Creating a 3D "aura" in Maya

Aurasma is an app for creating augmented reality experiences. I have been finding out how to make custom 3D content to put in the app, and have made my first ever video tutorial on using Maya to create, texture, and animate a model, and get it into Aurasma successfully.

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3D research

What with us getting a 3D printer and an Oculus rift and all, I figured now is as good a time as any to do a bit of research into the mysterious (to me anyway!) world of 3D modelling.

For the last few weeks, I have been looking into options for 3D scanning and 3D modelling software, investigating the options and finding out what we need to know to start creating models for printing, importing into Unity 3D experiences for Oculus Rift, and also for use with the Aurasma augmented reality app on iOS. This post is a quick summary of some of the things we have done and found out.



Quickly Creating 3D models

As Dave mentioned we have been looking at 123D's impressive suite of apps for creating content on the ipad. The 123D creature app in particular is a fantastic way to quickly and easily create great looking content which can easily be exported out as an .obj file and imported into Unity3D (or any other 3D software for that matter)

This abstract creature was made by one of the youngest learners at the self managed learning college within 2 minutes of seeing the app for the first time. It is definitely quick and easy.

Another good accessible entry point for creating 3D printable models is Doodle3D :

 
Doodle3D, makes 3D printing very easy from Rick Companje on Vimeo.

It is a wifi box that lets you create and send 3D models dirently from your ipad to your 3D printer. We saw Ivan Pope using it at a busy event a couple of months ago and in a situation where you don't have time or the ability to sit down at a computer, and want to give somebody a taste of the power of 3D printing, it looks great.


3D scanning existing objects :


I will go into more depth in another post about this in a seperate post, but I have also been experimenting with Autodesk's 123D catch software, which can automatically create 3D models from a series of photos.

I have been using it to try and capture some toy hacks, with mixed results. You can see all the models that I have created at :

http://www.123dapp.com/Project/Toy-Hacks/2513998


It is very easy to create models, and the colour and detail in the textures on some of them look really great. but the 3D models that it gives you are :

 - very complicated  - (millions of polygons)
 - noisy, bumpy and innacurate - (even more pronounced on small objects like toys)
 - often full of holes - (not good for 3D printing)
 - nearly always come with multiple texture maps  -  (no good for importing them into game engines and apps like Aurasma)

In short it is a lot of work to clean them up and make them anywhere near usable for a 3D printer or a game engine. I spent quite a lot of time feeling rather confused trying to make sense of all the funky 3D lingo (apparently I had to decimate my model, retopologize it and make some new UV maps...)

After many (many, many...!) failed attempts, I finally got a decent version of this smurf done.





The textures that 123D catch spits out are a huge mess though. Getting them to even appear on your model in the right way is a very long winded process, and projecting those textures onto a simplified version of the model is something that I still haven't had a lot of success with.



In the end I had to settle for keeping my sanity, giving up on Zbrush for now, and only having single colour cross dressing VR smurfs in Unity3D... (sometimes life is about compromise) Here they are in the Oculus Rift "Tuscany" demo.

I did also manage to get the Oculus rift working in TouchDesigner, and import some models, although haven't had time to investigate much further than that.

 Anyways, we have the Structure Sensor device on it's way to us extremely soon, and it looks like that will make getting nice clean, well textured models a hell of a lot easier and simpler.

In the next few posts I will go into detail on my research into using the Aurasma app for making Augmented Reality content, and creating animated 3D models to use in it.

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Autodesk 123D Design, Printrbot Simple 3D Printer and Repetier-Host Mac or Windows

We have started to build our white Printrbot Simple 3D Printer. Once completed we will start to experiment with 3D printing Toy Hacking sculptures.

http://printrbot.com/simple/

We will be using Repetier software with the 3D Printer;
http://www.repetier.com/download/

We can use other software such as Autodesk 123D Design to create STL files that can be imported into the Repetier software ready to print 3D modals;

http://www.123dapp.com/design#download

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Autodesk 123D Sculpt, Autodesk Meshmixer, Autodesk 123D Creature, the Structure Sensor and Unity 3D Game Engine: Digital Toy Hacking Avatars are here to play!

Its not long before we receive the Structure Sensor in the post. We are looking forward to using this devise to scan Toy Hacks and body parts to create Toy Hack and Human Hack avatars for use in Exploring Senses digital art games.

Recently we had been checking out the variety of Autodesk 123D apps/software that you can download for use for free. One of the apps for the iPad is 123D Sculpt, which allows you to (in their words);

Shape your world in 3D!

Push, pull, pinch, paint, smooth, grab, tug. More fun than a Renaissance studio, cleaner than a box of mud. Available as a free download for iPad.

Both the Structure Sensor and Autodesk 123D allow you to share your project via email or social media sites, or export your scan (Structure Sensor) or sculpture (Autodesk 123D) as an .OBJ file, which can be imported into Unity 3D game engine. The link below explains more about how to import and use .OBJ files in Unity

http://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/HOWTO-importObject.html

Autodesk 123D Creature is another free app from Autodesk which is easy to use and a great way to create characters of your dreams in 3D.

You can export your Autodesk .OBJ files with textures for use in other 3D tools such as Unity or into Autodesk Meshmixer.

Autodesk Meshmixer for 3D Printing is another amazing free tool for Windows or OSX. Meshmixer is the ultimate tool for 3D mashups and remixes. Mash, mix, sculpt, stamp or paint your own 3D designs, or start from over 10,000 models in the Gallery. Now includes direct 3D print support.

• Optimized for working with 3D print ready files
• Includes the Autodesk 3D Print Utility, for direct printing to selected 3d printers
• Detailed sculpting and editing tools
• Imports various 3D files including print ready STL and OBJ
• Extensive design analysis and repair tools
• Advanced support material generation
• Export 3D print ready files in STL and other formats
• Send to 3D print service providers (coming soon)

Check out the film and images below;

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Oculus and Rift and Unity information

It appears you have to purchase Unity Pro to create games for use with Oculus within the unity games engine. Hopefully this will change with the release of Oculus SDK 2 in August!

http://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/1lvrxe/how_beginner_friendly_is_unity/

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Toy Hack LED Matrix and Aurasma Augmented Reality App: 11th July 2014: David Allistone

I was introduced to Aurasma, an augmented reality app for the latest smart mobile devices last Friday at the ICT for Education conference at Brighton Racecourse. One of the stall holders on the day provided an introduction into the use of augmented reality with mobile devices, and explained how the apps work by detecting trigger images that play digital media associated with these trigger images.

Recently I have been playing around with LED Matrix Toy hacks and thought it would be great to create a Toy Hack LED Matrix poster that would become augmented and start flashing its LED's. 

This film below shows the LED matrix Toy Hacks flashing cycle;

Below is a photo of the LED Matrix Toy hack that I used to trigger the Aurasma Aura;

After playing around with a couple of films showing the LED matrix running through its flashing cycle I decided that it would look great if only the LED matrix itself would be augmented within picture. Withy this in mind I created the film below with added music.

We used this Aura and several others during the Shuffle Festival for Home Live Arts. If you scan the QR code using your mobile phone or iPad on the image below you will be directed to the Exploring Senses Aurasma Channel;

If you install the app, follow the Exploring Senses Aurasma channel you will be able to experience the augmented reality experiences first hand.

This link will send you directly to instructions on how to create and use your own Aurasma Auras.

Arts Council

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How can I produce full colour printed graphics onto tee shirts?

Oki C711WT - White Toner Laser Printer

During the CommuniToy R&D project I have been researching into making bespoke printed graphics for soft Toy Hack creations. I have started to experiment with the heat press using heat press vinyl, but would also like to experiment with making some full colour tee shirt designs. Some of the young people I work with at Brighton Self Managed Learning College have started to make some interesting tee shirt designs but quite a few of the designs include white in the full colour image. 

Printing white is not a cheap process. The first solution would be to use a Direct to Garment (DTG) printerer, but these cost £10K upwards, so this is not a viable solution. We have looked into the DIY hacking of seven colour printers that can be customised to become DTG printer  but I'm not sure in the long term that this solution will produce the quality prints we require.

The third option would be to use a full color laser printer that also prints white. Oki manufactures two printers that print white.

OKI C711WT (A4) = £2K

OKI C920WT (A3) = £6-8K

Theses printers are not cheap, but if you read the blog post below from Digital Heat FX.com you will start to uderstand the tru cost of printing onto garments, and why using lazer printers might be a viable option.

http://www.digitalheatfx.com/transfers-dtg.html

Direct to Garment (DTG) Compared to Transfers Using White Toner Laser Printers FAQ

Question: What is the price difference between white toner laser printers and DTG machines?
Transfers: The OKI 711WT for up to 8.5 x 11 size transfers is $3,395 and the 920WT for up to 11 x 17 size transfers is $7,495.
DTG: The majority of all the new DTG printers sold range between $16,000 to $20,000. Some new DTG machines can be purchased for around $10,000 with the highest end models selling for up to $200,000.

Question: Can one printer be used for both light and dark garments?
Transfers: Yes, you can use the OKI 711WT for up to 8.5 x 11 size transfers or the 920WT for up to 11 x 17 size transfers. These CMYW laser printers print white toner and allow for a no cut/no weed/no background transfer for both light and dark garments using our laser transparent transfer papers. No special treatments needed for dark garments.
DTG: Yes, but dark garments have to be pretreated/precoated before the ink can be applied. This can be done either by a second machine or by a hand sprayer. A pretreat/precoating machine can cost between $3,000 - $7,000.

Question: How long does it take a DTG machine to image a garment?
Transfers: The OKI 711WT or 920WT take about two seconds to print each transfer sheet with about 45 seconds needed to heat press the transfer onto the garment. Transfers can be printed and stacked immediately as the toner is dry as soon as it is printed.
DTG: DTG machines take on average two to five minutes for just imaging the shirt not including pretreat/precoating or any heat press steps.

Question: What other substrates other than cotton can a DTG printer print?
Transfers: The OKI 711WT or 920WT can produce transfers that apply to cotton, 50/50 blends, polyester, nylon, leather and practically any fabric available.
DTG: DTG machines can only print onto cotton.

Question: Does the DTG printer offer the capability to image on hard surface materials such as mugs, acrylic, metal, leather, wood and many other substrates?
Transfers: The OKI 711WT or 920WT have the ability to produce transfer papers for imaging to the widest array of substrates in the industry including hard goods.
DTG: DTG machines printers are generally limited to imaging cotton based substrates.

Question: What daily maintenance is required of the DTG unit?
Transfers: The OKI 711WT or 920WT printers do not have printheads, and as such, do not require any type of ongoing daily maintenance. Even if the printer is not used for an extended period of time, it will work without any issues and the humidity and temperature of the environment is not anywhere near the factor it is for a DTG printer.
DTG: DTG machines have a daily morning and evening routine to ensure the printer does not clog. Additionally, if the printer is not going to be used for any period of time, there is a complete in-depth procedure which must be implemented to ensure the printer does not clog and ruin the ink delivery system and printheads.

Question: What are the costs for a new DTG printhead and the cost for the technician to come change it?
Transfers: The OKI 711WT or 920WT LED array is warranted for five years.
DTG: If a DTG printhead goes bad, the cost to replace it ranges from $400 to $3,000 depending upon the type of printhead. Additionally, if the printhead is out of warranty, there is a service charge between $400 to $1,000 to replace it.

Question: How much DTG ink is wasted on cleaning and flushing?
Transfers: No toner is used is wasted as cleaning and flushing is not necessary.
DTG: It is estimated that between 5-10% of ink is used by DTG printers to clean, flush and keep the printhead moist so that it does not clog. An eight ounce bottle costs around $90 and between $4.50 - $9 is wasted on flushing.

Question: What is the average cost for imaging a CMYK and CMYK plus White using DTG?
Transfers: CMYK images cost about $.90 for paper and toner and approximately $2.50 with white for letter sized images.
DTG: DTG costs an average of $.75 for CMYK and $1.75 for CMYK plus white for the same sized images and $.30 - $.80 per print for pretreat fluid.

Question: How many light shirts and how many dark shirts can be produced per hour using DTG and white toner printers?
Transfers: Approximately 70 light colored shirts per hour and 35 dark shirts per hour under normal circumstances (560 light shirts in an eight hour day or 280 dark).
DTG: Approximately 50 light colored shirts per hour and 15 dark shirts per hour under normal circumstances (400 light shirts in an eight hour day or 120 dark).

Question: How long does it take to train on the DTG RIP software and how intuitive is it?
Transfers: The OKI 711WT and 920WT laser printer uses an onboard Adobe RIP which is just like using a normal desktop printer. There is very little training needed for its use.
DTG: Most DTG units use complicated RIP software which often must be used with a server and where the training to use the RIP is between one to three days.

Question: What type of warranty is offered?
Transfers: The OKI 711WT and 920WT includes a one year onsite warranty.
DTG: Most DTG providers offer a parts only warranty and in some cases, do not cover the ink delivery or printhead at all.

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Embedding into resin limbs tests

Today i started playing with the ideas suggested at the last meeting, with embedding bones created in fimo into the limb mould in resin, these are the results so far.

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Google Cardboard VR

https://developers.google.com/cardboard/

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Exploring Senses launch 'Young Inventors Centre' at Big Bang Science Fair South East 1st July 2014

Exploring Senses artists and technologists showcased exciting electronic and digital experiments at Big Bang Science Fair South East for the young people who visited the show to play with. We had an amazing response from boys and girls of all ages who enjoyed playing with the Oculus Rift VR reality environment gaming headset, digital doodles courtesy of Nic Seymour Smith (a new member of the ES crew), Mind Control Scalextric, Toy Hack Theremin's, Toy Hack LED Matrices, and various other electronic noisy experiments and simplified Toy Hack creations!

This event also launched the soft launch of the Exploring Senses 'Young Inventors Centre', which is a mobile maker-space for young people that will be starting at Brighton Youth Centre in September 2014. 

For further information about the 'Young Inventors Centre' see the two images below as we are providing a bigger launch during the Brighton Mini Maker Faire 2014... we are very excited about this!!: )

Arts Council

Robotic CommuniToy

CommuniToy Performances

CommuniToy Kits

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