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March 8, 2009

Night of the Living Dead Pixels

Peter writes in the comments about Blender. He and his mates did an independent study to learn Blender, an open source software platform for 3D design and animation. The results of their work is a clever short film titled The Night of the Living Dead Pixels. Their video animation was awarded best short film at the 2007 Suzanne Awards for creating with Blender.

Via email, Peter says of the project:

We (myself, Jere Virta and Jussi Saarelma) are currently fourth-year 3D animation students at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Vantaa, Finland. As part of our degrees we are required to do five months of internship.
About two years ago, towards the end of our second year, we were approached by our lecturer Kristian Simolin (who I by the way happen to know follows the Make blog...), asking whether we wanted to spend the summer months with access to the school computer labs, teach ourselves Blender, create some sort of animation to prove we'd done so, and have it count towards our required internship. The three of us had collaborated on some animation projects before, and found out that we worked well together, so we jumped at the chance.

A really great aspect of their project is that they hit it from so many different angles. Sure, they learned some newfangled software, but they also documented their process. They blogged about the making of the video, telling of their successes and setbacks, they created a website, they posted their work online. When students go through such great effort to tell the story of their project's creation, not only do they learn the skills of the project, they also provide a path into the ideas for the students and teachers who follow them. Their YouTube account has many short segments of their work, showing the evolution of the project.

Peter again:

For our animation we wanted something combining our love for videogames, zombie flicks and offbeat/poor humour. Arriving at a concept we all could agree on was pretty easy.

At that point we had previous experience with using 3ds max, and for this kind of work we found that Blender had no problems standing up to it. It's lightweight (loads in seconds, and even runs off a USB thumbdrive if you want), full of features (even has its own integrated video editor and compositor, in addition to the 3D tools), and once you get past the initial hurdle (which really isn't as steep as some people would have you believe) the user interface lets you work very efficiently. We found the user community great for support, and the fact that you can get more or less directly in touch with the developers to ask about possible bugs and the like is pretty amazing

From their blog:

Jussi, Peter and Jere, three 3D Animation students at Laurea Polytechnic, Vantaa, Finland are doing the internship of their dreams over the summer: Learn the free 3D software Blender, produce a short animation and keep a blog about what spending the summer in a school computer lab feels like.

Peter suggested the forums as a good place to get help on learning Blender.

Fluid sims in Blender

Blender is an open source software project that allows users to create three dimensional objects which can then be rendered into animation sequences and more.

From ~kronick

Does your school use Blender? What great things have you designed with Blender? What is the best way to get started learning Blender? Add your ideas to the comments, and contribute your photos and videos to the MAKE Flickr pool.

February 10, 2009

Sci-fi modeling masterclass

Several years ago, I got into playing the gothic sci-fi tabletop wargame Warhammer 40,000. I nearly bankrupted my family (and I'm only half-kidding), with all of the models, supplies, games books, terrain pieces I bought. I got to the point, like any addict, where I was "under reporting" my habit and hiding some of my more uncontrolled behavior (online ordering makes late-night force upgrades so easy).

So I got a little queasy when I saw that Forgeworld (Games Workshop's specialty/high-end model shop) has a new book out, Imperial Armour Model Masterclass Volume One (US$38), on building, painting, and creating terrain for their amazing (and absurdly expensive) models. I still have one of their giant resin-cast models, in a box, in my games closet, just waiting for me to have fifty or so free hours to build and paint it. I could probably use this book to get useful building and finishing tips. Hmm... I wonder if they take PayPal...?

Imperial Armour Model Masterclass Volume One

February 6, 2009

FLARToolKit - augmented reality for Flash

I recall being pretty impressed with this augmented reality demo created by Boffswana last November. The basic idea is that you can use a webcam to track the real-world location and rotation of a special printed symbol. With this information, you can overlay a virtual object on top of the video stream and render it to match the position information of the symbol card. Called "augmented reality," the technique gives you a way to interact with digital entities as if they were physical objects.

You can create your own augmented reality programs without having to roll your own tracking code. There's a library called FLARToolKit that takes care of the heavy lifting of symbol recognition and spatial tracking. The code for the Boffswana demo is also available, and you can see how they used FLARToolKit along with Papervision3D to pull their demo off.

I should also mention that the FLARToolKit code could be used for purposes other than augmented reality. I'm sure there are other applications for a webcam-based input mechanism that can deliver accurate 3D location and orientation info.

What would you use this for?

FLARToolKit
FLARToolKit Examples At Tarotaro.org
Boffswana AR Papervision3D Demo and Source

January 6, 2009

SliceModeler - fantasy to physical

Asteronimo writes about SliceModeler for Sketchup:

Based on TIG's Slicer script I wrote a plugin that slices a solid 3d model along 2 axes, f.i. an X- and a Z-axis. You can enter separate parameters for each axis. After the slices have been created it calculates the slots for each intersection which allow the cross sections to interlock in an open cell framework, like an egg crate. This process is used in rapid prototyping and can be used to create molds for casting or forming parts.

SliceModeler looks like it could be a neat resource. 3D landscapes, making physical models of data and more. Check out his project page for more info.

Slicemodeler is based on the work of John Sharp. You might want to check out this interview. Here are some photos that are also related to John Sharp's work. Sharp has a few books that have inspired these innovative ideas, Sliceforms: Mathematical Models from Paper Sections and Surfaces: Explorations With Sliceforms.

How do you turn your dreams into three dimensional reality? Are there any techniques or tools that your find essential? What inspires you to learn and create? Add your voice to the comments, and contribute your photos and video to the Make Flickr pool.

December 24, 2008

Augmented Reality holiday card from Tellart... with source!

The folks at Tellart have made an amazing Augmented Reality (AR) holiday card that you can play around with yourself: you'll need Flash player (version 9), a webcam, and a printer (so you can print out the AR objects).

The project was made using FLARToolkit and Papervision 3D. Check out Tellart's site for more details, including a link to the app where you can print out the objects and run the Flash program right on your own computer.

They've also included source code so you can hack this to your heart's content!

Happy Holidays from Tellart

December 15, 2008

Breathtaking Moleskine art

Lisa Laughly, aka Ninth Wave Designs, has done some absolutely stunning Moleskine art projects, including the Alchemy Notebook, seen here. Lisa incorporated her own modified versions of existing rune script, and then further obscured it by using a cipher wheel and grid (also built into the book). So the text has meaning, but good luck teasing it out -- she also changes the rules of encipherment as she goes. The book even has pop-up features. I want to draw like this when I grow up.

Alchemy Notebook: Moleskine Pocket Sketchbook [via BibliOdyssey]

December 8, 2008

HOW TO - Make the "Brain machine"

Brain Machine
Best known for inventing TV-B-Gone, a keychain that turns off TVs in public places, Mitch Altman is interested in any technology that gives people more choices for improving their lives.

You don’t have to be a Buddhist monk to meditate, or a Sleeping Beauty to sleep well. Achieve these altered states of consciousness, and others, with this simple microcontroller device.
What would happen if you could play a recording of brain waves into someone’s brain? That question popped into my mind one day while I was meditating, and it turns out that there are devices that can do this. Sound and Light Machines (SLMs) produce sound and light pulses at brain wave frequencies, which help people sleep, wake up, meditate, or experience whatever state of consciousness the machine is programmed for. The first time I tried one was a trip! Not only did I follow the sequence into a deep meditation and then out again (feeling wonderful!), but along the way I had beautiful, outrageous hallucinations.

Read full story

November 21, 2008

Papervision augmented reality in Flash

Papervision - Augmented Reality (extended) from dpinteractive on Vimeo.

I tried it out and it was very impressed by the speed and accuracy of the motion tracking (he did flicker a bit and have problems when my lights were too bright, so be prepared to work a bit to make him happy). This is a Flash implementation of augmented reality created by Digital Pictures Interactive; all it takes is your web browser, a webcam, and a printed marker symbol. Now, would it kill the little guy to smile every once in a while?!

It seems to be based on the ARToolKit developed by Dr. Hirokazu Kato of the University of Washington.

I enjoy Augmented Reality much more than Virtual Reality because 99% of the AR environment is the real world in all of its infinitely detailed glory and I can accept a few lower fidelity objects overlaid here and there. Even the highest quality VR worlds still feel much less than real in a way that usually pulls me out of the experience.

via BoingBoing Offworld

August 6, 2008

Build: An Electrified Zoetrope from recycled parts

This time we are going to be making a Zoetrope from a bunch of junk. What is a Zoetrope? Here is what I found on Wikipedia:

The earliest elementary zoetrope was created in China around 180 AD by the prolific inventor Ting Huan.

It consists of a cylinder with slits cut vertically in the sides. Beneath the slits on the inner surface of the cylinder is a band which has either individual frames from a video/film or images from a set of sequenced drawings or photographs. As the cylinder spins the user looks through the slits at the pictures on the opposite side of the cylinders' interior.

You should be able to make the Zoetrope from found or recycled parts. If you can't salvage parts like a motor or potentiometer, you local electronics shop should have them in stock.

Finding parts:
Remember all those toys the kids have outgrown, or the VCR your neighbor threw out. They all contain switches, motors and wires. It can be a lot of fun scavenging for parts. Just be careful, things like TV's and computers can have high voltages even when they are unplugged. Only scavenge for parts if you know what you are doing. In general, kids toys that are battery operated are fairly safe to rip apart.

This build is a general guide to making a Zoetrope. Make adjustments depending on what parts you find, or purchase. If you make your own Zoetrope, post it in the MAKE Flickr photo pool and send me an email. Thanks!

Supplies you need:

(1) Old CD - Think AOL, or any demo disk
(1) CD spindle case
Paper - Black & white [you can paint the paper black too!]
Small Eraser
(1) Motor - Scavenged from a kids toy
(1) Switch - Again, scavenged
Some wire

Tools you need:

Scissors
X-Acto knife - Be careful!
Soldering Iron
Rosin core solder

Part 1: Finding the parts

The first thing you do is acquire some old or broken electronics to scavenge for parts. You can find a motor in many kids toys. If you don't have kids, or know any kids, then just go to the dollar store and buy something with a small electric motor. Hopefully it will have a few switches and batteries too. I bough a small orange fan for $1, and it didn't work at all. Technically the fan would spin, but there wasn't any air movement. It's a perfect candidate for ripping apart.

Disassemble the fan, or what ever recycled toy you have. A lot of times the screws are hidden under stickers so check there if it doesn't open easily.

When I was done I was able to salvage (2) AA batteries, (1) small light bulb, a nice motor, some wire and a lanyard. I'll keep whatever I don't use for another project.

In my bin-parts I had a battery holder, which was scavenged a long time ago. It holds (4) AA batteries. I thought this would be perfect, but I had to cut it in 1/2 so it held (2) AA batteries.

A quick score with a razor blade, and I could snap it in half.

Read full story

August 4, 2008

Levelhead code released under GPL

To followup our previous post about this project, New Zealand born, Madrid-based artist, Julian Oliver has released the source code under the GPL for his excellent "Level Head" installation that uses computer vision and ARToolkit marker imprinted cubes as the user interface of a game in which a character moves through a 3D labyrinth. Also, check out this project in person next month at the Ars Electronica Festival.

Levelhead how-to

March 26, 2008

Warcraft 'bot'

Previews Pc World-Warcraft World-Of-Warcraft-A
Nice "News from the Future" from BBC, a legal battle over a Warcraft 'bot'. It will be interesting to read the verdict!

The makers of World of Warcraft are locked in a legal battle with a firm that has produced a tool to automate many actions in the virtual world. Blizzard is suing Michael Donnelly, the creator of the MMO Glider program, which performs key tasks in the game automatically, such as fighting. Both sides have submitted legal summaries to a court in Arizona.

Mr Donnelly said the first time had had been aware of potential legal action over his program was when a lawyer from Vivendi games, which publishes Warcraft, and an "unnamed private investigator" appeared at his home.

Blizzard has said the tool infringes copyright because it copies the game into RAM in order to avoid detection by anti-cheat software.

Related:

The Future of Credit Cards - Earning virtual currency for spending in the real world & other world bridging.

February 27, 2008

Animal superpowers

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Regine @ we make money not art on Design Interactions Chris Woebken and Kenichi Okada's "Animal superpowers" -

Animals have senses beyond human experience, they instinctively feel approaching tsunamis through low frequencies, communicate through pheromones or can navigate through magnetic fields.

Students of Design Interactions Chris Woebken and Kenichi Okada, in collaboration with MBA students from the Oxford Said Business-school, have been developing a series of sensory enhancements toys for children to experience "animal superpowers." Each prototype allows the kid to change perspective or feel empathy with animals.

Animal superpowers - Link.

February 6, 2008

Stringwalker makes VR worlds even more realistic

"Stringwalker" attempts to solve the problem of walking with a head-mounted VR display through a virtual space. The project uses eight strings actuated by motor-pulley mechanisms mounted on a turntable to give the walker tangible feedback of their virtual environments while guiding them through the spaces. Just don't try to attach your shoelaces to the guide wires.

StringWalker - [via] - Link

November 9, 2007

Your own personal moon

The "Moon in My Room" puts a whole new slant on astronomy. It cycles through all of the moon's 12 natural phases when you click the remote control or can be setup to cycle automatically. Now you can finally produce a lunar eclipse with the shadow of your head.

Moon in My Room - Link, [via]

September 17, 2007

Multi-touch virtual pizza cutting knife

Mmmm, virtual pizza (cutting) -

To demonstrate how much easier it is to use two handed multi-touch interaction instead of traditional interaction, Matthijs created a two handed multi-touch virtual pizza cutting knife for his graduation assignment at Working Tomorrow. Skip the first 75 seconds if you want to go straight to the demo.

Multi-touch virtual pizza cutting knife - Link.

September 4, 2007

The Matrix goggles

Goggles
Russian artists made these goggles that filter the image so it looks like you're in the Matrix, neat (watch the video for more)... - Link.

August 1, 2007

sketchyphysics - Sketchup

SketchyPhysics is a plugin for Sketchup - It combines a simple and easy to use interface with the power of a fast and accurate physics library, thanks Noah - Link.

June 22, 2007

Slicing STL files in POV-Ray

Images Articles Slicingstl 6
Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories writes -

We have been using POV-Ray to create 3D models and render bitmap slices that can be printed with the CandyFab 4000, our home-built 3D sugar fabricator. One thing that we could do to extend the usefulness of this procedure is to be able to take STL files as input, because STL is the de facto standard file format for 3D fab shops and the machines that do the fabrication. So, here's how to do it: STL files can be converted to POV-Ray format, and from there we can use our usual bag of tricks to render the set of bitmap slices.

In this article, we explain that process in more detail: We'll take an STL file, import it into POV-Ray using the stl2pov utility, and then set it up to render a series of slices. Our example file is the sculpture Metatron by Bathsheba Grossman, who has released the STL file for it into the public domain (with some interesting results).

Slicing STL files in POV-Ray - Link.

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On a related note, happy 1st birthday Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories!

June 12, 2007

Milkscanner V1.0

Fiezi made a 3D scanner using milk, webcam and LEGOs -

The Milkscanner is a tool that allows the scanning of objects and creates a Displacement map for use with Moviesandbox or any other 3D App that would allow for displacement mapping.

Ingredients: