Course Syllabus

48-559 / 53-559: Reality Computing Studio II

Spring 2018  |  Hunt Library, A5  |  M-W 2:30pm – 4:20pm
Carnegie Mellon University, IDeATe
Professors: John Folan, Tom Corbett

Course Website – https://courses.ideate.cmu.edu/48-559/s2018/

The term REALITY COMPUTING encompasses a constellation of technologies focused around capturing information from the real world (laser scanning, photogrammetry), working with spatial data (CAD, physical modeling, simulation), and using that data to interact with and influence the physical world (augmented / virtual reality, projection systems, 3d printing, robotics). Students in this course will work with the UDBS students to apply these technologies to real world problems such as residential design, sustainability, and infrastructure monitoring.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The 2017/2018 Urban Design Build Studio (UDBS) is working to design and develop an affordable housing prototype for a distressed neighborhood of Pittsburgh.  These neighborhoods are faced with a number of socio-economic issues, and new developments can give rise to concerns such as gentrification.  To address this, the UDBS is also designing a traveling experience center for enhanced resident engagement.  The challenge for our students is to use technology and experience design to actively engage the community and educate them on the benefits of the design and the opportunities for proactive, systemic change.

In Reality Computing Studio I, students performed the following tasks:

  • Gathered data to create an enhanced picture of the complexities of the potential housing sites
  • Generated a virtual recreation of each site to assist with the design process
  • Performed R&D and created early prototypes for potential experiences to include with the traveling experience center.

In Reality Computing Studio II, students will continue the development of these experiences:

  • Creating virtual environments that accurately represent the design for the housing prototype
  • Continuing to design and work with the engagement concepts to turn them into full applications to be deployed in the community

This semester the studio will focus heavily on the virtual representation of design,  specifically through real-time rendered technologies.  Students will receive hands-on instruction in the generation of these experiences through the full development pipeline, including 3D modeling and texturing, using game engines to add navigability and interactivity to experiences, and generating virtual reality and augmented reality experiences for headsets and mobile devices.   We will use development processes typically considered in the creative software industry, such as rapid prototyping and iterative design.

Students will develop these projects in collaborative, cross-disciplinary teams, serving various roles on the team such as programmer, artist, design, producer, and more.

This is a 12 credit course, as it requires a significant amount of outside-of-class work with your team to produce positive results.   Please reserve the appropriate amount of time for your classwork and respect the schedules of your teammates.

COURSE STRUCTURE

This course will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:30-4:20pm.  This class overlaps with the UDBS studio meeting time, and some students from that studio will join us to participate collaboratively.   Joint class times are expected to be used for coordination with teams from UDBS, review and critiques of projects, and delivery of relevant materials through instructor and guest lectures.  Course meetings will occur in Hunt Library A5 unless otherwise noted.

The schedule of lectures, workshops, and deliverables is subject to change according to project needs and team capabilities.   There are some established deadlines for specific deliverables, and the success of the projects are based on collaboration with the UDBS studio, as well as with stakeholders, residents, and consultants.  As the semester progresses, the schedule will adjust and evolve to reflect changes necessary in fulfilling project related obligations and responsibilities with collaborating entities.  Similarly, the execution of this work in the context of an education environment requires the development of requisite knowledge.  The schedule will adjust as necessary to ensure the development of skills and knowledge as abilities of individuals and groups are demonstrated.  

RECOMMENDED TEXT

There are no required readings for this course. Students in UDBS are required to read certain texts, so these are recommended below.

EVICTED: Poverty and Profit in the American City: Desmond, Matthew; Penguin Random House, New York, 2016

ACADEMIC POLICIES

For this course it is expected that all interactions, including those with fellow students, should be treated as though this were a professional work environment.  While this course offers opportunities to experiment with designs and technologies – and to take larger risks than one might in an actual workplace – you are still expected to exhibit the conduct of a professional adult at all times.

Attendance

Attendance is expected for all class sessions.  (Exception: If you are sick, stay home.  Do not infect the rest of us.  Please send a note to myself and/or the TA to let us know that you will be out)  Excused absences will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  If you know you will be out of town or have a conflicting appointment, please let the instructors know ahead of time via e-mail.  It is your responsibility to communicate and coordinate this absence with your teammates.

Class Conduct

Be on time and ready when class begins.  Repeated late arrivals will be noted and your grade may be penalized. Make sure that you are awake, engaged, and participatory.  Be respectful of our guests, our staff, and each other.

When computers are in use during class time, they will be utilized for work – not entertainment or social media. Entertainment websites and social media will not be active. Headphones will only be used for the development of audio elements of the project, if any.

Please refrain from bringing food and beverages into the classroom.  Our classrooms contains a significant amount of electronic equipment, so as a precaution liquids are generally prohibited.  We share the IDeATe facilities with many departments, please keep them clean.

Assignments

Project parameters and deliverables will be distributed at the beginning of each assignment.  If you have questions about the assignment or deadlines, please ask.

Students are expected to turn in their own work.  Do not cheat or plagiarize.  Please review CMU’s policy on Academic Integrity (http://www.cmu.edu/academic-integrity/).  Materials created by someone else (code, photographics, music, etc) should include proper permission and/or attribution.  Use of code libraries can be approved on a case-by-case basis.

“LAST KNOWN GOOD” POLICY:   Deliverables are expected to function during our reviews.  Submitting or displaying broken or unplayable builds may result in a penalty or incomplete grade.  It is recommended that your team adopt and adhere to a process to regularly back-up your work during development.  A cornerstone of a solid back-up strategy is having a “last known good” policy in place, where a successful and playable build of your game is saved as a snapshot, independent of your ongoing development.  Using this policy ensures that you still have something to show in class in the event of something going catastrophically wrong with your current build (which happens way more often than you think).

Grading Policy

Students in the Reality Computing course will be graded individually for participation and as a group for team assignments.  Team assignments will be evaluated for both project (the quality of the final product) and process (the quality of effort, organization, and teamwork put forth by the team members).  All team members will receive the same project and process grades, except in cases where an individual’s effort is shown to have greatly mismatched that of the rest of the team.

Grades for this course are assigned based on the following table:

97% A+ Excellent

Exceeds expectations
92% A
90% A-
87% B+ Good

Meets expectations
82% B
80% B-
77% C+ Satisfactory

Meets requirements, but not expectations
72% C
70% C-
67% D+ Unsatisfactory

Below requirements and expectations
65% D

Late Work

Projects and Exercises are to be turned in at the beginning of class on their due date. Late work will not be accepted without instructor’s prior approval and written agreement as to revised due dates and grading policy. Upon approval, late work will be penalized by a reduction in score of 25% per day late. Failure to submit work for any single deadline is grounds for course failure at the discretion of the instructor.

Incomplete Work

Incomplete work will not be accepted without instructor’s prior approval and written agreement as to revised completion dates and applicable grading penalties.

STATEMENTS

Recognition of Personal Risk

By enrolling, students understand and recognize that there are risks in travelling to and from work sites, meeting locations, and other studio related destinations visited regularly throughout the course of the semester.  Students acknowledge that they understand Project RE_, the primary work and fabrication space utilized by the Urban Design Build Studio (UDBS) is an off-campus facility and that the studio work requires the utilization of construction tools that may cause bodily injury. Students acknowledge that they understand the risks associated with using the tools and do so of their own volition. The Urban Design Build Studio (UDBS) collaborates with organizations that may or may not include individuals with previous legal violations and/or incarceration. The trade Institute of Pittsburgh (TIP), a partner in Project RE_, focuses its apprentice training on individuals re-entering society post incarceration.  Students enrolling in this studio acknowledge that they understand the working conditions and have elected to participate in the studio of individual volition.     

Intellectual Property

By enrolling in this course each student recognizes and consents to the assignation of all intellectual property rights from work produced to the Urban Design Build Studio (UDBS) and PROJECT RE_. Each student recognizes that work is collaborative and in the service of UDBS clients and the Public Interest Design entity, UDBS.

Permission to Use Photography and Work Product in Publication

Dissemination of information and practices employed in serving public interest clients is fundamental to the UDBS mission. By enrolling in the studio each student grants permission to Carnegie Mellon University and the UDBS in using work product for purposes of publication. All work will be credited to authors.   

Subject to Change

With the exception of the grade and attendance policies, parts of this syllabus including the course calendar are subject to change with advance notice either as a class handout or on the course web page, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.

Carnegie Mellon University Academic Policies

Please refer to the following web-link for policies regarding goals, rights and responsibilities of students at Carnegie Mellon University: http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/theword/acad_standards/

Carnegie Mellon University Student Code of Academic Integrity

Please refer to the following web-link for policies concerning plagiarism and authenticity in student work: at Carnegie Mellon University:  http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/theword/acad_standards/integrity.html

Retention of Work

The Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture has the right to retain any student project for the purposes of display, accreditation, documentation, educational or legal purpose. The work produced is the property of the UDBS and represents the collaborative efforts of the organization. Each individual relinquishes personal rights to the work and assigns it to the UDBS.

IDeATe LENDING / EQUIPMENT

Please read and become familiar with the IDeATe lending and purchasing policies, which can be accessed at resources.ideate.cmu.edu. The IDeATe facilities are shared student resources and spaces. As such, all members of the IDeATe community are expected to be respectful of the equipment, the spaces, and fellow students and their projects. Always clean up after completing your work, put things back in their correct place, and leave the lab in better condition than you found it.

Students may be required to purchase materials to complete class projects. For convenience, some materials are available for borrowing and for purchase at IDeATe Lending (Hunt A29).

TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF / OTHERS

Take care of yourself.  Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep and taking some time to relax. This will help you achieve your goals and cope with stress.

All of us benefit from support during times of struggle. You are not alone. There are many helpful resources available on campus and an important part of the college experience is learning how to ask for help. Asking for support sooner rather than later is often helpful.

If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, we strongly encourage you to seek support. Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) is here to help: call 412-268-2922 and visit their website at http://www.cmu.edu/counseling/. Consider reaching out to a friend, faculty or family member you trust for help getting connected to the support that can help.

If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or in danger of self-harm, call someone immediately, day or night:

CaPS: 412-268-2922

Re:solve Crisis Network: 888-796-8226

If the situation is life threatening, call the police:

      On campus: CMU Police: 412-268-2323

      Off campus: 911

OFFICE HOURS

Professor John Folan, Director UDBS, Executive Director PROJECT RE_

Office: College of Fine Arts (CFA) Office 212, UDBS

Office Hours: The professor maintains an open door policy for meetings with students Monday through Friday. Specific appointments can be scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays

P: 412 268 6260

C: 412 897 1619 (use with discretion)

E: jfolan@andrew.cmu.edu

 

Professor Tom Corbett, Special Faculty, Entertainment Technology Center

Offices: IDeATe Office (Hunt 246), Entertainment Technology Center (PTC 3319)

Office Hours: Tuesday / Thursday, by appointment

E: tcorbett@andrew.cmu.edu