Group Project
Initially, the group work was inspired by the Bounce Ball Game, which is a web game that most of us often played in our childhood. The game is simple and fascinating but filled with challenges since the players need to break high scores. Players will experience three levels of challenge and will be transformed smoothly to the next level in the game – one ball moves at normal speed, two balls appear and move at normal speed and the velocity of two balls increases. Players can simply control the paddle in the board by using “left” and “right” arrow keys. There were a few aspects that we were being challenged while developing this game, how the ball moves randomly after it touches the paddle or frame. How to connect the countdown timer and the score program with the trend of the game. Furthermore, to complete the sense of enjoyment, we considered adding some sound effects when the ball hit the paddle, touches the frame or lose the game. The challenge of the music facet was how the source automatically operates with the movement of balls. Through heaps of research and own knowledge, we fill and perfects all the aspects that were challenging us. We believe the bounce game motivates the players to keep playing since they can constantly break their own highest scores and simply achieve a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment.
Solo Project
Converting the audible to something visualize enables humanity to enjoy music/sounds both visually and audibly. It’s not just art that allows sound visualization, but the advent of new techno
logies also shows us what sound really looks like. Max/Msp is the software that initially focused on a visual programming language for music and multimedia developed. The initial inspiration came from the artist’s research and own understanding of Max/Msp, which I considered to present viewers’ favorite sound in a visual format. The user has to own a digital file of the sound they want to be converted in order to customize a sound-wave in either duck visualizer or wave graph visualizer.
I loaded the duck using jit.gl.model and visualized the movement with multiple mode and spring mode. The expected challenge that I faced was how the viewers use either audio file input or use microphone input to capture the sound and present an undulating motion of the duck model. The wave graph visualizer is a more classic form that I used jit.gl.graph to create a 3D waveform. It supported sound source files and external input. It was quite challenged for me to create the 3D wave and set different modes to present. Each parameter was configured with a knob and I also added automatic rotation and zoom functions. It was tough to achieve everything I desired, and I did throw away some ideas that I could not achieve with my current technical.
Reflection
The creative process
There’s something about the sound that has captured humanity’s attention for thousands of years since it is one of the five kinds of input we receive to be able to interact with one another and the world around us. It is definitely our central mode of communication. Thus, it is no surprise that some of the most creative minds are enthralled with being able to visually representing the audible. From music videos to fancy sculptures, what we hear is more and more often shown to us optically. I believe either create or develop something relates to music/sounds is the most appropriate use in Max/Msp/Jitter. Thus, in both of the project, the creativity aspect is the element of music/sound was involved in to achieve a better result for the final presentation.
Both inspirations for the projects were explained clearly in the artists’ statement. What I want to further explore are what I actually learned during the creative process.
The use of sound comes from kslider~ to automatically operate when the balls hit the paddle or the frame is a much better idea than simply installed sound effects or background music into the project. Moreover, we have programmed another sound effect combined by syllable from kslider~ to occur when the players lose the game (the paddle miss the balls). It was challenged but present in direct proportion to the final result, which increases the enjoyment and creativity to the game and players.
Without abandoning the classic wave graph to visually representing audible, I loaded another new form of presentation to achieve a similar result – imported the duck model by using jit.gl.model. Moreover, I offered multi-entrance for viewers to send the music/sounds into the patch in order to operate – audio file, microphone input and also external input.
Techniques of interactive art-making
Art becomes interactive when audience participation is an integral part of the artwork. Audience behavior can cause the artwork itself to change. In making interactive art, the artist has to go beyond considerations of how the work will look or sound to an observer. The way that it interacts with the audience is also a crucial part of its essence. Audience engagement cannot be seen just in terms of how long they look at the work. It needs to be in terms of what they do, how they develop interactions with the piece and such questions as to whether they experience pain or pleasure. Thus, how the audiences play our bounce ball game without discomfort was a problem that is considered at the start of creating. From the experience of last four projects and the presentation of the final effect, I found out that non-tactile interactive arts will cause uncomfortable sense than tactile interactive arts to players since they will feel embarrassed and silly facing the laptop to use face, body or voice to control the movement of an object.
In the Bounce Ball Game, the techniques of the game start with using jit.lcd to create the board and the players can simply control the paddle in the board by using “left” and “right” arrow keys of keyboards. How the ball move randomly when it touches the paddle is the tough aspects that we were being challenged. The countdown timer and the score program was another technical we developed, but not the hardest aspect to achieve. When the paddle catches the balls, players’ scores will automatically add on and the “high score” section will refresh with it.
In music visualization, the techniques were mainly focused on how to use jit.gl.model and jit.gl.graph. The object of radiogroup and gswitch were frequently used in the patch so that the audiences can change to different modes due to their own preference. For example, transparency, appearance, and movement of the duck model; poly mode, shape, and size of the wave graph in the classic 3D wave graph visualizer. During the process of construction, I was trying to achieve multi-sensation through multiple selectivities and sufficient space for audiences to play with and experience.
The successful part so far
The most successful part for both sustained interaction art was I learned to transpositional consideration which form of representation can deliver to audiences or players a message of they are valued to the interactive arts. A sense of pleasure also is considered to deliver to audiences or players. On the technical aspect, I provided multi-entrance and multiple modes for audiences to figure out and play with. Visually or aurally, furthermore, maybe the multi-sensation all receives a certain level of satisfaction. The Bounce Ball Game filled with attractiveness and the music visualization is powerful and it is not entirely universal in some points.
More to be improved or built upon
Next stage, maybe we should consider how to develop into multi-players or set some blocks in jit.lcd which players can achieve higher scores when they knock the blocks. As the current result, we succeeded and achieved the desired finished project by using tactile interaction instead of non-tactile. In another piece, visually representing audible can add some other filters in or perform in another form of visualization. Another idea of build upon is not satisfied whether it can be achieved or not. Inspired by audio mixer, which DJs used and the audience can record what they create after remix.
