Ticha-Sound Repulsion (updated)

./wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2013/10/waves.pdf
./wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2013/10/waves-3.pdf

UPDATE: Hopefully the first one will lasercut now.

When I approached the project initially, I really wanted to create a cellular simulation of sorts – I got as far as creating hideous ‘blobs’ formed by attaching various Spring objects to a centroid particle… but they looked so terrible (and defied too much physics) that I decided to scrap the idea completely and try something fresh. I was interested in making another semi-interactive piece – and as I had recently discovered that Processing supported audio, I decided to scour the internet for java libraries that potentially supported audio input. Fortunately, there existed an AudioInput Class that was easy to understand and was suitable for my purposes (kudos to CreativeCoding.org for introducing it to me).

Because I was creating a system that was affected by sound, I wanted to make a structure that visually cohered to the concept of sound, audio, or music. The final design ended up resembling a stylized vinyl record, which I am quite satisfied with. Additionally when the arcs get propagated outwards they somewhat resemble radio waves, which is another interesting effect. But despite how I am satisfied with how it turned out visually, I have mixed feelings towards its functionality. To maintain a certain degree of order, I initially intended to create springs that connected each arc to the centroid, so that after they had stretched out to a certain extent they would regain their initial positions. Perhaps it can be an adjustment I will work on in the future.

The code is here, but the application itself must be downloaded to work properly. I should also add that the PDF recording option was adapted from Michelle’s clever recording trick, which comes in handy for ‘screenshotting’ Processing output windows. 😀