About Alex Samuel

Posts by Alex Samuel:

Week 4 Assignment: Robot De Niro + GitHub

 

This week, I used the TTS library (which reads text) and the ControlP5 library that we installed during class to create a robot that you can have a conversation with. Basically, you enter certain prompts and it says things back. Of course, it’s super limited but it’s a start! Also, when the voice said “Robot” I thought it sounded like “Robert” so I turned the robot into Robert De Niro.

Here’s a link to the repo: CCLab_RobotDeNiro.

And here’s a screencast: Robot DeNiro Screencast

Have a great weekend!

Week 2 Assignment: Spiderweb

When we got an assignment incorporating shapes, time and space, I instantly thought of spiderwebs: not only are they a great way to tie together the rotation, transformation and trigonometry we learned in class, they are a great way to reflect on the passage of time across space. When a spider makes a web, it is created over a period of time. If you watch it, it feels like nothing is happening, but if you return after a few hours, you’ll see a web — which is very similar to the passage of time in general. If you watch the clock, time drags on. If you stay busy, time seem to fly.

Here’s a link to the sketch in Open Processing: Spiderwebs

Next time, I’d like to make the sketch a little more interactive. For example, add a counter that triggers the web to grow as you hold the mouse down.

Week 1: What I Hope To Get Out Of This Class

What I hope to get out of this class…
Before Bootcamp, I didn’t really understand anything about code. Literally nothing. But as I learn, I find I often have to shrink down seemingly simple ideas because I don’t understand the syntax. I have no problem finding and understanding the info, but translating the code into my own work trips me up almost every time. I often make syntactical mistakes that can be beyond frustrating (although I do feel like a bad ass when I figure it out!). I think diving deeper into existing sketches to deconstruct and recreate them, would be extremely helpful, too. The same way I’ve learn to cook by breaking down recipes or to sew by deconstructing a garments, I think I could benefit greatly from understanding how existing sketches work.

 

A link to the work I showed in class today…
Control The Weather (which, no joke, is working fine now without any changes).
Data Visualization: First two weeks of Bootcamp

 

A designer that has inspired me…

Last year I saw Baroque.Me by Alexander Chen at Eyebeam and was totally blown away. It’s a really moving balance between innovation and classic. I also love how, despite being able to throw off the balls’ path, they always return back and continue playing the music. Check it out.

I’m also inspired by Newsmap by Marcos Weskamp which displays the buzz around news visually: each box is a representation of the story and the related articles. More related articles (which implies more importance on the topic), means a larger display.

 

Link to my Battle Of The DT Memes Sketch

Bootcamp Courage: Feed Yao Ming Courage Wolves so he can survive Bootcamp!