YouTube Cracked

This was probably the biggest coding challenge I had faced (post papervision) so far. I know looks very simple but there's a whole lot going on in the background. This is a simplified version of the kind of queries I'll be using but the foundations are there.

The button sends a request to YouTube for videos with the keywords Danger and Passion. YouTube then sends back the latest 30 videos and one is picked at random.

Preloader

I wanted to create a preloader that would be modest and also informative. I aimed for something a bit more imagenative than a prgress bar which would also convey the use of the mouse wheel.

Cave Environment

What I've done so far on the cave environment. The flame change colour using the mouse wheel and clicking a symbol will eventually envoke the youtube query for that symbol.

Dissertation Plan

Introduction (500 Words)


I. Communication Through Symbolic Representation (1500 Words)

a. To start with I will discuss the ancient Egyptian language as it is one of the oldest recorded and is especially of interest to my project as it uses logographs. Also in this section I will discuss how cave paintings were used to record everyday events before the advent of written language.

b. I will look at how symbolism is used in modern culture to communicate, for example a corporate logo designed to gain one’s trust or pictographs used to inform drivers in road signs.

c. I will lastly discuss my survey findings in this section.


II. Technology In Online Media (1500 Words)

a. I will compare and contrast different technologies and techniques which have been implemented in online media since Tim Berners-Lee’s initial proposal for the World Wide Web and discuss how they have effected the internet as we know it.

b. This will lead me on to explain my ideas behind the ‘Stumble Upon’ theme I intend to use. I will talk about the success of this type of theme in other web applications such as Pandora and Firefox and how it has been utilised successfully, as well as how I think it will enhance the users experience of my final piece.


III. Symbolic Representation In New Media (1500 Words)

a. I will then look at examples such as emoticons of symbolic representation and how they are incorporated into modern communication techniques such as instant messaging and texting. I will also discuss the possibility of an entire new dialect which has been spawned from these types of modern technology.

b. This final part will look at the use of icons in human computer interfaces and the reasons behind their success.


Conclusion (500 Words)


Key References


Bibliography

Paint Gun

Some code I created for a paint gun. I'm not going to explain how to use it as I'm hoping it will be intuitive enough without the need for explanation. The graphics are test graphics and will be redone before insertion into final piece. Have a play and see what you think...

Link for Meeting 12 Mar 09

http://www.churaumi-hakken.jp/p3/

New Design Plan

Last week I decided to cut my losses with the 3D code and go for more of a 2.5D feel. These are some websites which have a similar style of what I have in mind:

http://hookyinteractive.com/

http://www.o2vanoce.cz/eng

http://www.tracychapman.com/

Meeting 4

Student Name: Grant Anderson

Lecturer Name: Inga Paterson

Date: 20 February 2009



Meeting Agenda

Literature for creating and developing symbols

Investigate online tag system and how it could be utilised

Continue interactivity investigation



Progress Report

Since our last meeting I've been having trouble finding solid existing research on how we visually perceive different shapes, however I have managed to categorise a selection of colours in terms of tags I can utilise.



Agreed Action Points

Lookup literature on learning education for children for any research done on perception of shapes.
Search for literature at Duncan of Jordanston Library.
Continue work on coding.

Symbols & Tags

So I've been having trouble finding solid existing research on psychological theories of the visual perceptions of different shapes, however I have managed to categorise a selection of colours in terms of tags I can utilise.

Colour

According to Signs & Symbols by Dorling Kindersley the following colours are attributed with the following traits:

Red:

• warmth
• love
• passion
• war
• danger
• fertility

Yellow:

• enlightenment
• new life
• cowardice
• envy

Green:

• youth
• hope
• joy
• jealousy

Blue:

• emptiness
• infinite
• divine
• calmness
• reflection
• intellect

Purple:

• luxury
• wealth
• power
• temperance

Pink:

• femininity (west)
• gay pride (west)

Grey:

• evil
• secrecy
• sorrow
• misfortune
• gloom
• anonymity

White:

• purity
• innocence
• death & mourning (east)
• light (Buddhism)
• wisdom (Sufism)

Dissertation Chapter Headings

Introduction


I - Communication Through Symbolic Representation

This section will discuss the research that I have carried out on how symbols and colours can be used together as a form of communication. It will look at how they have been used historically (cave paintings etc.) as well as in modern culture (corporate logos, marketing) and also how symbols were originally used to form languages.


II - Advancements In Online Media

I will compare and contrast the areas of online media which have advanced significantly with areas which have not. It will look at the original proposal for the World Wide Web by Tim Berners-Lee and compare it to modern online navigation. It will also look at technology which has influenced the web over the past two decades.


III - Discovering The Unknown

This part will allow me to explain my ideas behind the 'stumble upon' theme I intend to use. I will talk about the success of this type of theme in other web applications such as Pandora and Firefox and how it is utilised successfully as well as how I think it will enhance the users experience.


IV - Symbolic Representation In New Media

For this last section I will look at successful symbolic representation in new media such as the use of emoticons in modern communication and how icons enhance an HCI as well as the reasons behind their success.


Conclusion

Interactivity

As far as I can tell interactivity can only be added to an object's material or a primitive which was created by the papervision engine, and so since I intend to import my own models I will need to utilise materials to add interactivity.


I have successfully imported materials for my models:

Although from what I have researched the code does not seem too complex, consisting mainly three lines of code which declare the material as interactive, add a listener to pick up mouse actions and a function to execute, I have so far not been able to create a successful test model.

Some of the tutorials I have been studying include

Advanced Interactivity 2 (11)

PV3D Object Properties & Interactivity (VI) - clickable objects

Another tutorial which I think will be useful for selecting the videos and having them zoom in and out is:

Advanced Interactivity (10)

Other websites of intersest include:

6 Beers of Seperation

Toshiba What Next?

Meeting 3

Student Name: Grant Anderson

Lecturer Name: Inga Paterson

Date: 6 February 2009



Meeting Agenda

Email Stuart Kemp (CGD)

Modelling in Swift 3D

Discuss prgress with interactivity




Progress Report

Since our last meeting I have successfully imported and applied my own texture to a model, however I have not been able to add interactivity.




Agreed Action Points (for 20th Feb)

Literature for creating and developing symbols

Investigate online tag system and how it could be utilised

Continue interactivity investigation

Holomatix Blaze 3D

Holomatix Blaze 3D is a program I found which allows the user to add interactivity to 3D objects. I have not yet been able to have a play about with it so I'm not sure if I will be able to make use of it or not but some of the examples on their website look pretty good.

Meeting 2

Student Name: Grant Anderson
Lecturer Name: Inga Paterson
Date: 30 January 2009


Meeting Agenda

Discuss programmer further

Discuss dissertation headings


Progress Report

Since our the last meeting I have tested extensively the feasability of my practical outcome and have successfully imported 3D models into Papervision. I have not yet managed to test the interactivity of the models in Papervision.

Papervision Example



Agreed Action Points

Email Stuart Kemp (CGD)

Modelling Swift 3D

Investigate Interactivity

Meeting 1

Student Name: Grant Anderson
Lecturer Name: Inga Patterson
Date: 23/01/09



Meeting Agenda

Discuss progress of study

Explain project to supervisor

Discuss need for programmer

Discuss further areas of study

Progress Report

Since last semester I have hit a few stumbling blocks with the technology I am using and can't quite a grip on where to start off with my project. From last semester the feedback from the written part of my project was alright but my ability to discuss my project orally supersedes my ability to discuss it in written form and this shall have to be remedied.

Agreed Action Points

Focussed testing of technology for set time to establish whether or not a programmer will be needed

Create dissertation chapter headings

Preproduction

This is a promo I made of how the 3D system might look.

*Contains Sound*

Introduction

Hello and welcome to my new blog. As the title suggests this will be an online diary which will document the progress of my honours project. It will be comprised of my latest practical work, inspiration and research, along with progress reports from weekly meetings with my supervisor.

If you have landed here by accident and were looking for my main website please click here.

I should probably start with explaining my project. I don't want to ramble so I'll try and keep it short.

I propose to build a system for online navigation which uses symbols instead of text or images. The system will utilize a 3D engine for Flash called Papervision. I will present the system as a 'stumble' themed media website with the user starting in a globe surrounded by symbols and then transported to a globe surrounded by videos which correspond to the symbol they chose.