ENVISION : Step into the sensory box from SUPERBIEN on Vimeo.
How to: http://vimeo.com/2076022
Tools: http://hcgilje.wordpress.com/resources/video-projection-tools/
Gabriel Mott Colors has been traveling the world showing his artwork and giving lectures and workshops on color relationships. In this short movie to be released April 20, 2010, he shares the excitement of discovery that led him to creating A Color Box, a 800 cubic foot interactive color room.
Color Box at SOURCE Maui 2010
Thanks Martin for putting this video together… short video of a Color Box in the beginning…
I need help from a coder- or someone really clever who understands technology. I have some sample content up for a color box:
To go the next screen, the user mouses over the image in the upper left. It would be much coolier if there was a big red button in the corner of the box that someone could depress with their hand that would move us to the next screen.
Possibilities:
- put wireless keyboard out–(issue) this diminishes from the clean and tight user expereince and risks someone messing up the whole thing
- attach wireless mouse and code so that mouse click always goes to next screen- (issue) how to do this and does the wireless mouse work that far away (30′) from computer
- use the wireless Wii remote- (issue) is there a way to code this and what button would it be?
- any other ideas?
Gina Bracco and Dana Wettlaufer- thank you for the huge help in sewing 54 yard of velcro to the 40 foot screen.
Thank you for new contributions.
I’ve been meaning to post this video in which the geek team declared four projections a must, made the controls move around in 3d space, and figured out the best way to secure the screen onto the box.
Two weeks ago I put up last year’s color box at reSOURCE– and within a day, the wind had torn it down. Thank God. Because that’s what it took for me to take the advice that Ben and Marvyn apparently gave me last year. Make the box out of metal piping– EMT to be exact.
With the contributions you all sent in, I was able to go to the fabric store and buy 31 feet of muslin. 31 feet by 108 inches.
Next– the hardware store– the EMT poles come in ten feet length– I asked them about cutting down the poles and then it occurred to me that the box just grew. Instead of 8′ x 8′ x 8′, it’s now going to be 10′ x 10′ x 8′. That took some deliberation, but tonight, we set up the box and the payoff is huge. The dimensions fit the projector better and the increased volume is less cramped.
First I must tell you, the 12 metal poles that make up the frame of the box fit in my car. They fit in my little Honda. Steps up from last year? Huge. Last year the wood poles that made the box barely fit in my truck.
Last year: 512 cubic feet
This year: 800 cubic feet
Last year time to construct: 6 hours.
This year: don’t know yet, but could be 2 hours.
Last year: huge black plastic drape down to the SINGLE projector
This year: nothing between projectors and box– and yes, projectorS. We are going for FOUR projectors. The effect with TWO projectors tonight was tremendous.
Last year: three pages of content
This year: Already up to 6
Last year’s controller: a bamboo stick with infra-red LEDs
This years: 4 little stuffed animals for use by four people at a time with infrared LEDs in their third eye (not the people’s, you get it).
Last year’s Wii infrared camera: took ten minutes to calibrate and someone touching the camera meant it had to be recalibrated.
This year: controlled from the middle of the room- you just have to see how much better this is.
Many of these steps were discovered today. Big day today. And you fueled it.
So anyway, the muslin screen needs to be attached really well to the box and I’m getting lots of ideas of how to do it (gromits and laces or velcro … or seams). And honestly it’s the one part of the production that has had me a little flustered.
Tremendous day. Big steps forward and truly– couldn’t have done it without you.
This post will address both the controllers and one of the new content pieces.
Right now, as posted before, the controller is a stuffed Lion. Little guy- whose third eye is an LED infrared light. He is always on. For the box, I’d like to have 6 controllers– 6 little stuffed animals– that only are on when they are squeezed. So, a person squeezes the toy and the action on the screen is activated. Essentially, the stuffed lion is the mouse used by a person to control the screen– just like you do on a computer (except no click).
One of the content pieces that will shine on all walls is a set of Complementary Colors. The background will be one color and the rectangle in the middle will be its complementary color. When the mouse moves, the colors will change but the rectangle will always be the complement of the background.
The rendition above animates through the color spectrum. It is not mouse sensitive. Mouse inputs get really interesting.
Essentially we have two axis (X and Y) for the input– and we have 3 color axis RGB, CMY or HSB. Anyway, this stuff gets complicated for the newbie– hence, immersive box where these things become more obvious as you get to play with them and move you body.
One more point on the animation above: when I showed this to Dick Nelson, it originally was full chroma. He suggested using invisible boundaries– essentially making the inner color the same value as the outer color. Easier said than done, but the impact, when done correctly is effective.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4uXIbSfrXI]
Once again, I’d like to express my deep gratitude for helping make a color box happen last year. It could not have happened without your financial contributions and support. I promised a raffle and am now making good on that promise.
You will be receiving your raffle numbers by email shortly. For every $10 you contributed, you’ll receive one raffle number.
The winner will be selected February 3, 2010 and will have the choice of one of the following paintings.
"Culmination" 18"x24" January 2010 (click image for higher rez)
"Reaching" 24"x12"x3"
“Culmination” marks the first time I have actually painted on the halation squares. It’s an idea I have had for a long time– to apply my freeform shapes to the controlled matrix of color combinations.
The second piece, “Reaching”, I did a few years ago and can be seen in more dimensions here.
