Visuals

I have made considerable progress since the last update.

As with most of my art projects, I dream big and then compromise afterwards. I've had to widdle down my project mock-up to something a bit more simple. At this point, obtaining the three specific types of drums isn't exactly manageable. Fortunately, I managed to get my hands on a set of bongos. These should be more than enough to generate the kind of sounds I need to trigger the animations. Instead of touch screens mounted on the walls, I have settled for projectors displaying the animations from Max/Jitter. Although not exactly the same idea, the sound made by the drums does still act as a trigger for the program.


Recently I discussed my idea with a fellow CIA student with prior knowledge of Max/Jitter. He has agreed to help me with the programming part of my project. He said that the animation and trigger should be pretty simple to program, and he has been keeping in touch with me on his progress.

As happy as I am at my progress and the fact that my project is quickly becoming a reality, I still hope to have my original idea fully realized. I've been reading into the inner workings of touchscreen technology and unusual user interfaces. The different kinds of touchscreens lend themselves to a variety of interfaces. Some rely on a person's electrical charge to indicate what information to display while others rely on interruptions in the constant sonic waves they generate.

I still plan to create my original idea, but for the time being, the mock-up will do. Bongos, projectors and Max/Jitter are much easier to obtain than a war drum, a Japanese drum, a snare drum and giant touch screens.

To date the only outstanding things in the completion of this mock-up are the finishing stages of the Max/Jitter programming of the animations and the triggers and acquiring the projector.