Thursday, 26 May 2011

Project 3: the Maze, explanation

DSDN 142: Project 3

I chose to show the idea of the if/else statement with the use of a simple game called “the Maze”. The objective of the game is to reach the end of each maze. In the game there are three mazes and the only way to exit each maze is to turn on the switches in that level. This is where I try to show the idea of the if/else statement.  Also you cannot touch the wall or enemies, something that does not show the if/else statement as obviously, but makes the game more interesting and keep people more interested. Although it still does show the use of the if/else statement: if player touches wall or enemy, game over equals true, else they can keep playing.

The use of switches:   

if(switch is on){
exit turns green
You can exit
}
else{
exit is red
you cant exit
}

In the first two levels this is the basic use of if/else. But in the last level there are three switches which show a more complex use of this statement.  There are three moving blocks that block the exit that move too fast for the player to get through. But if the player turns on all the switches, the enemies slow down and the player can exit the level.

If(switch 1 is on){
Enemy1 speed equals 3 and player can pass
Switch 1 turns green
}
Else{
Enemy1 speed equals 10 and player cant pass
Switch 1 is red
}



When all three switches have been activated, the player can exit.

If(all switches are on){
Player can pass enemies and exit
}

Else{
Player cant exit
}

This is how I tried to show how an if/else statement works. If a switch is on you can go, if not, you can’t. This is similar to traffic lights, something that everyone is familiar with and hopefully everyone one will be able to understand the if/else statement with the use of my game.

Level 2 and three

Levels 2 and 3 will include more switches showing how if/else works and also enemys.



Maze ideas

First level -

Player will start at the top left and the exit is on the opposite side of the level. The switch will be at the center- top. When it is off , it will be red and the player cannot exit. When it is on it will be green and the player can go on to the next level.






Other variations of style and colour;

I tried using colours that compliment eachother, but it looked too bright and I wanted to go with something more simplistic.






I tried this simpler style again and added texture and introduced more realistic lighting 














In the end I decided on the simple contrast of black and white. This will also make it easier for the player to differentiate between the backfround and the walls. I also added better shading and lighting.

Monday, 16 May 2011

Game concept

If/else idea
Game idea - A game where you must guide the mouse through a maze. When the player touches a wall the game resets. If a switch is on, the player cannot get put of the maze, if it is on, they can.

if(switch is on){
player can get to next level
}

else{
player cannot
}

Time - may take long because I havent made a game before
Recourses - just need computer

Project 3 ideas

Loop definition - In a loop structure, the program asks a question, and if the answer requires an action, it is performed and the original question is asked again until the answer is such that the action is no longer required.

Idea 1

A game that has a man on screen, when he reaches the end of the screen he goes back to the start. If you choose the right path you go to a different screen. Or until the player does the right action, ie a switch.
Resources – only need computer
Time – May take long because I have never made a game
Idea 2
Video of a series of short clips showing what a person does in a day. What he does each day is exactly the same until something changes, then the days are no longer exactly the same.
Resources – camera, tripod, computer
Time – one day shooting, a longer time editing
Idea 3
Infinite staircase or other optical illusion. Use materials to make an illusion of an infinite and impossible shape
Resources – Cardboard or other material,glue
Time – not too long

Sunday, 17 April 2011

After presentation

After hearing feedback from my presentation I decided to stick with one of my original designs that had a simple black background, this making the effect of the balls light stand out more. Also, I think my previous design had a lot going on that was not necessary.

http://openprocessing.org/visuals/?visualID=27137

Thursday, 14 April 2011

Final

To make my program suit the theme of transformation more I decided to change the background depending on the amount of times the ball had made a noise. Then have it so that the colours stay there momentarily, this allowing the colours to blend together. The feature of this program that I wanted to highlight is the transformation that occurs between the colours represented by the different notes.

http://openprocessing.org/visuals/?visualID=27137

Wednesday, 13 April 2011

interesting change

While trying to improve my program I tried making it so that the color beams created by playing a note never faded away and every time a beam appeared its colour would mix with other pre egsisting beams. This made a very interesting effect and also made the trail left by the ball more visible

Although I thought this change looked very cool, I also thought that it had lost some of its elegance and simplicity. So I dont think I will use this, although I am still not certain!

development

While testing out my program I thougt to myself that the sound should be more apparant, so I added the sound making panels at the top also. This made the program more interesting and increased its potential. I then thought about some asthetic features I could improve. I added lighter beams of colour on either side of the coloured beam that appeared when a note was played. This added an interesting effect.

sound

I finally then added sound to my program. I went through various different sounds but always went with the idea that each panel repressented a note, so that there would be some kind of structure. I ended up choosing synth sound clips, which suited the asthetic.

Also, as I had planned in my concept, I made it so that the size of the ball could also be changed. First I tried making it so that every time you clicked, the size of the ball would be a random size between 10 and 100 pixels, but this I thought, would give the user less control. So instead the size of the ball increases as you hold down the left mouse button, and when you release it, the ball stays that size.

Because I now had different size balls, I implemented another feature that was in my concept. I made it so that if the ball was small, the sound that the panels made were slightly higher pitch then that of when the ball is larger, similar to how the size of an intrument determines the sound it makes. So in the end Idecided that if the size of the ball was between 5 and 50, the sound wouuld be high pitch, and if the size of the ball was between 50 and 100 the sound would be a lower pitch. 

Also because the ball could be larger, two notes could be played at the same time, this made the sound making part of the program more complex

colours

Next I added colour to the panels, each panel represents a note between A and G. For the colours of the notes I refered to this image.

I thought that these colours were too bold and I wanted something more natural to go with the simplidtic black and white that I had with the colour of the background and ball. So I added equal parts of white to each colour which I thought looked better.







I then added rectangles or stripes, similar to my concept, that also light up depending on which panel had been hit. I also made them sligtly transparent so that the ball left a trail as it moved accros the screen.

I then made the ball change colour as it hit a certain papel, which looked even better.

Ball that lights up

Made the ball look as if it had a light inside it, which made it stand out in the black. Also placed the panels at the bottom of the screen that light up when the ball bounces on it.

Project 2 beginning

Beginning of project, I figured out how to make a bouncing ball but I also tried to make it so that it bounced for quite a long time so that a constant beat could be made. The movement did, however, keep some qualities of a real life ball as it does slow down eventutally. 

Monday, 28 March 2011

Transformation

Transformation - Emerge
http://www.openprocessing.org/visuals/?visualID=18410
- using variables and loops,"if".
simple circles that change size and looks like animation.
 - the only way it transforms is in the size of the circle, very simple

 transformation
http://www.openprocessing.org/visuals/?visualID=11202
- generates a different picture every time you press "r", animates slowly as the colours and opacity change. new shapes can be seen as it "transforms". I like how delicatly it transitions and how the colours and shapes interact with each other with the use of opacity.
- doesnt transform greatly, keeps the same theme.
 - uses "if","keypressed","loadpixels". Is quite complex.

 Transformation - Join
 http://www.openprocessing.org/visuals/?visualID=18414
- transforms as you drag the mouse across the screen. Image is always the same, so is quite simple, but does move or animate. Animation is simple also tho as the rectangles only move horizontally. 
 - Uses simple coding with "mousex" used as co ordinates

"The Bigger Picture" notes

Programming is great because you can have an idea, and with a computer, explore this idea further than you ever could without. Programming takes the complexity out of a complex design with the use of repetition and randomly generated aspects.
It helps greatly to evolve a basic design idea. A downside is that it is not easy to make things that look realistic or that do not have a pattern. It is also not good for animations that do not change or evolve.
It is easy to change the amount or size of something in programming and is best used when you need variation, interaction, generation, repetition, calculation or scalability.
You must place rules or instructions to narrow and pinpoint what you want the program to make while still being able to change and have some randomness. 
Interaction must be programmed in, the program must know what to do when the user does a certain action.
There are different programming languages for certain tasks, but they are all quite similar.
It is great to use other peoples code, but you MUST acknowledge it.

Thursday, 24 March 2011

Project One Reflection

 I have learnt how to do a lot more in processing by looking at other peoples sketches, figuring out what I liked about them, and figuring out how to replicate certain parts. Seeing my sketches develop is what helped and motivated me to learn, trying to improve them more and more and trying new things out.

To improve my next projects I want to start sooner so that I have plenty of time to improve it and work out any imperfections. Also I want to learn more about printing so that I dont have any problems with it, like I did in this project.

I want to learn even more about processing, and learn more about interaction. I will achieve this goal by learning from other peoples sketches and trying out new things.

Monday, 21 March 2011

Final Wallpapers Pics



Final Wallpapers

 With my final design I decided to concentrate on a series of lines that then develops into something more complicated, resembling 3d.

http://www.openprocessing.org/visuals/?visualID=24376

The first wallpaper is simply a series of lines going vertically and horizontally over a series of random rectangles that give the image a sense of depth. There is also a series of diagonal lines that suggest the begining of something. The line that develops through out the panels starts at the very bottom and is not easily seen at first. The colours begin with being mostly blue and green and slightly transparent.

http://www.openprocessing.org/visuals/?visualID=24376

The next panel continues the theme of random transparent rectangles and lines and also continues and develops the thick lines that had begun in the first panel. Red is more apparant in this panel as the colours slowly become warmer.


http://www.openprocessing.org/visuals/?visualID=24378


The thick lines have now become a translucent white wall that suggest a sense of three dimensions in a 2d picture. The colours continue to become warmer


http://www.openprocessing.org/visuals/?visualID=24379


The final panel is the most colorful of all and continue the walls, but they now follow a sort of pattern and simplicity, similar to the first panel. I wanted to show how something can develop from something very simple to something more complex while having a same theme present. I also put random translucent white quads around the walls, that give the final panel more complexity and also suggest further development.

Wallpaper Project Ideas












First ideas for wallpaper project
My idea firstly was to have a development from the first to last panel. In this scetch, the images develop from structured lines to something for organic and natural, but there is a constant line that goes through the panels, that connects them all.

Monday, 7 March 2011

Sketches using pattern maker

Based on a sketch, just a simple traingle symbol, not sure if colours are the best
http://www.openprocessing.org/visuals/?visualID=22812

A lot of triangles that I tried to make look llike 3d spikes using different shades of grey.
http://www.openprocessing.org/visuals/?visualID=22807

A cross pattern using circles of different shades of blue.
 http://www.openprocessing.org/visuals/?visualID=22806

 Using straight lines to make curves, based on sketch
 http://www.openprocessing.org/visuals/?visualID=22808