Jake Williams: Context Mapping

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg0FMb0TmX4

Concept: 

    For this project, I felt inspired to make something industrial looking. My first thought went to a factory, as the cabinets on the back wall could be incorporated into conveyor belts pretty easily. I really wanted to transform the whole back wall into something completely different. I also wanted to sync the whole thing up to the song Just One Hit by Ministry, employing different lighting effects and pyrotechnics to light up the scene in a badass manner. The theme behind this piece is that drugs are good for you and your mental health, and that you should take as many as possible.

Techniques:

     I used a similar workflow to the last assignment. I started in Maya by modelling the back wall. After that I modelled the conveyors where the cabinets would be, and modelled all the drugs. After that I once again went through the tedious process of UV unwrapping everything and then exported everything into Substance Painter to create my textures. I then created textures for everything and imported them into Maya. Animating this was pretty tricky, but I had a plan. I placed the 4 items in a looping pattern all along the conveyor and frame by frame moved each object an inch up the conveyor until each item moved up to the spot of the next copy of the same item. This may sound confusing so here is a visual:

Once I had a full loop animated, I copy pasted it a bunch of times until I had 8 loops. For each loop, I had a different light effect. These light effects ranged from red strobing lights to bright plumes of fire shooting upwards. Once I had 8 different cycles rendered, I exported all of the footage into Premiere Pro to cut it up and edit it to go with the flow of the music. A lot of copy and pasting later, and my project was finally complete. Almost. All I had to do after this was throw the mp4 file into MadMapper, adjustment it to fit the back wall and make a few masks, and make the Janus head projection. For the Janus head, I added audio controls so the head would sync up to the music. I created the scorching effect on the head by adding an animation to the lines, playing with the custom settings for a while, and making them glow red. 

Interpretation:

    I think this project turned out sick, and it was definitely my favorite to work on this semester. That being said, there is one minor thing that kinda irks me, that being the choppiness of the animation in some of the transitions. Like I said, animating this was hella tricky. If I were to make this project again, I would try to find a way to animate it so that the items on the conveyor stay smooth and consistent, and don't jump around too much. 

Jake Williams: Relief Mapping

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR5tgpDuN7k

Concept: 

    When I saw the giant paper forehead sculpture upon entering this room for the first time, I immediately started conceptualizing in my head how I could make it look really cool. After lots of brainstorming, I decided that I wanted to create the illusion of the forehead sculpture opening up to reveal the universe behind it. As time progresses, the window view of the universe zooms out further and further until eventually the scene is filled with billions upon billions of galaxies in frame. The message I want to get through this piece is that space is so vast, and we often tend to get caught up in the trivialities of this small world and worry about pointless drama but if we just take a moment to remember that we are living in a near-infinitely small window of space and time, than we can take a deep breath and enjoy the precious moments that we as a sentient species floating on a rock in space are given. There is also music that goes with this project, the song I picked was Parabola by Tool because it shares a similar message and fits the vibe of the composition.

Techniques:

     I used a plethora of different programs for this assignment. I started in Maya by importing the forehead 3D model and then modifying it by separating the peace sign from the center and making it it's own object. I then used the knife tool to cut lines in the face radiating from the hole in the center. This is so the face can open up like a blooming onion. After that, I selected all the faces and extruded them to make the model have a thickness to it. I also duplicated the peace sign and modelled it into a sun with a face on it, trying to keep the flow of the original geometry in the sun. After I modelled all the planets and everything else, I went through the tedious process of UV unwrapping everything and then exported everything into Substance Painter to create my textures. I then created textures for the forehead, peace sign, the planets, and the eyeballs. After I exported the textures into Maya, it was time to do a little rigging. I rigged the eyes of the sun and the main face so that they would both turn when I moved their control. I used blend shapes to animate the face opening up as well as the eye blinks for the sun and the face. As the scene progresses, all the objects in and outside of the frame start to move away from the camera until the solar system is no longer visible. At this point is where I go from Maya to Premiere Pro for the remainder of the project. I use keyframes in Premiere to animate all the galaxies zooming out, and then reversed the entire clip so that everything zooms back into the face and the whole video loops now. I also made sure to animate this project to fit with the timings on the song. Finally I imported the mp4 file into MadMapper and made sure it fit onto the sculpture.

Interpretation:

    For the most part I am pleased with how this project turned out, however there are some things that didn't quite turn out the way I had thought they would. The first thing being the sun and how it blends in with the peace sign medallion on the physical sculpture. When modelling the sun, like I said earlier I tried to keep the flow of the original geometry in the sun. In the Maya scene, the sun looked great with a good contrast between the highlights and the shadows.

In the projection, however, the sun appeared way to bright and you could not make out any of the shadows. This was also the first time I have animated within Premiere so some of the animations are a bit wonky, but other than that I like how this thing turned out.

Brendan Paul: Background Mapping

Concept:

For this project, I wanted to do the side of a building. Building can potentially have a lot of surfaces to work with and usually have a lot of broad space on those surfaces that could amplify my ideas. For my location I chose the side of my apartment complex. I like the number of rectangular surfaces that the building provides. This gives me a lot to work with in my composition. My main theme was the idea of progress in the technology of perception, from strange visions to advanced computing to completely alien concepts.

Techniques: 

The first thing I did was center out all of the relevant space on my image. There are cars and a lot of open sky in the original image that I did not plan on doing anything with. After I had my proportions set, I began adding different squares to all of the surfaces on the building. Each has its own layer and its own part of the building to project on. 

On each of these squares I would put a material that best suited the theme that I was going for. I also decided to divide up the squares into groups that would each contain squares that would all hold the same material.

Interpretations:

My piece on the advancement of vision has three different segments. 

The first that you see is that of ancient psychedelic vision. There are a lot of colors that take form in strange looping shapes reminiscent of a drug trip. Representing how shamans from across ancient history would see visions of the future or of their culture's "spirit realm".

This then transitions into the modern to near-future idea of advanced computing. People will hook their conscious up to advanced computers to process digital ideas and shapes. These shapes project themselves through the digital webspace into the user’s mind. The strange shapes on the projection represent that. 

The final scene is the far future, where we can see completely alien concepts that are almost incomprehensible to the human mind. These take shape in various forms that are barely recognizable. The projections of warp speed travel and the odd spirals and shapes cloud the viewer with unknown knowledge. 

Preston Wolfe: Context Mapping

Concept:

For this project I chose the north wall of the classroom. Initially from the file provided I liked the gold lines that outlined the center piece, and it motivated my work for a gold, copper, and silver design. For the final presentation I ended up creating a 3 10 second designs for each metal color, with an 5 second clip of just the lights breaking up each scene. 

Technique:

With the provided files I made minor adjustments to the masks and lines. After this I started to create the copper scene, mostly looking into what characteristics I can manipulate in the artwork. Next I made the silver scene creating mostly motion in the background, and finally the gold scene with motion in the background and static light in the center piece. 

Interpretation: Some difficulties I ran into with this project were the multiple projectors, the lights on the center piece, and masks and line work. Most issues were resolved with a simple reboot. Overall I had fun creating this piece even though it is simple, I thought the idea of metals all worked together in this projection because of all the elements that were made available in the file provided.

Brittany Han: Context Mapping

Concept:

For my final context mapping project, I decided to use two walls: the north and the south in the classroom to project. I chose to create a three-minute composition that was themed around “The Serenity of Forests”. I wanted it to feel as though you were in the middle of a forest path.

Techniques:

Since the two files were already provided on e-learning, I started my project by downloading

the given files on my laptop. Then, I started creating different experimental compositions in MadMapper.

For the south wall, I projected the background of the north wall to help get an encompassing feeling. I added bird calls and rain to help sell the illusion a little more.

For the north wall, since my theme was “calm forest", I went ahead and played around with different gifs that fit in with and complemented the feel I was going for. In order to do this I placed a major emphasis on using realistic looking media as much as possible. Moreover, I decided to layer a gif into the Janus Head almost like a spyglass look farther into the forest. I thought it added a cool effect and allowed me to play with some cute ideas in the composition.

Interpretation:

North Wall

Southwall

In case videos don't work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ40SkZnkJw -North

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCWuBIhoRhg - South Wall

This project allowed me attempt other ideas I had for previous projects on a larger scale and really explore the materials more. It helped reinforce the concepts learned over the semester and use them in a way that really used the projectors full potential.

Chanlyr Jordan, Reina Park, Caleb Wang : Context Mapping

Concept:

For our final context mapping project, we decided to use two walls: the north and the south in the classroom to project. We chose to create a three-minute composition that was themed around a “vibrant geometric composition: The Beauty of Nature” for each wall to start off.

Techniques:

Techniques: Since the two files were already provided on e-learning, we started our project by downloading

the given files on the lab computer. Then, we started creating an experimental composition in MadMapper.

For the south wall, we masked the cabinet and the pillar out and created quads for those to make our composition unique and experimental. We also added lines on the cabinet to add some contrast between the wall and the background. We went the extra step and added an mp3 file of ambient/experimental-sounding music in order to add depth to the experimental feeling we were aiming for. Moreover, we included audio controls in MadMapper in order to make our composition appear more compelling, especially in our work on the South wall since it might look overly simple without them.

For the north wall, since our theme is a “vibrant geometric composition”, we went ahead and played around with different effects that fit in with and complement our chosen theme. We focused on creating a compelling and visually pleasing composition with effects that look geometric. In order to do this we placed a major emphasis on using fractal geometry effects to achieve our desired vision and theme. Moreover, we also decided to layer some quads that we used to apply for the Janus Head to make our composition even more unique and sophisticated. It is through these techniques that we were able to achieve our desired theme.

Reina: For the second scene, I wanted to create a smooth transition between the first and the third.

I decided to use the KaleidoFlower effect from the MadMapper library as a background due to its geometric

and fractal nature. For the head, I layered the Layered and Jelly Boxes effects by using the Subtract

layering method, since they both have geometric and vibrant features 

Caleb: For the third scene, I wanted the materials I chose to at least relate to the art piece on which it was

being cast. I wanted to create something that would have a nod towards psychology and the human brain.

I decided to add a Rorschach effect to my piece to allude to that psychological aspect and show effects in

the background that were reminiscent of brain waves.

Interpretation:

This project allowed us to explore previous projects on a larger scale and really explore different materials and visual effects. It helped reinforce the concepts we learned over the semester and use them in a way that really used the projectors around the room. Using multiple projectors for the first time was also an interesting challenge, as getting them all set up properly was a process in and of itself.

Cheyenne V., Michael, & Esther - Context Mapping

Concept:

Our group decided that our final project would be done within the classroom, as our laptops could not handle the power needed to efficiently. We wanted the room to be an interpretation of the last three circles of hell; violence, fraud, and treachery. 

Techniques:

The classroom provides perfect dim lighting to enhance a lot of our media so that our darkest & lightest colors really pop out. The LED of the Janus model also provides extra emphasis to contrasting colors, because it acts like the model is "brought to life". Additionally, we decided to use the medallion installation because of its vast surface area. Specifically using heads would also emphasize multiple concepts of hell whether it would be internal or physically accurate. 

We started with calibrating the medallion wall and the Janus head. This took some time, however we desired to get it right so that the follow process worked more smoothly. The medallion wall has two distinct scenes that aim to depict a transformation over time, along with depictions of decay in real time. The yellow/brown surface on the first scene represents life, however there are red lines to signify cracking. This scene shows how Violence, the 7th circle, can literally eat someone from the inside out along with the literal aspect of Hell being torture. The flickering eyes are meant to show a trapped uneasiness as this is going on, and the white contrasts with the decay overall.

The second scene, rather the eighth circle, shows Fraud in a more literal manner. This installation revolves around the the center, being an easily recognize-able coin within the US currency. There are blood where eyes should be, showing how money hunger taints the vision of those who are driven by it. We decided to put green flames to further represent money and hell in one. The digital sand was implemented to show a never ending wasteland in this circle of hell, alongside with the more interpretive meaning that ones desire to be rich is infinite.

Lastly, the Janus head model is meant to represent Treachery. The first scene had yellow, erratic lines overtaking the sculpture, as demons/angels weep on the background sides. There are noticeable wavelengths that come from that area to show a disruption within the brain. When someone betrays us, it almost feels as if time itself stops and our environment is not the same anymore. The next scene shows a brain on the model in a never ending cycle of zooming. We wanted did this to further represent how betrayal stays within the mind as trauma, and the mind constantly tries to make the event make sense. The sides of this model show a more literal meaning of the ninth circle's punishment. Inhabitants are at the worst part of hell, often being tortured until infinity, as seen with the eye on the cabinet. Behind that on the walls, there are flames provided to show more emphasis. The next scene on this model aims to be more simplistic. The flames, bloody brain, and eye are replaced by something that is the opposite; "pure" white. The juxtaposition of colors from the two show how the cycle of betrayal comes in waves, rather than being one single emotion. On the Hell side, some people in hell might find relief by their punishment because they felt guilt on earth for betraying other humans. This is quickly transformed into a more orange, serious tone of isolation and despair. Lastly, the next scene returns back to the brain matter and the wavelengths, though now the sculpture is illuminated. We decided to transform the first scene back to show how the progression of decay through betrayal may affect people in different ways. Note how everything is more activated as the brain finally finds its "colors" and is no longer mush. There is then a jagged, constant disruption, like the beginning scene that shows the brain returning to its rotted state over time. The yellow offers contrast to the intensity and emphasis on the instability of people who are either inflicting this pain, or receiving it. There are lips on the cabinet also showing seduction and how people may use sexuality to trick one another. As for in the sense of hell, demons will feast upon the pain and torture of their victims.

Interpretation:

Overall, we are satisfied with this project and had a lot of fun completing it. The freedom within each other, and the trust to execute techniques was really rewarding. We are glad that we chose classroom projectors, however it was difficult to calibrate efficiently. Our group did complete the assignment on our own pace, allowing the classroom to be encompassed by our own creative visuals. 

Below are the early stages of our work.

Brittany Han - Project 3: Relief Mapping

Concept

    For our third project, I wanted to play with the ideas presented by the Janus sculpture in the projection lab. I interpreted the sculpture with the idea of a persons brain being remade to form a new brain. The two faces, open like a book with the brain on display.

Techniques

    After importing the model and its UV map,  I experimented with layers of materials and how they interacted with the shape of the sculpture, as well as how I could utilize the LED arrays to further support my imagery. 

For the first scene, I landed on materials that play like hypnosis instruments. Utilizing the Strobe material as a base, I layered the Noisy Barcode material onto the brain, curving the lines to make a psychedelic effect. Using the outline of the brain to help differentiate the two.

 

 For my second main scene, I used simpler materials to emphasize storytelling aspects. Using a babies giggle and calming acoustics to interpret a sense of new beginning for the brain. The particle effect embodying a soul for this instance.

 The final scene shows the newly formed consciousness in all its glory. The glow amplifies the accompanying audio in a big reveal. The brain now fully functioning and processing information like it should. I choose the cloud effect for the brain because to me it made it look as though it were moving.

Interpretation 

In case video doesn't work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpEZjWeeJ0g

I really enjoyed working with sculpture and thinking through different conceptual aspects, especially the way the lights were incorporated into the work.

I think I did a great job masking out the areas of interest for me in this project. I do however think that my SVG linework was underutilized, as I didn't make use of the network of lines that make up the front faces of the brain or the two faces themselves.

Overall, I had a fun first experience mapping onto low-relief, but I think I could have activated some other shapes  the sculpture much more effectively and fine-tuned the flow of the animations.