UStream Not Live

Archive for the ‘cyancdesign’ Category

Controlling a Stepper Motor

June 22nd, 2010

One day I tore apart a scanner I owned. I didn't have the power cord for it, so no loss. In fact it became a gain! Time to learn about the stepper motor.

I started researching, like most things I didn't get it at first. But I didn't want to tear apart the motor. I wanted to use it. So I kept on Googling.

With some really basic Arduino knowledge I started there. What do I need to control a stepper motor with an Arduino. Without burning out the Arduino or Stepper motor. Turns out there is a board specifically for that.
Read the rest of this entry »

Hype Framework Particles + Multitouch AS3

June 18th, 2010

Hey there. It sure has been a while hasn't it?

Looks like I have a little down time while my computer defrags and my upgrade goes through at work, so I thought I'd hop on and white up a quick post of something I just wrapped up and released.

Download Source Code Read the rest of this entry »

A little bit of nothing

May 31st, 2010

Just taking a step back to reflect quickly. Lots of things going on. This is some news from the light side. (^_^)//

My proposal to Ingenuity Fest 2010 was accepted this year, the project: A digital graffiti wall, interaction will be done with modified spray paint cans rather than touch. The graffiti will be recorded via GML (graffiti markup language) so I'll be able to repurpose it throughout IngenFest as well. Small projections, a large (building size hopefully) projection, use of the graffiti theromin and possibly a CNC style ground chalk painter.

Looks like this'll be this summer's big project.

Some other things coming along: A few web development projects. And a data visualization project with a deadline QUICKLY approaching for the Kelvin Smith Library at CASE. I'm excited to get that one wrapped up soon. that one should have some really nice video documentation once it's wrapped up.

Getting ready for an upcoming multitouch table demo. Some possible nice future opportunities there. If not, another nice opportunity to get user feedback and suggestions.

I am Techsparked!

April 5th, 2010


techsparked
A while back I'd had this crazy thought of trying to start building an online community for people to share MT Flash applications. I was becoming kind of frustrated that there was no real one location I could start uploading apps to, to share with everyone that wasn't just my own website. A place where a whole group, or everyone, upload apps to use, to build off of, to experiment with.

So I shot out a message to the NUIGroup really quick saying I was thinking about doing something like this. Moments later, Message. NUIGroup user Seth Sandler told me there was actually a group of them already thinking about something like that... and not just Flash, but for everything! Flash, python, processing, frameworks, applications, projects... Everything related to the new types of user interfaces and the software to run them.

First thought, I need to be a part of this! I was totally there, everyone who had already got together were pretty much Everyone I had respected from the NUIGroup. All the users I had hoped to one day work with! Amazing.

So I gladly helped out any way I can, but the real leader pulling it all together, Seth, my hats off to you man. I'm really excited to see how the site grows and evolves. So anyone visiting my site, and reading this, become a member! Get inspired, get Sparked!
techsparked

I plan on getting as many apps as I can up there for all to use. I have some there now:

  1. Cats Cradle
  2. Tokyo Game Show Demo
  3. Mini-Keyboard Widget

I better get into gear too, I don't want to start dropping to far down the top users list
(^_^)//

Keeping an eye on the ViP Capacitive Foil

April 2nd, 2010

A little while back, I caught a tweet about ViP Capacitive Foil. They are moving into the relm of true dual touch. A great step in my humble opinion. Not as fancy as true multitouch but it would get their foil on par with the same functionality that users are getting used to thanks to devices like the iPhone and Nexus One.

In case you have some of their capacitive film here are the videos mentioned

Seeing this gets me pumped to start working with the vertical display again, time to start writing down some app demo ideas... I wonder if there is a way to add 3 more hours in a day. (^_^)// I've already cut my sleep time to the bone, by thursday I can seriously start to feel the effects. But I digress, ViP, I await patiently to learn about what it'll take to start working with true dual touch in flash, keep us all posted.

Small Update

March 22nd, 2010

Ever feel like you are just running around in circles and not getting anywhere? Same here, but we keep moving. I wanted to just take a moment to write down some goings on. Firstly to let you know there is still someone alive on this site, and two so I don't forget some of the things I'm trying to accomplish. In no particular order:

  1. Working on a collaboration project with Benson Lee (on of the other TEDxCLE speakers and an Awesome guy) from TMI
  2. Proof of Concept out this idea I had for an RC car that is powered by a streaming twitter feed via processing and 2 arduinos and xbees
  3. Some web design stuff
  4. Some more multitouch tutorials
  5. Some more multitouch demo applications
  6. A demo application for the upright ViP capacitive foil display
    1. Hopefully the next dual touch version comes out soon...want
  7. Art project using stepper motors liberated from old scanner(s) ~ need more scanners
  8. Shoot some video of all this stuff
  9. Figure out if i can afford to get a Makerbot... then order it
  10. Test out some digital building projection, perhaps using GML and flash
  11. Get a working prototype of a digital graffiti wall
  12. Find a constant exercise routine schedule ~ more personal, why did I even bother writing that one?
  13. Debug some current projects and project requests
  14. Get ready for a visit to Tri-C to take with an Interactive Media class

Krikies what a list. One step at a time and it'll be alright.

(^_^)//

Silence is Broken

March 8th, 2010

It has been a while since I finally sat down and wrote something. Partially because of being busy, but more about procrastination. The nearing close of the winter season has me itching for the seasonal chance, and yet whenever I get rolling on working on projects, I end up working in the basement anyways (it is difficult to setup a tower and 2 monitors out in a cafe or bar). I'm losing my train of thought, but what has been going on here anyways lately.

TEDxCLE

I want to first thank Shark&Minnow the opportunity to talk in front of the people of my fair city, Cleveland OH. And talk about open source, mutltitouch technology and be able to demo my newest table prototype. Read the rest of this entry »

A busy year… and it just started

February 3rd, 2010

I feel a shamed of my lack of communication on the web that has [not] been happening recently. I've been wanting to work on more experiments, put up more code, comment on events like the announcement of the iPad... (long rant shortened: it'll come down to Apple [or some iPhone app developers] creating that killer app for that one killer market).

But sometimes life just happens. It'll take any free time you may have, and take it all. Nothing bad is going down at least, but I've been having to shift my priorities around. There are a couple things in the works to that I'm very very excited about. And when the time comes, you'll know.  (^_^)//

So at least I can let everyone play around with all the code and experiments that I already have up.

If you run into any trouble with any code, don't be afraid to email. I'll help the best I can with the time I got.

Happy Experimenting

Playing with GML and Flash ~ version 1

January 19th, 2010

So there are some videos out there that drew my attention to GML

What is GML? It is Graffiti Markup Language. "an open repository for sharing and archiving motion captured graffiti tags." Artists are archiving graffiti, amazing. That is a constantly growing collection of beautiful fluid animations.

So I took a quick look into it. XML, awesome. Standardized, brilliant! Importable into Flash? INDEED.

But taking a quick look at the applications, not too much Flash there.Vanderplayer and Experimental 3D renderer. Nice, but nothing basic. I thought I would give it a shot, at least a version 1 to start off with.

gmldisplay

This SWF just grabs a random GML file and draws it out. When it is done, it grabs another. But if it gets stuck somewhere, you can just click on it and it'll start a new GML file.

gmldisplay
THEREMIN VERSION!!!!

The theremin one adds sound to the graffiti. Similar to a Theremin, the up and down controls  volume, while left and right controls pitch. I found the original code for the theremin part here: http://blog.efnx.com/browser-theremin-wave-data-visualization/

Thank you efnx for the jumpstart to get this idea out of my head.

Download GML Writer

Download GML Theremin

ViP Capacitive Foil – Hardware First Look

January 11th, 2010

So this is a long time coming. Many months ago I decided I wanted to try using capacitive foil.

After searching around for a while, I decided to try the Visual Planer's Interactive Foil. I found the local distributor for the US at Brookview Technologies. My sales contact there has been very helpful through the whole selling and shipping process. To build a good size prototype, I decided to go with the 50" 16:9 display.

So now I have the foil in hand, but nothing to attach it to. Time to put a call into my acrylic supplier, they also have a CNC machine so cutting the 1/2 acrylic to the exact size was a piece of cake. And the last bit of the puzzle was how to display the acrylic.

I've been working with Robeck Fluid Power Co. in Aurora OH. Another outstanding group when it comes to customer service and capabilities. I contracted them to build a display stand out of aluminum railing so that 1. it could be collapsible and easy to transport and 2. be able to change orientation between a vertical and horizontal display.

The results: Read the rest of this entry »