DAT 308 ~ Making Drum Samples

DAT 308 ~ Performance Interfaces

For this project we have been asked to create an interface which facilitates performance. We have a variety of software to help us create an interface which will produce an audio performance, visual performance, or both.

We came up with the idea of creating a wearable musical interface, which we are currently developing.

We are aiming to create this wearable musical interface which will allow the user to use their movement to generate a beat / musical scene.

At the moment our idea is to sew pressure sensors into or onto the shoulders of a blazer.

To generate the music we will be using Mozzi, a library for Arduino. We have tried to get the samples I created working but it appears that it will not be possible due to the memory of the Arduino - the musical tones will have to be produced on the fly.

Part of the inspiration for this piece was derived from the theatrical performance 'Stomp'.

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DAT 306 ~ Extended Project Proposal

For my project I am going to create a simulator aiming to replicate the experiences of someone who is suffering from psychosis or a psychotic episode. To create this experience I will use an Oculus Rift Virtual Reality headset, with augmented reality elements depicting the potential visual experiences of psychosis, including ‘overlays’ added to the environment as well as visual disturbances. I will also use audio to add another dimension to the experience, which would demonstrate auditory hallucinations.

It may also be possible to simulate tactile hallucinations by the use of haptic feedback devices. To achieve this I will design and create at least one item of clothing which contains various motors and circuitry linked to an Arduino to provide a similar feeling to that of a common tactile hallucination. For example, the sensation of insects crawling on skin is an effect that I could somewhat replicate though the use of vibrating motors in a sequential placement, with one motor being activated, then the second and so on, so it feels like something is moving up an arm.

The immersive environment that I will be creating would be ideal for helping to encourage empathy, understanding, and relation in the general public or on mental health first aid courses. It could also be used by mental health professionals to gain a better understanding of what their clients may experience, which may mean that they are able to give more informed information to their clients. It could also help other students, and staff members gain an insight into how some peers and colleagues may experience their surroundings while experiencing psychosis.

My project would hopefully reduce instances of discrimination, harassment, and victimization – stigma and a lack of understanding is a common issue when it comes to mental health problems. My project aims to give people an understanding of what it is like to experience an episode of psychosis, and hopefully mean that people are more likely to be less judgemental when it comes to interacting with people who suffer from this condition.

By showing the impact and symptoms of psychosis, my project will help to show professionals involved in the care of a client how to best assist their client or student and give them equal opportunities in day to day life and in the academic environment.

In a more everyday environment, my project will allow the general population to understand psychosis. This will allow them to gain greater empathy and mutual understanding of how the person suffering from psychosis may feel in a variety of circumstances and situations.

DAT308 ~ Immersive Visual Theatre (Dome) Animation

James created the main part of the visualization. As described in an earlier blog, we aimed to create an immersive visualisation in which the viewer felt submerged. We timed the visualisation to the music.

Originally the streaks of colour exploded when they disappeared from the screen, but this caused the frame rate to fall dramatically so the explosions were omitted.

DAT 308 ~ Music

In this project we aimed to create a highly immersive world in the dome. The dome itself lends well to immersion, but we decided to create something which was immersive not only visually but audibly.

I created the music for this project using a midi controller, and the GarageBand software.

I went back and changed the track a few times after mastering and bouncing it as we decided to add a little more of a change of pace in the music. I conveyed this change in the theme of the music by adding a subtle bass drop.

I modified preset instruments to create unique sounds and found the layering of the different sounds produced an ethereal effect, particularly with the sound seen at the top of the image in the screenshot below.
 

 

DAT 303 ~ Modeling and Texturing

Mushroom

Tree

DAT 303 ~ Link

Piggy Protector

DAT 303 ~ Sound Effects

I made some sound effects for the game. I used my own vocal recordings for all of them - we wanted to keep the sound range feeling natural, and showing the capability of the human voice - it was an experiment of sorts, and it turned out well.

I added effects, changed pitches and bass and treble levels, and just generally played around with the audio recordings, but minimally so as to not distort the sounds too much and make them sound unnatural or synthetic. We wanted to give a sort of 'grounded' feeling to the sound effects and not just use pre-recorded or computer generated ones. I feel that they harmonise nicely with the main game music, which uses acoustic instruments and a chiptune beat, blending the old and the new.

For the recording and editing, I used Audacity.

DAT 303 ~ Splash Screen

 

To create the splash screen, I started out with a pink and blue gradient. I then added 'lace' around the edges, with pink polka dots.

I then added in the main character.

I experimented with different fonts to find the right one.

I decided to settle on a hand drawn font, and arranged characters individually.

DAT 303 ~ Colour Schemes

Thinking about colour schemes is important for any game. The colours and tones used help to set the scene, alongside things like textures. For example, dark colours and grungy textures would help to set the scene for a darker game, like Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines.

A game like Mirrors Edge uses colours which are a lot more saturated in some places and bright, giving a kind of otherwordly feel.

For our game, the theme is along the lines of 'angelic'. Below are some colour combinations which I found using Adobe Kuler. We wanted to stick to pastel shades as we thought it would fit well with our 'angelic' theme.

We decided to go with gold and purple for the main character, desaturated pastel colours for the environment, while enemies are more saturated reds and purples. The saturation of colour in the enemies will help them to stand out as something that is 'out of place' in the environment, and show that they do not really belong there.

DAT 301 ~ Idea

A button which the user presses - on pressing the user receives an electric shock or a burst of compressed air on their face. A light 'beartrap' would close upon their arm on the pressing of the button. It records the users vocal reaction / scream / emotion, and uses this to gain 'energy' which is represented by something.

Whiteboard which you can write on using a uv 'pen' after pressing the button. Users can then write on the board leaving messages, which are shown when the light comes on when the button is pressed.

DAT 303 ~ Modeling and Texturing a House

I have been working on modeling a 3D house for the game.

Here are some images of it in progress.

I have tried to get Blender working on my computer but it bluescreens and I have no idea how to fix it. I tried installing Ubuntu and that didn't work either. So I guess I will have to go into University to do more work on it.

The theme for the project is low poly and cute. This house might be a bit crooked but I feel that it will add to the character of the model - we thought it could be the place where the enemies emerge from.

I'm really enjoying learning how to model, and I hope that next time I can texture some things and complete the house.

Update:

Below is the completed texture for the house.

I enjoyed learning how to texture too.