Author: Rudy Song

Exercise 1:

code:

int clicks = 0;
float a = 0.0;
float c = 0.0;

void setup() {
size(600, 600);
noStroke();
rectMode(CENTER);
}

void draw() {
a = a + 0.04;
c = cos(a)*2;

translate(width/2, height/2);
scale(c);
rect(0, 0, 50, 50);

translate(75, 0);
scale(c);
rect(0, 0, 50, 50);
}
void mousePressed() {
int s = int(random(0, 255));
int g = int(random(0, 255));
int b = int(random(0, 255));
int m = int(random(0, 255));
fill(s, g, b);
background(s, b, s);
}

Exercise 2: 

code:

int i = 1;
int r = 80;
int c = 0;
int x = 300;
int y = 300;

void setup(){
size(600,500);
frameRate(500);
colorMode(HSB);
}

void draw(){
background(255);

strokeWeight(10);
stroke(c,255,255);
if(c < 255){
c ++;
} else if (c >= 255) {
c = 0;
}

ellipse(x, y, r, r);
r += i;
if(r >= 300){
i = -i;
r += i;
}
if(r <= 60){
i = 1;
r += i;
}
}

void keyPressed(){
if(key == CODED){
if(keyCode == UP && y > 0){
y -= 20;
}

if(keyCode == DOWN && y < height){
y += 20;
}

if(keyCode == LEFT && x > 0){
x -= 20;
}

if(keyCode == RIGHT && x < width){
x += 20;
}
}
}

Note: 

For this week’s recitation, I have initially run into some troubles to make animations based on my previous drawing. However, I managed to create to meet the exercise need, although it is not exactly what I expected it to be. Eric said to me that sometimes coding just gave us surprises. But there are several points that worth noting for my future studies. For instance, how to introduce float values to create animation and refer to if condition to shift values that define squares.  

In recitation 6, I chose to imitate carré coupé en 3 by Vera Molnar, and I was impressed by its depth in meaning but simplicity in presentation. This piece for me is what I believe a modern art piece should offer – leaving room for imagination and individual interpretation with the minimal elements.  

Enlarge

While doing the process of imitating, I decided to do a little adjustment rather than sticking with the original look.  I wanted to have a strong presentation of fading and fissuration and switch the color.  Coding was a bit more difficult than I expected, especially locating the rectangles while rotating it, and I spent quite some time in addressing this problem.

Enlarge

I knew mine seem a bit simple comparing some of my peers’ work, but I am quite satisfied with I came up with acknowledging my way below average coding skills.  It is not really a imitation of the original work, the art by Vera Molnar inspired mine. Mine is a bit rough compared to hers and does not really give the sense of internal fissuration but more a sense of moving. 

Personally, I think processing could be really useful in creating modern art, especially in laying out color clashing and the aura of machinery. But to a certain extent limits human innovation, since the creation has to be in line with the coding logic.

size(600,600);
background(255, 204, 200);
fill(244, 140, 66);
rotate(PI/20.0);
rect(50, 50, 500, 500);

fill(244, 65, 124);
rotate(PI/18.0);
rect(120, 100, 400, 400);

fill(200, 50, 100);
rotate(PI/15.0);
rect(150, 150, 300, 300);

fill(204, 102, 100);
rotate(PI/12.0);
rect(280, 150, 200, 200);

fill(255, 204, 200);
rotate(PI/12.0);
rect(300, 100, 180, 180);

My initial understanding of interaction is largely in line with “a cyclic process involving at least 2 actors in possible forms of senses” as illustrated in the previously assigned reading, and I rethought my understanding of interaction based on the previous group project as well as the recitation session for drawing machine. Notably, I would like to add that the actors are not restricted to be humans, interaction could be a mean involving human and machine, allowing individuals to entertain and interact with itself.

My partner Skyler and I started with the rough idea of making an interactive machine that makes sounds based on movements from the user it tracked. It may not necessarily involve a second person, giving room and platform for the user to interact with him/herself through the use of the machine. In addition, instead of making it a strict prototype for a musical instrument, we wanted it to be less strict with movement and sound translation, but rather offer the room of individual exploration. In this sense, people with less background in music training would be able to make music as easy as people with those. It would be more accessible for all walks of life while enjoying the joy of music making. We wanted our project to be as accessible while being attractive.

However, the process of making was not as easy as we expected. In order to track movements and make sounds, we selected distance sensors and regular buzzers. We started with one Arduino, two sharp infrared distance sensors and two buzzers attached to it. The buzzers were coded with the ¾ beats of notes in reference to the theme song of Netflix series Daredevil. Moving forward, we added more sets of buzzers and sensors to the model. However, user testing made me rethink the concept of the project. During the user testing, we have all the circuits attached in a cardboard box with wires left outside. From several users, we learned that the outlook and the sounds it makes does not really give a sense of comfort to the user, and it makes the user less attempting to use it. In the meantime, the purpose of it was not as clear that users did not fully understand what’s going on. To answer these, I asked myself if the user is not clear with where his/her inputs into the interaction will translate back to him/her, would the loop of interaction still happen? The answer is no. So, we went back and tear down the cardboard box, and attached all the sensors in one more apparent way, and in a sense, we believe the change made the user clearer with the purpose and how his inputs may translate into the output by the machine.

The final product, although didn’t work as well as we expected. However, I am generally satisfied with the trajectory of our conceptualization. Our final product, Music Conductor Stimulator, intends to give the user an opportunity to play a sequence of sounds without touching the machine while not being embarrassed to compose since the notes coded already came in melody and all of them are extracted from the same song. Digging into the concept behind it, I think this trajectory allows us to rethink the relationship between dance moves and music: we tend to think that people make dance moves when hearing the music, but would it be interesting if sounds could be the reflection of set of movements, which may already contain some elements of emotions in it. One of the projects I have looked into is called Bounden, which is a mobile interactive game that allows two persons dance with the instructions while the dance music would follow the pace of the completion of the dance moves. It would be fascinating to see relevant interactive projects giving more rooms for human movements and more flexible sounds made out of it. It would be interesting to rethink our project if we look at a similar instrument, theremin demo, it is fascinating to consider building our project into a multi-dimensional platform, in which each dimension would be able to control different spheres of a sequences of sounds: the speed of the music, the pitch of the music, and order of 3/4 beats.

Building upon this trajectory, I am thinking about a room with sensors from all four dimensions and all players are attached and stored with different sets of sounds in several different genres. The ultimate model would be room with that dancer makes dance moves and the sound will react to it based on its sensing of the dance moves.

Reference

http://playbounden.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdiYbCyQ4do