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PART I: Telecommunications
1. Check the WWW Gallery Page, and send in any corrections, typos, etc. by email. If your work is missing, check the class folder on the New York server to see if your file was rejected because of incorrect format or file type, etc. If your work is on the "highlights" page, check that your image is identifiable. Final grading will be based largely on the work submitted electronically.
If you have not already done so, give us your email address by sending us email. You will notice that your personal gallery page will soon have an email button, which will allow people to respond directly to you (after looking at your work), and to submit comments and reactions, etc. We will be sending you further instructions by email as well. You will need to know how to read your email in order to complete (and pass) this course, and participate in the final electronic event during the month of August 1995.
If you need extra help, please see the instructors or TAs as soon as possible. This course is ending very soon. All work is due August 2. There will be no incompletes. If you feel you need more time, please state your case by email... Click here for office hours, email addresses, phone humbers, tutorial hours, etc..
PART II: Creating A Virtual World:
Before you complete this assignment, you should take a look at some of the Virtual Worlds which are beginning to appear on the World Wide Web. For example, you can explore a 3D reconstruction of an ancient site, the Roman Forum in 400 A.D. or, back in this century, you can experience the Barcelona Pavillion. Also look at the growing gallery of examples from the class. Pay special attention to the design of the invisible grid of nodal points which determines your interaction with the space. Notice the distance between nodes in relation to the architectural scale, and the choices that were made in the trade off between providing a rigorous system that orients the viewer, and the highlighting of special architectural moments that may have fallen off the grid...
This assignment will involve revisiting one of your best previous models (your Domino design, the layers analysis example, the curved building, or the rendered space) and finding a way to communicate its spatial experience through a series of carefully selected sequential perspectives which can be generated in several different ways. If you prefer to work on a new model, that is even better. These two methods will be demonstrated in class:
(1) NODAL POINTS METHOD: Select three locations, or points, more or less in a row, running from the "south" end of your space to the "north." Choose points in the space at which you think the architecture can be best appreciated. Study the distance between nodes carefully. If the distance is too great, spatial continuity is broken and the viewer will not be able to understand your space. You can think of the positive Y axis as north, if you want, although any axis can be "north" as long as you are consistent.
These three locations will become nodes. At the first node, spin the (wide-angle) camera around to generate four wide angle perspective views at 90 degrees to each other (looking "precisely" north, east, south and west). With a 90-degree, or larger, cone of vision, you can achieve a slight overlap between frames, which is recommended. Then move forward, or "northward," to node 2 and do the same. Finally, move forward, again northward, to node 3. This means that going from image 1-north, to 2-north, to 3-north will represent a forward "northward" motion.
Hint: use the snap to grid and views pallette as you rotate the camera. The station point, or camera position, must remain at exactly the same point as you move the camera aim point. Images should be rendered at (or reduced in Photoshop to) exactly 320 x 240 pixels, and numbered clockwise as follows, starting with node 1, looking north, so that image 1n.gif is followed by 1e.gif, then 1s.gif, 1w.gif, 2n.gif, etc. The files listed in your folder should be these:
1n.gif 1e.gif 1s.gif 1w.gif 2n.gif 2e.gif 2s.gif 2w.gif 3n.gif 3e.gif 3s.gif 3w.gif
Click here for a very
simple example of a 3-node virtual world. Notice the node and direction labels,
and the slight overlap between frames as you spin around. You
can turn left or right by clicking on the left or right margins of the image. To
go forward, click in the middle.
This simple example was done in form-Z. You could also use Softimage. Remember to identify each image by adding text in Photoshop, and include the node and direction code such as 1n and 3s. Submit these 12 "gif" images (at exactly 320 x 240 pixels), within your own named folder, to the class folder. Note: This is the only exception to the rule that all file names should contain your name. To automate this web procedure, the names must be exactly as specified above. For the navigational controls to work, the image must be the exact 320x240 size, and motion from node 1 to node 3 must be generally "northward".
(2) SEQUENTIAL VIEWS METHOD: Draw a 3D spline which indicates your preferred, continuous, architectural promenade (a closed loop) through, up and/or around (and back to the starting point) the space. Place the camera, and the interest on the spline, to make an animation loop from 100 to 200 at 320 x 240 pixels. Design the camera path so that the sequential perspectives will give you a smooth, coherent experience of the space. Test the results before submitting them, by flipping through the 10 images in overlaid Photoshop windows. Submit only every 10th image, with files named simplified, exactly as listed below.
The animation loop can be done most easily in Softimage, although a loop can be attempted in form-Z by moving the cone of vision carefully. Remember to identify each image by adding your name on a small text label in Photoshop, and include the frame sequence code such as frame100. Submit these ten "gif" (320 x 240 pixels) images to the class folder. (Frames 100 and 200 would be identical.)
The file names, for this assignment only, should be submitted within an identifiable folder, and should be named as follows:
frame100.gif frame110.gif frame120.gif frame130.gif frame140.gif frame150.gif frame160.gif frame170.gif frame180.gif frame190.gifWith either method, if the files are correctly named and in sequence, they will be "automatically" linked to form an interactive "virtual world" document which will allow you to navigate the space by clicking the mouse.
In the UNIX shell (the blue window) type:
soft2sgi filename newfilename -s 100 200 1
For example if your sofimage files are:
housefly.100.pic housefly.101.pic housefly.102.pic . . . housefly.200.pictype: soft2sgi housefly sgi_housefly -s 100 200 1
Open up the application 'moviemaker' by choosing its icon from the desktop menu or by typing the name "moviemaker" in the unix shell. In moviemaker choose File: Insert from the menu. Click until you find the directory where your sgi picture files are drag the mouse down until you have selected all the 100 files and hit Accept.
At this point you can preview the movie.
To save as a QuickTime movie choose File: Export: Movie Export Options...
The dialog box comes up. Choose Apple QuickTime. select the Apple "RLE" compression...
Then, save the movie with File: Export: Movie File...
NOTE: This page will be updated several times, so please revisit it each time you work at this assignment.
Submitting your work electronically..
Check the list and schedule of CAD topics...
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