On Thursday Dr Jeffrey Jacobson of http://publicVR.org will give a talk at 1PM in the HIVE. A new visualisation facility at John Curtin Art Gallery, Curtin University, Perth
He is one of four visiting fellows who arrived last week to work with me on, projects grants and papers.
I’ll add a video link later of his work with game engines and archaeology and puppeteers.
Main site at https://3d.si.edu/
Below model at https://3d.si.edu/explorer?modelid=55
We have stereo and surround displays being built here at Curtin with typical Unity, AutoDesk and Adobe products.
But I feel we are missing a range of peripherals. So I made a quick list (I cannot find the Sony VR bike, would add that).
Which reminds me of PaperDude VR: http://techland.time.com/2013/08/02/paperdude-vr-paperboy-meets-virtual-reality-helmet-meets-motion-sensor-meets-connected-bike/
Anyway, the bike is a great natural interface for VR, especially for virtual simulations of large cites.
Suggested hardware
Virtual Reality bike interface http://www.computrainer.com.au/Buyonline.aspx
Biofeedback
http://emotiv.com/ especially the EEF head set http://emotiv.com/eeg/features.php
An alternative headgear set would be http://www.neurosky.com/Developer.aspx
3D
3D printer, possibly http://www.stratasys.com/3d-printers/design-series
Other Peripherals
In the past I mentioned siftables https://www.sifteo.com/ the product seems a shadow of their potential, wonder what happened.
This talk explains them here http://www.ted.com/talks/david_merrill_demos_siftables_the_smart_blocks.html
Only from USA stores I think http://www.marblesthebrainstore.com/locations
Nice to have: Arduino for prototyping simple peripherals http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/05/bitalino/
A drone http://ardrone2.parrot.com/ even archaeologists use them
Haptics
http://www.immersion.com/markets/gaming/
Probably the http://www.immersion.com/markets/gaming/products/index.html#tab=logitech if we are going to do urban vis in the dome
There is even a fishing pole with feedback! http://www.immersion.com/markets/gaming/products/index.html#tab=griffin (no have no use for this, don’t buy it!)
http://tngames.com/ 3rd space vest http://tngames.com/products
Kickstarter vest http://games.on.net/2013/06/araig-is-a-force-feedback-suit-for-gaming-and-they-want-your-kickstarter-dollars/
Or joystick http://www.thrustmaster.com/products/force-feedback-joystick
An excellent camera (DSLR) or even panorama camera, I know iVEC has them at UWA but I don’t think Curtin does?
http://www.ptgrey.com/PRODUCTS/ladybug2/ladybug2_360_video_camera.asp
I am not sure if we need a gigapixel camera or will borrow from iVEC@UWA
Software
For urban vis http://www.esri.com/software/cityengine
(Warning Sambit thinks it is clunky but I know of no decent competitors)
PS Wesley might find some good google earth data here https://earthengine.google.org/#intro
cycle trainer
http://www.tacx.com/en/products/software
review of above http://djconnel.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/interbike-2012-virtual-reality-trainers.html
motion capture http://organicmotion.com/products/openstage
3D modelling http://pixologic.com/zbrush/ esp http://store.pixologic.com/
3D modelling for landscapes http://www.e-onsoftware.com/
3D extras (software etc) for Unity https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/
Adobe after effects, I am not sure Curtin has a license for this but it is great for video editing.
Panorama stitching software eg www.autopano.net or www.easypano.com/virtual-tour-studio.html or any of
www.ptgui.com/
software.bergmark.com/enfuseGUI/Main.html
gardengnomesoftware.com/pano2vr.php
krpano.com/
flashificator.com/
Here is an abridged answer I just gave to an architectural academic who is interested in using games and game modding and AI (bots) in consideration was something like 3DVIDIA/Virtools, Unity or Unreal.
I hope this is of use to others or if my sourced information is out of date or inaccurate please comment below the post!
I am no AI expert although I too have an AI project I wish to develop: I don’t know 3DVIDIA, I do know Unreal (UT) used to have AI research projects, I don’t know if UDK has easily available AI projects but UDK does look good.
Overall Unity is probably the easiest and their asset store has many content packs and scripts and avatars for purchase (including for AI) and it runs on Mac and PC and quite well on older machines.
You may not need the Professional version, I am not sure.
An introductory summary of difference for level design: http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categories/level_design_tutorials/what-level-editor-game-engine-should-you-use-how-to-choose.php
A game engine comparison is here: http://fragileearthstudios.com/2011/10/24/comparing-cryengine-and-unreal-and-unity-too/
For heritage settings I have been told UDK (http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categories/udk/ue3-vs-udk-vs-ut3.php) is very good but I have yet to use it.
Of interest to you: there are tutorials for UDK bots
http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categories/wold-members-tutorials/petebottomley/udk-01-how-to-spawn-bots-in-kismet.php
https://sites.google.com/site/tessaleetutorials/home/udk-custom-enemy
UDK AI Director:
UNITY AI research
Wandering AI http://answers.unity3d.com/questions/432027/wandering-ai.html
Robot AI from Mecanim example http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/166633-Mecanim-quot-AI-quot-Free-Sources
AI programming
Alternative:
A side project might be to review the new SIMS4 and Sims Societies.
http://tesalliance.org/forums/index.php?/topic/6547-new-artificial-intelligence-mod/
On a more urban design and cinematographic level, one used to be able to link Simcities and the SIMS2 avatars but I have not heard of related urban design or BIM research.
We are also going to look into Skyrim the Crysis/CryTek engine, which may be too powerful / complex for your needs.
I personally will also look into, the earlier version, Oblivion, had very simple scripting tools for avatar interaction and also had good modding tools (but it was not multiplayer, at least not officially).
Skyrim (Creation kit) has built in habits for NPCs, which I believe can be modded/affected, new buildings/settings can be added relatively easily.
http://tesalliance.org/forums/index.php?/topic/6547-new-artificial-intelligence-mod/
SUMMARY
For ease of use, most designers and researchers seem to be using Unity, but UDK (free download for PC) may have some benefits if you find similar AI projects.
If you want to show behaviours and don’t mind or can replace medieval settings, Skyrim may suffice.
For path finding UDK may be good, Unity can do all of it but if you can’t find prebuilt software in the Unity story, you may need to build it from scratch.
Overall, Unity is probably easiest, there plenty of presets/modules, and scripting can be in JavaScript or Python or C# etc. And MiddleVR seems a good for fit for connecting Unity to VR devices and for stereo projection (a video tutorial is here).
I am very happy to announce that two Visting Fellows and two Early Career Visiting Fellows will work with me in October and November on various projects.
They are (and please note, dates are provisional):
Visiting Fellows
Nov 4-27: Dr Jeffrey Jacobson, http://www.publicvr.org
To provide examples of interactive and immersive environments featuring architecture and archaeology of the ancient world, to run inside Curtin’s new visualisation facility, iDome, Stereo Wall, and/or possibly the Wedge. Upload and run public VR 3D models inside UNITY on the iDome. These are the Virtual Egyptian Temple, Living Forest, Theater District of Pompeii. Prototype ancient heritage sites to run on the 0.5 CAVE (actually it is a Wedge). Design and pilot evaluation environment for potential use in humanities subjects, including history, and the visualisation undergraduate degree.
Nov 16-Dec 16: Dr Rob H. Warren, Canada, http://blog.muninn-project.org
Link 3D models in virtual environments (Unity real-time engine) to the archival databases to create a specific pilot of a World War 1 simulation using accurate historic geo-data, weather data, astronomical data, and historical records. Design and pilot evaluation environment for potential use in humanities subjects, including history, and the visualisation undergraduate degree. Link to colleagues in New Zealand and Canada to discuss potential research collaborations
Early Career Visiting Fellows
Nov 4-11: Andrew Dekker, University of Queensland http://itee.uq.edu.au/~dekker/ OR http://uq.academia.edu/AndrewDekker
We will work together on the following project: Camera tracking and biofeedback for indirect interaction with virtual environments. This project will connect biofeedback devices and camera tracking devices with equipment in the Curtin Data Visualisation Facility (CDVF) and provide a research platform to evaluate how biofeedback can be a meaningful interaction component for virtual environments, especially for augmenting socially believable agents, and to enrich the apparent “life” and “atmosphere” of digitally created architectural environments.
Nov 18-25: Dr Hafizur Rahman, Bangladesh http://bdheritage.info and http://ttclc.net
Create a streamlined 3D model data and 3D virtual environment workflow, analyse and comparing different image modelling tools, and explain how their optimal deployment for community web portals of digitalised cultural heritage.
Acquiring 3D models for artifacts is always expensive, as it typically requires a 3D laser scanner and relevant training. However, 3D modeling of small artifacts is possible to produce with photographs using low cost software such as 3D Som Pro (http://www.3dsom.com/). This software can produce 3D wire mesh and baked images for rendering, which can later be use as a source for augmented reality application for interactive public display. Free AR Toolkit /BuildAR can be used here for making this interactive display for museums/heritage institutes and interested community groups who currently lack high end technological resources and related skills.
We will also compare the above to insight 3D (http://insight3d.sourceforge.net/), which is free and open source. We will produce schematic workflows, incorporating Blender 3D for modeling and we will consider alternatives such as Google SketchUp.
The Curtin Data Visualisation Facility (CDVF) is unusual in that a great deal of strategic direction comes from the Faculty of Humanities, but it will be open to all academics at Curtin University.
It is also part of the John Curtin Gallery, on the Curtin University main campus (Bentley). The launch is planned for the second week of November.
What will it be used for? To “meet a broad demand for visualisation, virtualisation and simulation infrastructure and capability in Western Australia. It will enable significantly better training environments and improved interpretation of research data across the university’s core areas of research.” (Curtin University website).
Currently being installed are:
The inventor, Associate Professor Paul Bourke, Director of iVEC@UWA, tells me it is not an iDome, as it uses fish eye projection and it is a truncated spherical dome, but it currently lacks a catchy name.
You can see some of Paul Bourke’s visualisation work featuring Gigapixel, 360 Ladybug panoramas and iDome scientific visualisation here: http://paulbourke.net/papers/curtin2013/slides.pdf
NB We are also part of iVEC, iVEC@Curtin, so we can borrow iVEC’s high quality recording and rendering equipment and access their services.
The CDVF is staffed by 2 technical assistants and an expert in Stereoscopic projection, Mr Andrew Woods, the Managing Director of CDVF.
Much of the content design will be handled at various creation nodes on campus.
At the School of Media Culture and Creative Arts I have access to the following new postgrad research lab, featuring dual screen MacPros and iMacs.
Do I have enough project ideas? Yes!
Next step: grants, partners, and students! If you any of the three, please contact me!
Fantastic stuff! Knew nothing about them when I worked in Denmark!
I invited myself to pay Centre for Playware a visit. This is a department of Technical University of Denmark (DTU), just outside Copenhagen. I was a part of a research project with them and ATR about the robot Telenoid (read more about that project here). A friend from that project is doing his PhD here and thought it might be a good idea to see what they have been doing lately. Centre for Playware is a lab-style research department in the crossfield between play and technology. The place is small and the staff list contains less than 10 people, ahead of this is professor Henrik Hautop Lund. The projects are state of the art when it comes to innovating technology and play. They are all based on movements, sounds, games, modules, fun and learning – though learning isn’t the main goal!
Take the Modular Robotic Tiles…
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The low cost (€149/$197 + shipping and taxes) kit of modular blocks includes a swathe of physiological sensors that can be broken out to use individually or linked together and used in whatever combination you’re after. BITalino’s approach is plug and play, to keep things as simple as possible. The sensors in the kit can interface with computing platforms such as Arduino (and derivatives) and Raspberry Pi, says project lead Hugo Silva. BITalino also includes Bluetooth connectivity so can be used in desktop and mobile environments.
“Currently there are several APIs for platforms including Android OS, Java or Python; BITalino is also cloud / web compatible through a software framework based on WebSockets, HTML5 and CSS3,” he tells TechCrunch
http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/05/bitalino/
Sensors included in the BITalino kit are:
The board also includes an LED block for visual feedback, a microcontroller unit and a power management block to power the other units.
Youtube video:
What you could do is build a brochure that when held up to the webcam of a laptop etc or even a phone would produce an apparent ‘3d’ image.
Anyone played with the above for conferences and exhibitions?
Some software I know of
The Magicbook from the HITLab
http://www.hitlabnz.org/index.php/research/augmented-reality?view=project&task=show&id=54
Commercial
https://www.layar.com/
http://www.metaio.com/products/creator/
This is a commercial Australian-NSW company who might provide proof of concepts/examples
http://www.augmentedrealitydevelopment.com.au/products/augmented-reality-development/
Open source: augment for print (MQ Uni, with instructions)
https://wiki.mq.edu.au/display/ar/Systems
Please advise me of more!
The Dean of Research at my Faculty of Humanities asked this yesterday.I have decided this could become a future book project, answering that question, I mean.
Some beginning links are here:
http://www.quora.com/What-are-some-critical-data-visualization-works
Data visualisation but good http://www.mulinblog.com/2013/09/03/data-visualization-matters/?utm_source=buffer&utm_campaign=Buffer&utm_content=buffer612ef&utm_medium=twitter
http://www.asis.org/Bulletin/Apr-12/AprMay12_Bailey_Owens.html
http://viewshare.org/views/jefferson/fulton-street-trade-cards-collection/
Good slides roundup http://www.slideshare.net/smithss_27106/data-visualization-and-digital-humanities-research-a-survey-of-available-data-sets-and-tools
A conference this question may have been answered: http://hyperstudio.mit.edu/h-digital/
http://www.quora.com/Data-Visualization/Why-does-visualization-matter
To explain this to my students I usually refer to the best historical examples. Epidemiology, for instance, would not be the same without thematic mapping, as maps let you take a peek behind the data, see what the numbers hide. The classic is Snow’s Cholera map, obviously, which I praise here http://blog.visual.ly/infographi… but there are many others. I’d recommend two books about data maps: “Cartographies of Disease” http://www.amazon.com/Cartograph… and “Early Thematic Mapping in the History of Cartography”http://www.amazon.com/Early-Them… which revisits some well known names, such as Charles Joseph Minard, and casts lights on others that are not so well known.
http://blogs.hbr.org/hbr/hbreditors/2013/03/power_of_visualizations_aha_moment.html
here’s an “Aha!” moment sometimes. Even on the most obvious things. Take Matthew Bloch [and Shan Carter and Alan McLean]’s census maps.
Click to see larger image. View the interactive version here.
source: New York Times
I’m just seeing what I basically know: New York neighborhoods are segregated. But I felt it in a way I never had before. You can feel a good data visualization.
One thing we did was take a very simple unemployment chart — your most basic visualization — and we let people choose a Democrat or Republican interpretation of the data.
Click or touch to see larger image. View the interactive version here.
source: New York Times
You can literally see the visualization change based on whose point of view was highlighted. It would be silly to interpret any data viz as truth. They are interpretations of truth.
Apart from the everywhere solution that is UNITY, and the not so well known solution that is Flash in 3D, 3D models on the web appears dead. At least VRML is. Single-player, lack of browser standardisation, no killer app. Actually it is more of a zombie, still there, but not in wide usage because what can you do with it?
Well that has changed, the below are not VRML but its grandchildren, html5 and webgl and JavaScript. I was a little apprehensive about replacements for VRML, it needs to be quicker, pref no plugin required, but that is no deal-breaker now, multiplayer, quicker, with some rendering and scripting features of commercial game engines, for architectural visualisation etc.
Enter two contenders:
1 Playcanvas
demo http://apps.playcanvas.com/playcanvas/scifi/latest
features http://playcanvas.com/#features
2 BananaBread
“BananaBread is a 3D first person shooter that runs on the web. It takes the Cube 2: Sauerbraten engine, which is written in C++ and OpenGL, and compiles it using Emscripten into JavaScript and WebGL so that it can run in modern browsers using standards-based web APIs and without the need for plugins.”
https://developer.cdn.mozilla.net/media/uploads/demos/a/z/azakai/3baf4ad7e600cbda06ec46efec5ec3b8/bananabread_1373485124_demo_package/list.html
You can download the source//assets
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/demos/detail/bananabread
Thanks to netmagazine for the heads up:
URL: http://www.netmagazine.com/features/top-10-html5-games-2012
There will be a truncated dome (to the right), a tiled dispay, a half-cylindrical display 8 metres in diameter, and a wedge (stereo projection, also stereo projection for the half cylinder).
More information here: http://www.curtin.edu.au/research/about/ict/news/visualisation.cfm
Just came across this link of an article to an article.
http://www.metaversejournal.com/2009/07/26/the-watch-virtual-worlds-in-the-news-81/
Never said half of this, don’t remember talking to the reporter/newspaper, and certainly don’t expect virtual worlds to overtake real-world travel and books, wow!
North Shore Times (NZ) – Study out of this world. “Virtual worlds and computer games aren’t only for teen cyberjunkies, says Massey University associate professor Erik Champion. He says computer games have enormous potential and tools to explore and interact with ancient cultures, distant places and inaccessible environments. The new media lecturer at the design school on the Albany campus is seeking designers to create more New Zealand-themed virtual worlds. “The challenge is to find new interactive ways to experience things through digital media,” he says. Dr Champion says those worlds will soon become more popular than travelling and book learning and the like.”
http://jitp.commons.gc.cuny.edu/xtranormal-for-educators/
Xtranormal is an animated movie-making tool that converts script text to speech. It offers a simple drag-and-drop user interface for adjusting camera angles, character motions, background music and sound, and more. This animated Tool Tip reviews the educator version of Xtranormal and its use in the writing classroom. Acknowledging the validity of both Kathleen Blake Yancey’s and Cynthia Selfe’s ideas about the importance of new media in the composition class, the review considers how Xtranormal may help students explore both the possibilities and limitations of video as a medium for advancing their ideas.
Those who know me know I am very interested in creating a overall framework that allows dynamic linkages between digitalised text and 3D models and 3D modelled environments all inside the same web browser (or game engine).
There was some TEI work on encoding of text and people references (personography and prosopographical data), I am interested in digitalised text and place references. Particularly historic and mythic and ancient places.
Re/viewing Corey Harper’s wonderfully elegant rant on how linked data should be not just on text but on people places and things, led me to think again about how places can be shared between 2 and 3D media, and other forms of media, in a meaningful way.
http://www.digitalnz.org/blog/posts/reflections-on-the-2013-linked-open-data-in-libraries-archives-and-museums-summit
Check out the video of Corey Harper in the page (or on youtube or see below)
One idea I have is of inhabitant cognitive maps, not merely how does an author link places inside a text, but what are the literary or historic characters ideas and experiences about linked places and how could we visualise that in 2D/3D interfaces?
That software insight3D I was briefly looking into might not be maintained very well, people at blenderation forked it
http://sourceforge.net/projects/insight3dng/
Found another trial / commercial (?) product http://www.visualsize.com and allows you to compare against other software http://www.visualsize.com/photonav3d/summary.html
libmv – a structure from motion library – Google Project Hosting
here are some game engines I am hoping we can install and run in our new postgrad design lab
1. The latest version of Autodesk Maya (mac os x), for the Mac Prosfree trial at http://www.autodesk.com/products/autodesk-maya/free-trial
student version http://students.autodesk.com/?nd=download_center
Other 3D and often cheaper if less powerful software solutions could be Silo 3D or Blender 3D. 3D Studio max is also an autodesk product but probably around the same price as maya. Rhino 3D is used by many industrial and transport designers and architects.
2. The latest version of unity (4.2), the indie version is free
http://unity3d.com/unity/download/
If we have money now or later for copies of unity pro (education version) that would be great!
https://store.unity3d.com
In Australia the supplier for Unity Pro education seems to be
http://www.stormfx.com.au/games/unity-pro.html
3. I would also like Blender downloaded (free), runs on all major OS
http://www.blender.org
4. Sketchup downloaded (free).
http://www.sketchup.com
5. For those who can run bootcamp or similar on the macs or have a PC there are free versions of game editors (PC os only)
for Crydev engine http://www.crydev.net/dm_eds/download_detail.php?id=4
6. There is also UDK (Unreal) http://www.unrealengine.com/udk/
You might also be interested in skyrim’s creation kit, the wiki is here http://www.creationkit.com but you may have to install Steam (hope it has improved over previous versions!)
7. A longterm goal would be zbrush http://pixologic.com
I am sure I am missing some important software and related modelling tools! And what about animation software alternatives to Maya?
Ear Zow Digital