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we are an infinite loop

Pacat ca ma grabesc. [Too bad I'm in a hurry.] A blog about computational design, generative art, geometry, math, architecture and the means employed to materialize these forms of expression. It's an ongoing chronicle of my personal research in this field and an information pool for curious minds. Without fancy words, it's a haha place for me. Not topic oriented, more or less it is flow oriented.

Nov 18, 2007

moving out

of the google empire to a cooler place (at least their themes are cooler)
www.improved.ro/blog/

Nov 4, 2007

Uite asa

ar trebui sa arate macheta mea:numai ca nu arata asa

Oct 28, 2007

Other work

This is not as recent, but it deserves to be up. Simple and classy. Much less rigid than company standards, yet satisfyingly matching their CAD "accuracy". wtf i'm full of bullshit at this time of night

My current school project

Details to come.
For now just some haha pictures:What I'm actually doing here is creating the "unfolds" of the solids. Step by step...

Oct 20, 2007

9 x 12 cm 1h quick ad

This was:

It got cropped (and the background got in(tro)verted):


No processing involved (bah) because time was much too short. And it could have been better. (I'm not liking it that much now).

Oct 9, 2007

http://www.xkcd.com/55/


simply lovely. wunderbahr. spent two hours on this comic. I think I am somewhat late in noticing it but hehe. it gave several laughs already
don't now why i'm blogging this actually but ha it's funny.

Oct 8, 2007

Circle packing a book cover

It's lame to work on familiy business, and even more to blog/brag about it, but I give you Romania's first ever (probably) computational book cover!
The process behind the graphics is circle packing. Algorithm bravely inspired by the description that this brilliant guy posted on the RhinoScript Wiki.
Oh, and someone had this idea to use sphere packing (which is essentially the same with circle packing only in 3d) in architecture.

Sep 27, 2007

Scriptin towards outerspace

Double curvature surfaces, faceted:


Some easy scriptin did that:

Option Explicit

SurfaceFaceting()

Sub SurfaceFaceting()
Dim strSurf : strSurf = Rhino.GetObject("Select surface to facet", 8, True, True)
If IsNull(strSurf) Then Exit Sub

Dim intDetailLevel : intDetailLevel = Rhino.GetInteger("Detail level", 40, 2)
If IsNull(intDetailLevel) Then Exit Sub

Dim dbl

Dim uDomain : uDomain = Rhino.SurfaceDomain(strSurf, 0)
Dim uStep : uStep = (uDomain(1) - uDomain(0))/intDetailLevel

Dim vDomain : vDomain = Rhino.SurfaceDomain(strSurf, 1)
Dim vStep : vStep = (vDomain(1) - vDomain(0))/intDetailLevel

Dim u, v, strFrame, pt

Call Rhino.EnableRedraw(False)
For u = uDomain(0) To uDomain(1) Step uStep
For v = vDomain(0) To vDomain(1) Step vStep
pt = Rhino.EvaluateSurface(strSurf, Array(u,v))
strFrame = Rhino.SurfaceFrame(strSurf, Array(u,v))
Call Rhino.AddPlaneSurface(strFrame, 1, 1)
Next
Next
Call Rhino.EnableRedraw(True)

End Sub

Sep 22, 2007

Deedee is playin'




deconstructing a sphere a la bruno zevi :) or not.

Sep 17, 2007

Present business

Inspired by the very many, sjet and others I am now really working up on RhinoScript, in use with Rhino.

Well, because architecture isn't just what we are taught at school. And math is good.

Aug 30, 2007

Back from Riga

Uh, oh, I'm back. Kinda wanting to go back.
Here are some photos of the folks at the summer school. Since the link to the flickr set is what all this post should be about, I do believe i should stop.

Aug 11, 2007

Off to Riga

Tommorow at 12.55 I should be in Riga. Don't call me! roaming is expensive - emails are our friends.
I'm off to a summer school (second one in the list) in architecture (actually urban design). Hope I'll be able to post some photos and blog a bit about things happening there.

And while you get bored reading this, check these out now! Where's the world of photography coming to?

Aug 9, 2007

spherical harmonics part 2

sphere harmonics part 2
sphere harmonics part 2
sphere harmonics part 2

Ribbon effect obtained quite simple instead of i++ in the main for loop we now have i+=2 or i+=3

Aug 8, 2007

sphere harmonics

sphere harmonics implemented in processing.
some screenshots (here's the complete list):

grab-21
grab-30
grab-36

Jul 27, 2007

uber alles manifesto

Ce-i porcaria asta?
Ma distreaza.
Ah, si sunt obligat sa mentionez faptu' ca tema era color. Eu am respectat tema. Si dungile alea negre da pa desenu' meu nu erau in tema. Poa' domnii care au manevrat desenu' meu au simtit ca lipsea ceva la compozitie :))
Facultatea asta ma deprima. Bine ca imi pun desenu pa' net.

ps:
For that specific category of architecture students and teachers, which seem to believe that math is just for calculating your 10% fee and that computers are used just to draw, I highly recommend these ad issues, which are happily missing from our library:
one
two
three
four
concrete architecture is dead, modernism is dead, face it.

Jul 14, 2007

birthday thing

Birthday resolutions (things that are nice to say when starting new things):


  1. I gotta get a job. asap. :)
  2. gotta smoke less
  3. gotta focus more on work
  4. gotta do some regular sport exercises.
  5. gotta focus on making a portfolio out of all those stupid p55 sketches i have lying around
  6. gotta publish this on the 3rd of July
  7. gotta study for exams

I forgot about this draft from a while ago. It's never too late. Also thanks for all the birthday treats i got from everybody :)

Jun 21, 2007

Sound Arcs, revisiting

This video recording done with my cameraphone.
A nifty addition to the sketch - everything is inside a big sphere lighted with a spotlight, which gives us a very nice gradient to the background. Hack came off this processing discourse topic.


Windows application is here, Mac application is here. No sketch-in-a-browser for this one. The code is in the zip file.

Yep, and music credits - soma.fm presenting "Urchin" - not the 70's band google's throwing in its searches.

Jun 20, 2007

arcs and sound

Simple yet effective:

A nice way of using lookup tables - tribute to toxi.
No applet for this one, nor for the DLA fractals toy - this one uses sound, and it's a big hassle getting the applet singed and then making opengl work properly in a browser; maybe in some distant future, i'll export the apps and upload them. Code available on request - there's not much to it, though :)
Oh, and exporting the video using Shiffman's moviemaker library.

Jun 15, 2007

Difusion Limited Aggregation

Sau DLA pe scurt. Joaca buna in processing in loc sa invatam pentru geometrie sau rezistenta materialelor. Numa buni fractalii astia de testat toxiclibs - bune chestii, restpect.





More to come soon. M-am gandit si we shall react to sound. Nu cu chestiile astea, devin prea complicate geometric in prea putin timp. Nu-i asa ca arata bine daca le colorezi?

Jun 1, 2007

We give you: football!



Don't you just love our Architecture School? Playing football with a dodecahedron. Shout-out to our teachers, for making this possible. We respect the way you respect us.

Filmed inside UAUIM, 4th floor, right around the corner.

May 26, 2007

Tema 6 la studiu' formei

Esti in pana de idei?
Ai probleme existentiale legate de viata ta de pana acum?
Iei note mici si nu esti apreciat de profesori, desi esti un mic geniu?
Te simti nedreptatit?

Noi te ajutam! Am facut un programel special pentru a te ajuta pe tine. Tema 6 la studiul formei nu va mai fi o problema! In cateva minute vei avea o compozitie multumitoare si te poti apuca de treaba! Click AICI!

May 11, 2007

Corbusier si unitatile zburatoare

Galeria 115, in a sa expozitie de arta digitala "ArtPartTwo", contine si urmatoarea lucrare, care place la noi:

Ce ne chinuim cu Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel, sau Foster? Unite d'habitation explodat in aer. Sau Corbusier drogat. Asta'i viitorul in arhitectura.

May 10, 2007

Blogu rupe

Cica echipa de olimpiadele comunicarii din care fac parte are blog!
Las ca nu ma face blogu' pa mine. Blogu, ca mijloc de comunicare, te poate schimba pe tine ca individ: ajungi intr-un punct in care nu mai scrii tu in blog, blogul scrie in tine*.
Nu stiu din ce categorie face parte postu' asta. Votati voi pe 19 mai**.

*evident, ca orice afirmatie indrazneata, are multe puncte slabe si complet neverificate, foarte usor atacabile. Ea (afirmatia) se refera in principal la bloggari amatori, d'astia ca mine. Era sa cad (sau am cazut!) in tentatia de a scrie pe blog doar de dragul graficelor din google analytics.

**dap, reclama mascata, sau manipulare.

Apr 29, 2007

In inordine de idei,

Iata si primul post despre arhitectura care apare pe uberblogul meu:
comic.
Hahaha, farsa! e la dragos pe blog!

while(1) { sign(); }

I am quite politically blank when it comes to ordinary matters, but things are out of hand at the moment. The current political threat status in Romania is, to use our mutual friend's words, a bit more than elevated (doesn't that sound super?).
Here's a little hack to set things right:

while(1)
{
sign(this);

}

Apr 25, 2007

povestea

Am ajuns in finala olimpiadelor comunicarii, la categoria comunicare politica, cu echipa the Hatters. O aventura simpatica. Eu ma asteptam sa trebuiasca sa le fac doar un logo, niscaiva grafica de afis si o prezentare. Iata ca acum trebuie sa platesc 1o lei ca am avut acest noroc. Genitori creditori, iarasi va venit randul sa salvati progenitura de la colaps financiar.

Nu am ramas cu o impresie buna despre ce se intampla acolo, dar asta poate e din cauza ca nu am o impresie buna despre advertising in general, sau despre politica (din motive lesene de inteles), sau despre modul cum ne comportam ca societate.

Foarte interesant de vazut daca aveti timp seria de documentare The Century of the Self, frumos realizate de BBC4.

Apr 15, 2007

O poezie

This is not a poem. This is 42.
For romanian readers, here we go:




uite
scrie sub palarie
the hatters
cu o culoare draguta
in semicerc
iar la cercuri
fa-le de marimi diferite
adica verde si albe mai micute
alb si negru la margini
verde in centru
albastru si rosu de o parte si de alta
a verdelui
verde cea mai mare in centru
celelalte mai micute
iar cele de la capat
alb si negru
la fel ca verde
sa se diferentieze putin
asta e ideea



Lansez un concurs: cine raspunde corect la intrebarea care cerc e cel mai mic si in ce pozitie exacta se afla in sir (sunt 5 beads on a string) primeste un sticker ¨uber (in limita stocului disponibil). Pe bune!

Apr 7, 2007

42 and maps

No, that's (42) not the post count up to now, it's the answer to the meaning of life.

A few days ago, google just launched a new service, called MyMaps. Go check it out. Also, me and Meinhard are working on Kmap.org.

Vimeo does well in the field of existing, even if YouTube is there. Competition is good, generating better solutions for users. We should decide on a course of action. Bomb the googleplex?

Later edit:
Work will carry on, as there is a gap for kmap to fill in. MyMaps is excellent, btw. Now that the initial confusion passed away, back to hacking kmap.org. Some extending to the GMarker class needs attention.

Mar 19, 2007

Gibberish

I am wondering. Computational art/ Generative art takes a lot of programming. It's quite a lot of work - compiling algorithms from different sources and inventing your own for those special needs that surely arise etc etc etc. Yet g. a. is a manifesto of two things (at least this is how i see it), the first being the concept and the second being the use of the computer as way of creating art in its purest.
So we are tackling two tricky subjects. The concept/idea you want to express (or not!) must be proper for deployment in a digital medium with pure digital tools (code). Sometimes one must stop when programming becomes more important than concept and vice-versa. It's a tricky balance.

And second, I think I'll program some boids playing tag you're it. And map their trajectories. And throw them in a perlin noise vector field. And add some genetic evolution algorithms. And implement collision detection. And do that nifty Diffusion Aggregation Algorithm. And better my color palette. And add sound interaction. Or, better even, generate sound. Binary networks anyone?

Oh, and there's one more thing. "It" has to look good. Aesthetic. Guten nacht.

Boids Update


Thank you and you for inspiration. Check those links out to see how real masters are doing it :)

Now everything's smoother - esp. camera movement (the camera now aims towards the overall center of the flock).
The applet is here (does not work 100% since opengl in a browser isn't that common. it surely won't work if java 5 (1.5) is installed on your machine).
Applications are here (download the appropriate folder for your os).
Command list (ripped from the code):

void keyPressed() {
switch(key) {
case RETURN:
changeCenterAtRandomCode();
break;
case 'e':
evade = !evade;
didi.evade(evade);
break;
case 'b':
bgclr = color(0, 0, 0);
break;
case 'w':
bgclr = color(255, 255, 255);
break;
case 'r':
didi.lines();
break;
case 'h':
big = !big;
default:
break;
}

Later edit: zipped mac app here, inside the os folder. never thought of this.
Also, take care when using 'e' (evade key). press it twice.

Mar 11, 2007

Boids



Boids. Simple algorithms to seek (or arrive), evade, separate, flock etc. extended in troix d.
You can find some theory here.

I'm having lots of fun with them.
Also, I found the red book of opengl online for free.

This Vector3D library saves me a lot of headaches. On the same site there you'll find some simple 2d boids.

I am planning on starting to make direct opengl calls. At least for the tails of the boids.

Mar 8, 2007

Improved, Ro.




I decided to advertise a bit the beginning.
It's the first and last issue of the then highly advertised improved ezine.

I am quite in an inspiration gap. Yep, the muses have left me at the moment. That's why I'm doing some technical exercises. I am forcing myself to code something every day. Even if it's just a little, even if I am tired and I just messing things, even if I'm just commenting old code. Also messing opengl. And also I must purchase a lousy webcam.

Feb 22, 2007

Inspiration


improved.ro/p5/flower is now working. controls inside the source.

Feb 21, 2007

Good news update







Good news, bad news. The good news is that the little interactive piece I did for that monologue (see below for details) got first prize at the mediart (romanian language link, sorry) festival. Also Gabriel (the actor) did a good job and he got an excellence award.
What I liked about our project: it was more of a performance than a theater play. The "script" was improvised, and the projection was designed to be (and , thank god, was) responsive to what the actor said/improvised, to how fast he talked etc.
What I didn't like and criticism I received: too hypnotic/it looked too good/it distracted your attention a bit from the actor. It should have communicated more with the actor (this would require a bit more preparation time and repetitions). Interaction was too distant. And lack of sound. Yep, that would have been great. I'm sorry I didn't have the time and will to code some solid sine basslines into it. I promise I'll do it next time :)

improved.ro/p5/gabriel/
Now works in a browser! finally.
(I had some issues with the so called java 5.0 - 1.5 - now resolved in a true discrete manner: switched back to good 'ol 1.42)
You can dig the controls from the source, but here's a short list:
'1' tags the words.
'2' inserts a random number (between 2 and 4 i think) of words.
'6' and '7'stand for slower or faster.
'0' and '9' do some nice things too, background change and lights() on or off.
default: wordBuffer += key; break;

How to use:
type a word on the keyboard, then press 2. repeat this with the same word for as long as you see fit. Then type the word again and press 1. that should do the magic. repeat this with different words of your choice :)

Feb 19, 2007

I hate

this:

if(letters[i] == 'm' || letters[i] == 'M' || letters[i] == 'w' || letters[i] == 'W')
{
translate(tx = cos((theta - radians(.5)) * i) * radius, ty = sin((theta - radians(.5)) * i) * radius, 0);
}
else
{
translate(tx = cos(theta * i) * radius, ty = sin(theta * i) * radius, 0);
}
which was replaced by
translate(tx = cos(theta * i) * radius, ty = sin(theta * i) * radius, 0);
and a fixed-width font.

Feb 16, 2007

Theatre play projection update

Today the piece I did for Gabriel was screened for the first time. It turned out nice and I managed to get a good concept behind it. As it goes with most code that generates something abstract, the underlying idea may take numerous shapes. Personally, I like to think of it as responsive, generative tag cloud for the character's (actor's) thoughts, expressions and gestures. Here's a screenshot:

(not the best one but time is pressing)
How does it work? It's easy: the actor goes on reciting his monologue (yes, the theater play "Veghe" by Morris Panich is just one big monologue). I type in every word that is important, or has a special resonance, etc. (abstract tags?) and that word gets into a big rotating chaos. It pops out whenever i type it again. Multiple instances of the same word are allowed. Also, the whole business may start with a predefined list of words (list that can be anytime expanded).
This shifts the whole business to a more performance-like theater play due to the subtle interactivity insert.

Note to self: A nice expansion would be the ability to let the public send in by bluetooth their own words. Now that would be nice.

Feb 13, 2007

Update

Right now I'm working on a projection for a theater play. Won't be much interactivity since, well, this not seen with good eyes here, but nevertheless. I have to simulate some seasons coming and going (spring ... winter) and a little old lady watching from a window. not much freedom, because the scene is quite fixed (the building with the little old lady at a window, the tree/trees) but i hope i'll make it look good at least. Will post some material when it is ripe.

Feb 8, 2007

for that

small segment of individuals that are used to Adobe's (Macromedia's) Flash ActionScript coding environment, or for those of you that like to have a movie clip class somewhere in processing but just can't get near it (because of sloppy oop skills or other various reasons), I highly recommend using this as a semi-substitute. It' better than nothing, allows you to create more complex shapes using less complex methods. Still, if you want to do something spectacular, well, there's this library (quite a jewel, but it makes life too easy for me to rest comfortable).
Enjoy.

flowers in the java sun

I finally understood pushMatrix() and popMatrix(). I am happy about it. Wasn't much of a hussle. I was used to applying transformations to independent objects separately. Maybe that's why the cube worked a bit slow (10 fps in a browser, 15 fps when running locally). Huuh, a matrix stack would have been useful.
Anyway, I brewed this:


This is not online yet, but will soon be. At first i want to take some time to organize things at mprvd.r/p55 so as to not upload all the core.jar and opengl.jar etc. all the time for a new sketch.
Remember kids, the future is generative.

Jan 26, 2007

one step


One step at a time. Discs changed into 3d "+" signs. And now they spin :)
Now working on oop -ing the thing, and get some more events coded into the damn thing. shouldn't be that difficult.
This will happen later this evening. Now it's time for some school work.

Jan 23, 2007

Updates

Recently I've been mapping a 32 channels' worth of FFT analysis on some discs (that form a cylinder) spaced out in 3D.
It looks extremely good, especially on cliq-hop. Too bad my iBook's built-in microphone isn't such a marvel of technology, but hey. All in all, it works and it's nice.
I'll edit this post later to post some screenshots. Until then, the code isn't working in a browser yet, but you copypaste and see it in action, tinker with the params and feel good.

Jan 21, 2007

Just testing exporting


I was recently testing exporting geometry from p55 and yep, it works. Computed in p55, rendered in google's sketchup, and text in illustrator.

Jan 20, 2007

Strange Attractors // Patterns in chaos

This book on Strange Attractors is so interesting I am drooling over it right now. Good for anybody, even the mathematically stupid.

A random illustration from the book.
Yep, it's free to download.
Go p55 it!

Jan 13, 2007

Morfisme

Dap, tot un pic de matematica, dar ceva mai filozofica acum.
Poti crea imagine din sunet si poti crea sunet din imagine. (imagine in sensul larg, sens care cuprinde si miscare, ritm, viteza).
Avem de-a face cu 2 morfisme de grupuri. In unul plecam de la sunet si cream imagine. In al doilea plecam de la imagine si cream sunet. Se observa faptul ca trebuie ca unul din cele doua grupuri sa detina suprematia asupra celuilalt. Fie imaginea guverneaza sunetul (reprezinta legea care defineste outputul auditiv), fie sunetul guverneaza imaginea - caz in care acesta devine legea guvernatoare a imaginii.



Aceasta este una dintre cele mai importante constrangeri ale I/O (input-output) art. Din ea se naste frumusetea (sau nu).
Daca ar fi sa renuntam la ea nu am mai putea avea aceasta intreaga stiinta: visuals-urile pentru un solo de vioara sunt vioara si cantaretul in sine. Well, that is not the point.

Jan 11, 2007

New discoveries

http://chronotext.org
I have just discovered this interesting collection of experiments with 3d text. Definitively worth a stroll. Shows one of the more abstract faces of computational design which isn't that much speculated in today's art scene.
Maybe gives you some ideas.
idid out.

Despre cuiburi si alte aberatii

Acum cateva zile am reusit sa ajung la o comuniune cu processing.
Nu este o teorie mult prea grea.

Processing, cum prea bine se stie, se bazeaza pe java. El reprezinta practic un fel de java--, simplificand multe lucruri in detrimentul usability-ului.
Folosind un pic de Eclipse si investigand unele librarii, plus the painstaking job de a dezvolta un particle system in sus-numitul IDE, reusit-am a intelege modul de functionare.
Toate clasele separate din p5 sunt nested classes ale clasei mari (programul/sketch-ul tau). Nu are rost sa renunti la acesta manifestare a codului in p5: este o scurtatura demna, ce nu ingreuneaza decat in unele cazuri exceptionale intreaga poveste a programarii.

So, dump Eclipse. Doar daca vrei sa dezvolti librarii pentru p5 are rost sa intrii in el... altfel mediul de programare oferit este mai mult decat suficient.
Poate dezvoltarea de aplicatii in OpenGL, folosind JOGL sa fie the next step? Dar atunci de ce nu am trece direct in c++?
Si, in final, este nevoie de atata adancime pentru a crea generative toys/computational design?

Cine e porcaria asta?

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