Independent Study for Week 4 Studio

· Find and post an example of Augmented reality that inspires you!

· Work on refining your chosen environment, considering the final output of your “box” along the way.

· Add animations and textures (you may want to explore baking your textures to add a more realistic feel to your models).

· You can also experiment with adding other elements to your overall scenes, such as lighting, though you will have to figure out what lighting works best with an AR environment.

· Start developing your 6 markers for your final box. Each should be different and not symmetrical.

· Post images of your 6 markers to your blogs (you will probably want to refine these after feedback from your tutor next week).

· Post images and videos of your models in AR, registered to your markers, showing your thinking and ideas about how your final AR box will work. Save your BuildAR “.xml” files. Save often and many versions, in case of corruption!

· There are many ways to develop your markers, though I suggest using monochromatic 2D representations of your 3D models from different views.

· Be Creative!

· When people look at your markers they should get a sense of what they will see in the 3D AR version. You can be abstract or literal in your thinking.

· When in doubt… Always refer back to your designer for influence on style and expression for your outputs.

· For the final box, you will need 6 different models registered with your 6 markers to create the 6 possible views of your models, when held in your hands for viewing in AR.

Week 3 – Tasks for Studio

• Go to http://www.buildar.co.nz/ to get the BuildAR application, and watch/read the tutorials. (Files are also on emustore).
• There is a Free Version, which has limited functionality, but will suit your purposes, or there is a Trial of the Pro version, which has some extra features, but is "save" disabled. I suggest the Free Version to start with, but you may like to also try the Trial version for the added extras. http://www.buildar.co.nz/buildar-free-version/

o Install BuildAR (I suggest the BuildAR Free version)

o Install the OpenSceneGraph Exporter for 3Ds Studio Max - OSGExp1.0.0Install_win32.exe

http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/osgmaxexp/index.php?title=Main_Page

o Use 32bit 3ds max 2010 for ".osg" exporter (there is no 64bit exporter)

o The BuildAR tutorial suggests to use ".ive" filetype, while you can get this to work (with a bunch of fiddling around), I suggest using ".osg" format, it works straight off the bat. It's essentially the same thing with a different file extension.

To export to ".osg" format

o In 3Ds Max, go to > Utilities (panel) -> More -> OSG Export toolbar

o In the toolbar the third icon from the left is the "export and save as OSG" - use it!

o Configure the exporter as needed (leaving the defaults usually works pretty well), here are some other settings that seem to work pretty well, but you may like to experiment.

o

o …the file will be saved to C:\Users\"username"\Documents\3dsMaxDesign\export

o Rename the file as needed

• Use your laptops’ webcam, or one of the external webcams that I have brought along. External webcams give you a little more control with viewing and placement.
• Play around with 3Ds Max, Sketchup (I would be using 3Ds max) and BuildAR trialling a few different .3ds or .ive models (I suggest “.osg” filetype), sections, transparent, wireframe, animated, etc. considering the best way to display your work in a mixed reality situation. You should get at least one each of these concepts working during studio.
• Some file types will give you unpredictable results (“.osg” seems to be the most stable), and certain types of materials, particle effects, etc. won’t export properly… this will take a little trial and error to figure out what works for you.
• Capture a minimum of 3 well considered and well framed images of each of your developing environments (6 “final images in total, but chances are you will be capturing many more as tests, post all experimentation to your blogs, post your final 6 chosen images in a separate post to your experimentation).
• Your final images should be, well considered, cropped and have some post production in Photoshop (all images you deal with should generally be taken through an image editing program to make them polished representations).
• The three images of each model may show 3 different scales of your models, such as an environment scale (whole site), building scale (standing in your environment looking at main structures) and detail scale (looking close up at interesting aspects of your model), or some other distinct representative technique for your sets of images (you should be considering your chosen designer to help direct you in representation styles for this task).
• Capture a video of your animated AR’s, and post to your blog (Fraps works pretty well for this).
• Save your BuildAR “.xml” scenes, and all related models, textures, etc. (file control is important!)
• By the end of the studio, in consultation with your tutor, choose 1 of your developing environments to use for Assignment 1. This will be the one you develop further and draw ideas from in the coming weeks.

Independent Study for Week 3 Studio

· Scan and post good quality images of all of your physical sketches and image captures of your developing digital environments from Studio.

· Develop both the interiors and exteriors of your 3D environments, and the surrounding landscape of your environments, using any and all visualisation tools at your disposal.

· Be sure to consider the basic construction of your dwellings, with elements such as wall thickness, doors and windows (if any), how it relates to the landscape, and any other aspects of your designs that are relevant. Also consider the habits of your creatures, eating, sleeping, recreation (dancing), and any other behaviours you may envision.

· Extract, refine and post images to your blog of a minimum of one plan and two sections of your digital models for each environment, showing elements such as wall thicknesses, floor thickness, space layout, levels etc. These should be simple, very clear graphic line extractions at this stage.

· Always refer back to your designer for influence on style and expression for your outputs.

· Take at least 6 well framed (and good resolution) image captures of your environments, considering interior and exterior, and post them to your blog.

· Outputs to be posted to blog for next week, from independent study:

o Physical and digital sketches of two environments.

o Images of the processes of your developing ideas for your developing environments.

o Minimum of 1 x plan extraction image for each of your two digital models

o Minimum of 2 x section extraction images for each of your two digital models

o Minimum of 6 x well framed image captures of your Dwelling/Habitat, for each of your two digital models

Week 2 – Tasks for Studio

· Throughout studio, your tutors will look at your folded paper comparisons, and give an indication of your success at the task (this task, as well as other tasks will count towards your overall blog grade for the course).

· Post a comment on another students blog form a tutorial group not your own, providing some constructive feedback on their Folding Paper exercise.

· Based on your Independent study for the last week, and using your practice of using Spore to create 3 random creatures, create another 3 developed creatures using Spore Creature Creator, basing their development on each of the 3 examples of work from your designers. Learn from each other in the use of the tools.

· Post your next 3 developed creatures and their descriptions to your blogs.

· Using feedback from your tutors and fellow students, choose and refine/finalise two of your developed creatures created in class today, and their descriptions, being particularly descriptive and encompassing with the text describing the nature of your creatures.

Developing a progressive Design Process

· With your chosen two developed creatures, and two folded paper objects from last week, you will start blending and developing two distinct environments using modelling and hand sketching.

· Pair up each of your two selected creatures with your two folded paper objects and start blending themes from your designers works, your folded paper and your creatures to start to develop two distinct spaces.

· Write 10 expressive words for each set that capture elements and extends between themes raised by your objects, designers and creatures.

· Start with some expressive sketching that explores the emotive themes of your creatures and artist works, using your original folded paper objects as a vehicle for your environments (use a sketchbook or something similar), and your 10 words to help define the direction. Post any sketches to your blogs.

· After some initial expressive sketching, sketch an interior and an exterior of for each of your environments. Post your 4 drawings to your blogs, labelled and indicating your chosen words, which creatures, folded objects and designers works the sketches were based on.

· Take an ordered approach to laying out your content on your blogs, so a viewer has a clear understanding of your design development.

· These sketches should convey a solid understanding of your environments, and should display a high quality of craftsmanship, being pieces of art in their own right.

· As your ideas develop on paper, start to transfer your sketched ideas to a 3D modelling application as rough 3D sketches which you can use to assist your understanding of the 3D nature of your environments.

· Alternate between your hand drawn expressive sketches and your chosen modelling applications to refine and develop your ideas.

· Always consider the polygon count of your models, being aware of where you can use geometry and where you can use materials/texturing to achieve good effects using minimal polygons.

· Be sure to capture images of your developing digital model environments that show the progression of your ideas, posting to your blog constantly.