Seeing as my exhibition isn't going to be until some time in May or June of this year and because the narrative side of my project only consists of 20 different visuals, I have decided that I have plenty of time extend the story behind my project.
There are many ideas that I had for visuals that I didn't get a chance to film due to time constraints, but now that I have fewer deadlines to tackle and plenty of time between now and my exhibition I feel that it would be beneficial to try and film some of those ideas.
Filming additional video content for my project will not only enhance the narrative but also effect the randomness of the clips that are generated. Therefore this will have an effect on the users interaction with the installation.
My intention is for the user to interact more with the tree due to the expansion of the story. At the moment after a couple of touches the user will probably have seen most, if not all the scenes (not necessarily all the clips). This means that they will probably only engage with the installation for a short period of time.
However if the narrative is expanded then surely the users engagement will increase, as they will want to explore the depths of the story and how much it can morph over the course of a number of triggers.
Recently I have contacted my friend Robert who helped me film the previous set of clips for this project, and I have explained to him that I am looking to continue the filming process. He has agreed that it would be in mine and the projects best interest to do this and has accepted to help me once again.
We plan to meet up some time in March to discuss further ideas we could use as visuals and begin filming some time shortly after that.
Thursday, 7 February 2013
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
Storyboard - Exhibition
Even though there has been no further development on when my exhibition will be or where it will be held, I have to start making plans and preparations for the layout as soon as possible.
As I have stated numerous of times before both parts of my tree cannot be combined together until they are in my given room for the exhibition. Here I can erect the sculpture and begin distinguishing a perfect placement for it to stand.
I still have plenty of materials left over to be able to securely attach and plaster the two parts together, and then coat them with a few layers of white spray paint. People who have provided me with a helping hand throughout this process have offered to help with the transportation of my work and the build of the room. Having this help, the materials needed to create the structure of the room already at hand and also clear plans that indicate a suitable layout, the task of setting up my exhibition room will be much less daunting/time consuming.
I can't just simply plonk my work in a space without there being any real thought behind it. I have to take into account a number of things such as;
- Sound - where the speakers will be mounted in order for the sound to fill the entire room. The sound needs to be heard from more than one point in the room by the users to create a stereo effect that will make the user feel as though the sound is constantly with them, and not drifting away to unoccupied spaces within the room.
- Space - taking into account the amount of space I have to work with inside the room I am given, the positioning of the tree is the key element to making my installation successful. The tree should be visible as soon as you are about to enter the room, if not prior to you wanting to go into the room. The tree being on show even to users outside of the room should act as a way of enticing people. Grabbing their attention and drawing in their curiosity. Within the room itself the tree needs enough an space around the area in which it stands for users to be able to walk around freely, getting a 360 degree view. Having this available space will make interaction and audience participation a lot more free flowing. There also needs to be enough distance between the tree and the walls to allow the projector to display the visuals clearly.
- Build - the two separate parts that form the tree itself need to be assembled in a way that allows the users to interact with the tree and see the visuals displayed clearly on the wall at the same time. This means the branch that is sculpted on the top part of the tree needs to be located to the left or right hand side of where the projector lens faces. This will then make it possible for users to engage successfully with the sculptural and visual side of the installation simultaneously.
- Macbook - the laptop that holds all the data and gives life to the interactive side of the installation will need to be out of sight from users. This means that it will need to be hidden some how in the corner of the room. I could do this possibly by storing the laptop in a make shift box or behind a curtain of some sorts, making sure that a power supply is in full reach and connectible.
- Lighting - minimal lighting will be in the room, as I have discussed previously about the ambiance I intend to create. The only sources of light that will be featured in the room will be that of the LED light that is encased in the organ cast and also an LED spot light that will be attached to the ceiling directly above the sculpture.
- Wiring - all wiring that will be connected from the laptop to the tree will need to be securely taped to the floor so that trip hazards are not an issue. Also I would like to hopefully match the colour of the tape with the style of the floor to make the wires more camouflaged.
Below is just a quick sketch of a few possible layout ideas and which one I think will work best for when it comes to sorting out my installation.
This sketch doesn't necessarily mean that this will be the final layout that I decide to follow when it comes to designing my exhibition space. I will have to wait until I get my actual room as the specifications/dimensions of the room could force me to rethink the structure of these layouts. It is good to have these to refer back to though when I finally reach this stage.
Monday, 4 February 2013
Demonstration Video
Here is video I made to demonstrate how the interactive side of my project works. I won't say too much because I tend to ramble on in the video trying to cover all the bases for the examiners benefit, I apologise in advance.
The video isn't the best quality as it's all just been filmed on my phone and it doesn't show the final construction due to an exhibition space still not being available, but I hope this video gives you a little insight though to how all the components work and how they will all come together in it's final form.
Once my exhibition space is available and I'm able begin shaping my installation, erecting the sculpture, setting up the lighting and sound, and creating the right atmosphere that I want to provoke user interaction then I will film another video.
I'll create a more professional video that will better demonstrate user interaction and the kind of ambience that the installation will create in it's final form. This video will give those who can't attend my exhibition the chance to get a better understanding of my work and how all the different aspects blend together to create a constantly changing narrative with one sole concept.
I will keep you up to date with information on when my exhibition is and when I'll be able to produce this video.
Thursday, 31 January 2013
Music
During a talk with my tutors a couple of weeks ago over the video content I will be using for my project, and the way I envision my installation being set out, we began discussing the idea of implementing audio. Now this is something that I didn't overlook or not consider doing, it was just an aspect of my project that I thought I wouldn't have the time to complete.
With all the different areas of what I had set out to create in the short period of time I have been given, I thought it was nearly impossible to start considering composing sound to implement into my exhibition space. However I have surprised myself in completing both the physical structure and the visual displays way before the due date of my presentation of my work.
So over the past 2 weeks I have been working closely with a friend of mine called Alex Wiseman who is currently studying Music Engineering. He agreed to spare some time to help me create a piece of music that I could then additionally fill the exhibition room with.
I wanted to stray away from there being any sound related to the visuals that would be projected onto the wall. I wanted to create something that was more abstract and ambient, potentially creating different moods and atmospheres within the room that could then influence the users perception of the narrative they are seeing being displayed on the walls.
The objective I see for the music is to reflect the eeriness and overwhelming nature of the sculptural part of the installation. I wanted it to encompass the feelings people may have towards the space when they first enter it, not knowing entirely what the concept is behind it. I wanted it to be dark and moody, however have the tendency to morph into something else over a period of time.
It had to be something that was subtle and not too over powering! I didn't want the music to become such a huge part of the project. I merely want it to emphasise the nature of the room/sculpture, and at the same time have the potential to morph peoples ideas of the narrative.
Here is the first draft that was constructed from the ideas I had visualised in my mind. We posted everything on Alex's Soundcloud account and used the music software Logic to create the music.
With the draft complete I could see the purpose of the music becoming clearer and just how much impact it would have. I think without the sense of audio my project would have been lacking that essence that it needed to become a complete and final piece of work.
We came to an understanding that the music needed to be longer, needed some change of direction in various parts in order for user perceptions to be influenced, and also for more layers to be mounted onto the composition to create a much more masterful piece of music.
It was all heading in the creative direction that I intended for the audio to go. Alex surprised me in parts of this process with his input because I am not the best person at explaining myself at times, especially when it comes to what it is I exactly what I want to create. Yet he seemed to grasp what I intended for the music to do, and began throwing ideas into the mix sending the music in a direction that I really hadn't have fathomed. It was becoming everything I wanted and more!
We made the rhythm section of the composition a beat that reflects the state of a constant heart beat. This was to tie into the human nature of the sculpture and the life source of a person. Also it has relevance to the organ that I used to act as the holster for the trigger of the Arduino circuit board.
I attempted to have the LED that is encased in the organ cast flash to the same beat that is in the music, that way there is a lot more continuity and flow between all the elements of this project. Unfortunately to get the beat precise it meant that there had to be so many delays put in place within the code of the Arduino. This caused an interference with the way in which Arudino and Isadora work together, resulting in the videos not working properly.
In the end I settled just for a double flash with the LED light, attempting to make it a close representative of an actual heartbeat as possible.
The end result that we came up with is featured below. Having worked hard for days on this audio it makes me more excited than ever about structuring my exhibition together. I have a whole new element that feels like the missing piece to a jigsaw. It completes the project and creates a perfect link between telling the stories of the memories and emphasising the character of the tree.
I think it will work well in my exhibition space, creating ambiance and furthering the interaction between the tree and the user.
The music would constantly loop when it is playing in my installation. When it comes closer to the day of my exhibition or just when I have some free time I will edit the beginning/ending of this music on Audacity so that when it loops it will flow perfectly, giving the users no indication of the music stopping.
The gradual change in tempo throughout the duration of the music is intended to work with the randomness of the visuals when they are triggered and also the timing of when people come into contact with the tree.
People are obviously going to be coming in and out of my installation and interacting with the tree at various times. Therefore the music is always going to be at a different stage of playing, meaning the tempo is always going to be different when people begin to engage.
This change in tempo is there to have an influence on the way people are perceiving the memories that they are seeing.
The fact that all the clips have been cut up into 1 second snippets, Isadora plays 7 of them randomly when the light sensor is triggered and now there is constantly progressive music that rises and decreases over a period of time, this should all act as a tool for manipulating the story.
All these elements work together with the purpose of trying to get the user to partake more with the interaction of this installation. Bringing them back for another go to try and piece together some kind of understand of the story behind the project or better yet the story that they have created in their minds.
With all the different areas of what I had set out to create in the short period of time I have been given, I thought it was nearly impossible to start considering composing sound to implement into my exhibition space. However I have surprised myself in completing both the physical structure and the visual displays way before the due date of my presentation of my work.
So over the past 2 weeks I have been working closely with a friend of mine called Alex Wiseman who is currently studying Music Engineering. He agreed to spare some time to help me create a piece of music that I could then additionally fill the exhibition room with.
I wanted to stray away from there being any sound related to the visuals that would be projected onto the wall. I wanted to create something that was more abstract and ambient, potentially creating different moods and atmospheres within the room that could then influence the users perception of the narrative they are seeing being displayed on the walls.
The objective I see for the music is to reflect the eeriness and overwhelming nature of the sculptural part of the installation. I wanted it to encompass the feelings people may have towards the space when they first enter it, not knowing entirely what the concept is behind it. I wanted it to be dark and moody, however have the tendency to morph into something else over a period of time.
It had to be something that was subtle and not too over powering! I didn't want the music to become such a huge part of the project. I merely want it to emphasise the nature of the room/sculpture, and at the same time have the potential to morph peoples ideas of the narrative.
Here is the first draft that was constructed from the ideas I had visualised in my mind. We posted everything on Alex's Soundcloud account and used the music software Logic to create the music.
With the draft complete I could see the purpose of the music becoming clearer and just how much impact it would have. I think without the sense of audio my project would have been lacking that essence that it needed to become a complete and final piece of work.
We came to an understanding that the music needed to be longer, needed some change of direction in various parts in order for user perceptions to be influenced, and also for more layers to be mounted onto the composition to create a much more masterful piece of music.
It was all heading in the creative direction that I intended for the audio to go. Alex surprised me in parts of this process with his input because I am not the best person at explaining myself at times, especially when it comes to what it is I exactly what I want to create. Yet he seemed to grasp what I intended for the music to do, and began throwing ideas into the mix sending the music in a direction that I really hadn't have fathomed. It was becoming everything I wanted and more!
We made the rhythm section of the composition a beat that reflects the state of a constant heart beat. This was to tie into the human nature of the sculpture and the life source of a person. Also it has relevance to the organ that I used to act as the holster for the trigger of the Arduino circuit board.
I attempted to have the LED that is encased in the organ cast flash to the same beat that is in the music, that way there is a lot more continuity and flow between all the elements of this project. Unfortunately to get the beat precise it meant that there had to be so many delays put in place within the code of the Arduino. This caused an interference with the way in which Arudino and Isadora work together, resulting in the videos not working properly.
In the end I settled just for a double flash with the LED light, attempting to make it a close representative of an actual heartbeat as possible.
The end result that we came up with is featured below. Having worked hard for days on this audio it makes me more excited than ever about structuring my exhibition together. I have a whole new element that feels like the missing piece to a jigsaw. It completes the project and creates a perfect link between telling the stories of the memories and emphasising the character of the tree.
I think it will work well in my exhibition space, creating ambiance and furthering the interaction between the tree and the user.
The music would constantly loop when it is playing in my installation. When it comes closer to the day of my exhibition or just when I have some free time I will edit the beginning/ending of this music on Audacity so that when it loops it will flow perfectly, giving the users no indication of the music stopping.
The gradual change in tempo throughout the duration of the music is intended to work with the randomness of the visuals when they are triggered and also the timing of when people come into contact with the tree.
People are obviously going to be coming in and out of my installation and interacting with the tree at various times. Therefore the music is always going to be at a different stage of playing, meaning the tempo is always going to be different when people begin to engage.
This change in tempo is there to have an influence on the way people are perceiving the memories that they are seeing.
The fact that all the clips have been cut up into 1 second snippets, Isadora plays 7 of them randomly when the light sensor is triggered and now there is constantly progressive music that rises and decreases over a period of time, this should all act as a tool for manipulating the story.
All these elements work together with the purpose of trying to get the user to partake more with the interaction of this installation. Bringing them back for another go to try and piece together some kind of understand of the story behind the project or better yet the story that they have created in their minds.
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Construction Process Part 4: The Top of the Tree
It was my intention to construct the final stage of the tree well before Christmas but obviously there have been some draws backs due to other and a few bad days that I have been having.
This however has not stopped me in putting in as much time and effort as possible whenever I have a free slot available. This project means everything to me and I have never been more passionate or enthusiastic about carrying and finishing a piece of work.
Usually I become tired and lackluster, detaching myself from a project as time goes on. Not completing it to the best of my abilities even though I know I could have.
It is a whole different story with this project though as it gives me the freedom to produce something I am passionate about, and work to my strengths. It is this passion to complete this project that has kept me going because I know at the end of it all it will be something outstanding.
I recently completed the construction of the top part of my tree that will later be attached to the main segment of the tree trunk once an exhibition room has been allocated.
Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures to document the process but there will be a video available at some point where you will be able to get a look at how it turned out, and an understanding of how the interactivity of this whole project works.
A few altercations were made to the design of the tree which I will talk over now briefly. I was always told to consider user interaction and how many people would be able to use it at a time. Now with my initial idea I was going to have 4 separate organs that would act as triggers for interactivity, but after much consideration I decided to simplify my idea.
Having more than one trigger would mean that numerous people would be coming into contact with the tree at the same time, which could cause the videos to not play properly. This would mean I would have to restrict the users, making sure that only one person at a time has some form of engagement with the organs. This way the visuals would play without any interference from another user.
If this was the case then there would be no need for multiple triggers. Yes different triggers were assigned to different visuals but it would be very time consuming having one person going through all the triggers at one time whilst other people wait.
Also after viewing other artist's work I came to understand that simplicity isn't a bad thing, and over compensating can sometimes lose the interest of your audience.
For these reasons I decided to only create one trigger that would be the sole source of interaction. The heart/hand cast would be sculpted into one of the branches on the tree and play all the visuals of the narrative.
The other part of my design that I changed was the fact that the tree was now going to reassemble a broken tree, a tree than had snapped in half due to unforeseen circumstances.
After the trouble I had taking the first section of the tree to University and the damage that was caused, I knew that I was unsure of the stability of the tree. Due to this issue I would have to make the top half much lighter than I was intending do, and the only was I could do this was by getting rid of element of the design.
Therefore I cut it down to only having one main branch and the rest of it looking like it had been broken. This way it suits the interactive component of the piece and also takes into account the fragile state of the rest of the tree.
I was unhappy but settled with the idea at first, but over time I came to enjoy the fact that the tree was in this broken state. I think it adds more character not only to the tree itself but also the narrative. Is there a reason the tree is broken? Does the broken state of the tree represent death? Does is give relevance to how or when the person died? Did they die before they were meant to? Did they die young? Do the memories we see give us any insight to why the tree is broken?
It almost becomes another side to the metaphorical stature of the tree.
The construction process was very similar to how I have made the rest of the tree. It was all shaped out of chicken wire, then covered with cellophane, modroc and plaster. The only difference at this stage of production was the branch.
For the branch to withhold the weight of the cast that was going to be merged with it, there had to be a structure within the branch that was going to act as a support beam. Using pieces of leftover wood that I had used as support structures in the main tree trunk, I shaped a support beam that went through the diameter of the tree and up through the branch. This was all then tightly secured with the use of wire.
The branch itself was made out of chicken wire that at first was wrapped around my arm to get an indication of the length and shape of my arm. Then once I had removed myself it would then bent and morphed to have a crooked like nature, almost like that of a tree.
The organ cast was then slotted into place and wired to the support beams to ensure it doesn't come loose at any point during contact. Also the support beams take most of the weight of the cast so that the branch itself doesn't collapse or break apart.
Only modroc was used on the branch of the arm, again to compensate for the weight.
I gathered branches and twigs to implement into the structure, snapping them and then plastering them onto the surface of the tree so I could create the texture and realness of the tree breaking. Placement of each one had to be thought out carefully before they were placed as I wanted to create the true nature of the tree breaking, so they had to obviously all be directed to a certain point to give the view an understanding of which way the tree broke off.
Using these branches and the combined use of plaster and a chisel I moulded the top of the tree, creating indentations and carvings for texture.
A few branches were also added into the sculptural branch that I had created so that it had more of a resemblances to the realistic nature of a tree.
The next phase was to extend the wiring on my Arduino circuit board by soldering a bunch of wires together so that they ran from inside the of the cast all the way down the branch and into the trunk.
At each point of soldering I had to test that they were still functional by setting up Arduino with Isador and testing the photo resistor and the LED light.
I had to take into account the depth of the this part of the tree and also how far down the shelf sits in the trunk of my tree as this is where the Arduino is going to be placed.
The wires run down the external of the branch and through a little hole in the trunk. It has been done this was as it would be too complicated for them to run inside the branch due to the chicken wire and the support beams.
After soldering was complete I tapped the wires in place along the surface of the branch using electrical tape, ensuring that the LED light and photo resistor were firmly fixed in place within the organ cast. I then proceeded to modroc over the tape so that the wires were invisible to the users.
Once everything was completed I spray painted the entire thing white, coating it at least twice. I intend for all of the tree to be painted white when it comes to it being erected in it's exhibition space, but for now only the top part is white as there is nothing I can do with the trunk whilst it is in the storage room.
My only job then was just make sure that everything was still functional by interacting with the tree the way I intend for users to do so. For once everything went smoothly and the process was a success!
Below is a picture of the organ cast in it's final form, demonstrating the source of light that it will give of during the exhibition. You can also see the photo resistor in the centre of the cast where the user will be able to trigger to visuals to play.
This however has not stopped me in putting in as much time and effort as possible whenever I have a free slot available. This project means everything to me and I have never been more passionate or enthusiastic about carrying and finishing a piece of work.
Usually I become tired and lackluster, detaching myself from a project as time goes on. Not completing it to the best of my abilities even though I know I could have.
It is a whole different story with this project though as it gives me the freedom to produce something I am passionate about, and work to my strengths. It is this passion to complete this project that has kept me going because I know at the end of it all it will be something outstanding.
I recently completed the construction of the top part of my tree that will later be attached to the main segment of the tree trunk once an exhibition room has been allocated.
Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures to document the process but there will be a video available at some point where you will be able to get a look at how it turned out, and an understanding of how the interactivity of this whole project works.
A few altercations were made to the design of the tree which I will talk over now briefly. I was always told to consider user interaction and how many people would be able to use it at a time. Now with my initial idea I was going to have 4 separate organs that would act as triggers for interactivity, but after much consideration I decided to simplify my idea.
Having more than one trigger would mean that numerous people would be coming into contact with the tree at the same time, which could cause the videos to not play properly. This would mean I would have to restrict the users, making sure that only one person at a time has some form of engagement with the organs. This way the visuals would play without any interference from another user.
If this was the case then there would be no need for multiple triggers. Yes different triggers were assigned to different visuals but it would be very time consuming having one person going through all the triggers at one time whilst other people wait.
Also after viewing other artist's work I came to understand that simplicity isn't a bad thing, and over compensating can sometimes lose the interest of your audience.
For these reasons I decided to only create one trigger that would be the sole source of interaction. The heart/hand cast would be sculpted into one of the branches on the tree and play all the visuals of the narrative.
The other part of my design that I changed was the fact that the tree was now going to reassemble a broken tree, a tree than had snapped in half due to unforeseen circumstances.
After the trouble I had taking the first section of the tree to University and the damage that was caused, I knew that I was unsure of the stability of the tree. Due to this issue I would have to make the top half much lighter than I was intending do, and the only was I could do this was by getting rid of element of the design.
Therefore I cut it down to only having one main branch and the rest of it looking like it had been broken. This way it suits the interactive component of the piece and also takes into account the fragile state of the rest of the tree.
I was unhappy but settled with the idea at first, but over time I came to enjoy the fact that the tree was in this broken state. I think it adds more character not only to the tree itself but also the narrative. Is there a reason the tree is broken? Does the broken state of the tree represent death? Does is give relevance to how or when the person died? Did they die before they were meant to? Did they die young? Do the memories we see give us any insight to why the tree is broken?
It almost becomes another side to the metaphorical stature of the tree.
The construction process was very similar to how I have made the rest of the tree. It was all shaped out of chicken wire, then covered with cellophane, modroc and plaster. The only difference at this stage of production was the branch.
For the branch to withhold the weight of the cast that was going to be merged with it, there had to be a structure within the branch that was going to act as a support beam. Using pieces of leftover wood that I had used as support structures in the main tree trunk, I shaped a support beam that went through the diameter of the tree and up through the branch. This was all then tightly secured with the use of wire.
The branch itself was made out of chicken wire that at first was wrapped around my arm to get an indication of the length and shape of my arm. Then once I had removed myself it would then bent and morphed to have a crooked like nature, almost like that of a tree.
The organ cast was then slotted into place and wired to the support beams to ensure it doesn't come loose at any point during contact. Also the support beams take most of the weight of the cast so that the branch itself doesn't collapse or break apart.
Only modroc was used on the branch of the arm, again to compensate for the weight.
I gathered branches and twigs to implement into the structure, snapping them and then plastering them onto the surface of the tree so I could create the texture and realness of the tree breaking. Placement of each one had to be thought out carefully before they were placed as I wanted to create the true nature of the tree breaking, so they had to obviously all be directed to a certain point to give the view an understanding of which way the tree broke off.
Using these branches and the combined use of plaster and a chisel I moulded the top of the tree, creating indentations and carvings for texture.
A few branches were also added into the sculptural branch that I had created so that it had more of a resemblances to the realistic nature of a tree.
The next phase was to extend the wiring on my Arduino circuit board by soldering a bunch of wires together so that they ran from inside the of the cast all the way down the branch and into the trunk.
At each point of soldering I had to test that they were still functional by setting up Arduino with Isador and testing the photo resistor and the LED light.
I had to take into account the depth of the this part of the tree and also how far down the shelf sits in the trunk of my tree as this is where the Arduino is going to be placed.
The wires run down the external of the branch and through a little hole in the trunk. It has been done this was as it would be too complicated for them to run inside the branch due to the chicken wire and the support beams.
After soldering was complete I tapped the wires in place along the surface of the branch using electrical tape, ensuring that the LED light and photo resistor were firmly fixed in place within the organ cast. I then proceeded to modroc over the tape so that the wires were invisible to the users.
Once everything was completed I spray painted the entire thing white, coating it at least twice. I intend for all of the tree to be painted white when it comes to it being erected in it's exhibition space, but for now only the top part is white as there is nothing I can do with the trunk whilst it is in the storage room.
My only job then was just make sure that everything was still functional by interacting with the tree the way I intend for users to do so. For once everything went smoothly and the process was a success!
Below is a picture of the organ cast in it's final form, demonstrating the source of light that it will give of during the exhibition. You can also see the photo resistor in the centre of the cast where the user will be able to trigger to visuals to play.
Friday, 28 December 2012
Arduino Circuit Board/Isadora
Over the past few months I have been experimenting very lightly with Arduino and the Isadora software whenever I get the chance. As I have had other projects to be considering for other modules in my course, I have been lucky enough to encounter Isadora a fair bit.
This has given me the chance to become more familiar with the programme in the build up to creating the stage of processes that will inevitably bring functionality to the interactive side of my installation.
I was provided with an Arduino experimentation kit by one of my tutors early on in the module once we had discussed ideas of how I was expecting the interactive element to engage with users.
Every now and a again I would sit down with my Mac and the Arduino kit whenever I had some time to spare and just experiment with all the different functions and components.
Inside the kit you are provided with an experimenter's guide which gives you a tone of examples to try out, ranging from simple things such as flashing LED lights or spinning motors to relays and temperature sensitive triggers.
If you go to http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Software you can download all the software you will need to connect the Arduino circuit board to your computer. In this software package all the codes for the examples are already set up meaning that you don't have to worry about writing them. The only thing you have to do is make sure the board is set up correctly, and there are diagrams and instructions to help guide you, which makes the process relatively simple.
I was dreading this part of my project as I am not the best at writing codes or getting things like this to work the way that I intend for them to do so. Surprisingly though I found it a very enjoyable and less complex stage.
After spending so much time practising with the examples I found myself beginning to have an understanding the coding. I could then see how I could then begin to alter some of the previous codes I had come into contact with to then make the components I intended to use work the way I wanted them to.
Here is the circuit board I am going to use as the engaging factor of my project. It containts a 10mm LED light and a photo resistor which reacts to the amount of light that it is recieving.
It's a fairly basic board and in the future I will need to solder wires to the photo resistor and the LED so that they extend further, making them able to run through the tree and connect to the Arduino that will be concealed inside the tree trunk.
Also I have to purchase a red 10mm LED light as I only have blue ones at the moment and I want the LED to be inside the clear cast that I have created of a heart. Obviously I want everything to tie in together so a red light is the most suitable to use.
The LED light will constantly flash on it's own, having no connection with the photo resistor. I attempt to make the flash a ressmeblance of a heart beat. This light will be 1 of if not the only the source of light that will be featured in my room, and will act as tool to draw the user into the key place where the interaction takes place.
The photo resistor will also be encased in the organ cast but will be visible and touchable on the exterior of the cast. It will be set to trigger off the Isadora to play the visuals when a certain value has been reached depending on when the user touches it, permitting light from being seen by the surface of the photo resistor.
Getting Arduino and Isadora to work together was my biggest task during this stage of the project. Having no idea how to get the two to cooperate with each other I scoured the Internet for relative information that could help me.
Unfortunately not many people have written about using the two together, but I did come across this one blog that offered me the key information that I needed for my Arduino to work. It is very poorly written because the person who's blog it features on is Swedish so their English isn't entirely great, but you get the gist of what they are saying after a few reads and some guess work.
Below is the code I constructed for the LED to have a double beat that closely reassembles a state of a heart beat, and for the photo resistor to trigger the Isadora to play once a person has come into contact with it.
The Arduino Code
int led = 13;
pinMode(led, OUTPUT);
Serial.print(val); //Send a value to computer.
Serial.println(); //Send a value to eom
delay(500); // Regulate a frequency of connection.
digitalWrite(led, LOW); // turn the LED off by making the voltage LOW
delay(180); // wait for a second
digitalWrite(led, LOW); // turn the LED off by making the voltage LOW
delay(170); // wait for a second
}
Isadora
With having used Isadora previously over the past couple of months in other modules, and from watching the only set of tutorials that are featured on Youtube I found most of my stage easy to set up.
The idea was to have a constant black screen being projected on the wall at all times. Once a user has touched the photo resistor it would trigger Isadora to play 7 random clips and then loop back to the constant black screen, waiting for the user to engage with it again.
I used a serial port watcher to monitor the value of light that was being radiated onto the photo resistor. Also it acted as a tool for telling me how much light was in the room. This then helps me to figure out what value I would need to set the Isadora to for it to work coherently with the photo resistor.
Using a value watcher that was connected to the serial port watcher I could then type in a certain value that had to be reached before it would trigger the videos to play. This stops the trigger from constantly going off and activating the videos.
The challenge that proved most difficult was getting the videos to loop back to a constant black screen. I was able to get the videos to play once someone had come into contact with the photo resistor, but the videos would just continuously loop, showing no sign of going back to the start.
It was becoming an infuriating task.
After consulting with one of my tutors we figured a way around the problem that was more complex than we though. Through a range of loops and gateways I was able to construct a pathway that enables the videos to play randomly once they had been generated and then eventually loop back the black screen.
The loops and gateways act as a way of catching the looping videos after a certain period of time and then closing gates that restrict the videos from continuously playing. This eventually resets itself to a constant state and takes you back to the starting point.
I will be posting a demonstration video on here at a later date that shows you how it all exactly works and hopefully it will give you a better understanding of what I have tried to explain.
This has given me the chance to become more familiar with the programme in the build up to creating the stage of processes that will inevitably bring functionality to the interactive side of my installation.
I was provided with an Arduino experimentation kit by one of my tutors early on in the module once we had discussed ideas of how I was expecting the interactive element to engage with users.
Every now and a again I would sit down with my Mac and the Arduino kit whenever I had some time to spare and just experiment with all the different functions and components.
Inside the kit you are provided with an experimenter's guide which gives you a tone of examples to try out, ranging from simple things such as flashing LED lights or spinning motors to relays and temperature sensitive triggers.
If you go to http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Software you can download all the software you will need to connect the Arduino circuit board to your computer. In this software package all the codes for the examples are already set up meaning that you don't have to worry about writing them. The only thing you have to do is make sure the board is set up correctly, and there are diagrams and instructions to help guide you, which makes the process relatively simple.
I was dreading this part of my project as I am not the best at writing codes or getting things like this to work the way that I intend for them to do so. Surprisingly though I found it a very enjoyable and less complex stage.
After spending so much time practising with the examples I found myself beginning to have an understanding the coding. I could then see how I could then begin to alter some of the previous codes I had come into contact with to then make the components I intended to use work the way I wanted them to.
Here is the circuit board I am going to use as the engaging factor of my project. It containts a 10mm LED light and a photo resistor which reacts to the amount of light that it is recieving.
Also I have to purchase a red 10mm LED light as I only have blue ones at the moment and I want the LED to be inside the clear cast that I have created of a heart. Obviously I want everything to tie in together so a red light is the most suitable to use.
The LED light will constantly flash on it's own, having no connection with the photo resistor. I attempt to make the flash a ressmeblance of a heart beat. This light will be 1 of if not the only the source of light that will be featured in my room, and will act as tool to draw the user into the key place where the interaction takes place.
The photo resistor will also be encased in the organ cast but will be visible and touchable on the exterior of the cast. It will be set to trigger off the Isadora to play the visuals when a certain value has been reached depending on when the user touches it, permitting light from being seen by the surface of the photo resistor.
Getting Arduino and Isadora to work together was my biggest task during this stage of the project. Having no idea how to get the two to cooperate with each other I scoured the Internet for relative information that could help me.
Unfortunately not many people have written about using the two together, but I did come across this one blog that offered me the key information that I needed for my Arduino to work. It is very poorly written because the person who's blog it features on is Swedish so their English isn't entirely great, but you get the gist of what they are saying after a few reads and some guess work.
On their blog I found a piece of code that proved valuable to me, as it would ensure that the photo resistor would interact with Isadora. The way that they have written the code is so that any type of sensor will work with Isadora depending on whether or not the USB serial port is receiving information and of course if the Isadora serial ports are all set up properly.
Once I had constructed my code all I needed to do was make sure it was working properly by simply checking the USB serial port information that can be located through the tabs at the top of the Arduino software.
Below is a screen shot of the values that the photo resistor is sending out depending on how much light it was receiving. As you can see it was a constant state for the time I wasn't touching it but then each time I placed my finger on it, the values would increase.
This meant that the structure of my code was a success and it was all ready to act as a trigger for the visuals for when users come into contact with it.
My next job was structuring an Isadora stage that would allow the photo resistor to act as a trigger within the software.
Once I had constructed my code all I needed to do was make sure it was working properly by simply checking the USB serial port information that can be located through the tabs at the top of the Arduino software.
Below is a screen shot of the values that the photo resistor is sending out depending on how much light it was receiving. As you can see it was a constant state for the time I wasn't touching it but then each time I placed my finger on it, the values would increase.
This meant that the structure of my code was a success and it was all ready to act as a trigger for the visuals for when users come into contact with it.
My next job was structuring an Isadora stage that would allow the photo resistor to act as a trigger within the software.
Below is the code I constructed for the LED to have a double beat that closely reassembles a state of a heart beat, and for the photo resistor to trigger the Isadora to play once a person has come into contact with it.
The Arduino Code
int val; //Declare variables. any words are fine.
int ana = 0; // Value must be same as a number of the analog pinint led = 13;
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600); //Setup serial speed (it is important in a later
step)
// initialize the digital
pin as an output.pinMode(led, OUTPUT);
}
void loop()
{
val = analogRead(ana); //get data from analog
Serial.print(1,DEC); // discuss in laterSerial.print(val); //Send a value to computer.
Serial.println(); //Send a value to eom
delay(500); // Regulate a frequency of connection.
digitalWrite(led,
HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the
voltage level)
delay(130); // wait for a seconddigitalWrite(led, LOW); // turn the LED off by making the voltage LOW
delay(180); // wait for a second
digitalWrite(led,
HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the
voltage level)
delay(130); // wait for a seconddigitalWrite(led, LOW); // turn the LED off by making the voltage LOW
delay(170); // wait for a second
Isadora
With having used Isadora previously over the past couple of months in other modules, and from watching the only set of tutorials that are featured on Youtube I found most of my stage easy to set up.
The idea was to have a constant black screen being projected on the wall at all times. Once a user has touched the photo resistor it would trigger Isadora to play 7 random clips and then loop back to the constant black screen, waiting for the user to engage with it again.
I used a serial port watcher to monitor the value of light that was being radiated onto the photo resistor. Also it acted as a tool for telling me how much light was in the room. This then helps me to figure out what value I would need to set the Isadora to for it to work coherently with the photo resistor.
Using a value watcher that was connected to the serial port watcher I could then type in a certain value that had to be reached before it would trigger the videos to play. This stops the trigger from constantly going off and activating the videos.
The challenge that proved most difficult was getting the videos to loop back to a constant black screen. I was able to get the videos to play once someone had come into contact with the photo resistor, but the videos would just continuously loop, showing no sign of going back to the start.
It was becoming an infuriating task.
After consulting with one of my tutors we figured a way around the problem that was more complex than we though. Through a range of loops and gateways I was able to construct a pathway that enables the videos to play randomly once they had been generated and then eventually loop back the black screen.
The loops and gateways act as a way of catching the looping videos after a certain period of time and then closing gates that restrict the videos from continuously playing. This eventually resets itself to a constant state and takes you back to the starting point.
I will be posting a demonstration video on here at a later date that shows you how it all exactly works and hopefully it will give you a better understanding of what I have tried to explain.
Friday, 21 December 2012
Organ Cast
The other day I obtained a pigs heart from my local butchers at the market in town. That night I created a mould of the pigs heart whilst it was in my hand. I can't say that it was a pleasant experience, but an experience non the less.
I created the mould the same way as I have with previous one by using the Body Double Silicone and then creating a modroc cast to act as a casing for when the mould is being created.
Rather than use plaster this time I decided to use a clear water Casting Resin. I came up with the idea during the end of one of my tutorials.
I thought I could make the sensor more eye catching by creating a transparent cast which would not only hold the light sensor inside of it, but also a red LED light and possibly a little motor.
The LED light will flash constantly, like the constant beat of a heart, acting almost like a visual metaphor in a way I guess.
This added visual gives another dimension and aesthetic to the sculpture, and at the same time makes the interactive part more appealing, hopefully drawing in the user more to take a close look.
If I do end up putting a motor inside the cast as well, then the motor will trigger a slight vibration which will respond to the user touching the light sensor.
The Resin has very precise measurement requirements that shouldn't be strayed from, and just a little word of advice, if you intend to use Resin make sure you do it outside because it carries a very strong odour that is very hard to get rid of.
Here is how the cast of the heart turned out.
I created the mould the same way as I have with previous one by using the Body Double Silicone and then creating a modroc cast to act as a casing for when the mould is being created.
Rather than use plaster this time I decided to use a clear water Casting Resin. I came up with the idea during the end of one of my tutorials.
I thought I could make the sensor more eye catching by creating a transparent cast which would not only hold the light sensor inside of it, but also a red LED light and possibly a little motor.
The LED light will flash constantly, like the constant beat of a heart, acting almost like a visual metaphor in a way I guess.
This added visual gives another dimension and aesthetic to the sculpture, and at the same time makes the interactive part more appealing, hopefully drawing in the user more to take a close look.
If I do end up putting a motor inside the cast as well, then the motor will trigger a slight vibration which will respond to the user touching the light sensor.
The Resin has very precise measurement requirements that shouldn't be strayed from, and just a little word of advice, if you intend to use Resin make sure you do it outside because it carries a very strong odour that is very hard to get rid of.
Here is how the cast of the heart turned out.
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