Various approaches to multimedia authoring, including animation, interactive scripting, application integration, platform compatibility and Internet delivery. Prerequisites: DMST 3211 or instructor's permission. 4.000 Credit Hours
Course Overview
Interfacing Good Information
Working off of the theme of "interfacing Good information" we will explore ways to engage people with the massive amounts of information being produced by researchers around the world. Data visualization and intuitive manipulation are quickly developing fields as digital tools enable easier ways to gather information. But as the information becomes more and more overwhelming, even for computer analysis, researchers are discovering that when put into the right format, a powerful parallel visioning system (the human brain) can quickly decipher patterns and derive useful conclusions.
The focus of the course will be on developing new physical and visual interfaces. Each student will work with an Arduino board, allowing easy connection of buttons and sensors with the software running on the computer. After years of fitful starts and stops, we are finally seeing innovative interfaces begin to be accepted in the mainstream populace; the Nintendo Wii, the iphone, and the Microsoft Surface to name a few. We will lay the groundwork for understanding and creating such things, while looking at the practicality and history of interfaces that have since died or gone into hibernation.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course you will:
Materials
Policies
This class will combine individual work in the lab with individual and group instruction. Students must come to class prepared to work. Showing up without necessary files or equipment is the same as not attending. Although students may also use their home computers to work on projects, this is not a valid reason to not attend. It will be necessary to work outside of class to complete all projects and assignments. A minimum of eight hours per week of work outside of class is suggested to get an average grade of a C. Computer failure, equipment malfunction, and file corruption are not accepted as excuses for late or unfinished work so BACK UP YOUR WORK. The computer labs are used by many students, so the labs are in high demand. Budget time accordingly as "unavailable computer time" will also not be accepted as an excuse. Participation in all class discussions and critiques as well as constructive use of lab time is considered in the final grade for each project. At any time in the creation process students should be able to produce notes, drawings,charts etc from their sketchbooks, as well as discuss and articulate the nature of their work to their peers as well as to the instructor.
Attendance is mandatory. Attending class is the responsibility of the student. Lectures and demonstrations may be given or changed without notice and every class will start with professional examples of relevant work so punctuality is essential. An individual who is absent, late or sleeps during class will be responsible for getting the information missed. Students will be allowed two (2) absences without penalty. Any absence in excess of two will result in a 10% grade reduction of the final grade for the course per absence. All absences will be counted. A student who misses 15 minutes or more of a class (late or leave early) is considered absent. A student who sleeps will be considered absent. A student who will acquire absences due to a University sponsored activities must provide necessary documentation from the appropriate office prior to the absence to make any special arrangements for missed work.
For any absence due to religious beliefs, written notification should be provided in the first two weeks of the quarter; the student is responsible for any missed work. Any special medical or personal problems that occur, where absenteeism will exceed the allowed two, will require verification by a physician or emergency medical association (a letter from Student Affairs merely explains an absence, and will not qualify as an excuse). These situations may require course withdrawal or "Incomplete" status on the final grade. Six absences mandate an automatic grade of "F." Three late arrivals (less than 15 min.) will equal one absence.
Grading
Grades will consist of the following:
Projects and assignments will be graded on the following basis, listed in order of importance.
Your grade will be calculated according to the following standards:
Late projects will be penalized a letter grade for every class period they are late. Turning a project in after the beginning of the critique counts as one class day late.
Lab Rules
It is your responsibility to adhere to all rules regarding the use of the DMS labs and equipment. You will be given a sheet stating all rules. Please see Kate Burns in the DMS office before class if you need a form to access the DMS lab.
Plagiarism
Solutions to assignments you submit will be your own work. A student who is discovered to have plagiarized another's work will immediately receive a grade of F for the course, and a recommendation for disciplinary action will be forwarded to the Dean of Students.
Software
While you are not required to purchase the software that we are using, not having the software is no excuse for failing to complete your projects. It is your responsibility to work out times when you can use the DMS labs or to make other arrangements for doing your work. Please do not download and/or install trial versions of this software or any other onto campus computers.
Course Outline
(The following schedule is open to revision at any point in the quarter.)
01/06 - Introduction
01/08 - Darwin Grosse Visit, Max/MSP/Jiter intro, intro to electricity
01/13 - More intro to electricity, intro to arduino
01/15 - Firmata + Processing
01/20 - sensors and hacking inputs
01/22 - Project 1 proposal and discussion
01/27 - Work Day
01/29 - Work Day
01/03 - Servos and motors
02/05 - Work Day
02/10 - Project 1 Due
02/12 - Firmata and Flash
02/17 - Firmata + Max/MSP/Jitter, Video tracking and analysis as input
02/19 - dealing with datawireless
02/24 - intuitive physicality
02/26 - TBA
03/03 - TBA
03/05 - Work Day
03/10 - Work Day
03/12 - Project 2 Due
Project 1 – Interfacing liquid information
think about the ebb and flow of liquids, the flow of information. How do you untangle chaos, find the patterns, the ebb and flow? Volumes of water data are available online, ranging from the wind speed at coastal buoys to the flow rate of mountain streams. It is projected that fresh water will become a resource more valuable than oil in the next several decades. What are the important/interesting relationships you might speak about between the data you choose to work with and the way you display it and allow interface with it? Do you embed photo resisters in a globe and allow the user to balance global water levels? What will the accelerometer of the Wii nunchuk allow in terms of free motion and gestures? Think about how to bridge the information, the interface and the visualization.
Resources
Links:
- Lecture One
- Lecture Three
- Lecture Four
- Lecture Five
- Lecture Twelve
- Lecture Fourteen
- Lecture Fifteen