Author: dteague@andrew.cmu.edu

Daniel Teague – Looking Outwards 06 – Randomness

Project name: Random-art.org

Link: http://www.random-art.org/online/

I found this by quite literally searching “random art.” It was one of the first few things to come up. It uses an algorithm to “randomly generate” art based on the title people input. While this isn’t true randomness, it does add a factor of randomness into the mix. I think that’s what I like about this: it has kind of randomness that makes the art meaningful based on what people put into it.

Note: I was unable to obtain a photo or other media item to display on this page. I recommend going to the site for examples of the art.

Daniel Teague – Looking Outwards 05 – 3D Computer Graphics

Title: Guilty Gear

Creator: Daisuke Ishiwatari

Latest releases: 2016 and 2017

While I am aware the prompt asked us to refrain from using video games for this post, I chose this video game title for two reasons: I was actually introduced to this title by my younger brother, and the interesting interaction of 2D and 3D models and styles within the latest versions of the franchise.

As previously stated, I was introduced to this title by my younger brother. Both he and I are big video game fans, but we tend to stick to our respective genres: FPS and strategy games for me, and RPGs and fighting games for him. Guilty Gear falls into the latter category, and so naturally gained the attention of my brother. Normally this would mean I would have little interest in the title, but watching him play it, I was intrigued by something. As one can see from the top picture, the game typically appears in what looks like a 2D format. Most fighting games nowadays, like most video games, use a 3D format. When I noted this, my brother corrected me, saying that, in actuality, the game was 100% 3D. As I was confused by this, he proceeded to show me how the seemingly 2D character models were in fact complete 3D models, a fact which became immediately apparent when certain moves were made or events were triggered.

This setup of 3D models in a semi-2D style absolutely fascinated me and my brother, especially in relation to anime, another media form we’re both fans of and which has often used 2D formats but recently begun using 3D as well. Many have disliked some of the 3D adaptations or additions to classic anime shows, and my brother and I agreed that the use of styles such as the type found in the latest Guilty Gear games would allow for flexibility in areas like anime that wish to both retain the “traditional” 2D format while taking advantage of the possibilities 3D offers.

This graphic style apparently involves special modeling and artistic rendering, as it takes special effort to make the 3D models look 2D from certain angles only. This likely means that special algorithms are used which keep the “camera” or viewpoint fixed in certain positions until any one of various events are triggered, or special care is required to change how the models look from different perspectives. Considering the game seems to be partially developed in Japan, where anime traditionally comes from, it seems likely that many of the artists involved in the games creation had some experience in both 2D and 3D rendering.

Daniel Teague – Looking Outwards 4 – Computer Generated Sound

Title: Foley and Computer Modified Audio in Video Games

Foley artist uses various materials to create sound effects, such as the footsteps of an alien insect.

Republic Commando Foley video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RMcuD1mGMg

Halo 3 – Anatomy of A Game – Audio video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ7KJPTZTRw

As someone who is both an avid gamer and an aspiring game creator, I absolutely love the way game designers create the often memorable and unique sounds one hears when playing a game. Whether it’s bashing an iron wok in order to create the sound of a hub cap, or using cut pineapple to make the footsteps of an alien soldier, audio designers are able to come up with ingenious ways of creating or recreating everyday sounds that we usually take for granted. In addition, they can use use computer software to modify sounds to their liking, such as when a voice actor’s audio recordings are tweaked to make them sound more like the alien creature they are portraying.

The above examples are from behind the scenes videos of two memorable games from my childhood. I hope you enjoy the creativity and hilarity of these games and their creators.

Daniel Teague – Looking Outward 03

From “Towards Resiliency of Post-Soviet City Networks”
From “Towards Resiliency of Post-Soviet City Networks”

https://soa.cmu.edu/asos-cupkova

Name of Creator: Dana Cupkova

Project: Advanced Synthesis Option Studios? (Didn’t seem entirely clear if this was the name of the project or the program certain projects fell under)

I clicked on this because of the interesting picture it had and its description, the latter of which is in the captions of both of the embedded pictures, and the former of which is the second embedded picture. The description the project page provided was interesting, talking about our need to change our approach towards design, architecture, and the environment as it becomes increasingly clear that humanity is having a major, and often negative, impact on the Earth’s biosphere. The project is supposed to help students test and practice new ideas and methods in this context.

However, while this was incredibly interesting, it failed to provide links to and clear, obvious examples of the works of students who have participated in this project. Indeed, my confusion with whether this is an actual project or just a program was due to said failure, especially as it was clear there are works by previous students.

That said, the algorithms involved in any of the works in this project obviously included some connection to the environment in which the works would take place, and it was clear the author (or possibly director) had a great interest in the interaction between civilization and the world around it.

Note: While it was clear this project was at least a few years old, with references to at least 2015 and 2016, there was no clear statement of when the project was started.

Daniel Teague – Project02 – Variable Faces

Project02

var eyeSize = 30;
var faceWidth = 120;
var faceHeight = 230;
var noseHeight = 40;
var eyeHL = 4;
var eyeHR = 3;

function setup() {
    createCanvas(640, 480);
    background(20);
}

function draw() {
    /*creating face structure*/
    ellipse(width / 2, height / 2, faceWidth, faceHeight);
    /*creating variables for eye location*/
    var eyeLX = width / 2 - faceWidth / 4
    var eyeLY = height / 2 + faceHeight / eyeHL
    var eyeRX = width / 2 + faceWidth / 4
    var eyeRY = height / 2 + faceHeight / eyeHR
    /*creating eyes*/
    ellipse(eyeLX, eyeLY, eyeSize, eyeSize);
    ellipse(eyeRX, eyeRY, eyeSize, eyeSize);
    /*creating nose*/
    triangle(width / 2 - noseHeight / 2, height /2, width /2 + noseHeight / 2, width / 2, height / 2 + noseHeight);
}
    
function mousePressed(){
    var eyeSize = random(20, 50);
    var faceWidth = random(100, 300);
    var faceHeight = random(200, 400);
    var noseHeight = random(30, 60);
    var eyeHL = random(3, 5);
    var eyeHR = random(3, 5);
}

This is a late turn in, but I had fun with this so I’m putting this up for others to see.

The variable creation was both harder and easier than I had originally thought (not the reason this is late). I wanted to create a mouth as well, but found that too difficult to create variables for. However, the nose felt like it turned out well.

Daniel Teague – Looking Outward 02

These shoe soles by Nervous Systems really interests me. I was a member of the Cross Country and Track teams in High School, so running equipment, such as a shoe and the design of its soles, are more interesting to me than for most people. This is especially interesting because it’s generating a sole to fit a person’s feet and running gait, or running pattern. This makes each shoe unique to that person.

Daniel Teague – Project01 – Face

face_portrait

function setup() {
    createCanvas(600, 600);
    background(256);
    /*Daniel Teague - 15-104b - dteague@andrew.cmu.edu - project-01"*/;
}

function draw() {
    noFill();
    stroke(200, 152, 105);
    ellipse(300, 250, 150, 200);
    fill(0, 0, 0);
    stroke(0, 0, 0);
    ellipse(275, 200, 40, 25);
    fill(0, 0, 0);
    stroke(0, 0, 0);
    ellipse(325, 200, 40, 25);
    stroke(0, 0, 0);
    line(235, 200, 255, 200);
    stroke(0, 0, 0);
    line(345, 200, 365, 200);
    stroke(0, 0, 0);
    line(295, 200, 305, 200);
    stroke(256, 0, 0);
    noFill();
    arc(300, 275, 75, 75, 0, PI);
    stroke(0, 0, 0);
    arc(300, 335, 75, 150, 0, PI);
    stroke(0, 0, 0);
    line(300, 405, 300, 455);
    stroke(0, 0, 0);
    line(285, 420, 315, 420);
}

I can honestly say this was a lot of fun to do. Playing around with the code to get the results I wanted was interesting and funny at times. I almost had a Kermit the Frog at one point, because the eyes were on the top of the head instead of inside it. Looking forward to seeing what we will need to do in the future.

Daniel Teague – LookingOutwards01

 

During my time at my high school, I was friends a number of people who were on the VEX Robotics team. VEX Robotics is a competition sport where a team divides itself into various groups, each one of which works to design, build, test, and ultimately pilot a robot. The criteria for the competition changes each year, and the competitors must constantly improve and test their designs. As a continuous and evolving sport and project, I was always somewhat fascinated by this, especially as technologies related to robotics, programming, and Artificial Intelligence (there is an autopilot phase for each match) become more advanced and more important to our everyday lives. It also introduced me to the possibility and area of robotic sports, where robots or remote controlled machines are piloted in the pursuit of some goal/objective. VEX Robotics shows how programming is affecting more than just computers and may soon have very tangible impacts in our everyday lives.