the scene for a more cinematic feel.
• Apply depth of field and motion blur (Post 28) to give your scene a realistic, professional touch.
4. Object Animations:
• Add animations to the objects in the scene. For example, if you have a character, use a rigged character (Post 26) and create a simple animation such as walking or interacting with other objects.
• For other objects, use keyframe animation (Post 6) to animate movement, rotation, or scaling.
5. Physics and Particle Effects:
• Incorporate physics simulations (Posts 9, 11) like objects falling or breaking.
• Add particle systems (Post 19) like sparks, hair, or smoke, and animate them if necessary.
• Use force fields (Post 20) for realistic particle interactions.
6. Materials and Textures:
• Apply advanced materials (Post 10) to different objects. Use shaders like glass or metal to create visually engaging textures.
• Add procedural textures (Post 23) to give objects more detail and realism.
7. Cloth and Fluid Simulations:
• Use cloth simulations (Post 14 and 25) to simulate interactions with objects, like a piece of cloth falling over a chair.
• Add fluid simulations (Post 15) for extra dynamic elements like water or flowing liquid.
8. Rendering:
• Set your render engine to Cycles for better realism.
• Adjust your render settings to ensure optimal quality (higher sample count for smoother results).
• Render the full animation or scene. Depending on the complexity, you may want to render just a few key frames for review first, then finalize.

Shareable Visual: A fully rendered scene combining multiple VFX techniques: animation, lighting, particles, physics, and materials.

Source:
ChatGPT

Day 24: Blender tutorial for making illustrations – Creating Illustrations for the Quranic Learning Series

 

1. Choose a Quranic Concept
   Pick a concept or theme from the Quran that you want to illustrate. For example, you could create a flowchart or mind map that explains the steps of a Quranic story or a diagram illustrating a verse.
• Example: A visual breakdown of the concept of 'Sabr (Patience)' with key points.
2. Set Up Your Blender Workspace
• Open Blender and start a new 2D animation project.
• Arrange the interface for illustration by adjusting the 3D viewport, timeline, and properties panel for easy access to tools.
3. Use Grease Pencil for Drawing
   The Grease Pencil tool is ideal for drawing diagrams.
• Use basic shapes (circles, lines, squares) for the structure of your illustration.
• Draw key points and nodes that represent ideas from the Quranic concept.
• Use freehand drawing or pre-defined shapes for clarity.
4. Add Text and Labels
• Use the text tool to add labels to your illustrations.
• Example: If illustrating 'Sabr', add labels such as 'Patience in Hardship', 'Trust in Allah', etc., around your visual diagram.
5. Incorporate Quranic Arabic Text
• To make the illustration authentic, add relevant Arabic Quranic terms or verses. Use Blender’s text tool to input the Arabic script.
• Example: Add the word 'صبر' (Sabr) in a central position of the diagram, with explanations branching from it.
6. Add Colors and Styling
• Use color to differentiate between various elements. For example, use distinct colors for headings, sub-points, and explanations.
• Apply simple shading to give your illustration a clean, polished look.
7. Organize with Layers
• Separate text, shapes, and lines into different layers to keep the diagram organized. This will make editing easier as the project becomes more complex.
8. Preview and Adjust
• Preview your work in the viewport and make any necessary adjustments to alignment, spacing, or color.
• Ensure that the diagram is clear and that viewers can easily understand the connections between different parts of the illustration.
9. Add Basic Animation (Optional)
   If you feel confident, animate parts of the diagram to appear one by one, guiding viewers through the concept step-by-step.
• Example: Animate the 'Sabr' title appearing first, followed by its branches in sequence.
10. Save and Render Your Illustration
• Save your Blender file.
• Render the still image or short animation as a video, depending on what you created.
11. Voiceover Plan (For Later)
• Write down the points you will explain when recording your voiceover. You don’t need to add the voiceover today, but prepare your script for when you combine audio with your visuals in later days.

Outcome:

By the end of today, you will have a visually appealing Quranic concept illustration, ready for further refinement and animation in upcoming days.

Source:
ChatGPT

Post 28/30: VFX tutorial for Blender – Advanced Camera Effects (Depth of Field, Motion Blur)

 

Goal

Learn how to add cinematic effects to your renders using depth of field and motion blur in Blender.

---

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Setting Up Your Scene

• Open Blender and create a new project.
• Import or create a simple scene with objects that will be interesting when depth of field and motion blur are applied.
• Consider including various distances and sizes of objects for a more dynamic effect.

2. Positioning the Camera

• Select the Camera: Click on the camera in your scene or create a new one by pressing Shift + A and choosing Camera.
• Adjust the Camera View: Press Numpad 0 to enter camera view. Use the camera settings panel (press N to toggle) to adjust the camera’s position and rotation for the best composition of your scene.

3. Enabling Depth of Field

• Select the Camera: In the Properties panel, go to the Camera tab.
• Enable Depth of Field: Check the box next to "Depth of Field."
• Focus Object: Set an object in your scene as the focus object by either choosing it in the "Focus on Object" field or adjusting the "Focus Distance" slider until the desired object is sharp.
• Adjust F-Stop: Lowering the F-Stop value will create a shallower depth of field, resulting in more pronounced blur in the foreground and background. Experiment with this setting to find the look you prefer.

4. Adding Motion Blur

• Go to Render Properties: Select the Render tab (camera icon) in the Properties panel.
• Enable Motion Blur: Scroll down to the Motion Blur section and check the box to enable it.
• Adjust Settings: You can adjust the "Shutter" value to control the intensity of the motion blur. A higher shutter value will create more blur, while a lower value will reduce it.

5. Animating the Scene (Optional)

• If you want to see the motion blur effect in action, create a simple animation:
• Select an Object: Choose an object you want to animate.
• Insert Keyframes: Move to frame 1, position the object, and press I to insert a keyframe. Move to frame 30 (or your desired end frame), change the object’s position, and insert another keyframe.
• This will allow you to see the motion blur as the object moves through the scene.

6. Rendering the Scene

• Select the Output Settings: In the Output Properties tab (printer icon), set the output resolution and file format.
• Render the Animation: Go to Render in the top menu and select Render Animation. Blender will process your scene with the applied effects.

7. Shareable Visual

• Once your animation is rendered, save it in a suitable format (like MP4 or AVI).
• Share your cinematic render showcasing depth of field and motion blur on your social media or portfolio.

---

Tips for Success

• Experiment with different F-Stop values and shutter settings to achieve various looks.
• Use different camera angles to see how depth of field and motion blur affect the perception of your scene.
• Always preview your animation before rendering to ensure everything looks as intended.

Source:
ChatGPT

Day 2: A challenge to learn basics of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using lavaan and semPlot packages in R

 

During the next 12 days, I will learn and repeat the basics of structural equation modeling (SEM) using lavaan and semPlot packages in R.

You can search my lavaan posts by typing: #UsmanZafarParacha_lavaan , and semPlot posts by typing: #UsmanZafarParacha_semPlot

============

During this day, initially essential libraries, including lavaan and semPlot are loaded, and model is defined. For instance, social status affects education level, education level affects political participation, and social status affects political participation. Following lines of codes can be used:

library(lavaan)

library(semPlot)

 

model <- '

  # Direct effect

  political_participation ~ social_status

 

  # Mediated effect

  education_level ~ social_status

  political_participation ~ education_level

'

 

For this analysis, a supposed data can be generated using the following codes:

 

set.seed(123)  # For reproducibility

n <- 300  # Number of observations

 

# Simulate the data

social_status <- rnorm(n, mean = 50, sd = 10)

education_level <- 0.6 * social_status + rnorm(n, mean = 0, sd = 5)

political_participation <- 0.4 * social_status + 0.7 * education_level + rnorm(n, mean = 0, sd = 5)

 

# Combine into a data frame

data <- data.frame(social_status, education_level, political_participation)

 

Then, the model is fit in lavaan, using the following lines of codes:

 

fit <- sem(model, data = data)

 

# Check the summary of the model

summary(fit, fit.measures = TRUE, standardized = TRUE)

 

Then, the model is visualized using semPlot, as follows:

 

semPaths(fit, whatLabels = "std", layout = "tree", edge.label.cex = 1.2,

         residuals = TRUE, intercepts = FALSE)

 

Eventually, the results are analyzed.

Source:
ChatGPT

Some of the factors related to increased real estate businesses in the next few months

(Source: Pixabay)

Even though Pakistan has faced economic crisis during the past several months, it will experience very good situation in the coming six months (such as up to March/April, 2025). An important reason is that IMF approved Pakistan package. It will help in stabilizing the price of dollar in the coming months. It would also help in controlling inflation rate. The interest rate has also gone down from 22% to 17%. It is expected that real estate will experience 5% to 20% increase in rate. It is also expected the electricity prices will go down. Moreover, petrol prices would also go down. New currency notes are also in designing phase, and probably by December they will be finalized, and within next four to six months they will be approved. This can also affect real estate business. For instance, in Faisal Hills, 5 marla plot is available in the price range of about 25 lacs, it would experience an increase in 2.5 to 3 lacs.

Source:

Awan Associates - Pakistan's Property Market: An In-Depth Analysis of Trends and Challenges for 2025 | Awan Associates - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QubORrWAvR0