Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Project Statement
“Unreal Picnic Invasion” is an augmented reality installation that allows the viewer to interact with 3D insects moving around a table top. This project is an exploration using real-time position tracking and graphics rendering to create virtual world that can be interacted with real world objects.
The premise of my project focuses on interacting with 3D models using real world items. During my research on works done using augmented reality, specifically works using tracking markers, I did not find many examples of works taking full advantage of the technology. With using tracking markers, you can give 3D objects their own XYZ coordinates in a 3D space and this also allows you to give them information on where other objects are in this 3D space as well. When my characters come into “contact” with the real objects they will run an animation that is appropriate to being hit by the real world item.
The theme of my project is set as a picnic so the main characters are insect based. There is a fly, an ant, and a slug character that continually tries to steal your grapes. I wanted to have the characters resemble cartoon characters so I used solid colors for their body textures. When modeling them out I wanted to make them in the same theme as characters from the video game Team Fortress 2, so I gave them each their own wearable item that signifies hostility and a sense of up-to-no-good. The fly wears a knitted ski mask, the ant wears a gas mask, and the slug wears a bandit mask. I also wanted the characters to have a wearable object so when they die they leave that remnant behind.
My installation is inspired by the classic “Whack-A-Mole” game, which encourages players to hit various moles that pop up and down from holes with a mallet. Taking this concept of using a mallet to bop creatures on the head, I created this installation with the idea of using real objects to “bop” the 3D insects. The insects wonder about on the table as they try to collect the grapes from the end of the table. Once the insects reach the grapes they pick one up and carry back to the opposite side of the table. The viewer is able to torment the insects by squishing them with a flyswatter, setting them on fire with a flaming stick, and melting the slug with salt.
Maya
Virtools
Webcam
Plasma Display
ARToolKit Markers
Flyswatter
Stick
Salt Shaker
Table cloth
The premise of my project focuses on interacting with 3D models using real world items. During my research on works done using augmented reality, specifically works using tracking markers, I did not find many examples of works taking full advantage of the technology. With using tracking markers, you can give 3D objects their own XYZ coordinates in a 3D space and this also allows you to give them information on where other objects are in this 3D space as well. When my characters come into “contact” with the real objects they will run an animation that is appropriate to being hit by the real world item.
The theme of my project is set as a picnic so the main characters are insect based. There is a fly, an ant, and a slug character that continually tries to steal your grapes. I wanted to have the characters resemble cartoon characters so I used solid colors for their body textures. When modeling them out I wanted to make them in the same theme as characters from the video game Team Fortress 2, so I gave them each their own wearable item that signifies hostility and a sense of up-to-no-good. The fly wears a knitted ski mask, the ant wears a gas mask, and the slug wears a bandit mask. I also wanted the characters to have a wearable object so when they die they leave that remnant behind.
My installation is inspired by the classic “Whack-A-Mole” game, which encourages players to hit various moles that pop up and down from holes with a mallet. Taking this concept of using a mallet to bop creatures on the head, I created this installation with the idea of using real objects to “bop” the 3D insects. The insects wonder about on the table as they try to collect the grapes from the end of the table. Once the insects reach the grapes they pick one up and carry back to the opposite side of the table. The viewer is able to torment the insects by squishing them with a flyswatter, setting them on fire with a flaming stick, and melting the slug with salt.
Maya
Virtools
Webcam
Plasma Display
ARToolKit Markers
Flyswatter
Stick
Salt Shaker
Table cloth
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Tracker Testing
I am testing out how the objects are tracked and also the random movements they are suppose to make. The tables are stand ins for the creatures.
Rough Sketch of Space
This is the basic shape I plan to use for my display. I will be using a table, a big monitor, a computer and a webcam. The computer will be locked up under the table and the monitor will be opposite of the viewer. Ideally I'd like to be positioned against a wall. This is how the audience will first see the display.
This is a draft of what the same table top will look like when viewed through the monitor
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Project Statement
Project Statement
“Creature Bash” is an augmented reality game that allows the player to interact with 3D creatures moving around the table top. The purpose of this project is to create a fun interaction using virtual characters in a physical space.
ARToolKit is the motion tracking software used that allows the 3D models to be tracked and placed in the real world space. It was originally developed by Hirokazu Kato of Nara Institute of Science and Technology in 1999 and was released by the University of Washington HIT Lab. Today it remains as an open source project. The main features of this software allows the tracking of specific black squares that contain black and white patterns on the inside. These squares are also known as ’markers’. With the use of a camera and computer, the coordinates of these markers are tracked and allow a model with the same coordinates to be rendered out on screen where the marker is located. There are many forms of this technology in use today ranging from commercial products to custom built applications. My use of the software involves the ARToolKit plug-in for Virtools, which is a 3D building program that allows visual programming to create applications.
My game is a combination between the classic “Whack-A-Mole” game, which encourages players to hit various moles that pop up and down from holes with a mallet, and “Hungry Hungry Hippos”, a game that has players trying to collect as many pellets as they can with their respective hippo controller. Taking these two elements of violence against creatures and the need to compete to collect things, my game involves collecting points by destroying creatures, either by dropping them down a pit, whacking them with a mallet, or setting them on fire. The creatures wonder about on the table and the players must eliminate as many as they can using any of the aforementioned techniques, and all of this is accomplished by the markers the players will be using.
Each player has their own appointed marker that, when rendered on the screen, will transform into a hole in the ground. The player can position this marker anywhere on the table and hope for the creature to walk over it and fall to their demise. The player is also equipped with a wooden stick that has a marker on both sides. One has a virtual representation of a mallet and the other is a flaming torch. If the creature is struck be the mallet he will be squished. Likewise, if he is touched by the torch he will burst into flames. This is a much more modern take to whacking a mole.
While the game development is my main focus, my underlining goal of this project is to provide proper animation to the character when they are interacted by the player. In my research on the topic of augmented reality I found few to no real interactions of character and people. Everything seemed static and all the people could do was move the character or object around by moving the marker. This game is to provide real feedback though the players movements and animate the characters accordingly.
“Creature Bash” is an augmented reality game that allows the player to interact with 3D creatures moving around the table top. The purpose of this project is to create a fun interaction using virtual characters in a physical space.
ARToolKit is the motion tracking software used that allows the 3D models to be tracked and placed in the real world space. It was originally developed by Hirokazu Kato of Nara Institute of Science and Technology in 1999 and was released by the University of Washington HIT Lab. Today it remains as an open source project. The main features of this software allows the tracking of specific black squares that contain black and white patterns on the inside. These squares are also known as ’markers’. With the use of a camera and computer, the coordinates of these markers are tracked and allow a model with the same coordinates to be rendered out on screen where the marker is located. There are many forms of this technology in use today ranging from commercial products to custom built applications. My use of the software involves the ARToolKit plug-in for Virtools, which is a 3D building program that allows visual programming to create applications.
My game is a combination between the classic “Whack-A-Mole” game, which encourages players to hit various moles that pop up and down from holes with a mallet, and “Hungry Hungry Hippos”, a game that has players trying to collect as many pellets as they can with their respective hippo controller. Taking these two elements of violence against creatures and the need to compete to collect things, my game involves collecting points by destroying creatures, either by dropping them down a pit, whacking them with a mallet, or setting them on fire. The creatures wonder about on the table and the players must eliminate as many as they can using any of the aforementioned techniques, and all of this is accomplished by the markers the players will be using.
Each player has their own appointed marker that, when rendered on the screen, will transform into a hole in the ground. The player can position this marker anywhere on the table and hope for the creature to walk over it and fall to their demise. The player is also equipped with a wooden stick that has a marker on both sides. One has a virtual representation of a mallet and the other is a flaming torch. If the creature is struck be the mallet he will be squished. Likewise, if he is touched by the torch he will burst into flames. This is a much more modern take to whacking a mole.
While the game development is my main focus, my underlining goal of this project is to provide proper animation to the character when they are interacted by the player. In my research on the topic of augmented reality I found few to no real interactions of character and people. Everything seemed static and all the people could do was move the character or object around by moving the marker. This game is to provide real feedback though the players movements and animate the characters accordingly.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Project Proposal
Project Proposal
project proposal
Project Timeline
Week 4 - ARToolKit Testing / Implementation
Thursday Checkpoint
if needed (Week 5 - Programing help)
Week 6 - Modeling
Thursday Checkpoint
Week 8 - Using Models with ARToolKit
Thursday Checkpoint
Week 9 - Animations? / Preparing installation setup
Thursday Checkpoint
Week 11
Thursday Checkpoint
Week 13 - BFA Exhibition
Supply List
Computer
Computer power cords
Monitor
Monitor cords
Webcam
Multiple Shelving units
ARToolKit Markers
Pedestal / table
Budget List
?
project proposal
Project Timeline
Week 4 - ARToolKit Testing / Implementation
Thursday Checkpoint
if needed (Week 5 - Programing help)
Week 6 - Modeling
Thursday Checkpoint
Week 8 - Using Models with ARToolKit
Thursday Checkpoint
Week 9 - Animations? / Preparing installation setup
Thursday Checkpoint
Week 11
Thursday Checkpoint
Week 13 - BFA Exhibition
Supply List
Computer
Computer power cords
Monitor
Monitor cords
Webcam
Multiple Shelving units
ARToolKit Markers
Pedestal / table
Budget List
?
Sunday, January 16, 2011
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