01 | Pre-Production Research
1. Light Painting Machine by Josh Sheldon [ x ]
Joshās project integrates light, animation, and the tangibility of machinery/moving parts that Iām looking to replicate in my Senior Project. It looks and feels like the type of artwork Iām typically attracted to and want to make. Josh utilized open-source programs like Blender and Python with other various programs like Dragonframe, wrote his own programming, and essentially crafted his project by himself from the ground up. I admire the ingenuity and would love to handle my senior project similarly - I want the entire thing to be my own work. The color, forms, and motion in his work are also really fascinating; in the above snapshot, he used a mirror ball and dried grass or straw (?) to give the illusion of a tiny planet, or some kind of electricity or magic. Itās enchanting!
2. FluidSimulation / LEDCube by @zzaurak (twitter)Ā [ x ] [ x ]
This device created by GermanĀ āmaker, hacker, and inventorā who goes by āZaurakā is a six-screen-paneled LED cube that responds to gravity. When picked up, the handler can tilt and turn the cube, causing each pixelated light to fall to the lowest point on the surface. I love this idea, and I think that installation pieces are fantastic but can become extraordinary when the audience can interact with them. The color contrast between the glowing light and the black paneling is awesome and just what Iām looking to recreate. Additionally, because the surface is made of LED points, the colors can be toggled and the pattern can be changed. Similarly to Josh Sheldonās project, all of Zaurakās software work was self-made, something Iām also looking to reflect. The opportunities with an object like this are endless, but finding the parts necessary to build something like this might get pricy.
3. Traditional LED Cube [ x ] [ x ]Ā
This cube is made up of individually placed and soldered LED diodes and animated with software like Arduino. Itās my most practical option of the three, and still leaves me with tons of room for creativity. Iām attracted to this design because of the 3D element and, of course, the lights and color possibilities. LED lights fascinate me endlessly (Light City in Baltimore is my favourite event in the entire world), and Iād love to emulate some of the wild exhibitions that have left me totally awestruck. This option is very manually intensive too, which is just what Iām looking for. Being able to experiment with animated forms in a 3D space would be a dream, and Iām really enthused by the look and feel of this piece.Ā
Iāll need to really look into all the materials and workspaces Iād need for each of these options, the labor intensity vs. time frame I have to work with, and accessibility/cost of all materials. These factors will ultimately guide my final choice between the three. Iām leaning more toward one of the LED cubes/shapes anyway, simply because the light painting machine is probably out of reach of my own mechanical capability.
Whatās the best way to build that thing Iām building? What doesĀ ābest wayā mean, anyway? Is it the cheapest? The least labor intensive? The one thatāll produce the prettiest result? The one I am most drawn to and passionate about? Maybe a balance of all those things? What software will I need, and how easy will it be to learn that software? How many all-nighters can I pull before Iām sent to UHS by a concerned classmate or professor? Lots of questions to be answered before I can even get started.
3. Purchasing materials and determining a workspace
It might be in my best interest to use the cheapest options available and build a prototype rig first. Alternatively, that might be a total waste of time and/or money and instead Iāll get the Actual Parts for my Actual Project. Moreover, this isnāt a digital project and itāll need a home for the next eight months or so. Finding a space appropriate for that will be important! If Iām soldering, Iāll have to check around with some folks I know who might have supplies I can use. Shipping time is something Iāll need to account for too, I donāt want to be waiting upwards of a month for a part that I canāt proceed without.
As stated above, Iāll have to make a choice about materials and get started with assembly. In tandem to all this, Iām hoping to take advantage of the Lynda.com tutorials that are totally free (thanks BCPL!) to learn the programming necessary for Arduino or a like program thatāll allow me free reign over these lights. This will be a time to modify and redesign anything that needs reworking in the rig itself, and get experimenting with/brainstorming on the animated forms Iām going to try to produce through the software. Once I have a basic knowledge of the software and can start making forms, Iāll have a more adequate understanding of what animations are most interesting, make the most visual sense, are most practical for me to spend time making, and so on.
I have many many ideas for possible animations to build, so Iām not too concerned about this part. The possibilities are beyond numerous and Iām sure that as this creature is being built, Iāll be thinking of more neat things to do with it. This will be software intensive, so it will probably be the last (and possibly most difficult) part of the process. Iām hoping to spend the entirety of my last semester in this lastĀ āanimatingā part of my production schedule, meaning everything 1-4 on this list should be done by December/January. I hope.Ā
Iām not really worried about building the thing, but I am worried that Iām a little too dense to handle something like Arduino. If I start now Iāll absolutely have enough time to figure it out (and if I canāt, I have time to contact resources who can help me), but Iāve had a rough time with programming in the past. Another concern is the volume of all my other work outside of the senior project. Iām prone to getting real pressed aboutĀ the future and consuming myself with self-doubt, so hereās hoping that Iāll develop the soft skill of thick skin. I donāt know if it counts as a soft skill, but Iām exceptionally stubborn, so maybe I can use that to my advantage here somehow. Price will be another hang-up, and Iām worried that this is going to cost me some cash I donāt have. Thatās not based on a soft or hard skill though, thatās just college.Ā
