Technecromancy

human vs. natural environment - relation to history - identifiable niche in time

2005-11-12T21:17:00.000-08:00

During the initial stages of research for the 'Race in Savannah' project, I saw an interesting dichotomy between the work I was doing in regard to the natural world and the man-made technology of a specific period, namely automobiles in the year 1911. Essentially, the difference was in the relative stasis of the natural environment compared to the dynamic changes of man's technological evolution.

The historic record of nature is much larger, more majestic and antique, serving as an excellent backdrop for virtually any phase of human development in the area. The specifics of the year required the man made elements. This is constantly changing and, I guess, it is this element that allows us to measure ourselves.

The unique man-made contrivances, the more bizarre the better, make a niche in time and gives a particular definition to the period. This element cannot be accessed immanently but, on the contrary, must be retrieved through study and research in a library or other database where records have been deposited by previous generations.

The past is not past in regard to Nature as long as at least some of it is around. Oak trees look just like they did 100 years ago.

Last stretch

2005-11-08T08:49:00.000-08:00

Currently, I am multi-tasking with intensity as the end
of the quarter approaches.

The construction of the racetrack has been the primary focus
thus far and with good reason.

After understanding a series of unforeseeable obstacles and
realizing various unique solutions, I am now preparing to
prepare the image layers of the tree tunnel for the final time.

*It is important to maintain one primary color tone throughout.
*The image planes must also be big enough so that the seams
do not show through.
*The alpha mask that creates the tunnel effect MUST be big
enough so that it is not evident that one is passing through
2d planes.

I have also resized and polished the car textures, adding specularity
and reducing the gloss to give a metallic effect.

The end of the track (bleachers, judgestand, starting blocks, and finish line
still need a little texturing.

I am in the process of modelling the driver around a biped model.
The idea is to reduce any problems in regard to rigging that might arise
from a more complex model.
Keep it simple.
The illusion is important.
The driver must be able to wave his arms and he must approximate the look
in Peter Helck's picture.

isinglass

2005-10-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

associative themes

*isinglass - This is what I called shiny strips of
mica that I would find when wandering through
the forest as a little boy.

Theses strips of mica were so thin that they were
both semi-transparent and semi-reflective.

*Nature's stained glass

The mineral grew like an onion

*thousand shades of green
*dense, impenetrable forest

To my knowledge, no one has really
seized on the potential of Savannah's
environment.

A virtual world based on the city's
extraordinary elements should always
be based upon the phenomenal tree
cover.

The virtual element should magnify this
component to a bizarre extreme.

*slight bending, 2d becomes 3d
*line travelling through, 3d becomes 4d

Maybe other objects are also attached to the
line besides cars and drivers.
e.g. - lightning bolts, stars, strange geometric
configurations, or other distinctive environmental
elements that may not otherwise be clearly visible
because the field of vision is focussed immediately
around the track(cotton plant, peaches, big mosquito,
horse/carriage)

This sort of effect would really create a vortex mechanism,
which would appear to be drawing matter through a black
hole of sorts...towards what, another universe, a vast abyss,
paradise???

An existential race car game!!!
A journey through space against time.

The Derailed Ride

2005-10-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to an analysis of amusement park
rides, simulations, tunnels, etc.

The common theme here is the idea of transcending the
real world and going into some sort of alternate reality or
scene from history.

There seem to be two primary considerations.
I think I've mentioned these before.

1) There must be a link preceding entrance into
fabulous realm

2) There must be an all-encompassing fabulous realm.

The alternative universe is traditionally presented in
one of two ways:

1)The viewers/audience/riders are sitting in some sort
of enclosed/artificial space in which all elements are related
to the imaginary world.

2) From an enclosed space, viewers/audience/riders observe
a world from a sealed screen where everything is constructed
to facilitate a certain immersive experience. Most often these
types of rides are vehicular. The screen actually operates
like a windshield.

**These two modes of virtual world presentation can be combined
to create an enhanced experience. An example of this would
be one in which the audience is in the cockpit of a spaceship watching
the journey through an imaginary window in the front. Great speeds
and daring turns literally result in screams/thrills/nauseated stomachs
from the general public as if they were on an actual rollercoaster

Another example is demonstrated in the use of an enormous screen dome
that encompasses an entire theatre. Here the concept of movie and
ride seem to blur together.

Thoughts:???

Here are some relative links:

NASA dome movie/ride:

http://www.hrpictures.com/2005/WILDCANYON/WILDCANYON.html

"The Art of Immersive Spaces" - an interesting program outline
for a conference on virtual world construction:

http://www.deaf04.nl/files/files/texts/coverage/reader_immersivespaces.pdf

Review of Orlando's theme parks
(perhaps a field trip in the future of SCAD grads??):

http://www.ajc.com/travel/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/0505/22trthemeparks.html

A review of keyspots in Vegas relative to immersive forms of entertainment:

http://www.vegas.com/traveltips/arcades.html

another article about designers of immersive virtual environments:

http://www.fredraab.com/careprint2.htm

Great portal and links to numerous sites relative to amusement
parks:

http://www.thrillride.com/index.html

Top 10 horror games(good discussion on the immersive element
of video games):

http://www.justadventure.com/articles/Horror/Horror_Top_10.shtm

-interesting connections between film industry and interactive/
immersive worlds:

Constance Balides gives a good summary of her paper entitled
"Virtual Spaces and Incorporative Logics: Contemporary
Films as "Mass Ornaments":

"This paper focuses on spectators' experience of immersion in
technological film spectacles associated with some of these
computer generated special effects and more generally, on the
implications of immersion as a cultural logic of consumption in
various contemporary media forms and leisure practices."

http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/papers/balides.html

A company that specializes in the construction of
immersive amusement rides:

http://www.world-wideattractions.com/divisions.html

An awesome proposal/outline for implementing a series
of rides in a theme park in the Niagara Falls area.
Good info about the theory behind the implementation of
these types of rides:

http://home.earthlink.net/~metatroy/metapresents.htm

"Virtual Reality, Decadence, and the Will to God
A Rebours and Mondo 2000":

http://www.saddlesores.org/hm_vr.html

Midterm Report

2005-10-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

-At this point I have a working prototype for the racetrack.

-Initially, the process was difficult and time consuming.

-The problem was mainly in developing an adequate
plan for building the track.
-I had many ideas and began working on them only to
realize that I was wasting my time.

-Besides, how vast was the world supposed to be?
-How could I make the forest to appear more dense than it actually was?

-During the initial modeling stage, I built 10 different trees.
-This enabled me with a good base which I could multiply and
rotate ad infinitum.
-I also made dozens of alpha channels, trying to find efficient
yet aesthetically pleasing ways to recreate live oak trees.
-Finally, I decided that it wasn't that important to be
completely photorealistic and that concern would prevent
me from actually producing the short movie from start
to finish.

-I came up with a unique solution regarding personal stylization.
-I created a path that led through a series of concatenated images.
-It reminded me of what it would be like to drive through a movie
or a strip of film.
-Each frame represented a slightly different stage of the journey.
-At a certain speed, the images would seamlessly flow into one another.

-These images were taken from various 'tree tunnels' in the city of Savannah.
-I took about 70 pictures.

-Each image was then imported into Photoshop.

-I opened the Peter Helck picture and, using the eyedropper,
captured some of the key tones in the painting.

-Then I dropped the tone over the actual photograph.
-Back in Max, I brought the photographs in and gave them a reduced opacity.
-I laid them on top of a series of planes and cracked a tunnel hole in the bottom.
-Next I drew a line through the tunnel and attached a camera.

-The avi is a bit crude and jerky, however, the idea is there and with a little polish,
-I think the whole thing will come off well.

-I have also built the finish line apparati and have begun importing
the car models into zbrush for retexturing.

-Originally, I planned to implement a couple of other 'scenes'
like a graveyard, a cotton field, or part of the city of Savannah.
-I think this may be a bit grandiose for one quarter and it seems
that the real focus is on the immediate area around the track,
the forest tunnel.
-This aspect alone requires much more study and polish.

-In the next week, I will begin building the character models.
I have allotted two weeks for this aspect of the project.

SPEEDTREE

2005-10-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I was reading through the latest issue
of Game Developer and there was an excellent review about
a revolutionary tree design software known as SpeedTree.
It is published by IDV.

Tom Carroll, a 3D environment artist with Rockstar San
Diego, wrote the review, and he seemed very enthusiastic
about the program's potential to heighten the look of
outdoor environments requiring trees, forest, or just foliage.

There is a free demo version of SpeedTree(3rd edition) online
at Digimation's website:

http://www.digimation.com/software/asp/products_demo.asp?product_id=388

The software sells for $395 but you can use the free demo
for two weeks.

The real version comes with 30+ different types of trees but
the demo only has four.

It is very user-friendly and plugs right into max.

Here are a couple of other useful links that you can also
use:

For tutorials:

http://www.digimation.com/software/asp/product_techtutes.asp?product_id=388

A trailer demonstrating forests that have been made
with SpeedTree:

http://games.softpedia.com/get/Games-Demo/SpeedTree-Trees-of-Pangaea-Demo.shtml

Tree Net

2005-10-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

This post deals with issues of compositing 2D masks with 3D models to create a tunnel through a forest.

The question is how to create the illusion of a massive and dense world without confounding the environment with polygonal mass.

Realism is important only to the degree that it is clearly apparent that we are dealing with a forest.

I want to rely more heavily with imaginative stylization because it is this element that makes the world strange and alluring.

The process that I plan to use is as follows:

There is a basic layer or line of oak tree models on either side of the road/track through the forest.

The closer to the road, the more polygonal mesh.

Beyond the first line of trees, I will begin placing alpha masks with various types of indigenous flora between and beyond the meshes.

At the end of the layered forest onion, will be a foliage wall.
For all practical purposes, this is the edge of the universe.

Another consideration is the ceiling or treenet.

The treenet is a web of branches, leaves, and Spanish moss that is so tightly knit together that it is impossible to see through.

Again, here there is a combination of 2d masks and 3d models.

The alpha masks will give the sense of depth and richness.
The models will afford real substance.
The treenet is bit trickier than the sides because this is the path that the camera will frequently be moving along.
The 2d alpha masks, therefore, will have to be concatenated successively all the way down the road to maintain the illusion.

AVATAR - SUBJECTIVE ENVIRONMENT

2005-10-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

The second focus of Technecromancy is an analysis of the
AVATAR concept, the exploration of character.

Initially, the project seemed to split itself into environment
and avatar categories.

This may not be an accurate delineation because the character is an
environment unto itself.

It may be better to refer to the dichotomy

as one between the objective/subjective universe.

http://www.avatara.org/essay.html

DREAMS ARE THE COMMODITIES OF THE INFORMATION AGE

2005-10-11T05:47:00.000-07:00

This is a mantra that I've begun to chant under my breath
as I observe the phenomenal merger of technology and art
that is currently revolutionizing the entire world.

Think about it like this.
Digital technology has enabled us with the power not only to
record events as they are in the objective world but also to
capture our interior dreams, reflections, etc onto a little piece
of plastic.

These dreams are valuable. Look at the motion picture industry.
Look at the animation industry. Look at the gaming industry.
Little pieces of plastic with big dreams imprinted on them are worth
megabucks.

In the vast world of information architecture, dream as information,
stands near the apex of the pyramid.

The dream abstracted as an information type is
valuable because it is a direct reflection of powerful
subconscious elements within the human psyche as
well as the anima mundi, or the psyche of the world.
It gives us a connection to apparently supernatural
energy sources, the ability to transcend matter, move
through time, etc.

And, everybody wants the superhero's powers.

Therefore, DREAMS ARE THE COMMODITIES OF THE INFORMATION AGE.

What are gold and silver compared to organized light crystals?

Go, now, and mine the gems out your subterranean caverns and labyrinths!

There's a fortune to be made.

Tunnel effects

2005-10-11T04:27:00.000-07:00

The tunnel effect is of primary importance.

The computer screen should be viewed as
the windshield of a vehicle breaking through
the realms of the imagination.

The ride itself is a journey,
a journey through space against time.

Elements of the story manifest as the race progresses.

The world is restricted to the field of view
that encompasses the racetrack.

This is an important point because the world must
be made to seem much larger than it actually is,
otherwise the construction of said world would be
impossible, considering the sheer polygonal immensity
and the speed necessary to convey the hot pursuit of a race.

Each variety of environment should be broken up into
a different max file.

The track will actually be cut up into several pieces.

By doing this, I will provide more exclusive integrity
to each different area.

In considering the importance of the tunnel effect in
the abstract, it may be useful to consider the idea of
multiple worlds conjoined by a linking mechanism.

The tunnel is that mechanism.

The race, therefore, is a visual representation of the
circulation of some sort of vital force through a major
artery that makes its way into the netherregions of
the body or the cosmos or the timeline.

The costume of the process is secondary to the concept
in fundamental importance, but is primary in regard to
attraction.

We want to be seduced by the imagination.

We want to go in there, where it is.

We want to shrink ourselves into tiny pixelated
energy streams and just flow.

Faster.

Check out this 2d flash tunnel from ebaumsworld.com.

The possibilities are even greater in 4 dimensions.

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/flash/supercoolpicillusion.html

RACE IN SAVANNAH - Shotlist/Outline

2005-10-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

A JOURNEY THROUGH SPACE AGAINST TIME

The essence of this project is to convey the motion and the passion beneath the forms. Technical details are secondary to story/concept development. The painting and texturing will take place in zbrush and 3dMax. The real work, however, will be in the actual modeling of the environment and in the motion through the environment.

There are three basic levels of motion that I currently foresee:

1) Animation of Cars/Drivers through 3d space

2)Virtual camera targeting - As race progresses, multiple cameras will be situated along the
track. There will be alternating cuts between sideline
audience viewpoint, 1st person driver viewpoint, and
omniscient God viewpoint.

3)Editing timeline cuts - This area pertains directly to an external editing
program like Premiere or Final Cut. Final Cut might be more conducive
to dynamic 'video-like' editing.

***These three levels offer exponential potential for high speeds
and multi-dimensional traveling. Combined in the proper manner,
I ought to be able to convey the speed of light.

Shotlist - Draft

1 - Introductory Titles -maybe a ragtime song in the background??? - maple leaf rag

2 - 2D picture - Peter Helck's 1911 painting - Vanderbilt Cup Race - Savannah, Georgia

3 - Fade - watery, memory blur - transition to dynamic 3D environment

4 - Environment seems to open up behind torn picture/banner - deep tree tunnel now visible
camera fixed- 3rd person

5 - Cars bust through with the No. 8 Lozier in the lead (as in picture)

6 - Yellow No. 6 Mercer comes up the tunnel from way back

7 - jerks camera with it down the track

8 - Camera races with Mercer to catch up with the other cars - smoke and dust billow forth
from the exhaust - camera alternates between 1st person and omniscient pov

9 - Cars all vie for position underneath long oak tunnel

10 - Critters from the forest jump forth and try to obstruct passage
(bullfrog, rooster, turtle, bunny, deer, boar??? )

11 - Emerge into endless cotton fields - boll weevils fly out of the cotton - farm wagon with horse
- little farmhouse

12 - around a curve and through a marshscape - water, marsh grass, crocodile, race camps -
- German, Italian, French, British flags mark different stations

13 - on through a spooky cemetery w/ ghosts, old soldiers, bullets flying, heavy fog/mist

14 - City of Savannah - Bull Street - actual old photos of the historic district fly before the cars

15 - Victory Drive - final rush to the finish line - cars continue to vie - Mercer breaks down -
-Fiat breaks down - Mercedes and Lozier duke it out to the end

16 - Ralph Mulford in the No. 8 Lozier - tears across the Finish line

17 - He stands with big silver trophy in the winner's circle -turning around and around -
holding it up in the air - money rains from the sky

The Future is Machinima

2005-10-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

My approach to the video game discipline comes from an appreciation of cinema and a love of history. Cinema has opened up the past in such an immediate way, literally making real the concept of a dimensional portal between different periods. With video games this process has become interactive and spontaneous. You aren't just watching the hero. You are becoming the hero.
I am interested in the overarching concept of the game itself, the driving storyline, epic, or mission. What is the essence of the idea, the summary? How well is it presented? A good game should take us into the movie. It is this brief sketch or preview that I have begun to make the cornerstone of my career as a game designer.

In considering the subject, there are two basic categories: pre-rendered cinematics and live-action machinima. While the principles that underlie pre-rendered animations are already more or less well-established, machinima represents a dynamic revolution, blending several other performing arts together. This blog is dedicated to the latter aspect of game cinematics.

-movie-making in the virtual realm

-Machinima as blend of animation, theatre, filmmaking, and game development

-akin to puppetry - exploration of avatar - role-playing

-imagine meeting up to perform Hamlet in Castle Wolfenstein with other players
or reenacting the signing of the Declaration of Independence
or arguing with Plato or Aristotle
or coordinating interesting flying formations with other jets and recording them
or...or...or...

-idea for another character type - wizard, knight, cleric, thief, virtual filmmaker - carries digital camera along to capture interesting moments - he gets sent up ahead to investigate, spy, and gather visual data to report back to the group

-precursor to fully conscious entry into digital realms

-instead of 'funniest home videos' --- 'craziest video game episodes' -

-playground for the imagination

Thoughts?

http://www.machinima.com/article.php?article=186

http://www.machinima.org/machinima-faq.html

http://www.wired.com/news/games/0,2101,53929,00.html?tw=wn_story_related

http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2004/09/08/machinima.html

syllabus

2005-10-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

Syllabus-

Week 1/Week 2 – orientation, organization, preparatory ground work – software, subjects
External research, Etc.

Week 3 – Week 5 – Build entire racetrack environment within 3d max using Peter
Helck’s painting as a starting point.
Primary – models – trees with leaves and moss – oaks,
- track – dirt, grass, pastoral landscapes
-race indicators – signs, finish line, grandstand,
fence
-obstacles – chicken, cow, horse/carriage

Week 6 – Week 8 – model/texture/rig/animate – driver(short/stocky) and mechanic(short/
stocky)

Week 9 – Week 10 – polish car models/textures, rig/animate cars with drivers inside
Them.
Add effects like smoke and dust. Establish camera paths.
Shoot movie.
Edit into a short trailer.

rough schedule for fall 2005

2005-09-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

The primary goal for this quarter is to bring to life Peter Helck’s 1911 painting of the Vanderbilt Cup Race in Savannah, Georgia and to merge it into the context of an animation focusing on the final lap of the race.

I would like to take what I have learned in previous classes and put it together into a short movie demonstrating a combination of modeling, texturing, rigging, animating, cinematography, editing, and sound design.

Beginning with the elements of the picture itself:

1) Environment – oak tree tunnel, leaves, Spanish moss, track, dirt, grass, bobwire fence, bleachers, grandstand, finish line, chicken??, cows??. Last quarter I began with this part of the project and built a basic terrain and track with a few trees in UnrealEd. This time, I am going to begin and end in 3d max. It may be possible to export things at a later date but that is of no concern at this point.

2) Characters – Each car has two occupants – a driver and a mechanic. Other than the color of their outfit, it is relatively hard to distinguish the drivers as they zoom by so I am just going to model one tall lanky driver and one short fat mechanic and then just change the color of the jersey or tweak other visible elements in small ways. The characters will also have to be rigged. Their motion is largely confined to turning a steering wheel, waving hands, pulling a brake, or leaning into a curve.

3) Vehicles - race cars – There are three main cars in the picture and one coming up in the background. These cars have already been modeled and roughly textured. Over the course of the quarter, I want to briefly polish these. They will also have to be rigged so that they shake and roll as they drive by.

Welcome!

2005-09-29T09:42:00.001-07:00

This blog is dedicated to researching the implications of digitally reconstructing history.

The basic focus is on two categories: environment and avatar.

My thesis is that four-dimensional digital technology is revolutionizing the discipline of history. By providing unlimited potential in its recreation, it offers powerful insights about previous generations in an imaginative, empathetic way. The essential study will be on the relationship between memory via historical record and imagination. In what ways does history inform the imagination? How does imagination utilize history to construct its forms?