Class Response 4/8

Seeing the Programming applications was very interesting.  I would be interested in exploring the interactive aspect of this type of art.  It seems that there could be very many architectural applications, both practical and aesthetic... especially if you could integrate sound, touch, various sensors, etc...

Independent Project Update

With thesis, etc... I have been spinning my tires with this independent project. I have looked into Christian Moeller's "Nosy" installation which is very similar to what I'm wanting to do in the facade of my thesis project. You can check the link below. However, I am starting to lose sight of the project potential of this, so I an considering instead doing research and putting together a presentation on responsive facades in general, as opposed to researching just the technology that I am using.

Christian Moeller's "Nosy" Installation

4/6 Class Response

I personally can't see Second Life ever being used consistently as an educational or practical tool. There is way too much baggage that comes with the idea of Second Life.  Experiencing that environment did nothing for me but reinforce my preconceived ideas that the people in Second Life are mostly socially inept odd balls that use Second Life as a way to supplement the lack of human interaction in their real life.  I guess I might not be as open minded as I thought.

4/3 Class Response

Seeing the Hive was cool. I was surprised how limited the graphics were... I don't know what I was expecting.  Also, again the VR experience was only centered around vision and movement.  Adding some other senses would have made it feel less like you were in a box.

MacGyver MacFanatic's 2nd Life Experience

2. Linden Village Pathfinder's Office.  He was holding his staff.

3. Edmund Faulkes AKA Matthew Sweet Marie

4. Alexa Shopping Center in Berlin

5. Rated PG... 72, 94, 178... I flew

6. The Book of Kells was on the Left... some magazine thing or something.  The Blarney Stone Irish Bar

7. I went to Fermi.  No one was building anything that I could tell.

8. I was in a room on a dining table.  I didn't feel small because there were other people to reference as far as size. A diamond Ring

9. The ability to teleport to class and having info (i.e. class schedules and things) at all times at your finger tips.  I think it would be good for people with accessibility issues.

10. Who Dey Manics because I'm a Bengals fan.

3/30 Class Response

I was shocked to think about the foundations for virtual reality being laid as early as the 1800's... but it makes sense.  Just like the Second Life guy was talking about, people have always wanted to explore the newest frontier.  Immersion into "worlds" that we otherwise couldn't access is one such frontier... whether that be the past as with the Battle of Gettysberg, or the future.

Independent Project

For my independent project I am planning on utilizing responsive technology in the form of transparent LED screens on the facade and inner courtyards of my thesis project.  They will serve as signage for the businesses housed within my project as well as responsive elements that react to the street and sidewalk traffic.  I have been researching different kinds of technology and have settled on this one as a display device because of the transparency it allows for my building facade.  I expect to gain a greater understanding for the ways in which responsive technology can be utilized to bring a sense of localism to a city.  Specifically, I think that by allowing street and sidewalk traffic to effect an element of the facade of my building will cause my building to not only be located on a city block, but to become that city block.  People will become a direct influence on the aesthetics of the building, and thus take a greater pride in the building.

Check out this link for the kind of transparent LED technology I'm thinking of using:

      https://www.inventables.com/technologies/transparent-led-film

Class Response 3/23

I find it extremely interesting how the cost of some fabrication techniques increases the likelihood that technology will be developed to streamline the process.  High cost forces innovation in order to maintain feasibility.

3/20 Class Response

Seeing the digital fabrication lab was eye opening.  When you think about all of the machines in a vacuum they seem imposing.  Seeing them in that small room makes them seem more accessible.  I was surprised at the detail that the CNC router was able to obtain carving into the wax.  I wish that these machines would have been introduced earlier in my Miami Graduate career.

Class Update 3/18

Introduction to Digital fabrication

I thought it interesting to hear that digital fabrication has been an additive technology in that fabrication machines are used to build other fabrication machines.  It's almost reproductive in how the old machine gives birth to the new one.  I was surprised to hear that 3d printers could print color and texture.  I think that has a lot of possibilities.  Finally, it seems to me that digital fabrication is really an exercise in proper planning.  One thing is wrong and everything won't work.  It must be necessary to have a VERY firm grip on the technology you're using.  Nothing you can simply figure out as you go.

Class 3/16

Short Class

The discussion on individual projects was what I expected it to be.  Now I'm torn between doing a paper and doing something hands on.  

Bottle Process

1. revolve bottle form            2. create cylinder

 3.move cylinder onto bottle   4. create profile for base

5.revolve base

As we played with the forms in FormZ we found it easier to fake the beer bottle with a cylinder instead of placing our funnel onto a full bottle.  This gives the look of a funnel and base placed onto a bottle.

Bottle Project Update 1

     Concept 1                                                       Concept 2                                   

Motive:We want to stray from the norm of re-inventing the bottle, and instead invent something that works with the bottle. We are thinking some sort of cover that slips over an existing bottle, stores pills, and can be used as a funnel to refill the bottle throughout the day. As a fun twist we are going to create a version specifically designed to target hangovers. Picture this... you wake up after a long night of helping Brad "research." You have a killer headache and you know water is the only thing that will do the trick. You look around and see nothing but a sea of empty beer bottles... and you have class in 10 minutes. With our invention you simply grab an empty, rinse and fill it, slip it into the pill sleeve along with some advil/tylenol, and away you go. Even if hangovers aren't your thin

g, you can be the only one in your class carrying around a beer bottle displaying your favorite brand. Nalgene, eat your heart out! Oh yeah.. and for this project we want to learn Form Z and use its tools to best render our contraption.

Method:
After playing around with Form Z we think it would be best to use a simple revolve to create a generic bottle to display our contraption. Then, create the 3 distinct portions (see sketch) of the thing separately, and put them together. We will probably use a revolve for the "funnel," a sweep along a path for the "tines," and either a revolve, extrusion, or boolean... or a combo of all to create the base/pill box (this will be the most challenging component).
Timeline:
I have broken down the project into distinct stages. Stage 1 is research and development, and has already been completed. Stage 2 is Design and Implementation and has been started, and will be completed by Wednesday the 25th. Stage 3 will be Marketing and Presentation and will begin on Wednesday the 25th and be completed by the morning of Friday the 27th.

Expected Outcome:
We expect to come out of this project with a good understanding of basic Form Z processes involving sweeps, revolves, and extrusions. We hope to have images of our 3 components separate, together, and in use (i.e. attached to a bottle).

The History of Adobe Photoshop

One could argue that the ideas for Photoshop were first born in a darkroom, where photographers have been using layers of negatives, and subtle changes in light to enhance and manipulate images since the first days of film photography. However, the computer program, Adobe Photoshop, began in 1987 with Thomas Knoll’s idea of being able to use a monochrome monitor to display grayscale images. Later, becoming a full scale image editing software, it was called ImagePro. Later renamed Photoshop, Adobe purchased the rights to the program and released it for Macintosh in 1990. In 1992 it was released for the Microsoft Windows platform. It wasn’t until 1994 that Adobe released a version of Photoshop with the ability to use Layers, a function that has made Photoshop the definitive software for image enhancement and manipulation.

Photoshop has continually developed, adding plug-ins, filters, and advanced image editing techniques. Recently, a budget priced, dumbed down version of Photoshop entitled Photoshop Elements was released in response to many other companies releasing low priced image editing software that promises to compete with many of the simpler functions that Photoshop performs. However, there is no current program that can compete with Photoshop’s ability to perform complex image editing, enhancement, and manipulation.

Today, Photoshop is still used by professional photographers. However, its reach has continually grown into other fields. Many novices use Photoshop for pleasure. Also, it is a popular software for graphic designers, architects, and film makers among others. As Photoshop continues to grow, image editors everywhere will be waiting to see what the folks at Adobe can come up with next.

I set this blog up for Mind and Medium.