Archive for August, 2007
Friday, August 31st, 2007
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Thursday, August 30th, 2007
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Thursday, August 30th, 2007
Posted in HD, News, code, experimental, libraries, particles, processing.org, projection, projects, video, video-art, vimeo | Comments Off
Thursday, August 30th, 2007

My first experiment in Perlin noise flow fields in the Processing environment. It’s not the most sophisticated algorithm, but it’s a start.
Thanks to robert over at flight404 for the help!
Cast: jzellis
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Thursday, August 30th, 2007
It’s sad to think that I have neglected metaphorical.net for almost a year. Broken things were not fixed. New ideas were not captured. Time slipped by.
So a while ago I have summoned up some energy and rebuilt metaphorical.net. Now it has a WordPress blog as well as a more unusable Flash thingie yet.
A new beginning!

Posted in happenings, info:milestone, information | Comments Off
Thursday, August 30th, 2007
For a while I’ve been wondering if it couldn’t be useful to be able to render proper HTML from inside Processing. While Processing is excellent for realtime graphics, the typographic support is a little basic when faced with the task of designing a more complex layout. Rather than write a new library, why not just use a fast HTML engine?
While there are quite a few HTML rendering engines out there, not all are very complete or indeed very fast. This might be one of the cases where using native code makes sense. Both Internet Explorer and Mozilla offer ways of embedding their rendering engines through native bindings, and after a little googling I was able to find JDIC – the JDesktop Integration Components project.
JDIC aims to bring Java applications closer to feeling like “real” desktop apps. I’m not sure if that’s a battle I would have taken on myself, but in any case they have exactly what I needed: A simplified web browser ready for embedding, able to use either IE or Mozilla as engines. A little coding later and I had a hybrid Processing / AWT application running a web browser. It will even support Flash and Java content, provided that you’ve installed the proper plugins.
The WebBrowser.setContent() function is perfect for loading your own machine-generated content, and events can be captured and processed appropriately. It would even be possible to have a hybrid application, with part of the interface being straight Processing and the rest AWT. I’m keen to try using this to create more complex on-screen layouts. HTML and CSS will always look much better than anything one could create using Swing.
See Flickr for some screenshots.
Code – JDICsample.pde
(more…)
Posted in Open Source, Processing / Java, Software, Web dev, code | Comments Off
Thursday, August 30th, 2007
My new favorite design tool is an open source programming environment called Processing (also known as Proce55ing to avoid confusion). The project, which can be monitored at Processing.org was created to teach the fundamentals of computer programming within a visual context.
The best part of processing is that it’s an open source platform and many of the projects created in are also open source, allowing you to work with, modify or alter the source code to your own satisfaction. From works like the impressive Fidg’t project to the awe inspiring We Feel Fine (closed source).
Check out Processing.org now and start incorporating programing into your works!
The above picture is some of my fashion design work using processing and photoshop.
Posted in ajax, design, javascript, proce55ing | Comments Off
Wednesday, August 29th, 2007
I’ve just uploaded the remaining files from the SIAA workshop to the workshop directory. They include examples for how to generate PDF, how to download your del.icio.us bookmarks using the delicious-java library and how to make HTTP requests using the Apache HttpClient class.
Thanks to the SIAA organizers and all the participants for a great workshop. I wanted to name all of you, but not everybody sent me their info. So anyway, cheers to Danny McNeil, James Brown, Chris Dunne, Pedro Mari, Javier Abanses, Li Zhu, Nick James, Mat Steel and Joe “Qubik” Gilmore.
Posted in Processing / Java, code, del.icio.us, http, java, pdf, processing.org, siaa, workshop | Comments Off
Wednesday, August 29th, 2007
The COS stores in London, Berlin and Stuttgart have just started running the latest set in the generated graphics series. The graphics are built in the gaming engine Unity3D and consist of a wind-tunnel engine (with a couple of built-in obstacles) and photos from the newly launched autumn/winter collection.
Here’s a screenshot from the running application.

Images from the store on Regent Street in London here.
Posted in code driven graphics, retail environment, unity | Comments Off
Tuesday, August 28th, 2007
Still happily living on jEdit for most of my scripting. I haven’t found an actionscript 3 edit mode, so I’ve made one. It is based on the original actionscript.xml and the Flash CS3 AsColorSyntax_3.xml file so it should have everything you can see colored on the IDE.
This edit mode doesn’t have any as2 specific keywords, so if you have to work on as2 don’t delete the original. Otherwise, you can just replace your original actionscript.xml file (you’ll find it problably in “c:\program files\jEdit\modes” if you’re on win xp) with this one. Make a backup of the original, just in case.
Grab the actionscript 3 edit mode for jEdit
tags:actionscript jedit actionscript, jedit
Posted in Actionscript, Software, jedit, output, programming | Comments Off
Tuesday, August 28th, 2007
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Tuesday, August 28th, 2007

While playing with the Tendril code, I started to get more and more fascinated by the particle engine that is creating the bubble objects. For this version, I shortened the main tendril lengths, killed off the tendril branches and pulled the bubble emitter back towards the skin of the main tendril (sounds vaguely dirty).

Quicktime version or check the Vimeo version below.
Tendrils mod from flight404 and Vimeo.
Posted in Processing | Comments Off
Tuesday, August 28th, 2007

Made with Processing. While playing around with the Tendrils code, I decided to pull it back a bit and just try a version that was more leechy and less planty.
Read about it here:
http://www.flight404.com/blog/?p=93
Cast: flight404
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Monday, August 27th, 2007

Visualists have a wide range of skills to cover. After you’re done figuring out how to create and edit content and turn it into a performance / live installation / whatever, then you have to deal with the technicalities of projectors?
Basic calculations for throw distances are pretty straightforward: a 3:1 throw ratio, for instance, means you need 3? from the projection surface to get a 1? image. But that’s before you throw in all the variables: what are the specs of the projector you’re using, what’s the lens, what’s the setting of the lens, what size image and throw will provide an image that’s bright enough for the job, etc. So, while there are various calculators online, by far, my favorite is this fantastic interactive calculator at Projector Central:
Projection Calculator Pro [Projector Central]
Video artist Maya Ciarrocchi turned me on to the site (thanks, Maya)! It’s useful for two reasons, even if you’re decent at arithmetic. First, it’s got an extensive database of obscure projectors attached to it, so you’ll prepared for whatever you run into. Second, it has adjustable sliders so you can try what-if scenarios.
Won’t be long before I put all of this to use. Wednesday, I leave for Pittsburgh and the Hazlett Theater, where I’ll be in residence for a week and a half installing a custom show for choreographer Grisha Coleman, written in Processing and Java. I expect this will be a trial-by-fire for me as far as projector setup and installation, with one computer display and five projectors, all in unusual locations. I’ll be sure to report back on what I learn, including what I learn the hard way.
How about you: got a preferred method for researching projectors and projector setup? Got some killer spreadsheet for your throw distances? Let us know in comments.
© Peter Kirn for Create Digital Motion, 2007. |
Permalink |
2 comments
Add to del.icio.us
Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under News.
Posted in News, Web, advice, free, how-to, online, processing.org, projection, projectors, setup, tips, visualist | Comments Off