September 2022 – Page 26 – [OLD SEMESTER] 15-104 • Introduction to Computing for Creative Practice

Looking Outwards 03

https://www.archdaily.com/879626/minima-maxima-marc-fornes-theverymany

Marc Fornes’ parametric pavilion, entitled “MINIMA|MAXIMA” is a 2017 project created by the research collective THEVERYMANY for the 2017 World Expo in Astana, Kazakhstan. This 43’ tall pavilion is designed using parametric architecture techniques including Rhinoscripting. Not only does Grasshopper (the generative modeling tool in the software Rhino) allow one to easily manipulate dimensions and shapes as well as the size of the individual panels, it can be used in conjunction with Python to create more complex geometries. Although the sculptural piece consists of only curves, the individual pieces of ultra-thin material are all created as flat surfaces, and only when interconnected do they take on their curved form. Although the construction of the pavilion is similar to the construction process of carbon fiber assembly, the structure is made of 6mm thick sheets of aluminum, stacked together to make a sandwich of white, pink, and white. Fornes and his collaborators continue to develop their research regarding the material and assembly tchniques used in their pavilions and treat each structure as a research opportunity. The cutting-edge assembly techniques used by THEVERYMANY, as well as the uniquely thin yet self-supporting construction material, are two incredibly admirable aspects of the pavilion.

Looking Outwards 03

Media Lab’s “Aguahoja”, 2017

Aguahoja

The Mediated Matter Group’s “Aguahoja” is not only inspirational to me but also very compelling. I admire that this work is a collection of digitally fabricated biomaterials that require literally no work. The project integrates material formation, digital fabrication, and physical behavior of the biological world to create biodegradable composites that combine natural life with manmade goods.

The work involves water-based design and technology to integrate the natural materials with manmade goods. The pieces are printed by a robot, which I suppose must receive instructions on how and what to print by the designers. Along with the robot’s work, the pieces are shaped by water which I also suppose must have been programmed by the designers on how to function.

The creators’ artistic sensibilites are manifested in geometric patterns and shapes within the project. While the pieces are created by robots, the creators preserve the look of manmade materials, but also mimick the natural feel of the natural life.

Robotically printed and water-based design of natural materials conjoined with manmade goods

Project-02: Variable Faces; Face Variables

P2 Shirley

sketch

//Xinyi Du 
//15104 Section B

var eyes = 20;
var mouth = 20;
var face = 100;
var ears = 20;
var r // red
var g // green
var b // blue
var hairDeco = 20; //hair decorations
var hair = 30; //hair
var cloth = 200;

function setup() {
    createCanvas(300, 300);

}
 
function draw() {
    background(80);
    noStroke();

    // clothing
    fill(255-r, 255-g, 255-b);
    triangle(width / 2, height / 2, width/2-cloth/2, height/2+cloth, width/2+cloth/2, height/2+cloth);

    fill(255, 229, 204);
    ellipse(width / 2, height / 2, face, face); // face

    fill(255, 229, 204);
    ellipse(width / 2 - face / 2, height / 2, ears, ears); // left ear
    fill(255, 229, 204);
    ellipse(width / 2 + face / 2, height / 2, ears, ears); // right ear
    fill(255, 102, 102);
    ellipse(width/2, height/2+face/4, mouth,); // mouth

    var eyeL = width/2 - face/4; // left eye
    var eyeR = width/2 + face/4; // right eye
    fill(64, 64, 64);
    ellipse(eyeL, height/2, eyes, eyes+5);
    ellipse(eyeR, height/2, eyes, eyes+5);

    //hairstyle
    fill(r, g, b);
    ellipse(width/2, height/2-face/2, hairDeco, hairDeco); // hair decorations 1
    fill(r, g, b);
    // hair 1
    var x1 = width/2-hair/2;
    var y1 = height/2-face/2-hairDeco-hair;
    var x2 = width/2+hair/2;
    var y2 = height/2-face/2-hairDeco-hair;
    var x3 = width/2;
    var y3 = height/2-face/2-hairDeco/2;
    triangle(x1, y1, x2, y2, x3, y3);
    fill(r-30, g-30, b-30);
    ellipse(width/2-face/4, height/2-face/3, hairDeco, hairDeco); // hair decorations 2
    ellipse(width/2+face/4, height/2-face/3, hairDeco, hairDeco); // hair decorations 3

    // hair 2
    var x1 = width/2-face/4;
    var y1 = height/2-face/3-hairDeco/2;
    var x2 = width/2-face/4-hair/2;
    var y2 = height/2-face/3-hairDeco/2-hair;
    var x3 = width/2-face/4+hair/2;
    var y3 = height/2-face/3-hairDeco/2-hair;
    triangle(x1, y1, x2, y2, x3, y3);

    // hair 3
    var x1 = width/2+face/4;
    var y1 = height/2-face/3-hairDeco/2;
    var x2 = width/2+face/4-hair/2;
    var y2 = height/2-face/3-hairDeco/2-hair;
    var x3 = width/2+face/4+hair/2;
    var y3 = height/2-face/3-hairDeco/2-hair;
    triangle(x1, y1, x2, y2, x3, y3);

}
 
function mousePressed() {
    face = random(80, 150);
    eyes = random(10, 20);
    ears = random(12, 30);
    mouth = random(10, 25);
    hairDeco = random(10, 30);
    hair = random(20, 50);
    r = random(10, 250);
    g = random(10, 250);
    b = random(10, 250);
    cloth = random(150, 300);
    //
}

project2-variable face

sketch

ultrablack-LookingOutwards-02

In the second week, I already found I made progress. Last week the program I wrote has some problems, I spent hours to looks at it and trying to debug still did not work. This week open that program again and immediately saw what the problem was.

In this week’s project, I found the most challenging part is to connect the artistic idea to the code – in what way do I choose to realize it? It’s almost like creating a machine and a system or thinking of myself’s thinking. Or like navigation, looking at the map and figuring out how to go to my destination. Sometimes I have to create my own pathway.

Looking at Leander Herzog‘s website, I am fascinated by how much computers can generate and we call it art. I found the interactive art approach interesting. It’s important to think about the way people interact – is it by moving the mouse, by pressing the mouse (in the condition of giving them a mouse and a screen); by touching, by looking at the camera, or by speaking to a microphone… And how do we suggest they to do so? By using visual implications in order to stimulate their curiosity?

Currently, I’m glad that I know how to make a program that captures mouse movement. But other skills still need to be learned.

And most significant to think – in your generative art, is it a pure image, for the sake of visual effect, or it embeds some other information, or do you endow it a meaning? And do you come up with an idea and then create a program accordingly to realize your idea; or do you create a visual effect and then associate a meaning? What’s your intention? What’s the relationship between you and the image you create? Both ways for me makes sense and feels equal to me. But important to think about.

Looking Outwards 03: Computational Fabrication

The project that’s inspirational to me is a project done by a CMU Architecture student Madeline Gannon. Her project Reverb is a context-aware 3D modeling environment that allows you to create ready-to-print wearables that are based on your own body. Reverb employs computer vision, digital design, and digital fabrication techniques to translate your real-world hand gestures into intricate geometry that can be printed and worn on the body immediately. It employs a chronomorphologic modeling technique to generate complex forms quickly around a 3D scan. I picked this project because I’m interested in fashion and accessories and it’s interesting to see computational algorithms being applied to these fields in ways that we never expected. The modeling interface uses a three-phase workflow — 3D scanning, 3D modeling, and 3D printing — to enable a designer to craft intricate digital geometries around pre-existing physical contexts. Chronomorphology is a composite recording of an object’s movement. It helps record a full three-dimensional model of the object. The creator’s artistic sensibilities manifest in the final form by aggregating the animated 3D model to create complex geometries around the 3D scanned context.

Project Name: Reverb
Creator: Madeline Gannon
Year of Creation: 2016

Collar Studies & Wrist Studies
Source of Image: http://www.madlab.cc/reverberating-across-the-divide/

Srishty’s Looking Outwards 03 – Computational Fabrication

In 2015, a startup called “Eyebeam” showed many of its computational fashion pieces at New York fashion week. Computational fashion aims to touch upon many themes such as aesthetic, ergonomics, and intellectual property. What I admire about computational fabrication within fashion, is that it is extremely innovative and predictive of the future. Because traditional garments are made of fabric, they are fluid in nature. Today fluidity has become a popular style in design and architecture. Architects such as Zaha Hadid have been inspired by the fluidity of fashion pieces and reflected fluidity in their architecture.

However, the three main issues computation fashion desires to fix are flexibility, recharge-ability, and affordability. 3D printing has become increasingly popular for designers when modeling. But one of the biggest downsides of a 3D printed model is that it lacks malleability and flexibility. Designers at the company have found that by printing on different materials, they can manipulate it with interlocking springs to make naturally stiff material, loose like fabric or textile. Designer Bradley Rothenberg prints on nylon, polymers, and sometimes metals. He has used Python for the program Rhino in the past, but now uses C++ to allow himself to create more advanced structures. By increasing and decreasing his code and varying the geometric properties, he can control the material properties better.

Fashion technologies need to work throughout the day, and thus an important factor for computational fashion designers is recharge-ability. Eyebeam’s project director advised against having to plug a garment piece into your smartphone because it is inconvenient. Instead, professor Dan Steingard of Princeton University has been exploring energy options such as body heat, wind up solar, and bendable batteries. The third important factor is affordability. The minimum printing resolution for 3D printing is 500 microns. Because the resolution is not nice enough yet, there will have to be significant investments made in fashion technology.

Source:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/53wdx3/haute-and-heavy-exploring-the-possibilities-of-computational-fashion

Looking Outwards 03 Hannah Wyatt

CMU Architecture student Madeline Gannon’s project Reverberating Across the Divide unites techniques in computer vision, digital fabrication, and digital design in order to create exotic custom apparel. I admire the intricate geometric symmetry of the necklace, translated from real-time hand gestures through kinetic-based body scanning technology.

High fashion often encourages breaking stylistic barriers set by previous generations in order to create experimentalist clothing lines- which shares similarities in Gannon’s approach to the industry.

Model Wearing Digitally Fabricated Artifact

. I most admire the individuality of the piece, and the unique way the geometry conforms to the model’s body. The algorithm behind the work includes a chronomorphologic modeling technique, allowing for rapid prototypes and composite movement recording.

Video of Chronomorphologic Process Guided by Hand

Looking Outwards 03: Textile Interactions

A computational fabrication project I found interesting was the Computational Design and Fabrication Group at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Learning Human-Environment Interactions using Conformal Tactile Textiles. The project explores how the user has sensory interactions with a variety of various textiles. The textiles used are created via digital machine knitting of inexpensive piezoresistive fibers. They are then calibrated using machine learning techniques. The textiles are able to sense the various interactions that humans have with textiles, for example how they move, sit and adjust their clothing. The textiles then categorize the movement and store the data. I found this project particularly interesting because it is a small scale project that interacts quite intuitively with the user as opposed to the large scale intervention that we typically think of when we think of mapping human movement and interaction.

LO-03: Computational Fabrication

Quayola’s Unfinished Sculptures (“non-finito”) are a series of “unfinished” physical sculptures that seamlessly merges the digital and modern with classical sculptural styles of the Renaissance. Created by a generative system that carved out blocks of marble with a mechanical arm, these sculptures explore the tension and equilibrium between form and matter, man-made objects of perfection, as well as chaotic yet complex forms of nature. In programming this system, Quayola also took inspiration from Michelangelo’s unfinished series “Prigioni” (1513-1534). As an artist, I find the technique of which Quayola chose to employ in the making of this series to be especially admirable. Algorithmically, the system is composed of mathematical functions that processed geological formations which evolve infinitely, morphing eventually into the classical figures on display. Quayola’s code, then, essentially turns from an extension of his hand to an extension of the hardware which, in the end, results in an extension of the sum of ideas generated from both Quayola and Michelangelo’s brain – timeless, human and artificial.