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Strata #3 – Bordeaux by Quayola

Rodrigo — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 01:56:25 +0000

Another great project by the london based talented visual artist Quayola . In this occasion bringing one his projects of 2009 an audiovisual installation commissioned by Evento and Lumin for the Bordeaux Art & Architecture Biennale.

About the Project

The term Strata defines a geological formation made of multiple layers of rock. Each one of these layers has its own individual characteristics and history, which combined produce beautiful and unique formations…
The Strata project consist in a series of films, prints and installations investigating improbable relationships between contemporary digital aesthetics and icons of classical art and architecture. Like in geological processes, layers belonging to different ages interact with one another producing new intriguing formations.

An special image based triangulation software with 3D mesh output was made for this audiovisual by Mauritius Seeger. By finding and extracting interest points in photographic stills this tool generates an optimal delauney triangle mesh. Further by averaging the colour in each triangle this software can generate a pixelated image where the smallest unit of representation is a triangle. Software developed using processing.

Strata #3 – Excerpt from Quayola on Vimeo.

Sonic Wire Sculpture [interactive app]

Rodrigo — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 04:57:21 +0000

Sonic Wireframe Sculpture is a new and fun interactive app for iphone which is based on a previous project presented here some months ago called Rhonda its creators (Amit Pitaru , Zach Lieberman among others) have taken it to another level by implementing sonic capabilities for creating audio and visual sculpture pieces.
I think porting this projects to platforms like iphone or android would be a smart move for artists and designers who want to distribute their work at a large scale and also get some good profits on the way , the app is available for purchase at the app store for only 4 dollars check it out!!
Sonic Wire Sculptor teaser from amit pitaru on Vimeo.

DESCRIPTION (from the site)
Sonic Wire Sculptor is based on a musical instrument by Amit Pitaru which has been shown in museums and galleries world wide. A great effort has been placed in reworking the app to take advantage of the the iPhone’s unique audio and input capabilities.

The Sonic Wire Sculptor turns your 3D drawing into sound. It introduces a simple yet deep connection between visual and audio composition.

The app is easily graspable and intuitive, allowing someone with no musical or drawing background to lauch it and start exploring. At the same time SWS goes deep and encourages musicians and artists alike to explore new ideas in their craft.

This iPhone version was led by Zach Gage with Amit’s support. Big props to Zach Lieberman and James Paterson for their seminal help.

Sonic Wire Sculptor requires headphones, without them you may only hear limited audio, especially on the low (bass) tones.

Sonic Wire Sculptor was reworked for the iPhone with ofxIphone and openframeworks open source libraries. See more at http://openframeworks.cc

EyeWriter

Rodrigo — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:09:39 +0000

EyeWriter Its a very interesting and altruistic initiative lead by Graffiti Research Lab, and many other talented people like Zach Lieberman .The EyeWriter. It is a low-cost eye-tracking apparatus + custom software that allows graffiti writers and artists with paralysis resulting from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to draw using only their eyes.
They have teamed up a legendary LA graffiti writer, publisher and activist, named Tony Quan, aka TEMPTONE. Tony was diagnosed with ALS in 2003, a disease which has left him almost completely physically paralyzed… except for his eyes. This international team is working together to create a low-cost, open source eye-tracking system that will allow ALS patients to draw using just their eyes. The long-term goal is to create a professional/social network of software developers, hardware hackers, urban projection artists and ALS patients from around the world who are using local materials and open source research to creatively connect and make eye art.

The Eyewriter from Evan Roth on Vimeo.
For more information go and checkout their site. You will find plenty of stuff about the project and even the DIY instructable to make your own EyeWriter.

Learning OOP

Rodrigo — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:53:52 +0000

Generative graphic by Marius Watz

So you have been wondering around on several sites that show pretty cool and astonishing projects of architecture , graphic design or interactive applications , and you have read they have been created whit the help of programming languages like rhinoscript,maxscript,actionscript ,phyton etc.. at the beginning the idea of generating shapes and forms by using lines of code may sound crazy I remind when I started it has a shock for me and really confusing . However if your curiosity and your will to get into this world is greatest than your fear to get into the world of algorithms and numbers , there are few things you need to know to have a nice start.

Patience,Practice and Time are fundamental with any of this its hard to really achieve significant results , Time its one of the most difficult things to get on this days but you´ll have to make an effort and find the way to dedicate some hours for this task in a daily basis specially at the beginning while you start understanding the basic of programming languages its very common you start a script and when you let pass some days return again to it and don´t have a clue of what the f”#@k you where doing , so in few words what i´m trying to say its no more Lost, Prison Break or what ever its your favorite TV show for while.

Community , social media and Blogs are your greatest ally in order to learn over the last couple of years I have witnessed the grow of communities, blogs ,videos etc.. that are generated daily with great people sharing their knowledge , I would dare to share that almost anything you need to know is already out there and the best part its free, perhaps you are used to have someone teaching you personally or take courses or workshops this is is not bad it helps you a to get on tracks easily , but perhaps you are in a place where this events don´t take place which was my case under this situation you are going to have to learn something way more important than a programming language you´ll have to learn by yourself fortunately for us never in the history of mankind this has been more easy you just need to go to the correct places and ask the right questions there’s a lot of good people out there willing to help.

Algorithms at the end of the day the only thing you have to keep in mind no matter if you are dealing with simple 2d drawing, 3d modelling or a complex interactive system , what you are doing is an Algorithm which nothing more than a fancy word for calling a list of procedures that’s right an algorithm is nothing more than a set of instructions you give a computer to achieve a task something like a recipe. For example the algorithm for preparing a Pineapple Tangerine Margita

Variables

-6 Tangerines
-2 Spoons of rice syrup
-2 ice cubes
-Pineapple wedges.
-1 pinch salt
-Tequila =)

Algorithm

-Juice the tangerines
-Place in blender
-Add pineapple, sugar,salt and tequila
-Blend on highest speed till smooth
-Serve margaritas in goblets garnished with pineapple wedges.
-Repeat all the steps until you get happy.

Processing a good place to start , even do I started programming in rhinoscript because I was very focused on 3d modelling later on I started using which is Processing which is an open source programming language and environment for people who want to program images, animation, and interactions. One of the main objectives of processing is to introduce to artists and designers the fundamentals of computer programming , as I started using this platform It became a lot easier to me understand the basic rules of programming languages,I would have made my beginnings in programing if I have started with processing, thats why i strongly recommend this platform to start learning besides its one of the greatest communities you can find out there everybody sharing codes , libraries and you can meet good people on the way.

I am starting with this thing of writing my personal thought and ideas, I hope this text helps a little bit those who are a lost in there way of starting , any comments are greatly appreciated.

Rhonda Forever!!!

Rodrigo — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:53:47 +0000

Hello guys I have been wanting to show all of you this great project for a while but I didn´t had the time, but finally here is it, Im talking about Rhonda a real fun and interesting application were you can make sketches in a 3D environment,The tool is being developed by Amit Pitaru in collaboration with other people like Zach Lieberman , Zach Gage and Ralph Hauwert .

For the last several years Rhonda has been shown in galleries, museums, festivals and conferences, but now they have created a Beta version for people to start testing it have been using it for a while , it can be a little confusing at the beginning but once you get used its a real fun tool recently the released a version where you can export your sketches in .DFX files which allows for much complex and creative ways of using it.
Even you can use the tool with your mouse I will strongly recommend the use of a digital tablet I have a small one and it really makes it more easy.
So there you have it !! don´t forget to visit their site where you can ask for the Beta versions , and send your feedback.

Matt Ditton at Designplaygrounds

Rodrigo — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:45:25 +0000

This time Designplaygrounds brings you Matt Ditton a digital artist which is making very interesting works regarding interactive and digital art he shares with us some of his thoughts , interests and ideas so enjoy and don´t forget to keep an eye on his work.

-When and where you were born?
Brisbane Australia 1977.

-Studies
Many years ago I got a Bachelors degree in Photography. This was in the late nineties and it was on the beginning of digital imaging at the university and not a lot of people were doing it. And even fewer liked it. I was one of the weird ones who really liked it. So in the end I stopped using cameras and film and my graduating folio was all done in 3D. I would make these objects and render them, and print them onto photographic stock. I got full marks but it did nearly get me kicked out.

-Some projects in which you have been involved
A lot of the bigger projects I’ve been involved in were games. I’ve been making computer games in Brisbane for about a decade. Five years of my life went into the TY the Tasmanian Tiger games http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ty_the_Tasmanian_Tiger. They were very big in the under 12 market. I was the environment specialist on the project, but by the end I was the lead artist. I then moved to Pandemic studios and worked on the Destroy All Humans games. That was really the tipping point where it finally dawned on me how much the art in games is just data.

-Personal interests
art, code, and pretty much everything in between.

-Describe your design style
My style is often very calculated, even the mistakes are there on purpose. And everything is firmly grounded in iteration. Anything I do usually starts with a simple idea or technique, I’ll put the broad strokes in and then start chipping away at the details. I do like leaving parts unfinished. Leaving some hints for the viewer on the creation of the work is a favorite trick of mine.

- What are you currently reading?
For my birthday I’m getting this complete collection http://www.faceoutbooks.com/40952 which is awesome. I’ve just finished reading Ringworld and it was a great book. There is something impressive about early scifi novels, they way that you can see the lineage of ideas is really amazing. A great example is “The Stars My Destination” by Alfred Bester. It’s a cyberpunk novel written in the 50’s!

-How many years have you been working with generative design ?
In code for about 4 years now, before that I was always a fan of letting a process run and seeing where it would go. I was always impressed by the work of Joshua Davis when he had the Preystation site. But it wasn’t until I stumbled on the Complexification site www.complexification.net/ from Jared Tarbell that all the pieces clicked. His space invader work was just brilliant. And as a guy in games it was almost like a light bulb went off.

-Which is the best hour of the day to start coding?
Some days it’s easy and 8am is perfect. Other days it’ll take till 8pm to get going. A lot of it has to do with getting your mind right. Getting the first idea out or the framework for how something will work is often the hardest part. But it’s almost impossible to work with a lot of distractions. I work from home now but when I was working in an office I had these massive headphones that would block out all the sound and just let the brain relax and concentrate.

-What kind of music do you like to listen while working?
One of the easiest tricks I’ve got to get into a programming head space is to put on an instrumental album. I’ve got a couple that I fall back on but I think my favorite is Aphex Twin’s DrukQs album http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drukqs. Clint Mansell’s Fountain soundtrack and the NIN Ghosts album are also pretty good.

Years ago when I had to shut down the brain and just get a lot of repetitive stuff done and fast (like optimizing mesh) I’d listen to a lot of Squarepusher. Like a lot. to the point where I can’t listen to his early stuff anymore because it takes me back there.
I’ve always found music to be the perfect mood setter. Getting set in the wrong mood though really sucks. Once I got really depressed while working till I realized that I just had this one Red Paintings album on repeat by accident. They are great live but really crap to work to.

-Where do you find inspiration for your projects?
Everywhere and anywhere. I think it’s mostly a result of letting the brain tick away. But I do find that the best inspiration is to do more work. Just the process of making can fuel a desire to want to play with the work and see where it goes.

-How long does it takes you to develop a project approx?
I’ve been at this for a while so I can get ideas down quickly now. So knowing something will work or having a visual example can be done in a short amount of time. But if the project is for other people to use then the interface can take up a lot of time. And the more people who use it the more careful you need to be. Exposing all the variables, laying out the GUI, tweaking the way you interact with it can take a lot of time. It’s worth spending the time on it though because it’s the window into the work. It they have a good experience working with something that I’ve made then that helps a lot.
As a more concrete example. The Heightfield project http://www.vimeo.com/2335316 took about 2 days, but the XSI CGFX editor http://www.vimeo.com/3686484 took 3 months, spread over 6. It was so complex and had to do so much behind the scenes that it was one of those things that never ended.

-In what are you currently working right now?
I’ve got about four projects on the boil. But the two that I’m really excited about are two games that I’m making. The first is using openFrameworks on the iPhone to create a game with a working title of “Swarm”. And the second is using Unity3D. It’s been a great experience because I’ve only ever made games with a team. It’s a lot harder when you can’t hand over the tricky stuff. But it’s a lot more rewarding.

SBS ONE, First Australians from matt ditton on Vimeo.

-Did you use Processing as the final production tool for SBS animations , if not wich was the process you follow for the creation of this project?
My part was all in Processing. I created a series of Apps that took sound input and an image pallet and went from there. In there end there were 6 separate apps, made over about 2 months. And maybe another 6 that were quick tests to see if ideas would work.

-Whos work are you currently following?
Eskil Steenberg and his LOVE mmo http://www.quelsolaar.com/ you can read his blog here http://news.quelsolaar.com/ . LOVE is an incredible looking game and some of his ideas on the process of making games are genius. If he can maintain the momentum of his creativity then it will become a classic. I find it really inspirational, track down gameplay and tech video. It’s just awesome to watch.

-How do you see the future of interactive and digital art?
The future is a tricky thing to predict. I want to see the day when you go to art school and right after life drawing class you go to a programming class. Every single design package on the market has a scripting language. Processing and openFrameworks are both free and limitless in their potential. We are all working in a world where code is the building block on how we work. But there is still a lot of ignorance and confusion around it. A lot of that has to do with the traditional education system for programming, it really isn’t art friendly.

The best thing that can happen is that people get a higher level of understanding on these kinds of techniques. The more Art Directors and agencies are educated about the possibilities the better it will get. Eventually it will be very normal to make art with code. One day it will be just another medium for expression.