Just another abstract, thought, art, code, and multitouch weblog
Well, I’ve made some additions, some changes and came up with an overall complete version of Musical Squares. Complete does not mean finished though, expect massive updates and much more functionality. This version is good enough to be called “Version 1” I would say.
In this version, I changed the 8 original notes to 5 notes (pentatonic scale) with 3 percussive tones. It sounds…well..interesting. I also added the ability to remove squares by dragging them outside the main stage and adding new squares by pressing on the colored squares on either side.
Well, Musical Squares isn’t anything like Musical Chairs, but it’s fun nonetheless. Who wouldn’t like throwing around objects that emit tones (sounds) when they hit each other?
I started working on this second music program as an aim to explore other musical possibilities. Right now there’s not too much functionality, and it’s a basic proof-of-concept as there isn’t much practical application for it yet. It’s based off another existing (single touch) online program called “Pianolina” that I hope to improve and build off of. The most recognized aspect between the original application and this one will be the multi-user, multi-touch aspect.
There is still a lot to be done to make things not so chaotic sounding. Currently, you can
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!
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
After waiting about 20 hours and letting the silicone rubber cure overnight, I went ahead and “unmasked” the silicone to see how it cured. From the look of it, it cured quite nicely. It isn’t completely even as far as the whole thing being completely smooth and 1mm thick, but this really shouldn’t affect it’s performance. After further inspection, I found that there were no bubbles in the silicone! Bubbles are one of the main concerns when pouring silicone yourself. I think my success had to do with mixing the A and B parts for a good amount of time (12 minutes).
Well, the silicone arrived today. It took 5 days from the time of ordering online. I’ve done a lot of research, talking to others that have poured silicone and watched a couple videos so I was prepared for what I needed to do.
The best video to date is from Blaxwan and it really provides great documentation and information on how to pour the silicone.
[youtube=”http://youtube.com/watch?v=bnjeWbvVCCo”]
Here are a couple things not mentioned in the video that I would like to add:
1) Make sure that you read the directions carefully on the package.
2) Measure out the portions of A and B by weight (not volume) with a gram scale. The main reason most people don’t get the silicone
Well, I recieved a couple samples of possible compliant surface silicone sheets. Unfrotunatley after some testing, I’ve found they won’t work for FTIR use.The first is from www.rubbercal.com. The durometer (hardness) of the sample is just too high (probably around 70) and therefore doesn’t stick to the acrylic at all. The other sample I recieved is from Rubber House on ebay. This sample is just too thick (1/16″), although it may be a great alternative if the supplier ever gets 1/32″ or thinner sheets in stock.
Since these samples did not “do the trick” and other mentioned brands posted on nuigroup.com aren’t ideal, I’ve decided to go ahead and order Smooth-On Sorta Clear 40 since it has been recommended on
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:
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.
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.
