KIB809

sleep now bye bye

2005-06-17T16:42:00.000+10:00

Working on the invisible/intangible maze has been probably my most interesting uni project to date. I would have loved to see it in full size though the eventual prototype does demonstrate the maze concept flawlessly, I also would have liked the chance to test the camera in a darkened room to see if it had any difficulties tracking in low light.
Lee’s idea to stylise the wall tiles as Liechtenstein-esque pop art gave the whole project character and it probably would have been boring without it.
An avenue we barely touched on which we probably should have for its ability to make much more seamless transitions and increased immersion was sound. Sound could be used for helper voices or ambient noise, which could subsequently be mixed with other ambient noises from other areas, as you draw near to them.
What is great about the prototype though is its ability to be easily expanded to incorporate things like sound or video, with the shockwave platform and vector based imagery. I have recently been looking at the “Processing” platform though, which could, if given enough exposure possible replace shockwave. Seeing it is free and apparently almost as powerful (http://www.processing.org)

My Last KIB809 Post

2005-06-17T15:56:00.000+10:00

Okay, just to show I'm not completely averse to 'prettying up' my documentation, here it is in an easily browse-able PDF form.

Download Gordon's Final Documentation (900kb PDF)

And the two Director files, modified to include space #24 (thanks Aleesha):

- Web-Cam Version (6MB)
- Non Web-Cam Version (11MB DIR)

Reflection

2005-06-17T15:36:00.000+10:00

Having completed the prototype for the Invisible Maze; the thing that I consider the biggest success of the project is the completeness of the prototype. Through our combined efforts we have made something that actually could; with no further development be utilised in an installation. It is the scalability of the invisible Maze however, which I believe is its greatest strength. Though the prototype consists of only one floor with two alternate endings; it would be a simple matter of coding further floors, passageways and ultimately experiences. Similarly, the wall tiles were created in vector not only to compliment a Liechtenstein pop-art look but also so that they could be scaled infinitely without loss of quality, meaning this maze could as easily occupy a small room or an entire auditorium.

Something that I think would make the project even stronger as a finished piece would be a way of randomising the experience. Using vector components to construct new wall-tiles from reused props (eg. ‘Doorforwardtype2’ with ‘vasetype4’ on ‘walltype1’) a randomisation engine could generate new paths, rooms and the tiles for those options each time a player steps into the game. This would enure that no two experiences would ever be the same!

One of the things I feel we could have improved on is the conceptualisation and realisation of perspective. Representing different types of spaces accurately but still uniformly was one of the difficulties our concept presented us with. While we wanted the walls to present a 3d space by themselves, we didn’t wish for the tiles to appear flat. Thus there arose problems with overlap in tiles due to mock peripheral-vision on the walls. Similarly, the direction of the walls relative to the user and their motion suggested the use of lateral and unilateral perspective in different places, disturbing the uniformity of the styling.

All in all I think the project was hugely successful due largely to the effective distribution of development areas and the way each aspect complimented the others.

thoughts & reflections...

2005-06-16T23:32:00.000+10:00

Successes

Artistic Styles & Ramblings of Aleesha...

Why Lichtenstein?

http://www.lichtensteinfoundation.org/frames.htm

When I look back at why we chose to portray our maze's walls with 'pop' style artwork I realised it had alot to do with our initial meeting and the idea of an 'invisible maze' that came out of that meeting. In my little notebook I have written the following:

"10/03/05
Our group: Andrew, Zack, Dan, Gordon & me (aleesha)
Purpose: "Invisible Maze"
- motion sensors
- conductors
- sound based output
- visual display that confronts the user"

I guess when we decided to make this maze I had already envisioned what the maze would look like in my head. It would be bright and overwhelming, hence the Lichtenstein style we chose. It was exciting to see that we had enough talent in our little group to bring to life our 'invisible maze'. I've often wanted to make these installation art pieces, which I think is what we would have made if we had more time and resources, but have had to abandon my ideas because technically I couldn't acheive them on my own. Yet this time it was different (yes it helps being in a group with all boys!). It was a great feeling to be in charge of the artistic direction - not that I'm going to admit to being bossy - but - it was kind of great to be able to say "Zack (or "twinkle" as he came to be known)" design some people for our maze. I must give it to Zack - he did a fantastic job! And Andrew follow these very crude drawings of mine and make them computer friendly! Good work Andrew... he had to put up with me saying "I think that should be a bit bigger, that should be a bit shinier.. " etc etc. And of course Gordon (flash) yes a superb job was done with making the maze 'actually work' in Director. It's my first 3D project & it works - I've gotta give it to the man (and a big thanks for helping me with my php assignment too!)... And Dan, well just for turning up & attaching music to the blog...

We all worked together very well, I think that had alot to do with Gordon speaking up in our initial meeting and asking us to point out our individual strengths. With that in mind we then delegated roles and ran with them. And the blog... this is my first blog and I've found it really useful! I've even worked out how to attach pictures (I've come along way boys).

As for how I see this in the future... I'm with Gordon on this one - the potential of this maze is quite exciting. It would have been great to see it come to fruition as a 'real life' maze but it was a bit of a pie in the sky dream. I think the finished product we have produced is quite a feat in itself and is a great little game to play and an even better prototype of what we would design if we had more time & money of coursee.

I absolutely loved everyone's scenario designs, it was most interesting to see we all had 'kind of' the same idea. Well at least we were on the same track.

And to think it all started with an excursion to the Science-Centre? How can something that start so well not end so well?

Thanks guys for a great semester!

Aleesha

My Reflection

2005-06-16T15:40:00.000+10:00

At the end of this assignment, there are a lot of conclusions that can be drawn from the project as well as a few interesting observations.

From the very first moment our group came together, it was clear that Gordon was our super-amazing leader. I know it was his determination to get this assessment up and running that kept the group motivated. In fact, our tutor Glenn made comments on more than one occasion that our group was quite far ahead of itself! Roles were delegated early and we knew what we were doing from the very first meeting we had. I believe that our group had an excellent dynamic that really allowed each team member to shine (and I guess twinkle as well).

As the work I did was primarily on the art and metaphorical aspects of the maze, I have only a limited amount of knowledge regarding the inner workings of the director coding. It seemed to be quite high-end and I’m confident in saying that Gordon clearly worked hard on it. The rest of the group did well in their jobs too. Aleesha’s designs, combined with Andrew’s help in realizing them digitally, and Dan’s video all turned out great.

In conclusion, I would have liked to see the completed product of our prototype, including the ‘randomness’ factor and the room with invisible maze itself. How the project turned out though is excellent.

The walls... again... including rm 24...

2005-06-16T15:08:00.000+10:00

hi gordon,

here's the walls again... sorry somehow andrew & I lost room 24 - so have added them in here.

it's looking really good - very exciting to see our ideas come into a final product!

WALLSFINAL16.06.zip

Final Documentation

2005-06-16T14:47:00.000+10:00

Stuff to create:

System requirements

- Windows or Mac with the Shockwave plug-in installed

Special instructions

- A web-cam (or DV cam) is required for full functionality. Ideally, it should be pointing downwards towards a flat-coloured surface, and a single, hi-contrast object will move in front of it in order to simulate a user moving through a room.

- Projections are, in clockwise order, North, South, West and East

- Valid exits are marked with double-doors, demonstrating a perspective and potential for movement in that direction.

- For the non-web-cam version, click and drag the smiley face into the square on the top row, second from the right - this should change the projections to the instruction tiles. The mapped paths are available from an earlier post.

Summary of who did what

- Gordon: Primary Coder / Program Designer
- Aleesha: Artistic Director / Project Manager
- Zac: 2D Artist / Concept Development
- Andrew: 2D Artist / Backup Coder
- Dan: Documentarian / Concept Development

Major problems enountered (and how we solved them)

Determining user's position in the maze

Our initial proposal involved a grid of beam breakers and nasty, custom-written C-code. Fortunately, we stumbled across the Myron WebCam Xtra as an inexpensive, easily alterable alternative for motion tracking.

Perspective In Artwork

... more to come ...

concept-o-rama

2005-06-16T13:03:00.000+10:00

Two versions:

Large
(Requires Quicktime 7's H.264 but is only 900k)
clickety click

Small
(Sorenson 3, 3.6Mb)
clickety click

Web-Cam Version

2005-06-16T11:40:00.000+10:00

Removed debugging code, and prepped for demonstration (and publication).

Download Intangible Maze (4.5MB)

Reflections....

2005-06-16T10:54:00.000+10:00

Successes

Exploring potential ideas early on with the team was an exciting prospect. Initially, we only had a very vague idea of what we wanted to accomplish, but it seemed feasible and worthwhile. Constructing the scenario designs as individuals revealed further possibilities for implementation, as well as revealing a number of potential artistic styles.

The concept of exploring a foreign, virtual environment without having to wear any cumbersome VR apparatus or be tethered to a mouse and keyboard was an immensely appealing one. As such, we thought it appropriate to apply this style of interaction design to provide an opportunity for students new to the CI environment to explore the ecology in an experimental, highly stylised, playful manner. The exploration of a foreign environment could then be conducted in a seemingly private manner, without fear of 'looking lost'. Ironically, the user is constantly under the watchful eye of the motion-sensing web camera as a means of detecting their current location.

From a technical standpoint, further development of this project seemed only to be limited by constraints on finances and resources - all of the knowledge, skills and technology required to take the project a few steps further existed within the team and its current set of tools. As such, I would be keen to explore the possibility of continuing this project into another semester, incorporating audio feedback, collision detection, more complex room layouts, and so on.

More importantly, I'd love to be able to have the opportunity to implement this interaction piece in a full-size installation, complete with stereo sound and 4-way projection setup. The 360-degree immersion in the 3D environment was a highly sought-after goal.

Incorporating the Myron WebCam Xtra was a major leap forwards for the technical implementation - this was the first time I'd dealt with Xtras, and I was extremely pleased with its completeness, functionality and adaptability.

The late separation of the art direction from the technical functionality was a productive process, particularly since both sub-teams had an accurate idea of what the finished product was going to look and act like. A rigid, logical file-naming convention (and well-distributed layout map) made this process easier still, giving both sub-teams a common language of reference. Bringing the artwork directly into the final Director movie was trivial as a result.

Shortcomings

Demonstrating this piece will be [has been] our biggest trial. There are team-members who have not yet been able to see the fully functioning piece first-hand. Several environmental conditions must exist for it to function at its best, not least of which is a flat coloured, expansive floor that provides ample contrast with a user who happens upon it. This high contrast will then allow for very accurate tracking of movement by the camera. Similarly, the lighting conditions to maximize the impact of 4 simultaneous big-screen projections can be equally difficult to acheive outside of a controlled environment.

An on-screen demonstration of a hi-res monitor split into four quadrants (representing the North, South, East and West projections) fails to accomplish the desired immersive effect, but manages to show off the art style and software-driven technical accomplishments of the piece.

Without a correctly-placed web-cam in a life-sized environment, the impact of the piece loses considerable weight.

If I Was to Do This Again...

Knowing a little more about Director and its capabilities for real-time 3D rendering, I would probably approach the implementation considerably differently. The art team would still be able to work with the current style, but instead of finalising their work as a 2D wall, the textures would wrap around low-polygon 3D models. These models, together with a rudimentary room layout, could be used as the source for the current projection tiles.

Presently, the wall tiles change in a 'flick-screen' manner, reminiscent of pseudo-3D adventure games from the very early 1990s/late 1980s. By positioning virtual 3D cameras within the 3D world described above (one each pointing East, North, South and West), the four walls would be able to move in sync with the user's position, and their view would be updated in real-time to reflect what a user would see if they were looking in that given direction - transitions between spaces would become seamless, and the current collision detection for rooms would be superfluous.

Looking back, few of the team members had 3D experience at the commencement of the project but, now many of them have just completed a 3D modelling subject, it would be worth tackling this approach.

I am excited by the potential direction the application of this technology could have on the future of both projection and interaction installations. For example, the ambient movement of users walking through a public space has a plethora of seemingly random, easily-harnessable inputs that can be transformed into a mesmerising audio or dynamic projection piece in real-time, while still preserving the individual's privacy.

Artwork Inc.

2005-06-16T10:37:00.000+10:00

And there it is...

I hope I've done the art team's work justice. Now to un-comment the web-cam specific code and find a way of demonstrating the piece.

Download latest DIR file. (6.6MB)

The Walls..

2005-06-15T14:36:00.000+10:00

Hi Guys

Andrew & I just finished the walls, they are all in here and the people are in as well and the speech bubbles.

WallsFinal.zip

That's about all folks!

Aleesha

Last minute loose ends...

2005-06-15T11:17:00.000+10:00

Hi Guys

Just to keep on top of things, Andrew and I are meeting up today to get the final tiles sorted out and posted up on the blog.
Thanks Zac for posting those people we will put them into the tiles on the wall.
Also Zac have you finished the speech bubbles? If so can you please post them up? If not let us know as we'll get that done today too.
I'm taking it that once these are posted then Gordon will take it away to the Director version. Gordon have you sorted out the instructions for the Entrance room?
Dan have you managed to finish the mock-up video? If so can you please publish that as well.

Lastly we need to coordinate who is going to get this submitted? I'm guessing we can just post it up on the blog and alert our tutor that it is there and finished? If that's the case who wants to be in charge of collating it all? I'm here all day if everything is finished then I don't mind doing it, otherwise I will be here all day tomorrow as well so we can get it posted up.

Oh and another point, we all need to do this little part of the submission:

Individual Criteria
Supporting documentation, participation and contributions to weblog. (20)
Quality of supporting materials. Quality of Reflection, ability to critically reflect on the outcomes and process.
Retrieved from "http://staff.ci.qut.edu.au/~sade/index.php/KIB809_CIP_Ecologies_Assignment_Details"

If everyone wants to post their individual reflections on the blog too then I'm guessing that's the last of it and we will be finished - yee ha!

Cheers,
Aleesha

Other People

2005-06-14T17:26:00.000+10:00

Other People.zip

Instructions for tiles..

2005-06-14T11:11:00.000+10:00

Hello

Ok here's a few things we have just worked out...

1. There are going to be a few walls that will be inverted onto the other side, these are as follows:
* 19E becomes 20W
* 19E - 22N, 22S, 22E, 22W
* 19E - 23W
* 24W - 23E
* 19E - 16S
* 4N, 4S, 4E, 4W - THESE ARE GOING TO BE BLACK ROOMS WITH TEXT

2. *** Gordon can you work out the instructions for this ENTRANCE room? We thought you'd be best for this job as you know EXACTLY whats going on.

3. Andrew is going to post the walls sometime tomorrow.

4. Zac is going to post the people tomorrow.

Guys can we possibly meet up tomorrow afternoon to get this all sorted and finished?

Cheerio

Aleesha

Next meeting...

2005-06-12T15:32:00.000+10:00

Hi Guys

does it suit you guys to meet up on Tuesday sometime?

I am free all day long so let me know whether that suits.

Cheerio

Aleesha

Quad-Output Video Card....Maybe.

2005-06-11T18:54:00.000+10:00

Like Andrew, my video card has also been on its way out for a few weeks now. It's replacement arrived yesterday, sporting separate DVI, VGA, Composite and S-Video outputs. In theory, that's 4 separate outputs that could be used for our real-world purposes.

For those interested in tech. specs., this is my card (courtesy of eBay).

Delay

2005-06-09T01:06:00.000+10:00

Sorry for delays in tile construction on my behalf; hope to be getting a whole lot tmrw and the following days.

You may recall I said some days (weeks?) ago that I was having issues with my computer. Well turns out the shitty little fan on my pretty graphics card had died at some point and the chip was therefore slowly cooking. Of course I only discovered this today after the card burnt out entirely and was shorting out my mobo :|

Ah well; I'm back on track with a new card and will be breaking it in hardcore tmrw :)

text for the guides

2005-06-08T18:10:00.000+10:00

Hi,
How's it going everyone? This is what I thought the guides could say. It's a little tacky, but I tried to make it adhere to the criteria as well as I could while also accomodating us well. I can change it if you don't like it. These texts will live in speech bubbles next to their respective guides:

Grid 16 Speech (Hallway grid before the juction)

From the beginning of their journey, students must navigate their way
through university. With all the doors of opportunity opening and closing
around them, it is a world that can feel very much like a maze. The flows
and cycles of the Creative Industries precinct create an environment that is
no exception. Taking a step forward might seem simple, but moving forward
with certain expectations may take you places you would not have
anticipated...

Grid 22 Speech (The Juction grid)

Students make choices everyday. Some are minute and have little effect on
their academic careers, others are far more significant and will change
their lives. The path to the left leads to a lecture hall. The right leads
to computer labs. Taking one path will mean another is left behind. But
what does each one mean? There is only one way to find out...

Grid 19 Speech (labs lv2 exit)

For Students at the Creative Industries Precinct, computers are an
invaluable resource. They are a tome of information as well as a tool which
can be used to show what students have learned. But what have you learned?
As a first stop, there is little that can be done within computer labs when
nothing has been asked of a student. It is too late to go back so a student
can only go foward...

Grid 24 Speech (coke machine exit)

Beyond this point is the entrance to a lecture hall, one of the most
significant parts of university. But as one of the first places for a
student to go on the Creative Industries Precinct, it can be quite
daunting. However, students typically come together as a group and form
close ties which can sometimes begin at lectures once they take that step
forward...

Walls

2005-06-07T21:53:00.000+10:00

This is what I've done in response to the hallways. The colours can be changed at anytime, so just ask if they are off. Let me know. Also, I did the door for the level 1 computer room because I wasn't sure if I was supposed to. I'll post the speech bubbles tomorrow

Walls.zip

Patience is a virtue... guys?

2005-06-06T23:12:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone,
I figured since I am being waited on for some of the material required to complete the maze I'd post a message letting everyone know I'll have it uploaded on Tuesday(the 7th) afternoon. Yipee!

Frickin' Yeah...

2005-06-06T14:15:00.000+10:00

Have commented out some chunks of web-cam-specific code to allow non-web-cam owners to check out how things are progressing.

Click and drag the little smiley face to change the projections - I've only got enough source images at this stage to change the two 'spaces' on the top-left, but it's not hard to get the idea and add more cast members.

I've also adjusted the blend modes on our debugging map so as we can see Wassgoin'ohn™.

Frickin' cool. Bring on the tiles.

Download from GG's public_html page.

Drawings of Room 19

2005-06-06T11:17:00.000+10:00

Hi Guys

Here's a quick idea of the floorplan for room 19 - the Labs. Will draw these up in AI (Illustrator) and post them.

Cheers,
Aleesha

Here's some inspiration from Lichtenstein - try to use these colours & drawing style..

Uploading Resource

2005-06-05T16:02:00.000+10:00

I've created that uploading page I talked about on Thursday.

You can find it here.

Once you've uploaded the file you can just click on it under 'files previously uploaded' and copy the address into a hyperlink or (if it is a png/gif/jpeg) an embedded image tag.

Room Space Motion WIP & Filenaming Conventions

2005-05-31T12:13:00.000+10:00

Hi guys - thought you'd like to know what I've been up to.

The link below shows a JPG of:

Top-Left: Bounding box detection of object in front of camera
Lower-Left: Actual camera image
Top-Right: 6x5 array of 'spaces'. The smiley face's movement and position is controlled by the globCenter() method from the Xtra
Each space is highlighted when the smiley face 'apparently' passes over it (using the sprite.intersects() method) - I've had to use a workaround with a one-pixel sprite underneath the grid that follows the same rules as the smiley face- this prevents more than one square being highlighted at once.
As far as the stage is concerned, the 'spaces' are each placed in separate, contiguous layers. The 'message' window is able to put out the actual number of the space (or, in this case, the sprite number) that the user is in.

Check the screenshot.

File naming conventions

Imagine that the 30 spaces are actually a wrapping, 1-dimensional array
The top-left space is number 1, the next one to the right is number 2, etc.
The first space on the second row is number 6, and so on, all the way to number 30.

If we use a standard file-naming convention for the tile JPGs, I'd probably go with something like:

01N.jpg (The north tile on space 01)
26S.jpg (The south tile on space 26)

and so on...

Guide Image

2005-05-28T01:39:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone,
This is one of the people we can use as a guide in the maze. Personally, I think it turned out terribly and I spent far too long on it as well. I don't know why, I think I must have gone out of my way to make life difficult for myself. Anyway, I've posted to files, one is a jpeg so you can have a quick look, and the other is an .ai file that I would like someone to check if works in illustrator.
Can I please get some feedback on the image? I'm not sure what type of reaction I'll get in terms of judging it's quality, so let me know.If anyone really doesn't like it, I can try some rotoscoping to amp the quality Thanks

Illustrator File
Woman Image

Cokecorridore.ai

2005-05-26T11:58:00.000+10:00

Sorry for the delay and for not being there today guys; for the past several hours I have been trying to get my freaking pc to boot up. Looks like one of the peripherals shorted out overnight, am running on the most basic setup I can manage at the moment to get the bastard to start. *stressed beyond belief*

Here is that ai Probably best for you guys to develop your own template files for all 4 views so it's consistant.

Zach; will be typing that stuff you wanted onto TPVE now.

Tutorial Chats

2005-05-26T11:33:00.000+10:00

Hello

We have just been discussing the aesthetic properties of the maze. Zac and I have been nutting out our respective jobs. Andrew if you are reading this can you please send through your prototype 'coke room' file in ai format so that we can use that as the basis for the other walls? We just want to make sure the sizes are going to be consistent across the maze. Also we are trying to come up with an interesting solution for the 'Junction' room - thinking maybe a Stargate intersection or something like that which will move you from one space to another. Any ideas people? Well we'll keep going on the aesthetic front.

Motion Tracking Progress

2005-05-23T18:42:00.000+10:00

Gordon and I are sitting in the Motion Tracking Tute at the moment and have made some considerable progress.

At this point we have managed to track a 50cent coin by it's bounds, a bounding box and also it's centrepoint

Also we have a collision sensetive square that changes colour when the coin is over the top of it [to be finalised then duplicated 30fold to make a sensetive grid]

Alternate floorplan

2005-05-21T15:47:00.000+10:00

I'm a bit concerned about if it's practicle to do such a complex floorplan such as what zac came up with. With his permission I have come up with a more simplified plan of my own.

PNG Image of Plan
Plan in Excel

This one has brought down the number of tiles to 28 which I think is a more manageable number for our prototype while still having multiple possible endings and room for extension shown.

Maze Explanation

2005-05-21T01:17:00.000+10:00

Maze Explanation Right Click and 'Save Target As' on link

Maze

2005-05-21T00:05:00.000+10:00

Maze

Oh No!

2005-05-18T10:13:00.000+10:00

Hi Fella's,

Just logged into the blog & my scenarios haven't appeared! Oh no! The post must not have worked. I will re-post it now. Sorry.
Everyone's scenario's are really great - some really good ideas have come out of this & it seems we're all on the same track which is always a good thing.
I've made some more sketches of the layout of the rooms so I'll bring them in Thursday.

Hope all's well,

Aleesha.

aleesha's scenario's (take 2)!

2005-05-13T12:04:00.000+10:00

hello

hope this works! here's my design scenario's, hope you enjoy having a look at what i've come up with as much as I've liked looking through your works.

cya thursday
aleesha

Scenarios

2005-05-12T13:51:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone,
Here's a link to my scenarios

word

dan's scenarios

2005-05-11T20:27:00.000+10:00

Scenario Designs (04661117)

2005-05-11T18:07:00.000+10:00

Downloadable PDF.

Andrew's Section 2

2005-05-10T12:45:00.000+10:00

Despite discussing things with our tutor; every time I read the brief dor section 2 I seem to get a little more confused...

I'm going to post my work here for you guys to have a look at in the interest of creating a discussion we can all benefit from; also we have to post it on the blog by tmrw sometime; now is as good a time as any to start :)

**EDIT**
Compiled and Completed File; n5093864.pdf

NESW Aspect Ratio

2005-05-09T22:53:00.000+10:00

Upon working on a 3D model of the room, i noticed something which hopefully should be obvious to you guys (though it wasnt to me).. If the room is to be 12 by 9, as per earlier models. than the east/west wall tiles will have to be a different aspect ratio the north/south. Something to take into consideration matte painters.

[edit]

The wider the images are the better really, that way they have less of a chance being shadowed by the user seeing they will have more head/tail-room.

I'm going by the earlier sketch-2.jpg clickety click that the arena will have 12 by 9 spaces, making it like 14 by 11 metres (for shadows). To have projections with some height to them we'll probably need a ceiling height of like 8 metres, Which leaves the room at 11 x 14 x 8. Assuming a one metre gutter around the projections to account for shadows, that makes the long walls 12 x 6 (2:1), and the short walls 9 x 6 (1.5:1)

Prototype Apparatus: A Document Camera

2005-05-08T11:44:00.000+10:00

Was sitting in my ITB272 lecture on Friday night (around 8PM - the time of week when one's mind tends to wander), and my eyes were drawn to the [rarely used] document camera on the lecturer's desk.

On closer observation at the rear outputs, I noticed not only VGA and RCA, but also a USB output - in theory, making its connection to a PC nearly identical to a web-cam.

Not only that, but the camera is already mounted such that it provides the perfect viewing angle, and lighting is provided either side to eliminate any unnecessary contrasts in the image.

If I could only convince someone on the QUT A/V team to let me have a play with one and the Director Xtra, we'd have a winner.

When it comes to moving the 'Lego man' around under the camera, I'd probably just tape together three or more transparencies and blu-tac him on to the transparency - allowing him to be manipulated without any hands getting under the camera.

It's a tantalising possibility.

Lichtenstyle

2005-05-04T20:32:00.000+10:00

Was motivated to cook up a prototype tile. This is what I envision the tiles will look like. [note guide at the end of the corridor is an actual Lichtenstein]

View Prototype Tile

Do you know the space this is describing? Do you like the style? Am I way off? :p

Conceptual ideas

2005-05-03T13:39:00.000+10:00

Hey Aleesha,
I am just gonna post a beginning concept we could use for the project, it's just something to get the ball rolling anyway. So this is all speculative and you can say if you don't agree or like it.

The USER starting SPACE would be inside the entrance of the CIP on level 1. So if the USER wanted, they could look behind themselves and leave the experience (and university. We could have a GUIDE tell them they've left and how that effects their experience or something.)

They can move forward through the REAL (floor-lined) environment to reach the stairs or they can look to their left from the starting SPACE to see the elevator and activate it (Not decided HOW yet...)

So already there are two potential ways to go and the USER doesn't even have to move yet. The next spaces don't have to lead where they do in the real world, we can always have a guide create a segue to help USERS understand the virtual aspect.

Glossary

2005-04-28T12:34:00.000+10:00

Some creative grammar for us to use regarding this project;

User - Participating person
Arena - The area or room it is situated in - contains both the maze and the projection screens, as well as 'dead areas' outside the detection boundaries of the camera
Maze - The navigable space [grid] on the floor that motion is being tracked in.
Space - A square within the grid
Room - A group of 'spaces'
N,S,E,W [North, South, East and West] - The directions of movement, as well as unique identifiers for the projections
.... Real - The lines that define the space
.... Virtual - The walls that images [tiles] will be projected on.
Tile - An image to be projected onto one of the walls
Guide - A [one or more?] Lichenstien women within the tiles themselves who will lead the user through the interactions
Boundaries - The limits on what is detected by the camera - may be larger than maze size, but definitely not smaller.
User Input - Movement from the user from one space to another: equivalent to pressing an 'arrow key'.
Output - What the projectors are displaying.
Overlay - Additional messages superimposed on one (or multiple) tiles

The arena contains the maze, which is made up of a series of joined rooms, which, in turn, con be broken down into discrete 'spaces'.

To clarify; each sections of the navigation grid [Maze] constitutes a space; which in turn has 4 boundaries; North South East and West real walls that correspond to NSEW virtual walls. Each of the NSE and W virtual walls will have a tile projected onto them, providing the illusion of a virtual realm in which the user is immersed. These virtual walls are projected onto the internal walls of the Arena where the project is displayed.

I'm sure I have missed a few definitions here; see comments for Gordon to add to these. [please gordon? :p]

Ok

2005-04-19T18:10:00.000+10:00

Hello Again,

Just heard from Dan that everyone's gone home so I guess I was too late! Sorry people couldn't get out of work any earlier... d'oh! I'll be in tomorrow for the lecture so we can chat then. Thanks for all your hard work guys (big thanks to GG I am guessing?...) and see you round.

Lee.

Aleesha's Number

2005-04-19T17:49:00.000+10:00

oh yeah my phone number would help - it is 0431 408 520.
Thanks, & my student number is n2639645.

Where ru?

2005-04-19T17:46:00.000+10:00

Hi Guys

Just got the bus into uni from work & can't find anyone in any of the computer rooms! Can you send me a quick text (run out of credit I'm afraid) letting me know if you are at uni or not?

Thanks,
Aleesha

Project Proposal: Near Complete

2005-04-19T16:53:00.000+10:00

This proposal needs some student numbers on the front page. It addresses all criteria and length requirements.

Download Word Doc

A flash of genius!

2005-04-19T16:30:00.000+10:00

Hey,
Gordon came up with a cool idea for a metaphor for having ideas or options in the maze. When a user moves through the maze and chooses to stray from the original path, they can turn a second light (or something to that effect) as a metaphor for having that (that being the idea to stray) idea. Yay! If that is confusing, just talk to me or GG.

Zac.

2005-04-19T16:24:00.000+10:00

I'm sorry I can't make it in today; have been seriously bogged down with work. With this due in Thursday's tute - can I ask that everyone post an outline of what they think should go into the synopsis;

A paragraph synopsis of the proposed work no more then 500 wrds;

_{[from the OLT]}

Just pointform will suffice. I will draft up the synopsis tonight and post it back here for you to check on and make any corrections tmrw. Does that work for everyone?

NB: Please see my [belated] responce to 'Group Roles'.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I Need Ya, Tomorrow

2005-04-18T19:42:00.000+10:00

You're only a day away...

Will be in tute room tomorrow afternoon after work from 4PM onwards. See you crazy cats there.

meeting

2005-04-18T14:23:00.000+10:00

Any night is cool with me, just txt me in the day som i'm ok to drive that night : )

oops

2005-04-18T13:38:00.000+10:00

Sorry Zack I just saw your post. I'm working Wednesday until 5pm but can come along after that. Otherwise Tuesday after 5pm suits me as well. Let me know where & when & I'll be there.
Aleesha.

Meeting up to complete the assignment

2005-04-18T13:35:00.000+10:00

Hi Guys,

Seeing as the assignment Stage 1 is due this Wednesday do you think we should meet up to complete it? Can everyone make Tuesday night? Any other suggestions?

Aleesha.

It works! The silly thing works!

2005-04-14T19:33:00.000+10:00

Fired up Director tonight and installed the WebCam Xtra plugin - once the installation niggles were out of the way, I fired up one of the demo coded programs and was amazed by what I saw!

It works - straight 'out of the box' - with nothing but a dodgy no-name $20 webcam!

I was impressed, to say the least.

Probably the most useful demo I've looked at so far is called 'cactus' - it gives an edge tracer of what the camera is looking at - the stronger the contrast, the 'furrier' the edge. Very cool.

Now to dig under the bonnet and tinker with it's ticker...

Group Roles

2005-04-14T11:26:00.000+10:00

A list of each group member's role in production:

Director Programming / WebCam Xtra Integration

Gordon

Andrew

These two characters will be responsible for generating a Director application that reads a user's location via the WebCam xtra, then changes the projected images accordingly.

Concept Development, Texture Design

Aleesha

Aleesha and Zac will take on the role of designing textures to be projected as the user navigates their way through the invisible maze. This role will entail room design, creating an atmosphere and reinforcing the ecology of the proposed environment.

Video Mock-Up of 'Proof of Concept'

Because a real-world implementation of four projectors and four screens may be very difficult (and outside the scope and budget of this project), Dan will attempt to 'film' what a proposed user experience would look like as they navigate through the invisible maze, then slice it up into a Quicktime/WMV movie.

Comments/queries/questions/concerns? Whack on a comment.

Artistic Concepts....

2005-04-14T11:23:00.000+10:00

Hi Guys,

I've just been brainstorming on ideas for our projections for the maze - I'm thinking Roy Lichtenstein Paintings of interiors (see http://www.woosterprojects.com/Lichtenstein.htm ), I think we could transfer this style onto aspects of the Creative Industries site - the classrooms, computers, students; the hallways, coke machine; the architectural space itself. I'm imagining these bright coloured images projected onto the walls of our maze, changing as the user turns or proceeds through the maze, and even portraits, like the one below, to pop up around corners giving clues or hints as to where the user should turn next in our maze. Having had a chat to Zac he thinks we could make these up using Freehand (800 x 600pix) so that they project well onto the walls. I've also got some HUGE canvases which we could maybe think of using so we have some 'real' texture (maybe a bit much but just an idea).

Also after reading Zac's entry I tend to agree with his idea of the Invisible Maze - breaking the rules and boundaries of our years at Uni - I think that was our original plan and definately the strongest point in our concept. The lines on the floor really will force the user to think 'outside of the box', taking another path to make it through the maze. I can see the lines from the projections on the wall continuing onto the floor and turning into the maze. I think we can't go too far away from the concept of 'invisible' - the images on the floor and wall shouldn't necessarily project the correct way to progress through the maze (maybe just act to show the player their position in the maze), they should merely avert the concentration of the player. The player should therefore be guided through the maze by movement alone, receiving sound or sight prompts if they take the incorrect way. Does this make sense? I think again we need to nut out our original concept - is the user moving because of what they see (ie. the projections on the wall)? If so then this isn't an invisble maze. However, if the walls only change because of the motion sensors then yes this is an invisible maze. Am I confusing everyone?

Well let me know what you think?

Aleesha.

Other Student Project Using WebCam Xtra

2005-04-14T10:57:00.000+10:00

A run-down on a small-scale project (smaller than ours, even) created by students using the WebCam Xtra.

Physical Motion Interface

Who needs an EyeToy?

2005-04-14T10:39:00.000+10:00

Need inspiration for the project but don't have a PS2 and EyeToy?

Check PlaydoCAM.

Director Xtra: Motion Sensing via Webcam

2005-04-14T10:32:00.000+10:00

Myron Webcam Xtra

A worthwhile visit, for anyone's who's got a copy of Director and a webcam at home.

Proposal (Due April 20th)

2005-04-14T10:09:00.000+10:00

As part of the assessment, we'll need to flesh out:

Title

A paragraph synopsis of the proposed work no more then 500 wrds

An outline of the project plan

A list of each group members role in the production

the URL for group weblog/website

Since items 1, 4 and 5 are pretty much complete (will need to be enumerated, however), we should be able to spend a half hour or so cracking out the synopsis and proposed plan as a team.

No More Beam-Breakers

2005-04-13T16:28:00.000+10:00

After chatting with Glen, Aleesha and Zac last week, I decided to go back to the drawing board and try and utilize a digital camera as a means of picking up the motion, looking down on a room and feeding the image back to a PC.

In this prototype sketch, the four different projections, while not accurate, are shown as a means of manipulating the various cast members if we were to make this a Director prototype app.

The green lines are just a messy maze outline I whacked in for demo purposes.

Interpretations

2005-04-10T08:33:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone,
After talking to Gordon and Aleesha in class the other day I realised how different everyone's interpretations of the assignment were. This simply cannot be. I suggest we each post what we think we're doing. I'll go first:

We're creating a visible pathway in a room, possibly with masking tape on the floor, that would be a metaphor for our journey through the CIP (like our time there doing our degree). But because we don't always go straight ahead the way we're meant to, the participant is given opportunities, indicated by audio and visual media, to stray from the path. In the end the participant may not end up where they thought, but they will end at an exit from the room, a metaphor for leaving the CIP.

That's just my interpretation.

Available for stuff

2005-04-06T05:27:00.000+10:00

Hey guys,
I'm feeling a bit useless at the moment in regards to this assignment, does anyone have any jobs that need to be done? I'm mainly talking to you, Gordon, as you seem to be our leader. Is there anything I can do to move things along more easily or quickly? Thanks.

Maze Tiles

2005-04-05T16:08:00.000+10:00

Stuff. To. Do.

We'll probably be able to use a small sub-team to start putting together a library of 'walls' for use in flick-scrolling mode.

For an example of the [technical, not artistic] style of graphics/motion I'm talking about, check out the Eye of the Beholder series of RPG games.

Download Eye of the Beholder

In short, a series of pseudo-3D, 2D tiles are needed; imagine they will be projected onto four different walls, and give the user an idea of what looking North, South, East and West from their current co-ordinates would give.

As far as locale and artistic direction go, this would be where we'd do well to further explore linking the project in with the 'ecologies' theme: will we re-produce a real-world location (possibly from another QUT campus), or possibly even use a real-world location's physical arrangement, but apply our own [far out, trippy] textures?

Good job for 1-2 team members. Any takers? 3D spatial skills and 2D texture skills recommended.

Tech Specs:

- Create an 8x8 maze on some grid paper with one or two paths, maybe even dead ends
- Consider that walls have no depth: create a N,S,E and W viewpoint from every co-ordinate
- Wall tiles do not have to be unique (otherwise you'd end up with 8 x 8 x 4 tiles)
- Explore possibility of having 'themed' rooms
- Each wall tile should, ideally, convey a sense of depth, and be a minimum 640 x 480 px resolution

Who Set Us Up?

2005-04-04T17:29:00.000+10:00

I can't remember who set this blog up... Andrew? Dan? Zac? Anyhoo. Doesn't matter, so much as allowing Glen (our tutor) access to post anonymous comments. It would appear that only the instigator presently has permissions to do that...

Schematics Sketch

2005-03-29T21:53:00.000+10:00

Here's a rough overall schematic of what I was envisioning for the invisible maze. Components shown include the data projectors, PC, beam breakers and the magical "co-ordinates" circuit board.

A larger image is available if you want to click on it.

Magical circuitry schematic coming soon...

Chat to our Glen our Tutor

2005-03-24T12:58:00.000+10:00

Hi Guys

I just had a quick chat to Glen regarding out "invisible maze" concept for our project. He seemed to think it was a good idea and suggested a few things, which I'll try to narrate back to you...

* if we were going to make an actual life-sized installation then we should get equipment sorted out now.
* we should skip motion sensors until we get the project built and then if we have time chuck them in afterwards.
* a mock-up would probably be the best in this class
* if we didn't want to do an actual installation we should do a mock-up and give someone a sprite as a character to move around the maze

oh have run out of time have to get to my next class

happy easter!

Scout's Cage

2005-03-24T12:13:00.000+10:00

Hi Guys

I was visiting a friend the other day who has a very boisterous Beagle called Scout. Scout escapes so often my friend has had to hook up a 'invisible' cage around the parameter of their yard (even though the fence is 2 metres high!). The wires are run around the parameter of the property and plugged into the mains then Scoutie wears a collar which when close to the parameter, gives him a little electric shock. Sounds cruel but I guess much better than him being run over by a passing motorist. Anyway I thought this 'invisible' cage might be useful for our project. It is completely portable (they take it on holidays with them to keep him in) and quiet safe for humans to use (I had a go and it really gives you quite a shock!). Might be another element we could add to our Invisible Maze?

Aleesha.

Discussing discussions...

2005-03-23T09:16:00.000+10:00

Hey Y'all,
After the lecture tomorrow we really should discuss our idea and write down and finalise something we can use as like a basis for our future work. Like a mission statement or something. I reakon that would be good because we're in a group and we're not totally clear on what everyone in the group thinks is going on. Okay, see you all tomorrow.

PS BTW My mobile is 0405 770 468, just in case it is ever needed
PPS Gordon, does anyone ever call you 'Flash'? They should, because it's a cool nickname! ..Ey?

Regarding time...

2005-03-20T23:39:00.000+10:00

Hi,
I posted a reply to Andrew's post regarding the tutorial. Can everyone please read it as I wanted to get together before we have a meeting with Glen. Thanks.

Sciencentre Photos

2005-03-19T10:56:00.000+10:00

Audio and Visual Feedback

The user places both their hands on the metallic [conductive] surfaces, and is presented with both visual and audio feedback on the state of their heartbeat.

The LED in the centre of the console displays a digital, numeric readout, while the speaker on the top-right of the console thumps rhythmically at the same rate.

Reflective Surfaces

The user's view is distorted through the use of continual reflections and a combination of patterned flooring. Ambient, gradually changing coloured lighting was also put to use.

In the second photo, the user looks through a peephole onto a mirror which reflects onto a mirror on the peephole's wall, and so on. Creating the illusion of depth. Again, this could be emulated through a simulated projection.

Projected Floor Surfaces

This exhibit suggested that, when walking across a narrow 'plank', the task became more difficult when our eyes perceived danger underneath (i.e. when the user was above a steep drop). The perceived absence of danger then made the plank walk easier.

Computer-generated visuals based on Human Movement

Zac makes his very own earthquake, with instantaneous visual feedback from the seismograph connected to the LCD screen. Zac does not have to wear any special equipment, nor does he have to know that he is interacting with a computer. The sign on the floor gives very clear, unambiguous instructions.

Humans closing the circuit

Placing a hand on both the aluminium and the copper plates allows the user to join a circuit (demonstrated in the analog meter on the top left).

Thursday's Tute

2005-03-18T06:11:00.000+10:00

I wasn't able to come to the science centre today so I am [presently] sitting in the KIB809 tutorial; thought I might as well let you guys know what you are[n't] missing.

Also; for those who missed Narrative:
_{The Lecture was a basic introduction to modes of narrative structuing; linear and non-linear (including stories that loop or contain parrallel plots such as Groundhog Day and Run Lola Run respectively). Most of the lecture was pretty terminology-heavy so it makes more sense for you to just check the lecture notes (when they're posted) then have me try to define everything here. Basicly though it addressed narrative that resembled gaming, though any interaction was carried out by the agent [character] rather than us the audience (something to be considered in KIB809 when looking at simulations or representations)}

KIB809
We're going back over Director and basic Behavioural Lingo which I actualy remember alot more of than I had previously thought I would. We are also playin with some more comlex behavioural scripting and proofing with a put command (to view output in Message window) - nothing groundbreaking here; anyone with basic knowledge in Lingo or a similar variable-based script will find it pretty simple.

From the content of this Tute it would seem that we are expected to use some degree of intereactive film in our assignment. Perhaps for us that would equate to a dvd-style nagivable movie that explains and provides sectioned footage of our proposed creation? As much fun as our idea sounds; sitting here in a director-oriented tute I'm starting to worry about it's relevance to the breif; let's try to get an organised concept done by next week to propose to out Tutor and see if it is suitable and feasable in his mind.

Technical Feasibility

2005-03-14T21:40:00.000+10:00

Having talked to a couple of guys at church about the feasibility of putting together a project like this, they agree that it's possible, but, to ultimately implement, will require a fair bit of cost (low-footprint motion sensors cost around $40 each), and a knowledge of programming microprocessors.

Ultimately, a grid of motion sensors could be arranged on a floor (or at alternate heights, depending on the type of obstacles we want to add) in order to be able to track the co-ordinates of the participant.

The co-ordinates could be determined by the programmable logic controllers (much like the circuitry of a modern keypad, I'm told), and feed the two two-digit values from a circuit board to the laptop's COM port via an RS232 connection.

Wow.

Then we'd have to write some C code on the laptop to be able to generate the visuals/audio based on the participant's current co-ordinates.

The beauty(?) of this arrangement would allow for a near-infinite possibile number of maze arrangements, simply by interpreting the co-ordinates around a different, super-imposed series of walls.

I am again reminded of the probability of NOT being able to create a life-size version of this project. We could easily demonstrate a mockup, maybe even create a table-top version using cut-down versions of the required hardware, but full-blown versions of the software and visuals/audio.

"Invisible Maze" Already Patented

2005-03-14T21:36:00.000+10:00

Okay, so we won't be creating anything original - looks like these guys have beat us to the patent office.

Looks like their mechanisms and ideas were/are quite similar to ours - we could take that as an encouragement that the project is technically feasible, I suppose.

Narrative lecture

2005-03-14T12:43:00.000+10:00

Hey guys(and gal),
I was thinking that those of us who have the Narrative lecture before we go to the Science Centre could always just not go to the lecture if Mr. Irish Gary isn't doing it. We can always get the notes... and besides, the Science Centre is a lot more fun.

From Zac.

____________________________________________________

Yay!! no contest.. gimme a S....... gimme a C........

From Dan

____________________________________________________

Sciencentre Meeting

2005-03-10T17:07:00.000+10:00

Ubiquitous computing? Maybe it's something we can find at the Sciencentre display. Or at least have a justifiable excuse not to go to uni next Thursday.

We'll all catch up outside the Queensland Museum (Southbank) at 11am. Some will be able to stay for longer than others, and that's okay.

hallo oversees frends

2005-03-10T12:34:00.000+10:00

ni hao! mi name is chen!!!!! want speak english?? yes!

Boom Shaka Laka Boom

2005-03-10T12:33:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone,
I don't have anything of interest to say, I just wanted to test out the blog. Uhh... yeh, I'm all set.