Isadora + Processing + Kinect


Makey Makey GO


So I bought a Makey Makey GO! I backed it on kick starter.

It’s petty cool. But I still prefer the classic.

However I did make a silly little thing in the office:

I attached it to my can of pop so every time I picked it up it clicked a video and opened it in Preview on Mac. I made me laugh. I really like not having to have an ‘earth’ unlike the Classic – but there are ways around that anyway.

Check it out:

http://www.makeymakey.com/

Don’t let Apple kill Open Ni


http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/apple-let-apple-kill

Written by Mark Coniglio:

Artists, designers, makers, and tinkerers around the world have leveraged the power of 3D cameras like the XBox Kinect and XTion Live to create innumerable interactive installations, performances and other compelling works of art. The OpenNI SDK is a key technology behind many commercial and open-source software programs that have empowered this artistic expression. So, we were surprised and shocked when we saw the notification on the OpenNI site that said the web site would close on April 23rd.

Apple, you bought Prime Sense, and now you want to kill this critically important technology. We’re respectfully asking you: don’t do it.

Many of us in this community remember a time when Apple was our champion. You provided us with a truly innovative operating system that offered unforeseen ways to interactively control and present media. This in turn led to the development of of thousands of applications that empowered tens of thousands of artists to inspire and entertain audiences around the globe. (And, by the way, help you sell millions of computers.)

Mr. Cook, your action to take away OpenNI runs counter to that history. We know your priorities have changed. We know that it’s all about mobile devices these days. We understand that you likely have your own plans for 3D imagining technology.

But, empowering personal expression through technology was one of the core values that made Apple the great company it is. We are asking you to remember that part of your history today, and to support us by changing course. Keep OpenNI open and available to us.

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION! WE NEED THIS TO STAY!

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/apple-let-apple-kill

Leap Motion


I like my gadgets. I am admittedly a bit of a gadget freak… but I don’t often actually buy them. Normally because they are expensive and I know deep down I won’t use them as much as my mind believes I will. But the Leap Motion is different.

The Leap Motion is a USB powered hand/finger tracking device. Think of it as an xbox kinect for the hands perhaps? It’s made for Mac and Windows too which is great.

The into video explains the basics very well…

I have bought one (second hand off eBay for £40 I might add) to use at work and at home. I have a few ideas for it and if nothing else will be a handy (pun-intended) gadget on my office desk – it’s already plugged in actually. It’s small sleak and sits flush to my MacBook Pro. It’s a shame it’s not wireless as it takes up a USB plug but I have a powered hub on my desk.

How am I going to use it? To be honest I have no concrete ideas. There are a few Isadora users who have made a few OSC/MIDI related actors to control Isadora scenes which I am going to look at and I am sure I can find a few uses in that area. I also like the idea of using it for generate/live painting in a VJ context. Will I look an idiot waving my hand around at a gig to make stuff appear on the screen? – probably! Do I care?…. probably! But we shall see.

I also want to see if it can be used in a commercial sense. At the museum and art gallery where I work we have interactives for visitors but people, for some reason, LOVE to hack, break, pull, snap, spill drinks, etc, etc on keyboards, mouses, touch screens, etc. Now this can’t be helped all the time of course, but there is a tiny percentage who do it on purpose, I’ve seen them! Maybe a Leap Motion placed under some perspex (military grade?) could replace the keyboard and mouse idea? Problem is the learning curve! How will people know how to move their hands or even to put their hands above the device? Similar to the Kinect sensor it’s not a recognised Human Input Device (HID)

So – I will keep you posted. Minority report… Yeah! Let’s do it!

Do you own one? Let me know how you are using it. I wanna know… Let’s talk!

Projection Documentation Tool


Matthew Haber has yet again blessed us with another cool isadora/projection tool called the Projection Documentation Tool or ‘PDbase’ for use in your shows. It has a lot to offer – just read the key features below!

I have shamelessly (with permission!) taken this from his website as it explains it all perfectly well. Thanks Matthew!

PDbase-Production is the only publicly available database application for data and workflow management for live performance projection and video designers. PDbase keeps track of nearly 400 different pieces of information for a given project, supports complex multi-user access, and can generate and share over 30 different types of paperwork based on this information. PDbase is vastly more powerful than any other known database solution and is the result of nearly 18 months of development and testing. PDbase is uniquely just as suited for the record keeping needs of a single freelance designer working alone as it is for a large studio with numerous designers, editors, and other collaborators who all need data access. PDbase can also provide other departments on a production such as stage management and lighting with the information they need when they need it via a secure webpage, saving you and your team the time spent issuing daily paperwork updates. Ultimately PDbase is far too comprehensive to explain in a single page so I recommend you download the fully functional free version and try it out on a show after reading through the knowledge base.

Key Features:

Documents vital information for cues, still and moving content, media and font assets, editing workflows and software plugins, render queues and render nodes, production contact information, video shoots, work notes, and individual task lists for team members.

Generates a diverse range of paperwork and keeps track of changes made so you and your collaborators don’t have to.

Comprehensive access controls and versatile multi-user workflows insuring the biggest of teams have access to all of the information they need while maintaining data privacy and security.

Hundreds of separate procedures that invisibly validate your data to insure any errors are caught before they become a problem.

Handles the biggest of shows with support for hundreds of thousands of records.

Built in web interface allows anyone you authorize to access important information whenever they need it.

Powerful tools to help keep track of licensing and rights management for the media assets you use in your design.

Cues, content, etc are all closely interlinked just like they are in the real world.

All data can be imported from and exported to standard formats such as comma separated, tab separated, XML, Excel, etc.

PDbase streamlines communication between designers, assistants, editors, asset wranglers, researchers, and other production departments insuring that everyone knows what they need to know and does what they need to do.

PDbase can be run locally on a personal computer or hosted on a local or off-site server.

PDbase is being constantly updated with new and improved functionality.

PDbase-Production is built on FileMaker Pro 12. This permits massive flexibility in terms of easily adding new and custom functionality. This also takes advantage of FileMaker’s built in powerful and reliable Server functionality.

PDbase-Studio, a companion application for comprehensive record keeping at a business level (invoicing, CRM, time-tracking, etc) is under development and will integrate seamlessly with PDbase-Production once it is available.

PDbase-Rental, a companion application for rental shop and general equipment and resource tracking (asset scheduling, packing and shipping management, etc) is under development and will integrate seamlessly with PDbase-Production and PDbase-Studio once it is available.

[DOWNLOAD HERE]

How to add a custom Plugin into Isadora.


There are many custom actors written for Isadora if you search the forum.

They are pretty handy and increasingly becoming more popular (you clever people!) I myself can’t code so I do not have any of my own. These are NOT to be confused with user actors. These are actual actors programmed from the ground up using source code and SDK files.

Don’t let this put you off! If you are on Mac then this is how you can install them on your machine….

And for those who wonder how to install the compiled plugin under Windows : just copy the .dll file into ‘IsadoraInstallationFolder\Isadora Plugins’, e.g. C:\Program Files\Isadora\Isadora Plugins. Don’t forget to restart Isadora. The plugin should then show up in the list! (Thanks djinoui)

Basic: Mapping a cube in Isadora tutorial [FREE DOWNLOAD]


I decided to put together a little demo of how I would map a basic cube in Isadora using standard Isadora actors. No IsadoraCore upgrade or third party installers required. This should work on Mac and PC also.

Screen Shot 2013-08-22 at 08.07.40

I have to stress this is very basic but for some it could be very interesting and extremely useful. I decided to zip the files and media so you can open it and follow it as you go along.

Screen Shot 2013-08-22 at 08.08.18

Screen Shot 2013-08-22 at 08.08.04

Screen Shot 2013-08-22 at 08.07.54

You need the latest version of Isadora. (I actually used the latest beta but this will be fine)

[DOWNLOAD TUTORIAL & ZIP FILE HERE]

Don’t forget I always welcome a beer if you found this useful 😉

Any questions or comments then please add them below.

Cheers. Enjoy!

Skulpture

World Stage Design 2013 ‘Isadora and Interactivity’


World Stage Design 2013 ‘Isadora and Interactivity’ workshop.

I am pleased to announce that I will be doing a workshop at World Stage Design 2013 in the UK, Cardiff, Wales on Friday 13th September.

This one day course will cover key areas of the Isadora software. And its use as an interactive tool. The workshop will cover many topics that are relevant to a wide range of disciplines including dance, theatre, VJ/DJ and technician/installation.

Delegates will have the opportunity to gain an insight including real-life tips and tricks, from one of the UK’s top Isadora experts (me!).

Who should attend?

Professionals and students within all areas of theatre design

Price: £12

More info here: http://www.wsd2013.com/whats-on/isadora-and-interactivity/

Random & interesting links.


A bit of a mish-mash of videos and links here. They all speak for themselves really, take a look.

 

The Mother of All Demos, presented by Douglas Engelbart (1968)

“The Mother of All Demos is a name given retrospectively to Douglas Engelbart’s December 9, 1968, demonstration of experimental computer technologies that are now commonplace. The live demonstration featured the introduction of the computer mouse, video conferencing, teleconferencing, hypertext, word processing, hypermedia, object addressing and dynamic file linking, bootstrapping, and a collaborative real-time editor.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJDv-zdhzMY

 

How to scare the crap out of terrorists and your citizens

http://www.upworthy.com/how-to-scare-the-crap-out-of-terrorists-and-your-citizens-102

 

Talking train window adverts tested by Sky Deutschland

More info here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23167112

 

Photoshop Live: ‘Prankster Photoshops People Into Ads While They Wait for the Bus’

http://gizmodo.com/prankster-photoshops-people-into-ads-while-they-wait-fo-511927575

 

3D [Embodied] Uses NI-mate for tracking.


“3D [Embodied] is a mixed reality performance involving a virtual world as a platform to explore 3D immersive spatial virtual and physical displays. The performer ́s body interacts with the three dimensional space by the input of computer vision, skeleton tracking, and the output of 3D video mapping projection. Both video and audio rendering are generated in real time. Choreography by Yacov Sharir, sound design by Bruce Pennycook and technical support by Yago de Quay. Austin, 2013”