Programming experiment from 2008!! For those days when I really want to wake up I try and set my regular alarm, and then my special home brewed computer alarm clock I made a while back. When both of them go off in a blaring symphony of ear splitting sounds, I just sleep right through them. Haha.. Just kidding. No really. No this thing can get pretty loud if you crank up the volume on your computer.. I almost blew out the windows a few times.
I posted a version online for people to use for free, and if you use Flash action script 2.0 you can modify it even because the source is included. I’m not sure, because it has been a while, but I think you can also modify the mp3 files and replace them with your own sounds. Yup, pretty sure.. So if you had your favorite song in MP3 format and you are using the PC executable from the download zip, you could have it loop the song.. They just have to have the same name. So if your favorite song is named track_9.mp3. you just rename it to alert_0.mp3 and replace the sound in the folder. Probably want to back it up first though so you can get the sound back if you want, you can change the file to alert_0_UNUSED.mp3 for example.
My ‘special edition’ version at home has a speech feature where it can announce the time in my voice. Tis sweet, but I wish it would be a woman voice naturally as hearing ones own voice is generally an unpleasant affair. Maybe someday. lol.
Warning.. There is a bug.. I couldn’t figure it out before I moved on from the project. I think if you leave it running for more than a day it might get thrown off or something to do with my terrible time calculations. So as long as you launch it once a day I think it should work fine.
Here is the link to the zip with source files on flashkit.com ..
I forgot to include an .swf flash export in the zip, so mac users would have to have the Flash program and compile into a .swf since there is only an .exe. Here is a version on my website that should work on Macs, excluding the iOS mobile devices such as iPhone and iPad..
So Disney has gone ahead and invested some time and money to have a few researchers develop a new realistic animatronics technology, most likely to increase the realism of the characters who might be featured in rides at Disney World and Disney Land. It looks pretty awesome to be honest, and although the video is boring because it gets into a lot of technical information which is not so interesting, it is worth checking out how the robot face moves. The system uses computer scans of a persons face to calculate the most ideal rubber recreation so that it can effectively portray expressions and mouth shapes for vocalizations. They are even using 3D printing technology to create the rubber molds, which is really awesome because they are able to use the 3D scan of a real person to create a fairly accurate recreation.
Of course it is not perfect enough to fool a human eye just yet, but the technology is a definite step up from old school animatronics systems of the past. Rather than having an artist rely on trial and error to figure out where motors should be placed, and how much movement the motors should have, this new technology does a pretty good job of automating much of the creation process. The system will even factor in the physical properties of the silicone rubber face, and modify the mold to create the ideal sub surfaces behind the face to achieve better deformations.
If you have heard of the uncanny valley, which is essentially the tendency for a virtual humanoid to either turn out freaky or weird compared to realistic or lifelike, you can see right away that this is not going to break that barrier. It still looks like a robot head when it moves. The human eye and mind is very good at picking out unnatural flaws in motion, because we are so used to analyzing the motion of a human face subconsciously every day. It will be a while yet before animatronics can achieve a result that will completely fool the human eye.
If you watch the mouth closely at around 4:03 seconds they show a 3D animation of the face where there is an obvious issue. The actor says ‘why are you trying so hard to fit in…’ Yet he does not move his mouth enough when saying the word ‘fit’, so the virtual lips barely move on the ‘F’ sound. The actors will have to over exaggerate somewhat when speaking their lines to avoid bad results like that, which may effect performances. Or an animator is going to have to go through and manually fix the animation in certain cases like this. Either way, this small flaw shows clearly there are some kinks in this system despite the fancy technology implemented to try and capture the performance.
I still think this technology is going to make Disney rides a LOT cooler, even if they use it as it is with the current flaws. They still have to figure out how to animate the eyeballs realistically too, as I am sure someone is going to have to program that manually since the technology seems to have no support for recording eye motion.
I can easily see how it could do some justice to a captain Jack Sparrow in a remodeled pirates of the Caribbean ride, although I have to admit the original ride is still quite awesome.
If you have been working in 3D and you haven’t heard of Blender before you really should take a look at this FREE software. http://www.blender.org/ Seriously..
In a past article I compared Animation Master and 3DS Max. Both of which are pretty cool 3D packages, and definitely worth anyone’s time who is interested in 3D graphics to check out. However there is one major downside to those packages, they all cost money..
Who can turn down a free 3D app? I don’t know but you would be a fool not to go ahead and download Blender. There are a number of free learning resources to get you up to speed with how the program works, which is awesome. With that said, you might notice like I have if you have spent time in other 3D apps that blender does not have the most intuitive controls or UI. It uses a few concepts I have not seen in other apps, in particular the 3D cursor is a strange tool to learn at first. The weirdest part is the use of the mouse buttons, as the secondary mouse button is the one you will use to primarily interact with things. Very strange, and it takes some getting used to.
With a little time it becomes a bit more natural, but it is definitely a bit tricky to get the hang of. Blender relies on your learning a lot of shortcuts to do a number of things as well, and at least in my limited experience I have found some things like 3D modeling are not nearly as easy with some of the basic procedures as in a number of other packages. It might just be me though, as I am a complete n00b with blender. I found that making a lathed object is NOT straight forward at all, which makes no sense to me as this is such a basic modeling task. Using a spline, you must convert it into an object which seems to loose much of the spline editing features which make adjusting the lathe ( or spin as blender calls it ) difficult to manipulate after the fact.
What I really like about blender is the amazing set of features you get built in, such as dynamics simulation, fluid simulation, nice rendering capability with Cycles render engine, and even some decent character animation tools. It seems you can do quit a lot with this free tool that you might not be able to do without spending a lot of cash in other apps on plugins. With the cycles render addition, you can get some lovely renders, although to get a quality rendering it seems to be very slow when the samples are set very high. You also don’t get nearly the level of control over material properties that you might using 3DS Max and mental ray, but it is still awesome.
Many programs have pro’s and con’s. For example, 3DS max does not have a built in fluid simulator despite the number of features built in. Maya does have one which is pretty sweet, but the app is not cheap by any means. You can buy realflow, which is more advanced than blender fluids, but rendering complex fluids is no easy feat on anything but a super computer. Animation master does not have any fluid capability at all from what I remember, other than maybe some metaballs particles, but I am not sure.
Cinema4D is a great programs, especially with the cool things you can do with the mograph plugin for motion graphics. However the pricing of the app is a joke compared to other apps. They force you to shell out tons of money to be able to use things like the advanced renderer or mograph. The program sells everything that is important as a separate plugin, and they don’t maintain legacy packages very well at all. So if you have an older version of C4D, like I do, you cannot even upgrade later or buy any plugins after a few years go by. I was holding out thinking the advanced renderer would get cheaper as new modules and versions of C4D are released and I would pick it up when it does, only to find out they no longer support anything about my version anymore. What a rip off company, my app is only a few years old and is treated as though it is completely obsolete by the company.
The bottom line, check out Blender. It really is the perfect starter 3D app since you have NOTHING to lose as it is totally free. You can even achieve some awesome motion graphics as well as it has a fairly interesting particle system. Have a look on youtube for some of the awesome blender videos.
We live in a time where the typical person is bombarded with beautiful images and amazing works of art via the web. We have gained access to a wealth of information that is not only good for students, scholars and intellectuals, but artists and other trades as well. Sharing knowledge of tools, techniques, and useful reference images has become common place with websites devoted to sharing free stuff for all sorts of industries.
Years ago when I first began to surf the web, it was quite difficult to find even a decent free resources at all, and so this revolution in sharing has been quite an amazing thing to behold as it has blossomed into what it is today. It has also forced everyone to step up their game considerably with the hopes of gaining a piece of the potential action that is to be had.
Now on facebook and social media websites, we see people sharing artists images from around the world. Beautiful video, photography, and mind bending works of art coming at us from all angles. I feel this has an enriching effect on us all, but there is a dark side to it for the typical underdog artists who is trying to make a living and some day a name for themselves. I am sure that I am not alone in the feeling that it has become extremely difficult for an unknown artists to impress anyone when creating something original.
Many people are used to seeing lavish special effects in film and TV and have the attitude that it is an easy feat to produce such effects, despite that they cost big studios millions of dollars. Many have become desensitized to these works of art as they continually get better and better, and I often hear people taking for granted the insane amount of combined talent and effort to produce such images.
Creating a unique work of art is not impossible, there is plenty of room for new creations, and still yet billions of variations in techniques to be explored. However there is an issue to contend with that is becoming more obvious to most artists, and that is the fact that people do not often relate to something new as well as something they have a history with already.
Many artists struggle with the emotion that it feels as though everything has already been done before, that everything is just a remix. Often times I have made a work of art, spending countless hours toiling away. Then when I show it to some people, they explain how it reminds them of something else that has already been done. All I can do is shrug and explain that I was initially unaware of the similarities between my work and someone else who came before me. Should I have done more research or is it OK that my work happens to resemble the work of someone else?
I typically let it slide, and move on to the next project or idea in the hopes that it won’t happen again, but time after time it does. It makes a person wonder, if being original is something that truly has become nearly impossible no matter how hard you try, so why not give in and just focus on recreating successful ideas? If an idea is already successful, it will most likely get a better response. Who wants to recreate the wheel slightly differently over and over again when it has been done and was successful enough the first time around?
I don’t typically scour the web to see if something has been done before when I have an idea, I just get right into making the art. Art always begins with some sort of idea, and sometimes there is no influence for the idea when we are purposefully trying to develop something original. We just think of something we would like to make and try to bring it to reality.
Creating original art can be a challenge because so many common themes have been done over and over again and keeping track of what has already been done is nearly impossible for an individual.
Furthermore, there is a new trend that has bothered me, or rather perplexing me. This is the expansion and growth of what we might call remix culture. Artists who are taking familiar characters and ideas from pop culture, and putting their own little twist to it. Creating derivatives of well known icons has become more common than ever. Some might call it fan art, some might call it blatant plagiarism. There is one thing for sure, it is very successful in becoming popular and getting attention quickly.
People love to see familiar characters recreated in a new way, in a new style, no one would deny that this is true. Just about everyone has some reboot that they like even more than the original. As well, artists love to take familiar and well proven concepts and recreate them because the hard part has been done, which is creating the original concept to begin with.
These artists are tapping into a well established fan base and riding on the coat tails of others hard work to build an audience for themselves. For these artists, it might seem like a win-win situation, since they are bypassing a lot of the struggle in climbing the mountain instead opting to take a helicopter and get dropped off at the summit. Yet many might not be aware of the murkyness where they are traversing because it has become such a popular trend. After all, it does seem that everyone is doing it.
In the case of fan art, one would think this is not such a bad thing. Many artists learn how to become good artist by studying what is already popular and creating a fan art version in their own style, or generating a faithful recreation of the original style. It rarely becomes an issue in fact, unless one tries to go commercial with such endeavors, such as when you try to sell a derivative of a work protected by copyright.
Another danger, is that if the derivative becomes popular enough or is highly controversial, it might take business or attention away from the original owner of the copyright. You can be sure big companies like DC, Marvel, and more will vigorously come after those who are potentially damaging their ability to make money off their copyrighted intellectual property. So these artists who are infringing always need to be somewhat aware that they are playing with fire.
So what is an unknown artist to do to get an audience? The trends we are seeing with the web are making it obvious that people often don’t identify well with original designs as much as they would with a design that is already well established through popular media. The explosion of talented artists utilizing the web to advance their skills makes it that much more difficult, ramping up the competition. Sometimes, it is only other artists who can appreciate the hard work going into some original designs, and I think we need to work together to promote each other and keep our spirits high in an age when others fail to see our efforts for what they are.
I have made a few fan art works myself, and hope I don’t some day get a take down letter saying they have to be removed. I didn’t generate a lot of attention, and none of these works are being sold, just shared freely. I think it is OK to make and share fan art or derivatives of well known works to get a small boost in attention on a small scale, but it should not become a business or common thing. Artists need to remain aware in the volume of attention we generate and be considerate of the kind of attention we generate using this approach. Most large companies don’t seem to mind as long as you aren’t bringing negative attention to their franchises or taking too many of their fans dollars away.
Let me be honest, copyrighting seems like a load of legal crap anyhow. If I can make the same design as you, why do you get to own it forever just because you made it first. While it does help one person to build empires, it also serves to hold another person down when they should otherwise be given a chance. If I can make a wheel and you can make a wheel, we should be able to ride on that wheel any way we choose.
The fact is, I feel that artists who copy popular works are in a way doing the copyright holders a service by advertising their franchise for free, showing the love you have for their products in flattering reproduction. Making a habit of selling derivatives is most certainly a really bad idea though despite its popularity these days, and this is a popular trend to get caught up because it certainly seems that everyone is doing it.
If you found this entry interesting, you should probably check out this fascinating documentary on the subject of remix phenomenon.
As technology advances, more and more people are going to be embracing cybernetic enhancements, this is simply inevitable. The need for such devices has already existed for those with disabilities long before the technology even was developed. Now these devices are actually real, they are actually here, and people are starting to use them. Not many people, but some, and in the future many more.
There are plenty of good reasons for the tech, not only for those who want to improve their natural ability, but more importantly for those who need to find ways to overcome disability. In my last post, I shared a video that was quite inspirational. A new exoskeleton that is coming to the consumer market will allow people who could not walk a chance to do so using robotic exoskeleton legs.
It is safe to assume that folks using these will be accommodated much like we already do for folks using wheel chairs. There really isn’t any reason to discriminate against folks who use this technology, unless you are just a complete jerk. Well, today I found a story in the news that brings up some new questions about cyborg discrimination. Although most people would not be offended by a person in a wheel chair, or a person using cybernetic exoskeleton legs/arms for mobility, what about when someone is using augmented sensory devices, such as cyborg eyes that can record what they see? For some folks, this sort of device can cause some unexpected reactions.
It is not exactly a surprise, I mean, many people do not like if a photographer in public is taking candid photos of them. Even if the photographer has the right to do so in public places it can still make some people very upset, enough that they might resort to violence. Apparently some folks are not ready to live in a world with people who have to rely on a digital camera for medical issues.
The issue of privacy comes up, and I do feel there are in fact legitimate reasons the technology should be monitored or regulated. A cyborg eye may be able to do a lot more than record video and in the future, they may even be able to see through objects, giving the user x-ray vision potentially. It will be a long time before that is the case, but more likely we will have people who can record what they see first. In the age of the smart phone, where everyone is taking a million pictures a month of everything they do and see that is interesting, sharing it with the world on social sites, maybe it is time to loosen up the restrictions on cameras and other recording devices.
So let me share my recap of the news story I found..
Steve Mann, a University of Toronto Professor who is also known to some as the worlds FIRST human cyborg, has been sporting his home made technology everyday since the early 1980′s. The current model is running the WearComp OS, and ‘temporarily’ captures 120 frames per second at 1080×1920. Which means I bet he can do some pretty cool slow motion effects with the footage if he wanted, although he claims his images are not kept permanently. Regardless of the coolness of these glasses, the device is actually attached to this fellows head in such a way that he cannot remove it without tools. Furthermore, it appears Mr. Mann has some legitimate reasons to use such a device beyond proving to the world how awesome of a geek he is. He has a note from his doctor, so respect should be due.
So this guy goes into a Paris McDonald’s with his family and while in line he is given warning from an employee about cameras not being allowed. He shows the person his doctor note and is allowed to continue. Now after getting his food and sitting down to eat, he is approached by an employee who then decides to assault him. This idiot tries to remove his gear which is permanently attached. After pleading with them and trying to provide his official documentation, his doctors note is crumpled and other papers torn. At this point three employees are messing with him and he is kicked out of the establishment forcefully. Apparently he ended up soiling his pants during the assault, which ended up frying out his technology.
Come on now McDonald’s, you really need to have your employees trained to handle situations like this better. The fact that they assaulted the man and broke his device in the process is unacceptable. They should NEVER have assaulted him. If they asked him to leave I am sure he might have, or they could call the police to remove him. Taking matters into their own hands is not the smartest way to go about it.
I know that it might be against company policy to allow people to record images or film on your private property, but times are changing and I think so should the policy. For people who are using augmented vision devices for disability or health purposes, there certainly needs to be an exception.
Many businesses have a policy of not allowing people to record video within their establishment. This policy exists simply to protect the establishment from being painted in a bad light, either intentionally or accidentally. Big companies are paranoid of having their image ruined by people who might film something that makes them look bad. After all, many companies like McDonald’s spend tons of money on advertisement to make you think they are a good company and they don’t want some fool with a camera spoiling anything they are spending so much money to maintain. Personally, I think they should allow filming, but go after people who make them look bad. After all, many people might actually make them look better if they were allowed to film. Rather than take the chance on free advertising, they would just eliminate all filming to avoid anyone from making them look bad. This policy doesn’t really work all the time. Plenty of us have seen videos on the Internet by now of crazy stuff happening in all sorts of establishments, McDonald’s included. So McDonald’s is still going to have to take legal action against those who are spreading these videos and filming in their establishments if they want to control the damage.
So lets boil this down.. Cyborg eyes are already here.. They can record pictures and video. Some folks are going to have cyborg ears, which can also possibly record sounds. Even less might get both. In the near future, I would not be surprised if everyone is enhancing life via some cyborg brains, which is already what we are doing with smart phones and the mobile internet. This trend is going to continue for some time, and I think companies are going to have to adapt their policies or risk making themselves look terrible. McDonald’s should be ashamed of how these employees treated this man, and I hope they find a way to turn this into a story of hope for those who wish to use cyborg enhancements to live a better life, especially those with disabilities.
If someone records a video that makes your company look bad, then you should take legal action if necessary against those specific individuals. Putting a ban on all recording is not just silly but actually rather stupid, but I am sure it is all tied up in some big legal cases I am unaware of. I just think there are many cases where people would paint the establishment in a better light than the owners might consider. Just to give one simple example, in the past you used to be able to have a kids birthday party at McDonald’s and people could bring their cameras to film the event. Who is going to want to have a party at McDonald’s for their kids if they are going to be kicked out of the establishment because they took a picture or video? With this anti camera policy so many companies have adopted, they are missing out on some of these human events which actually might make people feel more connected to their business.
Maybe someday. lol.
