The Journal of Virtual Reality and Broadcasting JVRB will dedicate volume 13.2016 to the topic of Trackless virtual studio via actor reconstruction.

Virtual sets without camera tracking offer a great degree of freedom concerning camera moves: A virtual camera is not limited by physical constraints and visual effect (e. g. “bullet time”) or unusual camera positions can easily be produced. It is possible to achieve full interaction between the real and the virtual domain, including lighting, shadows and collision. Furthermore, a complete actor reconstruction results in easy actor modification (e. g. exchanging body parts with virtual parts).
The JVRB Special Issue 2016 focusses on how these new techniques influence entertainment, filmmaking and visual storytelling. It presents state-of-the-art approaches to trackless virtual studio via actor reconstruction and which technologies are necessary to achieve this. Topics include, but are not limited to:
– 3D object acquisition
– Volumetric surface reconstruction
– Image-based modelling
– Structure from motion
– Sensor Fusion
– Multi-view stereo
– 6dof-Tracking
– Depth camera
– Relighting
– Software approaches
– Mobile approaches

All submissions will undergo a peer-review process with at least three independent experts from the appropriate field of research.

Guest Editor: Graham Thomas, BBC Research and Development, UK

Submission:
Submission deadline: March 31st, 2016
Submission via: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=jvrb2016 LaTeX-Template: http://www.jvrb.org/submission/tex-template/

More information about the Journal at: http://www.jvrb.org

For Charting the Digital Charting the Digital: Play, Discourse, Disruption Venice Italy

https://ispr.info/2015/12/10/call-charting-the-digital-play-discourse-disruption/ – more-21567

Theme: Playful cartography & Future Mapping: Attitudinal MiniMaps and Embodied Interaction

Various virtual environments have used ideas like world maps or minimaps,small-scale pictures within pictures ofthe world, to allow quick orientation through large virtual environments.Generally, these ideas are to facilitate navigation and orientation, but they could also be used thematically to increase immersion in virtual environments, show the behavioral states of other players, or reveal different perspectives of the same ‘world’.

In virtual environments, users do not have access to peripheral visual information available to them in reality (due to the lesser field of vision, no sideways glances and no natural sideways motion of the eyes through ambulation). In game design, the player often wishes to know where enemies are without having to leave the screen.

Designers often create a hybrid visual environment of 3D world and translucent overlay map as a way of getting around these problems.

Rather than directly recreate the 3D environment as plan objects, game designers often represent the moving players and rotate the map view to always reflect what is in front of the player.

Figure 1: Lugaru-an example of a game using an overlayed rotating map (lower right corner).

For example, in the game Lugaru (Fig. 1),the overlay map rotates with orientation of the player’s bunny avatar, and reveals only the plan outlines of buildings. Lugaru notonly shows other moving characters and where they are facing (the enemies are represented by triangles), but the moving map symbols of the enemies change colour to indicate if they are just walking,in a sensing state, or have found and arechasing the player’s avatar.

I suggest that these types of minimaps and similar devices in games are of great practical and creative potential for future environments, especially when coupled with the recent development of more affordable and reliable biofeedback devices.

We have been developing biofeedback (Fig. 2) and camera tracking peripherals and interfaces for a variety of purposes, but as far as we know they have not yet been employed in public visualization and large surround displays for use with interactive maps and gazetteers.

Figure 2: Biofeedback applied to the gameplay, music, AI and cinematic shaders of a horror game mod

References

Champion, E. (2010). Wayfinding across space, time, and society Cyber-­-archaeology (pp. 85-96): Archaeopress.

Champion, E., & Dekker, A. (2011). Indirect biofed architecture: Strategies to best utilise biofeedback tools and interaction metaphors within digital architectural environments. Paper presented at the 16th International Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia, CAADRIA 2011.

Champion, E. (2015). Motion Control For Remote Archaeological Presentations, Digital Heritage: 3D representations. Paper presented at the Aarhus University/Moesgaard Museum, Denmark. http://conferences.au.dk/digitalheritage/

14th EUROGRAPHICS Workshop on Graphics and Cultural Heritage
Genova, Italy, 5-7 October 2016
http://gch2016.ge.imati.cnr.it
Call for Papers

The 14th EUROGRAPHICS Workshop on Graphics and Cultural Heritage (GCH 2016) aims to foster an international dialogue between ICT experts and CH scientists to have a better understanding of the critical requirements for processing, managing, and delivering cultural information to a broader audience. The objective of the workshop is to present and showcase new developments within the overall process chain, from data acquisition, analysis and synthesis, 3D documentation, and data management, to new forms of interactive presentations and 3D printing solutions. Interdisciplinary approaches for analysis, classification and interpretation of cultural artefacts are particularly relevant to the event.
The intention of GCH 2016 is also to establish a scientific forum for scientists and CH professionals to exchange and disseminate novel ideas and techniques in research, education and dissemination of Cultural Heritage, transfer them in practice, and trace future research and technological directions. Therefore, we seek original, innovative and previously unpublished contributions in the computer graphics area applied to digital cultural heritage, challenging the state of the art solutions and leveraging new ideas for future developments. Specific sessions will be devoted to reports on applications, experiences and projects in this domain. Contributions are solicited (but not limited to) in the following areas:
• 2/3/4D data acquisition and processing in Cultural Heritage
• Multispectral imaging and data fusion
• Digital acquisition, representation and communication of intangible heritage
• Material acquisition analysis
• Heterogeneous data collection, integration and management
• 3D printing of cultural assets
• Shape analysis and interpretation
• Similarity and search of digital artefacts
• Visualization and Virtual Museums
• Multi-modal and interactive environments and applications for Cultural Heritage
• Spatial and mobile augmentation of physical collections with digital presentations
• Semantic-aware representation of digital artefacts (metadata, classification schemes, annotation)
• Digital libraries and archiving of 3D documents
• Standards and documentation
• Serious games in Cultural Heritage
• Storytelling and design of heritage communications

IMPORTANT DATES
May 2 Abstract
May 9 Full Papers, Short Papers
June 30 Notification
Sept 5 Final Camera Ready

Proceedings
All the accepted papers will be published by the Eurographics Association and will be stored in the EG Digital Library.
The authors of selected best papers will be invited to submit an extended version to the ACM Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage (JOCCH, see at http://jocch.acm.org/).

Event Co-Chairs
Bianca Falcidieno – CNR IMATI, Italy
Dieter Fellner – TU Darmstadt/Fraunhofer IGD, Germany

Program Co-Chairs
Chiara Eva Catalano – CNR IMATI, Italy
Livio De Luca – MAP (Models and simulations for Architecture and Cultural Heritage) Lab, CNRS, France

I am on holiday in Hobbit land until 1 February 2016 so no posts until then. -E

CALL FOR PAPERS, SHOWCASES & EXHIBITS
JCSG 2016 – Joint Conference on Serious Games
26 – 27 Sept, Brisbane, Australia
http://jcsg2016.org

The international Joint Conference on Serious Games – JCSG 2016 brings together the 7th Serious Games Development & Applications (SGDA 2016) and 6th GameDays 2016 conferences. JCSG 2016 will be held in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland in Australia, and hosted by Griffith University on Brisbane’s beautiful cultural precinct, South Bank.

Games, Play, Interactions and Art with Purpose
Serious games are simulations and games for purposes beyond pure entertainment. Serious games stretches across a broad spectrum of application domains, ranging from game-based learning, simulation and training, through games for health, well-being and behaviour change, marketing and business, to games for tourism and cultural heritage, and games to raise awareness and provoke questioning on environmental, moral and social issues.

The development of serious games is a creative and multidisciplinary pursuit, creating new ways to play, interact and experience. The Joint Conference on Serious Games invites researchers, developers, practitioners, designers, writers and artists of serious games to submit their work and join us at JCSG 2016. Accepted papers are expected to present high quality material that illustrates the broad range of work in serious games and gamification, with particular interest in best practice and field / case studies, but also underlying theories, models, designs, and artwork. We seek submissions on serious games, supported on, or across, any technology and delivery platforms, including traditional or novel, augmented and virtual reality, mobile and location-based, and transmedia, etc.

Submission and Publication
Accepted papers, posters and showcase & exhibit extended abstracts will be published in the JCSG 2016proceedings, Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). Submissions are divided into two main streams: Technical Papers & Posters, and Showcase & Exhibition, as follows:

Technical Papers & Posters
Full papers (10 – 12 pages) describe latest design and development, new concepts / theories, methodologies / approaches for design and assessment / evaluation, and study results of work not previously published. Short papers (5 – 6 pages) describe late breaking, less mature, on-going or more focused work. Poster papers (2 – 4 pages) provide an opportunity to describe new work or work that is still in progress – posters are ideal for research students or researchers, developers and practitioners who wish take advantage of the interactive poster sessions with conference attendees.

Showcase & Exhibition
Games, simulations, interactive / responsive media, artifacts and art with purpose will be presented / displayed and available for JCSG 2016 participants to play, interact and experience. These are newly released, novel, unique, innovative, repurposed or are an updated version. Submissions of extended abstracts / proposals (2 – 4 pages) consist of two parts: (i) summary or concept statement (150 words max) – this will accompany your showcase or exhibit during the conference; and (ii) detailed description of your showcase or exhibit (e.g. purpose, play, mechanics, interaction, experience) with supporting images / sketches.

Topics include, but are not limited to:
– Serious game design and development
– Serious game playtesting, evaluation, assessment & analytics
– Interactive storyworlds, storytelling, narrative, fiction and game mechanics
– Engagement, reflection, emotion, and positive, thought provoking and serious experience
– Experimental serious games design – new interactions, play, and experiences
– Interactive / responsive media, artifacts and art with purpose, & serious art games
– Social issues, awareness, raising consciousness, and games for social innovation & change
– Interactive news and documentary, and cinematic games
– Game-based learning, edutainment and training
– Tourism, cultural, museum, heritage and architecture
– Game AI and artificial life
– Virtual characters, agents, learning partners and assistants
– Persuasive and behavior change
– VR and augmented reality-based
– Mobile and location-based, pervasive, transmedia and blended approaches
– Gamification and alternate reality games
– Games for health, well-being and exercise
– Simulation, engineering and manufacturing
– Advertising, marketing and business

IMPORTANT DATES
May 16 – Full Paper / Short Paper
May 16 – Poster Paper
May 16 – Showcase & Exhibit Abstract
June 13 – Notification of Acceptance
July 4 – Camera ready papers & extended abstracts due

Authors have an opportunity to be awarded the Best Paper award and Best Poster award, and Showcase and Exhibitors have an opportunity to be awarded the Best Serious Game and Best Exhibit award for JCSG 2016. There are also student / research candidate awards for each of the submission categories. Awards will be selected by the Program and Showcase & Exhibition Committee.

Further instructions on how to prepare and submit to JCSG 2016 can be found at: http://jcsg2016.org/call-for-submissions

Local Organizing Committee
Tim Marsh, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
Brigid Costello, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Rafael Calvo, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Erik Champion, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
Mark Billinghurst, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia

Organizing Committee
Manuel Fradinho Oliveira, SINTEF, Norway
Minhua Ma, University of Huddersfield, UK
Jannicke Baalsrud Hauge, BIBA, University of Bremen, Germany
Stefan Göbel, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany
Tim Marsh, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia

Contact us at: seriousgames2016

My abstract for Interactive Pasts (VALUE) archaeogaming conference, Leiden Netherlands

Conference Abstract Proposal

Topic 1: Video games in archaeological research (i.e. how archaeologists might use games for their research, perhaps as experimental archaeology or for modelling etc.)

Short Abstract

How to classify and predict the range, success and future of video games in archaeological research? I suggest a revealing way of evaluating such an area is to examine how they employ interaction. After describing exemplars of different types of interaction I will propose that an effective educational and engaging mix of archaeology and video games would be far more likely if games existed that leverage their game mechanics to help teach archaeological methods, approaches and interpretations. According to Sicart (Sicart, 2008) “A game mechanic, then, is the action invoked by an agent to interact with the game world, as constrained by the game rules.” Archaeologists don’t appear to have easy to translate mechanics for their process of discovery and understanding that we can transform into game mechanics to engage and educate the public with the methods and approaches of archaeology and heritage studies.

And yet digital archaeology as immersive virtual environments should be interactive because data changes, technologies change andinteraction can provide for different types of learning preferences while drawing in the younger generations. That said, interaction alone is not very useful, what is the point of clicking buttons if we don’t know how the changes depict and reconfigure the narrative, interpretations or other types of evidence? In this talk I hope to provide a personal overview and reflection on the types of interaction in general and mechanics in particular that could better help the design of video games for archaeological (and heritage) purposes.

Long Abstract

When we assess the impact and potential of video games for archaeological research we could classify them in a myriad of ways, for example: via their subject matter, platforms, genres, learning outcomes or interaction methods. Because I feel that most virtual heritage environments greatly underestimate the power and complexity of interaction and forget the original reason for their existence, I usually place more emphasis on interaction, audience feedback and objectives. In previous publications (Champion and Dave, 2002, Champion, 2011) I suggested that virtual environments could be usefully classified in terms of their purpose, for visualisation, to support activity, or as hermeneutic environments.

I’d like to amend this simple classification. Initially I thought there were two subcategories of hermeneutic virtual environments, those that reveal things about ourselves to ourselves and those that reveal the intentions and beliefs of others (past or present) to us. For archaeological and heritage purposes I think we need a further subcategory or division, there are activity-based virtual environments (video games) that attempt to reveal the culturally specific ways in which people created, modified and experienced past environments.

I can also see a potential conflict here between the objectives of archaeology as a science and heritage studies as a communication medium (Harvey, 2001, Addison, 2001) but there is an even more fundamental issue: do archaeology and video gaming mix? Could they work together fruitfully? In the words of Katy Meyers (Meyers, 2011):

“Archaeology is a fairly common video game theme, and why wouldn’t it be? Distant lands, searching for lost treasures, the threat of competing looters and foreign governments, the possibilities of cursed tombs, with only the lone archaeologist to right the wrongs and triumph … But this is a far cry from reality, where the only epic battles of archaeology are between the professors and the funding agencies, and the quest for relics is a long, slow, well researched one. Real archaeology involves working closely with the cultures under investigation, collaborating across nations, and detailed planning.”

I contend that an effective educational and engaging mix of archaeology and video games would be far more likely if games existed that leverage their game mechanics to help teach archaeological methods, approaches and interpretations. According to Sicart (Sicart, 2008) “A game mechanic, then, is the action invoked by an agent to interact with the game world, as constrained by the game rules.” Archaeologists don’t appear to have easy to translate mechanics for their process of discovery and understanding that we can transform into game mechanics to engage and educate the public with the methods and approaches of archaeology and heritage studies.

And yet digital archaeology as immersive virtual environments should be interactive because data changes, technologies change andinteraction can provide for different types of learning preferences while drawing in the younger generations. That said, interaction alone is not very useful, what is the point of clicking buttons if we don’t know how the changes depict and reconfigure the narrative, interpretations or other types of evidence? In this talk I hope to provide a personal overview and reflection on the types of interaction in general and mechanics in particular that could better help the design of video games for archaeological (and heritage) purposes.

Addison, A. C. 2001. Virtual heritage: technology in the service of culture. Proceedings of the 2001 conference on Virtual reality, archeology, and cultural heritage. Glyfada, Greece: ACM.

Champion, E. 2011. Playing With The Past, London, Springer.

Champion, E. & Dave, B. Where is this place. Proceedings of ACADIA 2002: Thresholds Between Physical and Virtual, 2002. 87-97.

Harvey, D. C. 2001. Heritage pasts and heritage presents: temporality, meaning and the scope of heritage studies. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 7, 319-338.

Meyers, K. 2011. The Advernturing Archaeologicist Trope. Play the past [Online]. Available: http://www.playthepast.org/?p=1635 [Accessed 15 January 2016].

Sicart, M. 2008. Defining Game Mechanics. Game Studies, International Journal of Computer Game Research [Online], 8. Available: http://gamestudies.org/0802/articles/sicart [Accessed 14 January 2016].

URL: http://www.valueproject.nl/media/introducing-the-interactive-pasts-conference/

This ARCHON-GSA conference will explore the intersections of archaeology and video games. Its aim is to bring scholars and students from archaeology, history, heritage and museum studies together with game developers and designers. The program will allow for both in-depth treatment of the topic in the form of presentations, open discussion, as well as skill transference and the establishment of new ties between academia and the creative industry.

Studies on the interface of archaeology and video games are part of a growing field. Its grassroots are located in social media and the blogosphere. Beyond social media, the intersection of archaeology and video games can make important contributions to archaeology at large. Archaeological research in and on video games can bring a range of new opportunities, such as the potential to discuss, model and illustrate archaeological theories with crowd-sourced, video game data or as a new channel for public outreach.

At the same time there is a similar upsurge of interest in using heritage and the past in video game development and design. Many creatives, particularly those working at smaller, independent companies, are actively looking to present a different, more conscious approach to interactive pasts. However, with the exception of the arena of serious gaming, the academic and industry networks are still largely unconnected.

This conference is one of the first in the world to focus on this new and exciting field of study. The conference organizers hope to show archaeologists and students how they could engage with the largely untapped medium of interactive entertainment as well as provide creatives with insights into the practice of archaeology and its unique views on the human past. Finally, we seek to provide opportunities for immediate and future collaborations between academics and developers.