Before final presentation

This is my CD cover. Name had been blocked due to privacy =D


In case anyone is using the Touch Lib software , this is the installation manual :-


1. Plug in the web cam.
2. Open the installer file and select 'configuration'. Windows will pop up.
3. Adjust the settings of the windows (experiment and adjust different settings based on lighting of the room).
4. Once the adjustments are done, press 'esc' to close all the windows.
5. Select the 'demos' folder, then subfolder 'c++ demos'. Click on ' windows mousedriver' and your touch pad is ready to use.

Check list v.3

Update from check list v.2 last week ..

1. Get the programming right for duplication.
* head duplication DONE
* single voice for each head duplication DONE
* random voices for each head duplication DONE
* putting head back into original position -- discard --

2. Model a 3D head.
* my head at the moment look more monkey than human like DONE
* need to refine and humanize it DONE
* animate / create expressions for the head DONE

3. Voice recording and editing.
* random sayings of voice in different tone DONE
* re recording male voice to suit head DONE
* convert files to flash friendly DONE
* insert sound clips into flash DONE


4. Design a look and feel (if there is time). Leaving background white
* simple light background DONE

5. Handle technical side - touch pad technology.
* getting equipments DONE
* testing it out DONE
* getting it to work properly PROBLEM!!

6. Finish up submission stuff.
* project poster DONE
* installation manual -- not sure if touchpad will work in the end --

7. Build environment.
* decorate my kiosk into gloomy feel DONE

Final stuff

My final poster .. just waiting to be printed..


An info board describing a little bit of the illness and explanation on the concept


Unsure whether necessary or not to print

Project statement

Statement

'Who am I today?' is an installation based on the concept of confusion from the mental disorder called Dissociative Identity Disorder which was previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder.

The main reason for this project is to let the user to have a rough abstract idea on what the illness is about, one body but different personalities reigning control at different times for an unpredictable amount of time.

Different color head duplication

Different color heads to represent different personalities.

End result :-


I'm not changing the head anymore! I think it looked way better than before (monkey like).

All I'm going to do from now on (after 3rd crit) is to "animate" the eyes to make it creepier and to add voices to heads so you can hear them speak!

Even though by random, red always seems to be taking the lead by producing more heads than blue or green.

Naked eyes

I decided to create a simple background for the application.



This is my equipment list so far :-


Update on the touch pad testing :-

This is so frustrating, I just tried the mouse driver touch pad software again and before any shadow could be detected, it went crazy, spun around and made everything on my desktop disappear!



I can't find any of my files or folders on my desktop. I tried saving some random items on the desktop but it's not appearing!

Although I'm grateful that everything is in my desktop folder but everything seems to be 'invisible' on my actual desktop.

I'm backing up my maya and flash file now, just in case.

Testing touch pad

Today I tried the touch pad technology from the youtube video post. Everything was going well, until testing time.


Testing, the camera detects my hand movement.

Next was the smoke demo test where colorful smokes will appear whenever they detect the shadow movement from the hand.


Pass. Smokes appears.

When it comes to the point where the hand is suppose to take over the mouse, the self made touch pad was too sensitive. Even a slight movement made the whole interface haywire.

After a while, the mouse can't even function.

Hmm.

Check list v.2

A few weeks ago, I set up a list of tasks that I need to complete. It's time to review them.

1. Get the programming right for duplication.
* head duplication DONE
* single voice for each head duplication DONE
* random voices for each head duplication -- In progress --
* putting head back into original position -- In progress -- might discard --

2. Model a 3D head.
* my head at the moment look more monkey than human like
* need to refine and humanize it -- In progress --

3. Voice recording and editing.
* random sayings of voice in different tone DONE
* convert files to flash friendly

4. Design a look and feel (if there is time). Leaving background white

5. Handle technical side - touch screen technology.
* getting equipments DONE
* testing it out -- Proceed with total caution --

6. Finish up submission stuff.
* review again later

7. Build environment.
* decorate my kiosk into gloomy feel -- Tomorrow --

Artist impression of the project

My simple artist impression for my head duplication project.



As the video is short, I decided to upload it to blogger instead of youtube

Changing kiosk machine

I spotted another built up kiosk I can use so I decided to change from the previous one (with the long neck) to this one!


I did not see any reservation sign anywhere, yes I checked before reserving it.

The set up is still similar and the same as the one before but this time, instead of speaker, I'm using headphone for a single user experience.

The main reason I am changing to headphone is because my application will be drowned out by other applications therefore it is better to isolate the audio into a pair of headphone.

Dummy head modelling 2

Sorry for the lack of delay but had been working on the 3d head. I have been getting tutorials from friends and some hands on but working on maya required some time to learn.




This is not the right way to make the eyes and the eyebrow however. I'm almost done with my head now but still need some smoothing before the real final head.

Poster ideation 2

This is my second poster ideation as I tried to make it "messier" and cluttered rather than clean and open space.


This poster has some debris in the background, destroying the clean look of the poster.

This poster has the debris all over including the figures in front.

This poster has no dim black and white background. Just plain black.

This poster is all clean with no debris.

Which is better? Any suggestion / comment to add to the poster?

Poster ideation 1

Since I am struggling with my actionscript and head modeling, I'm taking a short time out and throw out this idea that had been bugging me for the past two days. I think it's meant to be the poster but this is just a first 'draft', ideation.


Comments plz.

Recycling the kiosk machine?

I'm wondering on how to execute my look and feel of installation. Before this, I thought of using the already made kiosk like thing that one of the seniors left behind.


This is how it looks like. The square part inside is hollow.

This is how I planned to arrange equipments to my needs but that's my opinion. What you guys think?

Should I find other alternatives?

Dummy head modelling 1

My dummy head so far is really rough ..



Argh. I need to get tutorial help from my friend later on. Probably redoing my head.

Actionscript test 1

Thanks to my friend Kayvern who helped me fix and adjust the actionscript, I finally managed to get half of what I want. Testing actionscript!

One face in the middle

When you click, another head appear and the new head can be dragged out to be put aside


The heads can overlap among themselves.

Soon, the whole area will be covered with lots of heads!


Now, I need to include audio for each head and also script out how to replace heads back into the original one in the middle.

Will post more screen shots once I try with a more serious subject matter. For now, it's smileys!

Update : This is the swf version. Try it yourself!

User behavior of DID

This is a little overdue but here goes :-

What is the users current behaviors:-

* Mental illness is not as important as other diseases (diabetes, heart attack, obesity)
* Known about the illness by name only
* Dissociative identity disorder is not as known as other mental illness (stress, depression)

How the message gets to the user?

* The head represents a person and when user pulled out more heads, it signifies different personalities within a person

Trial and error

I decided since I can't upload swf on my blog, the other method I can use are screen shots. This was the first try I experiment with a duplication actionscript.


See, that's my name with a pink button beneath it.

When I click on the pink button, my name randomly duplicate itself somewhere in the screen.

Not exactly what I'm looking for but I'll keep searching and asking around for the proper code.

Sorry for the delayed post, been keeping it in my draft while looking for alternative ways to post it up.

What about a touch pad?

Farah sent me a video link this morning and I'm seriously considering to use this method for my head duplication project. It sounds simple enough to be done.



I know, it's not exactly touch screen but as far as I see it, it works.

What do you guys think? Go go or no go? Alternatives?

Audio sayings

For part of the project, I need to do some audio recording and these are some of the expressions that I want to portray in the application.

For each head that is duplicate, there is a random saying to accompany it.

These are the expressions and sayings that the heads will say, for now just imagine the tones :-

* happy
- Yey! I just got promoted to senior vice president!

* sad
- My little brown dog got ran down by a car yesterday

* scared
- Why is my head hurting so bad?

* stressed
- There is too much stuff to do before the wedding.

* shy
- Can I have your email address?

* shocked
- I cannot believe I was fired from that office!

* in love
- He has the cutest smile with the most gorgeous dimple!

* threatening
- You expose our affair, I'm going to the cops

* annoyed
- Whatever, it's not like you're that great either

* insulted
- Excuse me? I am stronger than him!

* pissed off
- Stop stealing my cookies!

* tired
- I cannot hide this anymore

* checking someone out
- Oh, hot girl in purple dress

* bored
- There is nothing to do but stare at the wall

* jealous
- Gah! His wife is a better cook than mine

* ashamed
- I cannot believed I did this. I cannot!

* disgusted
- Eww. Why is there rat's tail in my soup!!!

* guilty
- I did it because I was really angry

* creepy
- Then I shall separate the nose from the face


Will update soon with my programming and interface stats.

New concept video - head duplication

This is the new concept video about the head duplication idea, just to show how the idea look like.

My dummy

Since I'm doing a new idea (head duplication), I am looking forward to model my own 3D head sometime this week. At the same time, I need to get on with my programming, which I'm currently struggling with to find the exact code that I need.

So I did a research today on what kind of face I probably want to use. I already decided to use a total 3D, non gender plain face but I'm not sure should I make it colored or just leave it black.

I'm not sure also if I want to use front or side view for the head. These are two different examples that I found online.

Side view of the head would probably look not personal as you don't look into the model's eyes.

Front view seems more personal, as if the dummy head is looking right on the user themselves.

On the other hand, side view looks cleaner (in my opinion) but I like the front view too.

What do you think?

Gah!

I can't seem to find a way to upload swf file to blogger!

Solutions that I googled up are either upload to Google Pages (which is no longer there) or a site that basically does not work.

The following 5 weeks

I am going to proceed with my second idea, the idea which I am calling 'head duplication' project.

For the next 5 weeks, these are the tasks :-

1. Get the programming right for duplication.
2. Model a 3D head.
3. Voice recording and editing.
4. Design a look and feel (if there is time).
5. Handle technical side - touch screen technology.
6. Finish up submission stuff.
7. Build environment.

No pressure, right?

Doodling ideas

If I'm doing experimental installation, then I have to reconsider the position of my equipments.

These are some of the ideas me and my friend, Kayvern were brainstorming and throwing around on msn about the new placement of the camera as the interaction will be on screen now rather than trigger points on the floor.


This was drawn with the assumption that the mirror was still in use, where the camera is located directly on top of the user.



Thoughts of building a 'roof' to set the camera on top


Or hanging it like an extended arm from the top of the screen.


Silly but necessary to throw out some ideas.

After some consideration, I might change my screen to a touch screen. It will less time consuming and still effectively carry the message.

Interface design ideas

I have decided to switch from information based application to something experimental where the users themselves can participate and interact. In the end, it's up to their own interpretation to conclude the application.

Visual :- the screen shows images of a female, dressed in different clothes with different expression and different look.

Audio :- instrumental music in the background.

Interaction :- user point at the different photo of the figure then they will be able to hear random sayings in the same voice, in different tone.

Visual :- the screen shows a head in the middle.

Audio :- instrumental music in the background, a voice with random sayings.

Interaction :- user duplicates the head by pulling out from the original head. the more heads appear, the more voices are added.

Concept video

This is a simple concept video for the application :-

Dissociative Identity Disorder - Take a moment to be in their shoe

8 weeks plan

Since there are only 8 weeks to execute the final year project, this is the rough weekly planning for the project.



Hopefully everything will go according to plan

Prototype FYP 1

This was the submitted prototype before I set the limitation and changed the application setting.

The projector is set to project upon the mirror so that it will be able to reflect to the back of the screen.

Limitation

After some consideration since last Monday, I decided to set a limitation on my application.

1. Instead of using a mirror to help me reflect my projection to the screen, I will reduce the size of the projection / screen so that the projector can project directly to the back of the screen. No mirrors involved.

2. Instead of having 6 trigger zones / buttons, I thought of reducing it to 4 as time is constraint. Each button of information had to be created with some amount of time as there are audios, images, animations and possibly videos involved. Some information from the other 2 buttons might be incorporated into the other 4 buttons or some information might be revised again, depending on how informative and important those information are.

3. Instead of just using black and white monochrome colors, I have decided to use full colors for the application in order to make the projection on the screen to look better and more impact.

Idea evolution

This was the first idea that was suggested, a life size screen based on the idea of Cubism.

The bigger screen on the left shows a cut of six different sections where figures are speaking to themselves, talking in the same voice but different tones. Once the user steps in front of the left screen and use their hand to navigate to choose one of the six sections, then the right screen will light up with the image of the figure holding the title and the information scroll behind it, information about the different aspect of the illness.

The idea was later changed to another as the first idea was hanging with loose ends.

The second idea was sort of an art gallery type. There are seven different screens with the main leading screen in the front being the attraction, the intriguing piece where the users will see four figures speaking to each other.

As the user walk down the lane, they will step on different buttons on the floor. Each button will trigger a screen showing different aspect of information on the illness.

The idea was changed because of difficulties to get the equipments.

After evolving through some different idea, the most effective way to deliver this information is through closure, that's why the information will be display half life size-ish but not totally huge like the first idea.

The application will be projected on a screen with trigger zones in front of them. As the user step on each trigger button, it will display different aspect and information about dissociative identity disorder exp :- the causes, the treatment etc etc.

Each button will trigger information in the form of image and text accompanied by audio effect.

This is the information flow chart. The main screen will show a screen of four figures speaking at the same time, to each other and to themselves.

As soon as the user steps on the trigger zone, the screen will flicker to show the information. If the information are left idle for 30 seconds, then the screen will reset back to the first screen of the four figures speaking.

This is the final layout of the application.

Top view

Side view

The projector will reflect it's projection on to the mirror which in turn will reflect to the back of the screen.

Front view

There are six different trigger zone as each trigger represent different aspect and information about DID.