Flash Development

To begin with we started off with some mock-ups and design ideas on how we wanted the rainbow to look:

We at first wanted the rainbow to move around the screen, but as soon as we realised it was an added complication that we needed need to add. So instead we decided to create a rainbow pool in which you pour the colour into, and given also an audio output.

1. Get an object to change colour when another one goes over it

This was quite simple as all we had to do is add some collision detection to the code and make the symbol change colour when another passed over it. See below for an example:

2. 4 objects change the colour they have on the main object

This one was the hardest part of all because we try for about 2 weeks just to get this part working which was the most important part of all, and it just would not work. Yet in the last week we managed to crack the code because all we did was take the else out of the if statement and then it all worked. See below for a working example.

http://www.zshare.net/flash/507566203607dd8b/

3. Change the colour slowly each time it touches

We have decided not to include this one, as it is too time consuming for such little effect. If we had more time, this would have been an option we would have done. It would have involved controlling the alpha levels on the symbols.

4. Get the object to move independently

We took this one out when we decided to have a pool of rainbow colour rather than a shaped one. Instead we have the pool rippling as a form of movement.

5. Get the object to ripple faster and slower

http://www.zshare.net/flash/50756864290ea31a/

Here we managed to get the rainbow to ripple, and to increase the speed, you just have to increase the speed of the video. Also we have managed to get it ripple in all the colours required which can be seen below:

http://www.zshare.net/flash/50797924a5cf0a05/

http://www.zshare.net/flash/507979868d319b29/

http://www.zshare.net/flash/5079802620c52682/

http://www.zshare.net/flash/5079816330c9e907/

At the moment we still have left to “Add time related dimension to the data” and “Get the object to increase and decrease in length” but we are trying to concentrate on getting the ripple and change colour to link together.

This module has been designed to provide a framework to develop your individual practice and here is where I will show my ideas and development for each part.

Part 1 - Organism 25% Delivered by Dan Livingstone

organism n. 1. any living animal or plant including any bacterium or virus. Jean Baudrillard, Simulations2. anything resembling a living creature in structure, behavior, etc ----, organ’ismal or,organ’ismic adj. organ’ismally adv.

‘The artificial purification of all milieus, atmospheres, and environments will supplant the failing internal immune systems. If these systems are breaking down it is because an irreversible tendency called progress pushes the human body and spirit into relinquishing its systems of defense and self-determination, only to replace them with technical artifacts. Divested of his defenses, man becomes eminently vulnerable to science. Divested of his phantasies, he becomes eminently vulnerable to psychology. Freed of his germs, he becomes eminently vulnerable to medicine.It would not be too far-fetched to say that the extermination of mankind begins with the extermination of germs.’ [ Jean Baudrillard ]

‘Artificial Intelligence: the art of making computers that behave like the ones in movies.’ [Bill Bulko]

Working in pairs generate "a living creature in structure, behavior, etc...". The final organism should be a form of interactive media, able to work on any platform from mobile, desktop, internet, ipod etc. The intention is to make the organisms accessible/downloadable on a live web siteThe rational behind this exercise?:

A: to generate a problem which is not technology driven, i.e. the idea drives the project. You should not start working on the computer until the ‘life form’ spec is generated. You will then have to find ways of realising it with appropriate software or platforms.

B: to force you to consider a truly timebased, multidimensional, interactive problem. In principle a life form needs to feed or to be fed, sleep, move, multiply, expel waste etc. It will be sensitive to certain conditions and have a life expectancy. Do not use buttons, instead concentrate on a process of interactions and behaviours. In defining a life form do not fall into the obvious trap of using cartoon characters, question existing models, redefine and innovate! What is digital life? What is OOPs?

The idea

My idea for this project is to create a creature that could:

• Feed and expel waste
• Move around to screen
• Multiply or expand in some way
• Sleep or rest

So Lisa (my partner) and I decided to discuss an object to use, then we looked outside and saw a rainbow. So we began to discuss how we could make a rainbow alive. So we decided to look into how other people created rainbow games and computer style. Below is a link to a rainbow, which inspire us to create a rainbow as an organism, along with some images that we have found as a visual aid:

http://www.2flashgames.com/fullscreen.php?id=349

Here also are some quotes to some up the organism we are trying to create:

“Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true”
Lyman Frank Baum

“The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you do the work.”
Walt Streightiff

Once we did some visual research as sat down and tried to lay down the life cycle of the organism. We decided that the way to interact with the rainbow is to feed it colour into its system ie.
RED= Angry
YELLOW=Happy
GREEN=Active
BLUE=Sleepy

Then the reactions would be:
RED=More Violent
YELLOW=Sparkles
GREEN=Follows the cursor round
BLUE=Sends the rainbow to sleep

To make it technically alive, it will have a time scale build in, so if it hasn’t been interactive with within 5 minutes, it beings to die.

So we discussed the idea with Dan and decided to make this piece an abstract piece, so that the user don’t know what will happen until they start experimenting and playing with it in order to learn the rules and life cycle. So next was to plan out the life cycle, which can be seen below:

• The rainbow is born when the application is launched
• The rainbow needs a balance of red, yellow, green and blue
• If the user hasn’t interact with the rainbow within 5 minutes the colours begin to fade to grey then black and thus has died.
• If Red is added:
  The rainbow waves’ increases
  Too much and the rainbow becomes too violent
  And dies
• If Blue is added:
  The rainbow waves’ decreases
  Too much and the rainbow becomes too sleepy
  And dies
• If Yellow is added
  The rainbow length’ increases
  Too much and the rainbow becomes too long
  And dies
• If Green is added
  The rainbow length’ decreases as it flows around the screen
  Too much and the rainbow becomes too short
  And dies

In order to correct these imbalances before the rainbow dies, the way is to pour in different colours:
RED->BLUE
BLUE->RED
YELLOW->GREEN
GREEN->YELLOW

Next we had to decide on what software to use and it was a tie between Java and Flash. Due to the fact we didn’t have enough Java training, we have decided to choose Flash. But with flash you need to progress one thing at a time. So next we set out target to reach each time we worked on it, which can be seen below

• Get an object to change colour when another one goes over it
• 4 objects change the colour they have on the main object
• Change the colour slowly each time it touches
• Get the object to move independently
• Get the object to increase and decrease in length
• Get the object to ripple faster and slower
• Add time related dimension to the data

We are starting work on these targets now.