527 views 1 comments

MultiKey – My first application

MultiKey is a simple multi-user, multi-touch music application. In the standard version, there are two music keyboards. One is a full octave, while the other is two full octaves. By pressing on the white border, the individual keyboard will switch into move/rotate/scale mode and can be rotated and resized to your liking. Press on the white border again, and move/rotate/scale will be turned off. Have fun!

MultiKey v1.3

musical squares MultiKey – My first application

Possible Future Changes/Additions/Bug Fixes:

-Ability to change to different sound library
-Ability to add (drag out) multiple keyboards. Idea: use a gesture that is assigned to keyboard creation.
-Add some kind of dynamic movement in background when key is pressed since keys are transparent.
-Fix canvas and create ZUI so pianos don’t

2,007 views 0 comments

FTIR or DI, my final multitouch decision…

After spending a large amount of time focusing on Diffused Illumination ( Rear DI), I’ve switched my concentration back to FTIR. I had great results with DI and was happy with the ease of use and setup, but one issue I had was the constant calibration I would have to go through every time I tested. This most likely had to do with an incomplete setup and open box where the IR light, shinning at the acrylic, would easily change as the environment changed. Although with some fixing it is possible to have a great DI setup, I’ve chosen to go with FTIR.

There are a couple main reasons for this decision:

4,479 views 4 comments

FTIR and DI. How they work and what they mean for multitouch.

FTIR and DI are the two main technologies used in NUIGroup (I will be posting information on alternative techniques at another time):

FTIR = Frustrated Total Internal Reflection (a phenomenon) – This is currently the most popular method, possibly due to the wide internet distribution of Jeff Han’s videos. IR light is shined into the side of an acrylic panel (most often by shinning IR LEDs on the sides of the acrylic). This light is trapped inside the acrylic by internal reflection. When a finger touches the acrylic surface this light is “frustrated” causing the light to scatter downwards where it is picked up by a IR camera.

sheme ftir FTIR and DI. How they work and what they mean for multitouch.

2,044 views 2 comments

Initial Multitouch Budget

The following is the initial budget for this project. Like most projects, the budget will often change or expand beyond what was originally intended. As developments change or new items are purchased, I will update the budget to reflect any changes made.

16,553 views 23 comments

Initial Multitouch Aesthetic Plans

My aim is to create a clean and simple table design. I don’t want the table aesthetics to outweigh or detract from the musical interface and interaction. I did a quick sketch of my initial Aesthetic thoughts using Google SketchUp. I will include pictures of the actual progress and SketchUp files once the building process begins. The following design is not set in stone, but will be the basis as I start the building.

top bottom 300x204 Initial Multitouch Aesthetic Plans

top bottom together 300x149 Initial Multitouch Aesthetic Plans

1,465 views 0 comments

Initial Multitouch Build Timeline

This is the initial timeline for the AudioTouch project. As I make progress, it is possible that things may move away from the timeline, but I will be doing my best to keep things as close to the timeline as possible. Since this project requires two main parts, hardware and software, I will be starting with the hardware end since this is what needs to be stable in order to develop working software. I started designing a proof-of-concept musical application already, but will rewrite it in time for week 5. Further software progress really won’t start until the table design is relatively finished (by week 8).

87 views 3 comments

Initial Project Proposal

My mission is to design a Multi-user, Multi-touch environment that allows individuals to work together within a musical space. A Multi-user table designed for Multi-touch interaction will be the point of collaboration. A Natural User Interface will act as the visual feedback where users can directly manipulate what is projected on screen. Within the design, a musical framework will be programmed that will make use of the table’s Multi-Input (Touch) ability.

While Multi-touch technologies have existed since the 1980s, not until recently have computer processors and graphical processing units been efficient enough to allow full implementation of Multi-touch environments. The recent developments of Apple’s I-phone, Microsoft’s Surface Computer, and JazzMutant’s Dexter are examples of the increasing use and