#lasallesocm

Assignment B:

Use a selection of your current Processing sketches which use code to animate abstract, geometric visuals. Create a browser application and add your own sound track that supports your visuals. Sketch size: Fullscreen Due: Week 10 The following topics should serve as a starting point to explore and practice algorithms and the techniques used to create them. Repeat * Iterative * Recursive Transforming * Transcoding * Slit-Scan Parameterize Simulate * Particles * Cellular automata * Noise Recursion * Fractals * L-systems Glitch

Markdown- Markdown is a lightweight markup language with plain text formatting syntax. It is designed so that it can be converted to HTML and many other formats using a tool by the same name. Here are my explanations on the principles of p5.js in markdown format.

# Assignment- Principles of p5.js

Write down findings in a text file using the markdown format. Explain the 6 perimeters (One paragraph each)

## Variables Variables are containers that can store data values and have a unique name. It can be a number or a string. Variables can be assigned any name that we intend it to be eg. for clarity. You only need to change the value of the variable once and that in turn will change all relevant values associated with that variable; instead of changing them individually. Variables can either be global or local, depending on where it is defined at in the code.

## Functions Functions are a block of code designed to perform a particular task. Functions are defined by the keyword function, and function names can contain letters, digits, underscores and dollar signs. It will be followed by a parentheses that contains parameters listed inside. The parameters inside a function behave as local variables.

When a return statement is used in a function body, the execution of the function is stopped. If specified, a given value is returned to the function caller. For example, the following function returns the square of its argument, x , where x is a number. If the value is omitted, undefined is returned instead.

## Conditions Conditions are like questions. They allow a program to decide to take one action if the answer to a question is true or to do another action if the answer to the question is false. The questions asked within a program are always logical or relational statements. Conditions include, if, else and else if statements which allows the computer to decide which code to execute.

The 'IF' condition is executed if a specified condition is true. For example, if the variable 'i' is equal to zero, then draw a line.

As for "ELSE IF", it is another condition that can be used to specify a new condition to be tested, if the aforementioned statement is false. For example, if the variable 'i' is not equal to zero but is equal to one, then draw a circle.

Lastly, we have 'ELSE'. If both 'IF' and 'ELSE IF' conditions are false, the 'ELSE' conditional statement will be executed. For example, if the variable 'i' is not equal to zero or one, draw a rectangle.

Conditional Operators: ~~~ > : Greater than < : Less than >= : Greater than or equal <= : Less than or equal == : Equal to != : Not equal to ~~~

## Loops Loops are used to execute a block of code over and over again, commonly with a different value each time. The code inside the draw () function runs continuously from top to bottom until the program is stopped. There are three types of loops- 'For' loops, 'While' loops and 'noLoop()'.

For Loops:

It has three statements. -  to create a variable called 'i' -  defines the condition to run a loop -  Increase the value of variable 'i' each time the loops is executed, until the condition is fulfilled.

While Loops:

It has only one statement. A while loop loops a block code as long as a given specified condition is true.

noLoop():

A noLoop() will stop a code that has been continuously executed in a draw function.

# Arrays

An array allows you to hold more than one value in a single variable. It is useful when you need to search for a specific value as each value is tagged to an index number thus making it easier to locate if you have a a lot of values. An array is defined by two square brackets [].

Associative Array: - Similar to a dictionary (instead of using a number to identify an array, you use a key instead). Key can be a word or a letter or anything. They make use of {}.

~~~ eg. let m = ("a": 15, "b" : 50); ~~~

## Maps It has 5 Perimeters and helps to map values from one range to another. The first value is the value in which you want to extract from and convert eg. a mouseX value. The next two values are the start 1 and stop 1, which is the current minimum and maximum value range of the first value eg. mouseX. The last two values which is start 2 and stop 2 are the new minimum and maximum value range that you have chosen.  

## JSON Javascript object notation- String(Long text that is written in words that are marked by "everything inside here is a string") based format that allows you to send data structures across the network from one computer to another or it allows you to store a data structure. You can save a very complex script in a text file and it will load based on the state it was saved. (Like a database) Can be exported and imported.

Piezo!

Here is the completed piezo. Who knew this tiny little disc would be able to turn into a pickup microphone!

My initial idea for the distance sensor instrument was to be able to play different pitches based on the area of the paper I was writing on. So as someone traces a sketch on the paper, their movements across the paper would create different timbres on top of whatever that was already being created from the graphite pencil. As I was giving my classmates a go at it in class, it dawned upon me that it wasn’t really an interesting addition to the project. In fact, it was actually pretty annoying as the Ping sensor wasn’t really “sensitive”, which meant that the switching of pitches sounded arbitrary; it didn’t really follow the gestures of the users. It felt like a separate instrument altogether that didn’t integrate well.

I tried to shorten the distances in which the pitches are created. It smoothened the rate in which the note changes but it still wasn’t an addition that I felt was justifiable. It didn’t make sense to me to add something that was actually more of a hindrance to someone creating music using my instrument.

After a lot of brainstorming and consulting Andy, I thought of the idea of thinking of the two components as one, instead of two separate entities. I devised a plan to try and combine the codes of the ping sensor to the one of the graphite pencil so that both of them were one singular instrument. I wanted to find a way to use the ping sensor to alter the sound of the graphite pencil instead of it creating its own pitch.

I somehow managed to come up with this!

I have added the potentiometer to my project and here are the results!

A potentiometer is a simple knob that provides a variable resistance, which we can read into the Arduino board as an analog value. By turning the shaft of the potentiometer, we change the amount of resistance on either side of the wiper which is connected to the center pin of the potentiometer. This changes the relative "closeness" of that pin to 5 volts and ground, giving us a different analog input. When the shaft is turned all the way in one direction, there are 0 volts going to the pin, and we read 0. When the shaft is turned all the way in the other direction, there are 5 volts going to the pin and we read 1023. In between, analogRead() returns a number between 0 and 1023 that is proportional to the amount of voltage being applied to the pin.

My code:

Using the potentiometer, I am now able to switch between longer notes and really short notes. This creates a whole lot of new possibilities in using my project as a tool in music creation.