For my final project I’d like to make something in Unity. Though I’d really like to make something meaningful, I’m more concerned about actually jumping into Unity for the first time and making something. I’d like to have almost everything coded.
Originally, I described creating an interactive creature. I later shifted gears, trying to create an interactive world that a user can move through. It functions as a game, but I feel it is relevant to my practice as it incorporates the fictional world I have created and the manifesto that I wrote (which is relevant to censorship, class power struggles, and amending the current system in place if it appears wrong). My goal with this project (before I had made it) was to make the world reveal some sort of greater truth- and I think this could have also been done in a data driven way, but that just isn’t the way I’ve been working recently. After a bit more research, I would like to have data revealed about dependents looking to divorce or minors looking for emancipation, but this wasn’t the place to do that or I didn’t feel like I knew how to incorporate it into the fictional world just yet. I also originally planned on using the makey makey, but then there were too many moving parts so I decided to keep it a bit simpler.
I would like to continue the project I was working on over the summer, here in the studio for creative inquiry. I’m planning on getting the hololens app (which receives kinect data via osc) to coordinate the hololens 3D space with the kinect 3D space so the app can be used to attach virtual objects to humans in the real space.
For my final project, I’m thinking about doing something with either augmented projection, or VR. In general, I guess I just want to make something immersive and interactive that goes beyond just interfacing with a computer screen. I don’t have any more specific ideas as of yet though for what I can do.
****New more specific things!****
I’m going to go with playing with interactive projections. And how do people usually interact with strong directional lights? Shadow puppets! When someone makes a shadow puppet within the bounds of the projection, once they remove their hands, their shadow would remain, be animated depending on the animal, and fly or hop or move in some way off the screen, leaving it ready for more shadow puppets to come to life.
I’m not entirely sure on how to do this, but I’m watching a lot of Dan Shiffman videos so hopefully I’ll be able to at least realize it in part.
Update: I am still going to be exploring tangible computing but am no longer working with Guodu. Instead, I’ll be iterating on a project I worked on in Environments Design Studio (51-265/7).
For the remainder of the course I am planning to continue my exploration into physical and tangible computing, in partnership Guodu. This proposal builds on our last project.
The exact direction our investigation will take is unclear, but I’ve been looking at a lot of existing work [see below] and the goal will be to think of ways of computing that are distinct from traditionally “click-y” (mouse and keyboard) interactions.
Final Project Proposal
Exploring the Limitations and Affordances of Digital and Physical Environments
The book project was, with out a doubt, my favourite project of the semester, and the animation project, is the one one that I would most like to revisit. I think this final project would be an excellent opportunity to create a generative book that has a digital, animation twin. I have a great appreciation for environments design, even though I have chosen the communication design path. I believe I have an opportunity here to study the affordances and limitations of the physical and digital interpretations of a single design.
In my animation, I used a sine wave for the motion of my letters. The motion was really pleasing, and gave character to the type. In my book, I used basil.js to change the offset and type size of repetitive text, some of them sinusoidally, and some of them linearly. The book had the affordance of hidden images due to the physical french folds. I would like to do some more explorations on the translations of motion and typography.
For my final project, I’d like to recreate and polish a game that I prototyped in my sophomore year (during 15-104) in Unity.
The mechanics are fairly simple: each of the 2+ players controls a ‘shepherd’. Each shepard has a ‘flock’ of identical units. Each players can move the shepherd freely, but the only way the shepherd can control the flock is by switching between a “follow” state where the flock tries to reach the position of the shepherd or an “attack” state where the flock runs to attack the nearest enemy flockling.
The goal of the game is to eliminate the opposing players shepherd, or their entire flock. This makes the game very much about positioning, timing, prediction, and understanding how to control a mindless mob at a meta level.
I want to create an interactive calligraphy experience where people can enter a word they want to practice writing, select different brushes, write on top of a template, and save their calligraphy. I’ve gotten a few opportunities to help out at some drawing and calligraphy workshops. After a recent opportunity to help out at a digital drawing workshop, I got inspired by how excited people were at trying digital drawing. But a small problem I see when people just recently purchased their new iPad or bought a new sketch program is they do not know where to start on their blank white pixels. I’m also curious about the transfer of practicing drawing or calligraphy between digital and physical mediums.
I’d like to improve my Generative Alphabet Book by making it actually alphabetical and improving the graphic design while making it seem more generative. uh no time to print
For my final project, I want to create a generative horoscopes, generating astrological symbols that resemble the shape of existing symbols (Aquarius, Libra, etc.), as well as generate names that resemble the Greek names. I’d also like to use Rita.js to generate “horoscopes” for the signs. I’m not sure what I’d want the final product to be — maybe a set of cards or a plot
I want to make an interactive environment: perhaps a nature scene that can be controlled by its user; inspired by Theo and Emily’s works, but restricted to a screen (i.e. controllable through the keyboard / mouse, rather than projected and real-time motion); also would rather work in 2D.
2. Body moCap – coding is so bad for your body posture. Could we code by dancing and talking? Or I could finish what I first intended for my body mocap (music and particle systems)
3. Make an entire computational font set for the plotter.
4. body mocap alphabet – body mocap that takes the shapes you make with your body to form letters – convert for plotter.
Preface: The Teenie Harris Archive is a collection of photographs currently held by the CMOA from a photographer Teenie Harris who captured African-American lifestyle in Pittsburgh during the 1930s through 1980s. His work is one of the most comprehensives lenses we have to view African-American life during that time period in America.
So as I’ve been working on computationally analyzing the Teenie Harris Archive, I’ve realized that my artistic practice lies more in the realm of the artifact. My main interest is information visualization, but not in the way of conveying data and ideas to other people, but in the imagery and aesthetics of data to the computer. The images below are just a few of the artifacts produced through my analysis of the archive, but they are a far cry from what we usually think of when we talk about data visualization. However these images below are what the data looks like. So my final project is going to be the creation of another artifact: 8 bit image tags. Actually, it’d be somewhat like QR codes for photos. The way i see it, Each pixel has 6 dimensions (row, column, red, green, blue, and alpha), Each of those dimensions can be used to represent a feature of the data, and multiple pixels can be used to represent the multiple features that the photo is comprised of.
Features that might be used
More will be considered but the end result could result in new methods of searching, sorting, or storing this information. Hopefully leading to a fuller understanding of the data.
For my final project I’d like to continue working in Maya and learning more about python scripting. I’m not sure if I want to continue with my mocap project and improve it (then I wouldn’t have to remodel stuff) or if I want to start a new project instead. I think I’m leaning towards continuing my mocap project so I can really dig into the python scripting of Maya.
For the final project, I plan to use a Skin Color Detection API to write a Python function that detects a face in the camera, takes a picture of the user, extracts two colors from the skin tone (using the API), and maps that as a texture onto a character model in Maya.
For my final project, I think it would be useful if I did something using p5.js and also string parsing. I am not sure what this project would be – maybe some more mocap or a better FaceOSC – but I think that I could use a review / more in-depth project with the concept of String Lists, Matrices, etc. I don’t have a hugely artistic vision for this yet but I know the technical review will be very beneficial to me. I’m interested in three.js but that may be far beyond my scope currently.
For my final project, I want to redo my plotter project, once again with ink and brush, but with more compelling content than the binary trees from before. I would like to replace those trees with lines generated from motion capture data. I could make a series of pictures with different colors, each one from a different motion (including ballet dance, martial arts, break-dancing; I know a few people who are wiling to help).
Ideally, each picture would feature a few different colors (with multiple trays of ink), perhaps each one corresponding to a joint whose progressive x and y coordinates will direct the line on the paper. I plan to experiment with which joints are best to draw; it might be different for different motions.
This project will require setting up and using the Kinect and also the Axidraw. So, it will take some time. But I’m very excited about it!
For my final project I’m going to expand on my generative book. I’m going to fix the imperfections of the things I already have, and add a lot of new things.
First I’m going to improve the eyes of the creatures, and devise an algorithm for generating descriptions for them as Golan recommended. For the descriptions I’m thinking of grabbing descriptions about real animals from wikipedia, scramble them and substitute key information. I’m also thinking about extracting animal features from my generation algorithm to use them in the description.
For the new things, I’m also going to generate terrain and plants. The terrain, the plants and the animals are going to the three major components of my new book.
For the terrain, I’m going to render some images in 3D (or pseudo-3D) with the plants and animals I generated, so that it looks like a photograph of a real landscape. I’m also going to analyze the terrain, and assign the different animals and plants to different parts of the island based on the geography.
For the generative plants, I’m probably going to combine fractals with generative textures. I’ll look into L-systems, which I heard is very good at generating plants. I have already written an algorithm for generating realistic wood textures using perlin noise last week, and I will probably use similar algorithms to generate other plant-like textures.
“I don’t know”
this page will be updated when I do
For my final project, I want to revisit generative works. Specifically, I want to create a program that randomly generates movie concepts. I am currently researching machine learning algorithms and searching for a large movie database, as these will be imperative to my program.
It has to be a game. I don’t care whether or not I create assets for it, it just has to be a game. I understand that it is a short project, so the message I design it to convey will be similarly short. I would prefer it to be 3D (looking forward to learning Unity/Openframeworks). For an idea of my scope (but I intend to do much less): http://store.steampowered.com/app/387860/
(^ this game is short and free by the way, I hope you’ll give it a try)
In the past, I always felt a little helpless knowing that I really only had enough skill to recreate Super Mario, but I’ve gained skill and hope from taking this class, and I feel like I’m ready to try making games again.
In a blog post containing just a few sentences, briefly propose what you would like to do for your Last Project. Keep in mind that you’ll only have a couple of weeks to develop this project, which is due December 9, so keep it simple. If you’re torn between a couple different things, list both. Some options for this blog post are things like:
Please categorize this blog post, Proposal, and title this blog post nickname-final-proposal.
This assignment is due in the afternoon of class at 1:30pm on Friday, November 18. Please be prepared to present your project, whether live and/or in video documentation, in a 5-minute presentation to the class.
Census historian James C. Scott has pointed out that measurement is a political act. Data artist Natalie Jeremijenko collects measurements in order to prompt evidence-driven discussion. And in the weird world of quantum physics, the term “observer effect” refers to the idea that the very act of measurement itself alters the subject being measured. Each of these is an example of how measurement can be a meaningful act that alters the world and the way we see it.
Working in pairs, create an object or device that communicates with the Internet. This might be:
Your objective is to:
To do this, you will use the LittleBits system of sensors and actuators, plus the IFTTT service. You may also wish to use Temboo.com to access interesting APIs and data streams. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with these systems.
Keep in mind the following design considerations:
To communicate with the Internet:
One option is that we have seven LittleBits CloudBits.
There are a number of other options for communicating with your computer. For example, we also have several of the LittleBits Bluetooth BLE bits, the USB I/O bits, the MIDI bit, and the Arduino bits. We also have 5 of the MakeyMakey bits. Keep in mind that if you’re using one of these bits, you’ll need to write code to communicate with the internet and/or IFTTT; for this, I recommend IFTTT’s Maker channel.
It will probably be easiest to use the MakeyMakey bit (if you’re doing input only). Here’s some sample P5.js code for using the MakeyMakey bit to send keypresses to IFTTT’s Maker Channel:
// P5.JS code to convert LittleBits MakeyMakey signals
// into IFTTT messages, using the IFTTT Maker channel.
var urlPrefix = "https://maker.ifttt.com/trigger/";
var urlInfix = "/with/key/";
var eventName = "MyMakeyMakeyEvent";
var mySecretKey = "XXXXX-GET-THIS-KEY-FROM-IFTTT-XXXXX";
/*
You'll have to set up the eventName ("MyMakeyMakeyEvent" etc.)
and your IFTTT mySecretKey, using the IFTTT Maker channel.
*/
//-----------------------------------------------------
function keyPressed() {
// The MakeyMakey is a tiny, funny-looking, USB keyboard.
// It can only send arrow keys and the space bar.
// Note: you'll need to power the MakeyMakey with a Power Bit.
var value1 = 0;
if (keyCode == LEFT_ARROW) {
value1 = "LEFT ARROW";
} else if (keyCode == RIGHT_ARROW) {
value1 = "RIGHT ARROW";
} else if (key == ' '){
value1 = "SPACE BAR"
}
if (value1 != 0) {
println(value1);
var value2 = millis();
var value3 = "cat-door";
// The LittleBits MakeyMakey bit can send up to 3 values.
var myData = {
"value1": value1,
"value2": value2,
"value3": value3
}
// See http://p5js.org/reference/#/p5/httpPost
var requestUrl = urlPrefix + eventName + urlInfix + mySecretKey;
println(requestUrl);
httpPost(requestUrl, myData, "json");
}
}
//-----------------------------------------------------
function setup() {
;
}
function draw() {
;
}
The usual:
Consider adding some copyright-free music to your documentation video.