Virtual Environments, Module 1 Journal

Virtual Environments Darcy Zelenko Module 1 - Ideation

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Belousov-Zhabotinisky reaction A Belousov-Zhabotinisky (BZ) reaction can be described as the self organisation of spirals on a two-dimensional plane1 caused by a temporally oscillating chemical reaction.

What drew my interest to the BZ reaction was that unlike other patterns evident in nature, the extrapolations* of the BZ reaction can be actively observed over a reasonably small period of time compared with that of rock formations or the creation of a tree.

Over the summer I had began to start experimenting with the programming language Processing and in my research in to the BZ reaction I found that there had been work done into developing an algorithm in Procesing that deals with the temporal nature of the BZ reation.

A Simple Model of the BelousovZhabotinsky Reaction From First Principles by Alasdair Turner, http://www.aac.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/ processing/samples/bzr.pdf

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Trying to wrap my head around this complex reaction it was necessary to use some of the skills employed by kadinsky’s students in their analytic drawing. The above images illustrate the simplification of the image from page 2 followed by my process of re-building the reaction at different times back to it’s original form.

It is important to note that this image was taken from a model created in Processing and not of the actual reaction taking place. The reasoning behind this was that I wanted to develop my understanding of the BZ reaction as it was a lot to wrap ones head around.

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This is an image of the BZ-reaction taking place inside a petri dish (hence the circular shape). This image is a much simplified example of the reaction and the behavior of the emerging spirals amongst one another can be observed easier.

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The simplication of the spirals is evident in the first image followed by a vectorisation of the spiral expansion in the direction of the points/areas of interference that can be observed in the third analytical drawing.

The final image is an abstraction of the third analytical drawing extrapolating and connecting some of the interferance points/lines to create a series of triangular and quadrilateral forms. The shapes with the most sides are the areas of the drawing that show the most interference taking place

6 float [][][] a; float [][][] b; float [][][] c; int p = 0, q = 1;

This drawing was created by tracing two of the spirals from the original image above one another and drawing vertical lines to illustrate the symmetrical scale and angle that these spirals share

void setup() { size(400,400); colorMode(HSB,1.0); a = new float [width][height][2]; b = new float [width][height][2]; c = new float [width][height][2]; for (int x = 0; x < width; x++) { for (int y = 0; y < height; y++) { a[x][y][p] = random(0.0,1.0); b[x][y][p] = random(0.0,1.0); c[x][y][p] = random(0.0,1.0); set(x,y,color(0.5,0.7,a[x][y][p])); } } } void draw() { for (int x = 0; x < width; x++) { for (int y = 0; y < height; y++) { float c_a = 0.0; float c_b = 0.0; float c_c = 0.0; for (int i = x - 1; i <= x+1; i++) { for (int j = y - 1; j <= y+1; j++) { c_a += a[(i+width)%width][(j+height)%height] [p]; c_b += b[(i+width)%width][(j+height)%height] [p]; c_c += c[(i+width)%width][(j+height)%height] [p]; } } c_a /= 9.0; c_b /= 9.0; c_c /= 9.0; // adjust these values to alter behaviour a[x][y][q] = constrain(c_a + c_a * (c_b - c_c), 0, 1); b[x][y][q] = constrain(c_b + c_b * (c_c - c_a), 0, 1); c[x][y][q] = constrain(c_c + c_c * (c_a - c_b), 0, 1); set(x,y,color(0.5,0.7,a[x][y][q])); } } if (p == 0) { p = 1; q = 0; } else { p = 0; q = 1; } }

Recipe for simulating a Belousov-Zhbotinsky reaction 1. Define origin points 2. Spirals of equal scale emanate from the above points at an equal rate 3. As spirals grow continuously bigger they will start to interfer with each other, like ripples in a pond 4. Constructive/deconstructive interference will lead to the creation of new curves 5.

Go back to 2

As briefly mentioned earlier, an algorithm for the BZ reaction has been created using the Processing programming language (see left). A screengrab of this was used by Paul in the first lecture.

To be able to manipulate this recipe would for me take quite some time, but a basic understanding of it’s working is possible. The main reason I’ve included it is because at it’s core, it is still just a recipe. However the chef in this instance is a computer, not a person. It was designed to play up to the computer’s strengths of being able to the same thing over and over with consistant precision.

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Response to Lecture 1

Apollo Brown Makes a Beat, http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=_6jDgC-wY0A

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Interview: Apollo Brown by Andrew Hickey, http://www.acclaimmag.com/ music/interview-apollo-brown/

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When Paul bought up the example of the home maker making goulash; one way not using technology which was labour intensive and took longer, and another using modern technology which was less labour intensive and was much quicker we were meant to think that the second way was probably better.

I disagree, to some extent at least.

I’ll take the example of my mum and her Thermomix. A Thermomix is an appliance that functions as a regular mixer and food processor but it has the added feature of being able to apply heat at the same time. To a busy person like my mum who prepares many meals during the day while being pressed for time this is a great time saver. She often brags to me about being able to cook singapore noodles in about 15 minutes.

Given a wok and three times as long, I could produce the same thing and in my opinion (sorry mum), my result would be better.

I would argue this because during the longer time it takes to make, I have more time to find and play with the balance of sweet & sour, salty spicey and bitter that are paramount flavors when it comes to asian cooking.

I think that a balance should be found between the two methods of creating a dish. A way that takes advantage of the benefits of both methods.

In this example perhaps a compromise would be still using my trusty wok but using my mum’s blender to help make a curry paste to avoid getting chili all over my hands and save some time cutting onions.

The results would be a tastier dish with less to clean up at the end. Along the way we would have had to worry less about chopping and more about the overall composition while taking less time in the kitchen.

While it seems like I’ve talked about cookery for the past paragraph what I’m trying to illustrate is a compromise between modern technolgy and an ‘acoustic’ approach to design.

Taking advantage of the computer’s speed and revising each iterated created and tweaking it so the final product is much more refined.

Architecturally, this is the basic premise that designers using parametric architecture have been facing in recent years. It has changed the way they design allowing them more time to spend on the logic and thinking behind what their computers can create at a much faster rate to make sure that the synergy created is at it’s full potential and not just an excuse to knock off early and go to the pub.

An un-related real-world example of this process in action is the way some producers are creating music. Apollo Brown is an American ‘beat maker’ who uses often uses samples taken from vinyl and combines them with drum beats in what the industry considers an out-dated program to create his work1. He describes his mish-mash process of beat making as a journey saying “... if you use software or hardware or whatever you use, I don’t care about the path you take, as long as you get to the destination. As long as the destination is a good one.”2

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Response to readings

Poling, Clark (1987): Analytical Drawing In Kandisky’s Teaching at the Bauhaus Rizzoli, New York, pp. 107-122 In my opinion this reading had too many words that really took away from some of the work of Kadinsky’s students that was talked about. I enjoyed viewing each student’s interpretation of Kadinsky’s three stage analytical approach of: Simplify, Analyse, Transform.

In reading about this technique, seeing examples and then attempting my own I was able to appreciate the subjectivity of Analytical Drawing. It also helped me achieve a balace between being critical and appreciative of my own work. It is definitely a skill I will use in future.

Tooling / Aranda, Lasch. New York : Princeton Architectural Press, 2006 This reading helped me analyse my pattern according to the different methods it talks about. In one form or another, I could apply them to the BZ reaction and it helped me identify the symmetry in my pattern I had trouble putting my finger on

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Virtual Environments Darcy Zelenko Module 1 - Ideation, week 2

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Emerging Form Workshop

I tried to extrude from the original image of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction using paper. Under the short time we were given to create the iteration combined with the intricacy of my pattern it was hard to produce.

Detail of iteration produced in class

This second iteration was created taking inspiration from the spiral pattern created by the BZ. To achieve it I rolled-up two pieces of paper at a time before sepatating them and placing one above the other with itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;tailâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; following along that of the bottom one. I repeated this process and placed them back to back to create a mirrored effect.

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Thie third iteration was created using a similar method.

Eight pieces of paper were places together then cut on an angle before being paired-up, placed back to back and joined in the middle

This is the Rhino modelling of the second and third iteration, created by tracing one of my pictures then extruding up. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m still working on creating the angled effect along each of the branches of the third iteration

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After the inspiring workshop I remade my first iteration when time wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t so crucial. The paper kept spiraling out on me so I managed to control it by using a few strips of double sided tape.

I also cut slits in each spiral so they would fit together easier which also aided in keeping the structure together.

I was then able to produce a proper Rhino model of the geometry and extrude it up like the others

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14 While experimenting with the concept of extrusion in regards to my pattern I was bought back to my primary school days when I created a type of Slinky made from paper.

I created four with the intension of fixing one of the end down and then extruding the entire spiral by pulling up on the other end to create a sort of helix.

The layout for this first experiment can be seen in the above image.

I also wanted to see if I could get recreate some of the interferences I observed that occur in the BZ-reaction. To do this I simply moved the paper spirals closer together before repeating the same process

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I managed to produce some half-decent results, but without another pair of hands it was a little tricky to hold the lifting apparatus and take pictures at the same time. More experimentation may be recquired to produce some better results.

I still managed to observe how the different spirals interacted with each other when they were separated and arranged close together

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Using the Copy and Rotate tools in rhino I created a form that looks similar to having mirrored the original form. However I think this way created something more unique.

This is the same extruded linework but it has been copied three times before being rotated 90 degrees after each copy

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I wanted to see if I could use Rhino to model the different groupings of the four spirals.

I started off by tracing the original paper spiral using the Picture Frame tool before trying in Grasshopper to extrude it to create a helix. As it was after midnight when I was trying I think I should have another go at it after class today.

But instead I created a helix shape using Grasshopper. To create a more organic-looking shape I decreased the amount of points that would make up the final curve.

The image to the right is a plan view of three iterations of spiral groups: futhurest apart at the top, starting to touch in the middle and completely overlapping at the bottom.

I was most interested in the bottom one.

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This is a close up view of the bottom set of spirals. Many overlaps and interferences can be seen here. While I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been able to totally simulate the BZ-reaction digitally yet, using the extrude tool and giving my iterations freedom along the z-axis is a step in the right direction

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Response to Reading + Lecture 2 Ball, Philip (2012): Pattern Formation in Nature, AD: Architectural Design, Wiley, 82 (2), March, pp. 22-27 This reading was quite interesting and revevant to the work Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done so far in this subject. This is because Ball discusses the BZ reaction and helped round out my understanding of it.

It helped me understand how the different wave fronts created in the BZ reaction behave when meeting one another. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very similar to the ripples in a pond once a stone has been thrown into it.

Interestingly enough this matched up with my own observations.

I was enformed about the autocatalytic process which dictates how the BZ reaction can continue to occur: relying on itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s products to continue to be able to make more of them.

The article also used another example, The Giants Causeway in Ireland to illustrate another natural patterning process. Paul also used this as an example in the lecture. He compared it to Kowloon City in Hong Kong. If you look at both examples together you can see similarities in their form. However each example arose out of different circumstances: one from a natural process and another through laxed building codes and out of necessity. However both can be seen to behave as megastructures.

Described the formation process behind your found pattern?

Are they specific moment of the transformation from your found pattern that you can emulate or stimulate in your emerging form model?

Please see the beginning my week one journal for an explanation of the process behind my pattern.

After taking some of my models further I believe I would like work on the concepts of spiraling, extrapolation and clustering for the second part of my emerging form using Rhino as my main modelling tool.

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Surface Tessellation 01 by Andrea Bugli This example of generative design using created using Rhinoscript creates a pattern of triangles along a given surface. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a relevant example to this project as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s principles could be applied to my lantern design

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Virtual Environments Darcy Zelenko Module 1 - Ideation, week 3

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From looking at expansion in multiple direction from a series of points, in the workshop I created this fragmented form from modelling clay. As two or more strands of clay intersect along their expansion routes the create shapes which could be turned into panels.

I thought this was interesting because if extrapolated on a large scale all of these could work together to create a large and intricate form.

I further developed this process of creating a series of clay ‘strings’ that would interfere with each other differently. The material limitation of modelling clay made this impossible to model as it doesn’t hold it’s form without some kind of propping.

I then decided to thicken my strings and create loops, this struck a perfect balance between manouverability and workability.

The first iteration was created by laying four strings on a 2d surface which created a panel in the middle. Then strings were then bended upwards to join and create a similar looking panel along the top.

What I found interesting about this model was that despite how fragile it was, when moved it warped to create an entirely new form. This made for some creative photography experiences.

24 Clockwise from top right: Left, Right, Front and Top views

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Perspective View

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I then abstracted the model I created. I think I felt like pretzels because I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what they came out resembling.

The abstractions were based on taking the strings from the last model altering their length and form and re-building them to create something vastly different, but still being able to see panels amongst the chaos.

The other reason why I included both abstractions was that they produced some really interesting shadows. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to always be thinking about the effects that different lighting conditions can bring about

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Abstraction #1 Clockwise from top right: Left, Right, Front and Top views

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Abstraction #2 Clockwise from top right: Left, Right, Front and Top views

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The other model made in class was one based around taking simple geometric forms and arranging them to maximise clustering.

All the spheres in this model are of uniform size and have been knocked around a little bit before being pushed together which warped their size even more slightly. This helped illustrate the clutering effect better.

I recreated this model in a similar way after the workshop.

Spheres of a uniform size have been aranged in a helix formation. This formation was inspired from playing around with a Grasshopper definition that created a helix based around a certain number of points.

As the number of points used decreased so did the quality of the helix created. This first development is meant to represent a helix such as this

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Clockwise from top right: Left, Right, Front and Top views

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I wanted to refine this process in the development of another sketch model. In the back of my head I had the concept of my Grasshopper helix and how it was created. I wanted to illustrate a helix more clearly in my model so I did the logical thing: I created more points ie spheres.

I took the 7 spheres from the first development and cut them in half before rolling them into balls again to give 14 spheres.

After â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;smooshingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; them together along the line of a helix it was slightly more obvious as illustrated in the following images

34 Clockwise from top right: Left, Right, Front and Top views

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Left View

The results from the previous development model were promising, but they lacked the level of detail in spiral pattern I was after.

So I took my previous model and cut itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 14 components in half and rolled them into 28 smaller balls.

This produced a better (but harder to assemble) result. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easier to see elements of the helix within this model.

This development is also substantially higher than the others

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Right & Front Views

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Top View

39 Trying to bring out shadow

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This is a series of sketches illustrating the evolution of my models. The mass of each one would be the same, but after being halved and halved again the volume and height can be seen to drastically change.

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Tweaking the definition I created last week, I managed to create a series of spheres along a helix which can be seen on the following page.

I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been able to create a helix that resembles the one in my clay models yet. I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a matter of chucking in a multiplier in to alter the range, giving me a stretched helix.

Currently, using spheres to illustrate this definition looks slightly cluttered, I tried using circles instead and the results are to the right

42 My attempt in rhino at parametrically modelling one of my development models

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Effects-based Lighting http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=_woNBiIyOKI

Nosaj Thing is an American-based electronic musician. He has made a name for himself in recent years partly because of the various styled effects and lighting he uses in his performances.

His newest release Eclipse/Blue had a video made for it using some of these techniques.

The video is comprised of a pair of dancers representing the sun and moon, intertwining with each other. Combined with their routine is a projector, screen and high speed camera that acively tracks their movements before projecting a video that compliments their choreography.

A number of lighting effects such as brightness/darkness and contrast can be seen in this example. I also picked up on overlap being used in this performance and would like to investigate overlapping patterns further and whether they could be used in my design process.

This precedent also helped me to start thinking outside the box a little more. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to get a projector and start projecting onto some prototype models

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The Miss Maple lamp designed by Elisa Trozyk was created by tesselating triangular pieces of ply adhesed to a fabric to create a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wooden Textileâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. This is then able to be manipulated into a wide variety of froms. What I like about this project is how the designer has used the translucicity of the fabric to allow some light to pass between the gaps of the lantern. It really emphasises the pattern created by the trianglular wooden elements and gives the lamp a certain solidity.

I would like to use some of the aspects of this design in my lantern. I think playing with the translucidity of black and white paper (the allowed materials) combined with the clustering and overlapping areas in my sketch models would really be a solid way to begin starting to design my lantern.

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After thinking about how I can produce some of the patterns and how they could interact with a lantern I design I decided to have a go at draping a pattern over the form I created.

In Rhino I took the series of spheres and draped a surface over them. I then referenced the surface into Grasshopper before connecting it to an image sampler definition I had from last year.

The result was quite unique. The brighness and darkness of the referenced image was represented by a series of circles, all of different sizes.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to explore this more in the design stage