Recent Posts

Reflection Essay - Broad, Leymarie & Grierson; Amplifying The Uncanny.

Samuel Ng

Tuesday, Sep 15, 2020 - 09:24:57 pm

@ SAM

The article, Amplifying The Uncanny, by Broad, Leymarie and Grierson offered an insightful knowledge of how machine learning algorithms can be optimised and used to produce uncanny results.

 

Machine Learning & Generative Adversarial Network

Machine learning is a system where pattern data are used to predict future data or other outcomes of interest. It is understood as an automated process of optimisation, Read more →

Categories: Research
Samuel, good reflection, with several nice observations. Particularly, it is valuable that you use your own knowledge and experience with generative methodologies to evaluate the arguments such as "GA = Zombie Art".

Phototropism: First iteration

rachbuttybutt

Tuesday, Sep 15, 2020 - 04:03:43 pm

@ beagles & golden retrievers

Done using processing.

In this example, the light source is coming from the right. Hence the tree branches out towards the right. They are created from adding branches from previous branches, with the trunk being the first “branch”.

At the end of each branch, there is a 60% chance for the next branch to grow to the right, and 20% to the Read more →

Categories: Process
Rachael, this is a good start, and all the observations you have made for enhancement and further development are relevant, so please go on and address them. Once you do that, you can go further, by creating an external object in Processing, which generates the growth factor (or growth influence) similar to a light source in nature such as the Sun. The influence of this object can then be varied, for example by moving it around the stage with the mouse, and by controlling its strength via keyboard or on-screen slider. Moving forward, you can add more than one light source object with different characteristics, time-based variability (like
...the actual sunlight, etc. For further development, you may try to expand your system into a 3D space. You can do all this in Processing. I hope this helps.
Look forward to seeing the demo!
Since we had no time to do progress update on your exploratory generative studies in the online class last week, please post it here before Tuesday 22 September 11:59 PM so I can give you some more feedback before you finish it up for the class next week. If you need to discuss it live before next class, do let me know so we can set up a quick Zoom meeting. At the latest, of course, post your final version before Wednesday 23 September 11:59 PM.

Movement with Neurons – Second Iteration *Updated*

Samuel Ng

Tuesday, Sep 15, 2020 - 10:42:17 am

@ SAM

Sketch Exploration/Changes

Reactive Trails

I have modified the particle trails to be more reactive based on its speed. For example, particles that are moving slower will have a shorter trail; particles that are moving fast will have a longer trail.

Initial Appearance of the Sketch

The initial sequence of the sketch is modified, whereby particles will “explode” with some particles leaving outside the sketch Read more →

Categories: Process
Good progress, Samuel. In addition to my previous suggestions that you still may want to try and work out, here is a simple one, applicable to both 2D and 3D geometries: different colors for different species.
Look forward to seeing your live demo!
Hi Prof, I have added a video demo of the simulation. Thank you!
Very good! One of the possible elaborations of the particles' behavior is to add some wiggle to their trajectories. This can be a slight sinusoidal offset to the main trajectory vector of the particle, with some inertia to the tail. Fish locomotion: https://youtu.be/bdm-SdIG8kk. However, this one is more on the aesthetic side, so first explore the enhancements that we discussed previously.

Project 1 Generative Study Process

Naomi Takatsuka Koh

Monday, Sep 14, 2020 - 09:22:15 pm

@ naomi's portfolio

This generative study aims to using magnets to manipulate natural objects to create spontaneous and random sounds

The first trial was done using corals. The magnets were initially hanging side by side however the attraction was too strong which did not cause movement, and I had to move the hold the magnet instead to manipulate the hanging magnet.

Second structure using an Read more →

Categories: Process | Research
Naomi, these initial trials point to three important aspects: mechanical, sonic, and elaboration as you progress with this study, and possibly elaboration through the second generative artwork assignment (if you decide to continue expanding this work). With the mechanical, you need to find the most effective suspension materials (strings), and the ways to suspend the objects and magnets, which will probably depend on the character of individual objects you choose. You need to do some brainstorming and experimentation for this. Sonic qualities of the objects you select are, of course, crucial, just like in regular chimes. This requires experimentation as well, but you can aid it by doing some research on the sonic characteristics of various objects that you can and would be interested to use. For elaboration, one possibility may be to combine several suspensions (objects with magnets), each with its own magnet, carefully balanced into a static configuration which can be generatively disrupted by slightly moving one of the suspensions or by introducing another magnet into the structure. Another possibility, perhaps for further elaboration, would be to use electromagnet(s) whose magnetic strength can be varied by the electric current which itself can be varied by one or more input parameters - analog or digital. With such unstable system as with several plain magnets, one electromagnet is enough for creating interesting disruptions. Electromagnetic "signal", for example in electromagnets used in electric guitars, is rich and can produce multilayered outcome. If you want to follow this idea, you can start with Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnet), and you should also talk with Vladimir on Thursday because he has been experimenting with electromagnets a lot. I hope this helps.

Project 1: Generative Study First Iteration | Once Upon a Huh?

Joey

Thursday, Sep 10, 2020 - 06:16:58 pm

@ jznki

Just to recap, I am making a generative storytelling project via HTML, CSS and JS Coding. The story progresses randomly despite the reader seemingly picking options to progress the story, giving them an illusion of autonomy or fate. This story will be centered around a parody of Fairy Tales.

For week 1, I basically crafted the structure of the HTML code Read more →

Categories: Process
Joey, You have a correct strategic outline for your project development. So, it is crucial that you have your page contents manipulation completely under control. Once you have that working, your hierarchy should be: 1. Specific text contents: keep the narrative snippets simple/short but witty and effective, 2. Visual components and images (if any) and 3. General design aesthetics. For the page contents manipulation you need JavaScript or jQuery DOM (Document Object Model) manipulation methods and techniques. This video tutorial shows some nice things you can do with DOM just with JavaScript: https://youtu.be/wiozYyXQEVk. I suppose you can do all you need with JS only. Here is the official reference page for jQuery DOM manipulation: https://api.jquery.com/category/manipulation/. Here are some of the jQuery methods with tutorial: https://www.tutorialsteacher.com/jquery/jquery-dom-manipulation. And here: https://www.tutorialspoint.com/jquery/jquery-dom.htm. Start with JavaScript, search StackOverflow for your specific needs, and do the web search. I am not sure if you need to use Bootstrap for this project, but it is up to you. I hope this helps.

Exploratory Generative Study

Praveen Ramesh

Thursday, Sep 10, 2020 - 10:49:41 am

@ prav

Themes

Shared Emotional Space, Virtuality, Latent Influence/Connections, Indirect Affect, Intimacy.

Concept

Exploring how our screens and phones have become augmentations of our psyche and emotions. Our phones are vessels that hold all the information about our lives — private and public.

We leave both digital and physical traces on our phones.

Physical: Fingerprints, the pressure, speed and direction in Read more →

Categories: Process
Hi Praveen, check this out: http://sites.bxmc.poly.edu/~lukedubois/projects/index.html?id=selfie
Praveen, You need to develop a clear structure and methodology for this project, and apply them. Here are some suggestions: 1. Select contacts: probably your most frequent and most interesting chat contacts in this period. 2. Select keywords to track: several (not too many) emotionally relevant but frequent enough keywords in your chat sessions. 3. Select a reasonable time frame for recording, establishing relations and making graphs. You may include a list of contacts and keywords in the final project. Contact names can be aliases, of course, while keywords have to be real. 4. While you collect the data, play with the design of the graphs. The design should be simple but informative/telling, and please try to avoid dryness. There are many excellent examples of representing relationships in modern data visualization techniques, so look that up online for inspiration to find your own style. You can also search for relational maps in data visualization. Also some of these books, some of which should be available at the ADM Library: Halpern, Orit. Beautiful Data: A History of Vision and Reason Since 1945. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2015. Klanten, Robert, N. Bourquin and S. Ehmann, eds. Data Flow: Visualising Information in Graphic Design, Berlin: Die Gestalten Verlag, 2008. Klanten, Robert, N. Bourquin and S. Ehmann, eds. Data Flow 2: Visualising Information in Graphic Design, Berlin: Die Gestalten Verlag, 2010.Lima, Manuel. Visual Complexity: Mapping Patterns of Information. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press, 2011. McCandless, David. Information is Beautiful. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2010. McCandless, David. Knowledge Is Beautiful: Impossible Ideas, Invisible Patterns, Hidden Connections—Visualized. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2014. Rendgen, Sandra. Information Graphics. Cologne: Taschen, 2012. Steele, Julie and Noah Iliinsky. Beautiful Visualization. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media, 2010. However, please do not lose yourself in books (you can always return to them later), but pay attention to the project as a whole. 5. Select a reasonable time frame for rounding up the project: final assembly and presentation of the graphs. I hope this helps.

Movement with Neurons - First Iteration

Samuel Ng

Wednesday, Sep 09, 2020 - 09:23:40 pm

@ SAM

Particle Prototype

Quick Exploration

To begin understanding how to move particles,  I did a quick research on the 3 properties that are commonly used to control particles simulation.

Alignment: steer toward the average heading of local flockmates Cohesion: steer to move toward the average position of local flockmates Separation: steer to avoid crowding local flockmates

The intention is to simulate the rhythm and harmonic movement of Read more →

Categories: Process
Good job Samuel! You have solved the basics quickly and opened a lot of space for fine tuning and further experimentation.
Hi Samuel, As you have established key functionality of your study, you can proceed with refining and extending it. Here are some ideas, approximately ordered by complexity, but please try them out according to your own preference and priority: 1. More "natural" or organic trails, e.g. with gradient fade. 2. Instead of constraining them into a circle, try gradual (but not too slow) initial appearance of the particles by entering from various directions outside the sketch window, and their accumulation into the school. Some particles can also leave the school by exiting the sketch window. 3. More complex scenarios: - Mix 2 or 3 schools of different "species" with different behavior/movement and aggregation criteria. Now the particles of one species also (probably) have to avoid the particles of the other species, but some of them may make mistakes, etc. - Introduce a "predator" to a school of single species to influence the shape dynamics. 4. Using simple 3D geometries for the particles, add a third dimension to the space, and visualize it with shading and perspective (size change) of the particles. You would not need the trailing for this scenario. You should start with a singe species of course. I hope some of these ideas will be useful and inspiring.
I would also appreciate if you can send me your Processing sketches up to now. Thanks.

Reflection — Marius Waltz, Closed Systems: Generative art and Software Abstraction

Praveen Ramesh

Sunday, Sep 06, 2020 - 04:14:29 am

@ prav

Overarching Thoughts 

Waltz mainly discusses how generative art in itself though highly precise and ‘controlled’ in the way the system which produces it is designed, its aim is to reproduce an outcome that is as close to nature as possible — organic and spontaneous phenomena which carry the inherent characteristic of ‘life’ itself — mutability and hence unpredictability. As Read more →

Categories: Research
Exceptionally well though and skillfully written! This is a good example of how a thorough and careful research and broader consideration of the topic can inform our creative work.

Generative Study - Generating sound using materiality

Alina Ling

Thursday, Sep 03, 2020 - 06:27:37 pm

@ Alina Ling

CONCEPT – Converting texture of three-dimensional forms into sound

My idea is to create a ‘instrumental’ system to generate sound using data from physical materials. To me, instruments are generative systems, while composed music are outcomes. Intrigued by our material perception, I would like to map the patterns of stones (primary medium of interest) and convert the visual data into sound Read more →

Categories: Process
0 comments.

Exploratory Project 1

Naomi Takatsuka Koh

Thursday, Sep 03, 2020 - 06:18:31 pm

@ naomi's portfolio

Reinventing the way wind chimes interact with nature using magnets

Wind chimes are a type of percussion instrument that created sound when they catch the wind. In East Asian culture, they are said to frighten away birds and lurking evil spirits. Wind chimes create sound in a chance based manner.

Project concept: reinvent wind chimes by creating a series of wind chimes Read more →

Categories: Process
0 comments.