RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT: The Tutorial

Intermediate users of the sandbox 2 editor will make great sense of my tutorial. Beginners may encounter some problems such as how to import a sketch up model or how to create their own custom environments. This is why links have been left in the description encase a level of knowledge above that of a typical user is needed. 

  

Velocity & Movement

By analysing the velocity of a vehicle (data collection) it can also have an impact on a moving entity. My tutorial subject establishes a simple yet effective way of measuring velocity of a vehicle and displaying this information on screen. Once this information is understood, you can then use this data to affect entities in the same environment.   

In the tutorial my custom Flowgraph analyses a moving vehicle. This is done by recording the velocity of the vehicle in m/sec through a flowgraph. This information is then displayed as a HUD message on screen and can be used to determine various other aspects of the moving vehicle such as average top speed over a specific distance. The information is then passed on to make an entity move. The ramp entity in this case rises to a specific height when the vehicle reaches a speed over 10 m/sec and descends once the vehicle is below this velocity as it is only safe to hit the ramp at this speed in order to clear the concrete barrier behind it. Therefore if the vehicle does not reach a minimum speed of 10m/sec it will crash into the concrete barrier behind.

Before this tutorial, I had very little knowledge on how the flowgraph plugin system worked. I always knew how to do simple graphs like making entities move at the press of a key, or switching lights on and off with proximity triggers . I knew there was a gap of knowledge missing until I started to watch and try other tutorials such as Vinh Nguyen’s average velocity of the local player tutorial. I then began to experiment more with flow graph nodes establishing a strong basis on what each does. The math less node was one that I was particularly interested in as I could say if data was above the threshold, move to this position, however if it’s below do not. Also vec3 nodes as they concerted data into a length vector. They simplify data in order for other nodes to read.  Many things can relate to this concept of velocity and movement, in particular I was thinking of way architectural thinking could apply to this concept. For instance solar panels that follow the intensity of the sun or once a vehicle reaches sufficient speed building appear would never be seen when the vehicle was stopped. Perhaps a growing city even, that’s dependent data being constantly updated to see if its area and density increases.  

EXPERIMENT 2: The Analytics Engine 

Final Documentary 

THE LIFE RAFT 

Like a floating cosmos in the ocean Life Rafts could be situated anywhere in the worlds vast open waters. Imagine an oversized structure where boats and their stranded passengers can rest, recover, seek safety and shelter. They can simply park their boats, get out and can walk around. A helicopter landing pad is located on its roof as well as 30 rotating shutters which relate to light intensity data. Its slightly see-through multi-coloured façade also lights up in relation to this data like a diamond in the ocean attracting travellers like a lighthouse, only difference is when theres no land in sight for miles.

Light Intensity taken from a pachube feed is translated and analysed through this custom instillation. The data  allows a viewer to draw conclusions that would be difficult (or impossible) to reach by interrogating the data in its raw form. Dependant on light intensity data my instillation known as the 'Life Raft'  responds in two ways:

1. Shutter Rotation 
2. Façade Glow 

The instillation depicted, responds to light intensity data ranging from 0-1023. A high value currently represents low light intensity, and a low value represents high intensity. This data is then translated into a rotation angle of the roof shutters. For example when there is high light intensity (A low number) shutters remain closed or on a slightly angular rotation. This keeps the life raft shaded, on the other hand low light intensity, see the shutters open to allow maximum light dispersion. 

Data is also linked to the façade glow as the life raft heavily relies on its visibility to attract surrounding boats in the midst of darkness. Low light intensity triggers the façade to glow as this most likely occurs at night. Just like a lighthouse the life raft however is a safe house in the centre of vast open seas for safety and emergency purposes. Powered by solar, stranded passengers can call for help or arrange a helicopter pick-up.  

Crysis Wars Mod Folder
(All Files to 'Play" test my Crysis Wars Environment)

  http://www.gamefront.com/files/20979256/z3376524_Exp2.zip


Instructions

Np_8 – activates the final xml flow graph when pressed. Once in game the player can walk around receive multiple data sets every time the key is pressed consecutively. 

Np_7 – activates the draft flow graph testing shutter rotation. 

Boats and the helicopter are interactive and allow the player to gain a wider knowledge from the concept, idea and data. Feel free to drive around and experience the Life raft as it should be. It is also best to view the instillation at night to see the full effect of the façade glow.

Final Sketchup Model with all Components

EXPERIMENT 2: The Analytics Engine 

Week 06- Second Draft of Analytics Engine & Review 

 Building the bridge between architecture and Urban Design is the ability to evaluate environmental data in addition to representing it. This is done through the crisis wars environment I have designed and created. 

A distinctive and significant way of analysing data in Sandbox 2 is through xml files. As xml files hold data and values that can be represented on screen , I have found that they can also very easily be linked to movements such as velocity, rotation, scale, glow and particles effects in game. The flowgaph shows my first attempt at reading an xml file and displaying its single piece of data on screen. This was later developed after looking at Vinh Nguyen's post on how to reed multiple xml files rather than just one.  

Data from a Pachube light sensor feed is transferred into the real-time engine allowing the player to engage with the instillation. The data is represented through 31 to be precise, rotating shutters on the roof of the life raft. From the Pachube feed an xml in my mods folder has multiple data sets. Data ranging from 0-1023 is then translated using flowgraph nodes and assigned entities to change to an angle between 0 and 90 degrees. The low the data the higher the light intensity is. This is why the shutters remain closed blocking out as much light as they can. A high number correlated to low light intensity which see the shutter angle open up and more light dispersion through the structure. 

For example data ranging from:

0 -255.75 correlates to the shutters staying closed   

255.5 – 511.5 correlates to the shutters opening on a 35 degree angle

511.5- 767.25 correlates to the shutters opening up to a 45 degree angle  

767.25- 1023 corrleated to the shutters opening to a 90 degree angle 

As a person engages with the instillation and environment they can see data being translated in real time to the rotation of these shutters. The façade glow is also linked as you can see in the flowgraph to when there is low light intensity from the data ranging from 0 – 255.75 allowing the instillation to become heavily illuminated.HUD messages have also been linked so that all changing data can be represented in relation to the changing angle. 

This is detailed in the following screen captures of my custom flow graph.