Create your own low cost Multi -touch Whiteboard using a Wii Remote

Using a Wii Remote and a projector it is possible to have your very own multi touch whiteboard in your home



Projectors sell on ebay for as little as £175.00 and Nintendo Wii Remotes are currently selling for around £42.50 So for £217.50 you can get your self a multi-touch whiteboard. Which in my opinion seems pretty cheap for what you are getting. With any luck this will drive down the cost of the retail product and soon we well all be able to have a multi-touch display in our homes!

Click Here for instructions and links to software downloads to create your own multi-touch whiteboard

Finished Photography Elective

I have now finished and submitted my final product for the photography elective



I have enjoyed taking this elective and hope that I will get the chance to capture some more images on film and develop them in the dark rooms in the very near future

I am proud of my final peice as it is something that i have crafted from hand from scratch, also usually when i take pictures they remain hidden away somewhere, but i enjoy the fact that i have mounted these and will be able to diplay them somewhere for other people to enjoy

2020 Brief

I have now used pictures of film reels from getty images and added them to my poster

I have also added an extra tagline of seeing is believe although i have not decided yet if i will feature this extra tagline on the finished product

2020 Breif

Today i loaned a HP Photosmart R937 8.0 megapixel camera and used the lighting rigs to to take some images of my phone

Im selected and imported one of the images into photoshop, i then used the pen tool to trace around the phone and copy and paste it into the document that contained the blured image of the cinema

The results can be seen below



I now need to figure out how to add the film reals to the top of the phone, this will be my next task to work on

Will Life be Worthorth Living in 2000AD

This is an Article from Weekend Magazine July 22, 1961 that predicts what life will be like in the year 2000

It starts .......

Your home may: Air walls and a floating roof top.

Your wife may have: A computer as home help.

You may eat: Tablets, dried and pocessed food.

You may drive: A hovercraft and a helicopter.

You may work: A 24 hour week

Click Here to view the rest of the article

2020 Breif

I have added to my mock up, this is still not the finished product just part of my product development



I think the background image of the cinema communicates the message that you are able to watch films on the new phone more clearly, I have blured the background of the cinema as i want the focus to be on the phone, the background is just there to compliment the image as a whole.

I think i will use a photographed image of the phone on the final peice or possible use illustrator to create a realistic model, (If i was able to use 3d/maya i would also consider using 3d as an option)

Illustrator Tutorial

Today we had an illustrator tutorial

Where learn how to manipulate text, how to manipulate points in a path, and also used shapes to make some weather symbols, as well as a few other techniques.

The images below are from what i learnt and created

2020 Mock up

This is not my final design this is just a very basic image created in photoshop. It servers as a rough guide for myself to show what i am aiming for in my final design

Free Vector Downlaods

CLICK HERE

Photography Elective; Induction Images

The images above are test strips; I created test strips in order to see how much light would produce the best result.

I created my test strips by taking a piece of photographic paper and covering two third with cardboard then exposing it to light for 4 seconds. I then moved the card so one third of the photographic paper was being covered and exposed it to light again for another four seconds. I finally I exposed it to the light with out any of the photographic paper being covered

The final result was an image where the first part had been exposed to light for 12 seconds the middle had been exposed to light 8 seconds and the last part of the image had been exposed to light for only for seconds

I could use this test strip in order to make a decision on how much time to expose my photographs to the light in order to archive an optimum result

Once the optimum time had been found to expose the photographs to light it was then possible to create a contact sheet (see image below)



The contact sheet was created by placing a piece of photographic paper with the negatives on top in to a holder.

From looking it the test strip, it was possible for me to identify that I needed to expose my images to light for eight seconds to achieve the best results for my contact sheet

Once the test strip had been created i chose an image that i wanted develop

Below is a picture of my 1st print



looking at the image i felt that the drain, drainpipe and leaves in the left hand side back ground had been over exposed and the white buckets in the foreground lacked detail due to them being under exposed.

i decided to redevelop the image dodgeing the drain pipe and burning the white buckets

The dodge was created by using my hand to cover the area i want to expose to less ligth

and the burn was created by making my hand in to a cylinder shape and focusing the light on to the area i wanted to make darker

Below is my final image after i had applied the dark room techniques of the dodge and burn




If you look at and compear the final image you can see that after i have dodged and burned the two problem areas I have managed to reveal more detal in the two areas

Banksey Caught in the Act

Banksy has struck again, but this time he has let his cover slip by being caught at work on camera in broad daylight.



The artist's latest work in Tower Hamlets, East London, shows the double yellow lines in a street continuing up a wall to form a giant flower.

His identity has been a mystery and it's the first time Banksy has been caught in the act



The mural, in the East London borough of Tower Hamlets, is thought to be a riposte to the local council, which has vowed to cleanse the borough of his graffiti.

2020 Breif

I have decide that for my final product i will be creating a poster that advertise a new mobile phone has a built in projector so you are able to any project video or image content you have stored on your handset

I have been researching into this idea

At the CTIA Wireless 2007 show in Orlando, Florida, tech firm Texas Instruments has been giving public demonstrations of its digital light processing (DLP) ‘pico’ projector - a teensy weensy movie projector that’s small enough to wedge into a mobile phone.

the mini-projector sports three lasers, a LP chip and a power supply, with the whole caboodle measuring just 38mm, making it technically possible to fit in all the gubbins inside a normal sized phone.

Using the phone projector (”phonejector?” “prophonetor”?”), the mobile phone will eventually be able to beam DVD-quality video on to a screen or a wall, making it a workable portable video player or TV.

However, the prototype is currently only capable of displaying an image about the size of an A4 sheet of paper (8.5×11-inches) at a rather humble HVGA (640×240) resolution in “ambient light conditions” (i.e. it’s not very bright).

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A few years from now, you might be able to carry a home theatre system in your pocket.

Finland's Upstream Engineering is working on an LED (light-emitting diode) projection system that potentially could, because of its small size and relatively low cost, allow manufacturers to put projectors inside MP3 players, mobile phones or other portable electronics for a few dollars.

Instead of passing around a phone to show off a video or a picture, the image (or video) could be blasted onto a wall. The picture brightness won't be as high as that of standard projectors, but it would let pictures on phones and music players escape the confines of the small screens on those devices.

The current prototype projector optical engine created by the company is about the size of a matchbox. An accompanying projector would be about the size of a mobile phone. Currently, some companies make small projectors, but they are larger, about the size of a mini digital-video recorder.

The reduction in size comes from a technique invented by Upstream for channeling the light from LEDs to a display in thousands of small beams. Light, whether from a candle or an LED, naturally shines in every direction. Upstream has built a complex micro-optical system that collects that light close to the source and sends a huge proportion of it to an intended target. The so-called "photon vacuum" optical system surrounds the LED like a shell.

As a result, a tiny optical package can provide roughly the same level of illumination efficiency that larger systems can.

"The idea is to collect every single ray and direct it to the display itself," said Mikko Alasaarela, president and founder of Upstream. "We've been approached by about 150 companies" from many industries.

Some start-ups in Silicon Valley are also working on technology for focusing LED light, said Dave Epstein, a partner at venture firm Crosslink Capital.

These days, everyone loves LEDs. Researchers in Japan hope to use the lights to wirelessly transmit data between automobiles while TV and display makers are putting them in more products. Not only do they consume little power, LEDs last for years and don't contain mercury, a toxic element used in small quantities in some electronic devices.

LED projectors also have the potential to be cheap because Upstream's ornate optical system won't be assembled out of many parts. The optical shell will be stamped out of plastic on injection-mold production lines. The basic Photon Vacuum system, which consists of an LED with the integrated optical system, can likely sell for under US$10 in high volumes.

Communication Design for Print and Digital Media

Rule Of Thirds

The basic principle behind the rule of thirds is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts. As follows.



With this grid in mind you the ‘rule’ now identifies four important parts of the image that you should consider placing points of interest in as you frame your image.

Not only this - but it also gives you four ‘lines’ that are also useful for positioning any elements in an image you may create



The theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines that your photo becomes more balanced and will enable a viewer of the image to interact with it more naturally. Studies have shown that when viewing images that people’s eyes usually go to one of the intersection points most naturally rather than the centre of the shot - using the rule of thirds works with this natural way of viewing an image rather than working against it.



The Golden Section

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio#Aesthetics


Serif and Sans Serif Fonts

Websites use sans serif fonts as at a resolution of 72dpi makes the serifs on some fonts look blurry or messy

Where as in print serif fonts are used as the serifs create a line which aids the reader to read the text more easily.

99 Usefull Graphic Design Resources

CLICK HERE

Leeds Uni Students Ipod Touch Advert to be used by Apple

Nick Haley a fresher at Leeds University, took clips from the apple website remixed, them to “Music Is My Hot, Hot Sex” by a Brazilian band, CSS,and posted it on youtube

Apple's marketing team saw the ad and got in contact with him about using as a tv advert

To read more click here

To see the youtube ad click here

Photography Elective

For reading week i selected to take part in the black and white photography elective.

After two days of the induction, where we learnt how to loAd and dsvelop the film, I then had to decide what to base my brief on. I decide that i was going to photograph all the building work that is currently taking place in leeds as well as all the modern buildings that have recently sprung up across the city.

Learn How To Draw

I found this website that teaches how to use simple shapes to draw

it looks rather good

http://www.drawingcoach.com/

Comms Design and Print, About Me

Here are a few of my "About Me" initial sketches




The picture above represents an image i could create using photography and photoshop

I would take a photograph of a white room with nothing in, then i would take photographs of myself performing various hobbies i enjoy.

I would then import the photographs of me performing the my hobbies into Photoshop and cut my self out so there is no back ground only the image of me, i would then import the images of me into the photograph of the empty white room




The above image would again be created in Photoshop.

I would create text outlines of the words love and hate, i would then fill the love outline with things i love and the hate outline with things i dislike



The above image is of a television, I would either create this in Illustrator or take a photograph of a television

I would then take photographs of myself performing different hobbies and cut them out in photoshop so there is no back ground i would then create a "Now and Next" like the image below



But instead of channel icons i would use an image of me playing football and next to the icon text relating to a telvision program involving football e.g. Match of the Day.






The above image is a bin with items in that i hate. For this idea i would take a photograph of me putting an item in a bin that is filled with items that i hate.

I would crate this image simple by placing the items i do not like in a bin and then taking a photograph of me dropping the final item in the bin

alternatively i am thinking about photographing myself next to an empty bin and then photographing items that i do not like separately and then putting them in the image using photoshop.

Critical Studies

Another lesson of critical studies this morning

These are my notes

Instead of writing in the first person we should write in the third person

Statements such as

It could be said that

It could be interpreted that

It could be considered that

Should be used instead of using

I believe that

I think that

Semiology is analysing symbols, signifier signified and sign, meaning translation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiotics

Content analysis

Compositional interpretation

Object correlative, is when if some one asks for absolute and coke absolute is the object correlative, its when something has become the ‘norm’ i.e. people say they are drinking coke even if it is just a shops own brand cola, other examples are hoover for a vacuum or Celotape just for any sticky tape

Anchorage – all the interpretations in the image the anchorage is the thing that helps you draw the conclusion, it helps the target audience get the correct message

Synicdochal – a synicdocal is where one thing in a whole is use to signify a greater meaning i.e. the eiffel tower is used to represent Paris and it becomes so ingrained in people that it is easy for them to pick up the meanings

BOOKS relating to semiology

Ronald Barthes a French intellectual wrote mythologies 1956/57

Gillian Rose a British senior lecturer published visual methodologies 2001
Home Work

Read chapter four of Gillian Rose

Look ad some digital work viral ads or other imagery that you think is affect and you can analyse in these terms (bring to next lesson)

Photoshop Tutorial

Yesterday we had a Photoshop tutorial, although I knew a lot of the techniques that were being taught I still picked up a few new things. A new skill I learn was how to use the pen tool.

I am now able to confidently and competently use this tool to create paths around areas of an image. I have been trying to figure out how to use this tool on my own for quite a while and although I had read many articles online my success was often limited so I am please that I now have a new skill to add to my Photoshop skill set.

We also used a Wacom drawing tablet;


This was a completely new experience for me, the drawing tablet was not a peripheral I had ever used before. I enjoyed using the tablet as it gave me more control over what I was creating on the screen than a mouse would. Even thought I would consider my drawings using pen and paper to be more aesthetically pleasing, I liked how the drawing table gave me more control than using pencil and paper, with pencil and paper you have to consider how to build up the image, where as when using the tablet and Photoshop you can put different elements on different layers. For instance you are able to fill in the main colour of an object, then add a new layer and build up the shadows and highlights on the next layer, also I like the fact that if you are building up the image on separate layers you are able to turn them on and off to see how the image is progressing, another advantage is that when erasing things there is no trace of where you went wrong. Equally as good you can delete whole layers leaving the rest of the image uneffected.

While using the Wacom Table a Scanned a photograph I had of myself and imported it into Photoshop. I placed the scanned image on the very bottom layer I then traced my features on individual layers.



When I first created the Photoshoped picture of myself I was quite proud of it, I had been trying to achieve this at home using illustrator and my mouse but the results were nowhere near as good. The next day upon reflection of the image I felt that there is a lot that can be improved and refined, but as with all things this will no doubt come with time and practice.

First Lesson Of Animation

Today we had our first animation lesson

Animation is a series of still images with small changes that creates the illusion of movement


For our breif we have been asked to;

Keep it short, use storyboarding, it’s about animating the relationships and not the animation its self

Marking

1. look at other peoples work, comment and evaluate in a written format (blog) pay homage to other peoples work, use the research as inspiration.

2. Evaluating - (pros and cons), justifying your reasons,

3. Sketching ideas, storyboarding

4. Screen shots with evaluations, Mock up ideas, digital storyboard

5. Being organised, with scripts, storyboards so you are able to show you have done your research

Preston Blair – author of an animation book
Television 25fps

I have looked on youtube in order to evaluate and comment on some other peoples work, below are my findings

Weight Lift

Walk sequence – looks as though he is running on the spot but the character looks as though it is being dragged along

Stretching sequence – the hips do not move in a natural way

Lifting the bar sequence – is good everything is suggesting heavy weight, knees are bent, arms ae stretched flat

When the bar is dropped – there is no bounce from the bar, does not drop down quick enough.

The fall – is good because he looses balance and stumbles trying to regain it, there is good momentum when he lands on the floor he skids backwards, it all adds up to make the animation realistic


Weight Lift Animation - Eric Koffman

He falls slowly as if falling through soup

He doesn’t adjust his body stance to compensate for the weight he is lifting

Animan New Weight Lift

not technically perfect but has the right kind of movements to suggest weight is being lifted

the animation is too draw out. Too much has been put into the animation which is preventing it from flowing,

Kiwi

Good emotional impact that the viewer can relate to

Child like musical – almost like a nursery rhyme

It doesn’t look finished / needs textures

Plot very good kiwi cant fly he has small wings neat and tidy plot line.

This Picture Is Not Animated

I find looking at this picture confusing. The more I try to focus on the bit that is moving the more the picture moves!!!

Wall Animation

This is the craziest bit of animation I have ever seen.

Please watch it and comment

Avatars

An avatar is an Internet user's representation of himself or herself, whether in the form of a three-dimensional model used in computer games, or a two-dimensional icon (picture) used on Internet forums and other communities.

As the web is growing and becoming more interactive avatars are becoming more and more common place, in the coming weeks i am going to create as many avatars of myself as i can using as many different avatar creators as i can find and the post a picture of the results on this blog


The above avatar was created here using the skype klonies avatar studio



The above avatar was created here at dookyweb.com

Trumpia.com

Mass Messaging

Trumpia.com is a website that allows you to add all your friends contact details. E-mail, phone number, instant messaging address, you can then group your friends and message them all at once by texting a message to Trumpia. Your friends receive the message on all of their communication devices at the same (email, SMS, IM), ensuring that there is no way that your friends can ever tell you again that they missed or did not get your message

The video below shows how the application works



I can see this app being used by clubs or other people trying to promote or sell somthing (imagine the amount of spam you could get sent if someone got there hands on your e-mail address, phone numer, and IM address !!!!)

Graffiti Art

The work has been created by two artists in Sao Paulo, Brazil

I really like how these peices of art are interacting and incoperating there surroundings. It makes me analyse and take a closer look how the street furniture has been incorperated into the peices, and therefore i feel i get a better over all appreciation for the peices

Click here for more info

My Very First Post

Hey everyone, I’m Luke and this is my very first ever blog post, not 100% sure what I am meant to be writing but here goes.....

A little Bit About Me

I first came to use web and graphic design software though buying computer magazines which had free trial software included with them. I would often upload pieces of work that I had attempted to create, onto the internet to test their functionality. Uploading my work also allowed me to show people what I had created and hear their views on it.

Before coming on this course I have studied a National Diploma in E-Media (Web Technologies) at Leeds College of Technology where I found that I enjoy creating animation and interactive content.

You can view my college work portfolio at www.lukebeaumont.co.uk (*Note there are a few links that need fixing, something I need to get round to doing) Please feel free to leave me a comment on what you think to it (be kind it is mostly all 1^st year college work)

Now studying for a BA in Design for Digital Media, I hope that undertaking this course will allow me to improve my Flash animation and interactivity through learning how to use movie clips and incorporate action script. I also want to improve my skills in Photoshop, Illustrator and Dreamweaver.

Reading that back to myself it sounds a little bit boring, so if you want to find out more about me or get in contact, I can be found at

MSN
luke_b3000 [at] hotmail .com

Skype
lukeb3000