Semester B: Week 25
Student: Tai Ser Yeet (22064351)
Programme: BA (Hons)(SW) Digital Media Design
WEEK 25
Change in OrientationInitially, my installation setup was going to be done parallel to the door, but after Monday's class, Steve thought it would be better to have it perpendicular instead so that the space could be maximised. I also had to bear in mind that another one of my classmates was also sharing this room with me. This meant that I had to change my layout once again and rearrange things. I wasn't pleased with the change, but after giving it a deeper thought, I realised that this adjustment was better because it gave me more distance and space to work with. For context, the projector can now sit further away from the screen (net curtain), solving the problem of getting the image to reach from floor to ceiling.
The next day, I met up with Phil to discuss how to set up the installation with the equipment we had on hand. He helped me hang the two large projection screens from the ceiling rail using G-clamps. Since the screens were separate pieces, the main challenge was joining them to create one cohesive surface.
We also discussed ideas such as illuminating me from the back so the audience can see me dancing from the front. Overall, this was good progress, and I was very pleased to have this sorted before Easter Break.
26/3/26I continued creating the visuals for the one where the audience would interact. However, the particles were scattered, and they did not take the shape of my silhouette from the input video. I then turned to Google Gemini and expressed my issue, hoping for a detailed explanation of a solution (refer to image below). 
Solution By Google Gemini
Following AI's suggestions, I tweaked the life range parameters on the ParticlesGPU operator, and it worked! I could see my silhouette more clearly. It made me wonder if I could choreograph a piece that moves in harmony with my live performance and what it would look like if I wore a different outfit with a different colour palette. 
Adjustments on ParticlesGPU Parameters
I could also adjust the height of the visual by playing around with the High B parameter within the Level TOP operator. The lower the value, the more compressed the height of the visual.
Take note that AI was only used to provide suggestions and is NOT used in the final work.
Adjustments on Level TOP Parameters
I didn't understand the changes made to the reorder TOP and the level TOP, so I scheduled a tutorial with Mafalda the next day. She explained it to me and also provided a few other helpful pointers.- The reorder TOP controls the size of the visuals using colours as 3D coordinates (x,y,z) (refer below for detailed explanation)
- Reference every node to a constant CHOP so that it is all consistent in size, or else it will affect the final outcome
- 2 Constant CHOPS and rename each one to height res and width res. Click the active viewer, then drag each one to its corresponding input field and paste the CHOP reference
- Find other tutorials on how to make particles stick to the silhouette more, giving it more definition
- Insert Optical flow COMP with Kinect and play around with the magnitude from ParticlesGPU
- Remember that the free version of Touch Designer limits the number of particles spawned into the environment
- Null will never allow you to change the size of the operator because it will just reference the input data
- Have one separate file that you can mess around with
- Give fluid simulation a go because it can really
- The hard part is not creating the visuals, but getting Kinect and TD to track your body movement
- Look for tutorials in chunks because sometimes they are titled in different keywords, and some of them may only cover a certain area
- For tutorials that require code, you can consult any of your computer science friends, but you need to give them specific instructions and show them the file, because they might need to reference some things
- Reach out to Bailey for help, as she has done TD work in China before
- Better to work in 1280 x 800 than 1920 x 1200 because you are using the free version
Following Mafalda's advice, I have referenced the resolution of every operator in my network to a Master Operator (a Constant CHOP). This ensures that if I need to adjust my global settings, specifically when scaling up to the 1920 x 1200 resolution of the university's NEC projector, I only have to update the parameters in one location. This centralised workflow allows my entire operator chain to adapt instantly, maintaining visual consistency across different hardware setups.
Referencing Size Solution By Google Gemini
Referencing Parent Resolution
Reorder TOP
Through a separate tutorial, I understood the purpose of the reorder TOP better and the operators that co-exist with it. Below is a summarised explanation:- Ramp TOP - controls data horizontally (X- axis)
- Flip TOP- controls data vertically (Y-axis)
- Pre-Recorded Dance Video - controls depth (Z-axis)
A few hours later, I got called into A234 by Mafalda to give the Level 4 Digital Arts students a glimpse of my work in Touch Designer with the Kinect. The main purpose was to get them excited about the type of work they can do for their future projects. I gave them a brief overview of the concept of my dance installation, and I hope that they felt inspired after that.
27/3/26
Online Tutorial With Steve- Find a back projection screen (ideally, 12ft high by 20ft long, or 16ft by 25ft long), second-hand
- Email Steve about the time, day, and date when I want to use the studio, but you have to make certain that you are there; otherwise, they won't be there the next day
- Easter break ends on the 12th April
- Think about whether you want to do back or front projection
- Back projection is when the projector is behind the screen, so on the side where you will be dancing
- If I were to do back projection, I would need to move the screen forward to create the ideal size of the projected image
- Front projection could work without the shadows formed if it were mounted high up on the ceiling
The next day, I met up with Phil to discuss how to set up the installation with the equipment we had on hand. He helped me hang the two large projection screens from the ceiling rail using G-clamps. Since the screens were separate pieces, the main challenge was joining them to create one cohesive surface.
We also discussed ideas such as illuminating me from the back so the audience can see me dancing from the front. Overall, this was good progress, and I was very pleased to have this sorted before Easter Break.
|
| Solution By Google Gemini |
|
| Adjustments on ParticlesGPU Parameters |
I could also adjust the height of the visual by playing around with the High B parameter within the Level TOP operator. The lower the value, the more compressed the height of the visual.
|
| Adjustments on Level TOP Parameters |
- The reorder TOP controls the size of the visuals using colours as 3D coordinates (x,y,z) (refer below for detailed explanation)
- Reference every node to a constant CHOP so that it is all consistent in size, or else it will affect the final outcome
- 2 Constant CHOPS and rename each one to height res and width res. Click the active viewer, then drag each one to its corresponding input field and paste the CHOP reference
- Find other tutorials on how to make particles stick to the silhouette more, giving it more definition
- Insert Optical flow COMP with Kinect and play around with the magnitude from ParticlesGPU
- Remember that the free version of Touch Designer limits the number of particles spawned into the environment
- Null will never allow you to change the size of the operator because it will just reference the input data
- Have one separate file that you can mess around with
- Give fluid simulation a go because it can really
- The hard part is not creating the visuals, but getting Kinect and TD to track your body movement
- Look for tutorials in chunks because sometimes they are titled in different keywords, and some of them may only cover a certain area
- For tutorials that require code, you can consult any of your computer science friends, but you need to give them specific instructions and show them the file, because they might need to reference some things
- Reach out to Bailey for help, as she has done TD work in China before
- Better to work in 1280 x 800 than 1920 x 1200 because you are using the free version
Following Mafalda's advice, I have referenced the resolution of every operator in my network to a Master Operator (a Constant CHOP). This ensures that if I need to adjust my global settings, specifically when scaling up to the 1920 x 1200 resolution of the university's NEC projector, I only have to update the parameters in one location. This centralised workflow allows my entire operator chain to adapt instantly, maintaining visual consistency across different hardware setups.
|
| Referencing Size Solution By Google Gemini |
|
| Referencing Parent Resolution |
Reorder TOP
Through a separate tutorial, I understood the purpose of the reorder TOP better and the operators that co-exist with it. Below is a summarised explanation:
- Ramp TOP - controls data horizontally (X- axis)
- Flip TOP- controls data vertically (Y-axis)
- Pre-Recorded Dance Video - controls depth (Z-axis)
A few hours later, I got called into A234 by Mafalda to give the Level 4 Digital Arts students a glimpse of my work in Touch Designer with the Kinect. The main purpose was to get them excited about the type of work they can do for their future projects. I gave them a brief overview of the concept of my dance installation, and I hope that they felt inspired after that.
- Find a back projection screen (ideally, 12ft high by 20ft long, or 16ft by 25ft long), second-hand
- Email Steve about the time, day, and date when I want to use the studio, but you have to make certain that you are there; otherwise, they won't be there the next day
- Easter break ends on the 12th April
- Think about whether you want to do back or front projection
- Back projection is when the projector is behind the screen, so on the side where you will be dancing
- If I were to do back projection, I would need to move the screen forward to create the ideal size of the projected image
- Front projection could work without the shadows formed if it were mounted high up on the ceiling