introduction to digital media | fdm20c

Lindsaytorte is on skype for an hour or so… goodnight from london! see you on skype tomorrow or thu.

sorry for irregular schedule!

Would anyone like to show the class a game you made? If you would, make sure your computer can work with our classroom technology (or make sure the game can run on my computer). We have time for 2, maybe 3 people to show work.

This will be happening on Tuesday of next week.

Enjoy Prof. Sack’s lecture today!

Ally requested a .pdf of our final projects handout. Here it is: http://people.ucsc.edu/~lkelley/classes/fdm20c_spring/proposal_project.pdf

enjoy!

Lindsaytorte is in, at least until my unstable wifi at the Cardiff Radisson requires re-authentication!

I’m in the Pool right now too. Anyone especially anxious for feedback, let me know here in comments or email etc.

I have some emails to respond to as well; look for a reply soon.

1) Most of the readings for Miki Foster’s talk do not exist on eres. This is entirely my fault. I have the mild excuse of having scheduled xeroxing activities during the McHenry closure, but, really, it’s just my fault, no excuses. Enjoy the Plant, however, and know that those other readings will be posted soon.

2)I have had very little (read:no) time for skype or pool feedback. Conferences, I’m afraid, are like this–all consuming, very little free time. I should have more time on Sunday and early next week for Pool explorations. I’m on Skype now, but possibly not for much longer. handle=lindsaytorte.

greetings from wales, where I just visited the Ianto Shrine here in Cardiff. People thoughtfully laminated their shrine contributions to help preserve them against the damp.

Here are the two classes and sketch that comprise the demo I did yesterday, complete with excessive comments. Anything you don’t understand, do remember how excellent the documentation on the processing website is: http://processing.org/.

The files are pasted here, and are also online (link below), but, see my note about the online version. Any ideas you have about the size glitch, let me know! If this happens in your sketches, be in touch with us. The lesson here is to export early, ahead of the deadline.

Note an error on the zine handout: “size” must be the first line within “setup.” In the handout this is not the case.

Here is the sketch, save it with whatever name you like:

Building home;                                           //these are objects that refer to classes/templates "building" and "BlinkingEye."
Building work;                                           //this list declares the objects that will be used later on. Like ingredients before pancakes.
BlinkingEye sauron;
BlinkingEye ebi;

void setup() {                                           //In this void, I define the parameters of my objects
  size(640, 480);                  //the size of the canvas. This must be the first line within "setup." All declared pixels can be moved around in/activated
  home = new Building(10, 10, 300, 300, color(255));      //here I have filled in the parameters for this instance of the building
  work = new Building(300, 300, 200, 200, color(255));
  sauron = new BlinkingEye(100, 100);                    //I had to go consult the BlinkingEye code to figure out what numbers I needed to use here and how to format them
  ebi = new BlinkingEye(50, 50);
  smooth();                        //anti-aliasing--play with commenting this out if you want to see what "unsmooth" looks like
  noCursor();                      //makes the cursor disappear
 }

void draw() {                //in this void, I draw/display my objects
  background(0);             //background is set to black. You only need to know two colors for this project. Black is 0, White is 255. I think you can also just type "black" and "white"
  home.display();            //displaying buildings named "home" and "work"
  work.display();
  sauron.update(mouseX, mouseY);      //making sure that eyes update position as the cursor moves around
  sauron.draw();                      //as before, it is a process of trial and error when implementing a class you did not write
  ebi.update(mouseX-40, mouseY-40);   //go look at the way the person who did write the class works with their objects.
  ebi.draw();
}                                //don't forget to close your brackets!

Here is the Building class, which must be named “Building” and be kept in the same folder as the sketch:

class Building {         //defining "building" class
  float xpos;   //these are variables that shape my building
  float ypos;
  float wide;
  float tall;
  color col;   //this means color

  Building(float x, float y, float w, float h, color c) { //this is a constructor and declares the format
    xpos = x;
    ypos = y;
    wide = w;
    tall = h;
    col = c;
  }

  void display() {                          //how the building will be displayed
    rectMode(CENTER);                        //remember to consult the documentation to learn what various statements mean
    fill(col);
    rect(xpos, ypos, wide, tall);
  }

}

And here is the BlinkingEye class, which must again be named BlinkingEye and kept in the same folder as the others.

//BlinkingEye was made by mb09 (http://www.mb09.com/) for Lukas Vojir's Processing Monster project (http://www.rmx.cz/monsters/)

class BlinkingEye
{
  float x,y;
  float px,py;
  int age;

  BlinkingEye(float _x, float _y)
  {
    x = _x;
    y = _y;
    px = x;
    py = y;
    age = 0;
  }

  void update(float _x, float _y)
  {
    px = x;
    py = y;
    x += (_x - x)*0.1;
    y += (_y - y)*0.1;

    age++;
    draw();
  }

  void draw()
  {
    pushMatrix();
    translate(x,y);

    fill(0);
    ellipse(0,0,50,50);
    pushMatrix();
    if(age %100 > 95)
    {
      scale(1,0.2);
    }
    fill(255);
    ellipse(0,0,25,25);
    popMatrix();
    fill(0);
    ellipse(0,0,5,5);
    popMatrix();
  }

}

The files are online here: http://people.ucsc.edu/~lkelley/demo/building/applet/

But, even though the “size” function is in the first line of setup, and uses numbers, not variables, when the sketch is exported, the default size, 100×100, takes over. I’m stumped. Will update here once I find a solution. Here is more information about the size function: http://processing.org/reference/size_.html

So, my apologies for a faulty demo. I’ll have it fixed asap. But, you should be able to use this code within processing to start playing around. Or, of course, make your own from scratch, or based on a tutorial. Remember, tutorials are here: http://processing.org/learning/

This is a more relevant to fall’s iteration of the class, b/c in spring we aren’t touring with Kool Aid Man, but check out this new interview by Martin Kohout with artist Jon Rafman about the Kool Aid Man project:

http://itsalreadynow.tumblr.com/post/570634983/a-conversation-with-jon-rafman-about-the-kool-aid-man

links to the project below the text (some of the videos are NSFW!)

how very meta of you! Find it here: http://ucscfdm20cs10.wikia.com/wiki/UCSC_FDM20C_SPRING_2010_Wiki

Cory Doctorow’s MAKE magazine article about wikipedia may be found here: http://www.make-digital.com/make/vol20/?pg=16#pg16

Your midterms are ready to be returned to you! TAs are deciding whether to return them in lecture or in section. In either case, they will be returned to you this week.

will be attempting virtual office hours tomorrow. Skype=lindsaytorte. Do not be sad if I do not answer. I might be on with someone else, or away from computer, or similar.

Friday’s attempt at virtual office hours failed due to unstable wifi.

update: yay, someone finally contacted me for office hours via skype! I will be leaving Skype at 4 pm. Remember that LIVE IN PERSON office hours are tomorrow from 1-3. If several people are there at once we can talk about the midterm as a group.

A few notes provided from Andrew’s sections toward the midterm:

1.) Tactical- There is a temporary reversal of power. It is open-ended and can’t be reproduced. People trying to get a message out about a certain issue.
Examples: Activist, Hackers, street rappers

Differences between strategic and tactical:
Strategic: the overview, looking down on
Tactical: ground level

Reading: The ABC of Tactical Media, Kaprow “The Happenings in New York City”
Examples: Girl Talk- argument over copyright, Yes Men, Couple in a Cage

2.) Lee Walton Facebook video’s as analytical theater and Newspaper Theater

Analytical: The status as the participant and Walton as the performer.
Newspaper: Parallel action status is shown as a video.

Examples from his site.

3.) didn’t have time to finish

Question 1:

Tactical Media: the temporary reversal of flow of power, between the artist/public and the “target” regarding communication and power, meaning information that is given to the public. This media can be divided between tactical and strategic, the first uses time to unfold and the second uses space. As an example, the Yes Men in the Dow Chemicals scandal, the Yes Men dressed up as Corporate spokesmen and apologized making a statement for Dow Chemicals, so at this point information was given to the public, giving them the power; thus there was a reversal of power. It is a brief moment where this kind of tactical media infiltrated mass media, by occupying public space. Another example would be Michael Mandiberg with “How Much It Costs Us” and “Oil Standard”, it is a strategic media, because it gives the public information regarding your impact and the cost of oil. Strategic is long-term, like Michael Mandierg’s project, and tactical would be a “hit-and-run tactic”, it is short-term.
Tactical media cannot be reproduced, like Allan Kaprow’s work (”Happenings’ in the New York Scene”) it involves the public, and within their interaction it is unique, because it is more about a state of mind.