Steve Lucin | Parsons MFA CDT

Check out the site here: http://a.parsons.edu/~lucis270/webMedia2/final

Download the files here: http://a.parsons.edu/~lucis270/webMedia2/steveLucin_final.zip

Download it Here

Download my midterm Haunted House here.

Smiley Dots

This is how I feel about coding at Parsons: Download

Download Here

Download the HW here: http://a.parsons.edu/~lucis270/webMedia2/HW1_SteveLucin.zip

http://theblaqlist.com/

I like how the music starts playing as the flash website is loading. It seems very well organized design wise. The transitions between each menu item seems simple enough to learn. I would liek to learn how they included a login system within the flash environment. It also seems as though they have their images form a database that can be switched out, I'd like to learn how XML and flash works.

http://a.parsons.edu/~lucis270/flash.html

Tuesday, April 14th - get text messaging to computer technology to work
Tuesday April 21st - finalize visual experience
Tuesday April 28th - get messaging information from phone-computer-flash to work
Tuesday May 5th - tweak bugs and finalize.

Click on image to go to movie clip.

The most requested songs would be larger and in a specific color.


Glowing look


Green text is most requested (with shadows to make them pop out more)


green text is most requested (without shadow)


red text is most requested

For complete project, please visit: Cymatic Sandbox
For Cymatic Sandbox Documentation: Download Proposal

Everyone's Smiling
Laughter Rings Throughout The Mall
Forgot To Zip Fly

Download pdf: here

"Ayo DJ! Play That Song!"
Visualizing Song Requests

Abstract
“Ayo DJ! Play That Song!” is a system that helps DJs visualize what people want to hear at any given party. Song requests are inputted into a device where the information is sent to the computer that the DJ is using for the party. The information is displayed on the computer in a fashion that tells the DJ which songs or genres are being requested the most. This visualization can also be used as a light show at the party as well.

Overview
A DJs job is to play the right music at the right time during a party. The DJ must truly feel out the crowd and assume what the people want to hear. When people really want to hear a song, they would normally go up to the DJ, sometimes many at a time, and request songs. Some songs and genres get requested many times, others are requested only one time. The “Ayo DJ! Play That Song!” system works as the liaison between the song requester and the DJ. This also helps eliminate interruption of the DJs flow. The songs/genres requested are displayed on the computer, where the most requested songs/genres will be in a large font and specified color. This visualization can then be projected to be used as either a light show, or a display with some effects added to them for people in the party to see.

There is limited software that does this similar task. “Remote Request Station” allows the crowd to browse through the Dj computer song list and send the requests from a remote computer. The DJ can then drag those songs from his computer to the DJ software being used. This eliminates a crowd of people at the DJ booth or stage requesting songs. The interface for the requester is a computer, either a laptop, desktop, or even touch screen, and seems easy to use. The interface for the DJ is a simple text list, and does not show frequency of request.

Apple has recently released a new version of iTunes (Version 8.1 released on March 11th, 2009), which has revamped the old “Party Shuffle” to the new “iTunes DJ”. This new feature allows anyone with an iPhone or iPod Touch and the Remote app to request songs from any stereo system that is running the iTunes DJ feature. The songs requested through the Remote app are placed into the iTunes DJ playlist, either near the top, or the bottom (depending if they request or add to playlist), and a frequency of votes for the song is recorded. The flaw with this is that while you are operating iTunes DJ, the DJ does not have full control of the songs, no mixing abilities, and he can not even reorder the songs.

Other jukebox softwares such as Digital DJ, once again, do not give you full control of what a DJ should be able to do, and that is mix and reorder songs. “Ayo DJ! Play That Song!” will take the best features of “Remote Request Station” and the Remote app by Apple.

Scenario

Resources
http://remoterequest.softjock.com/ - Remote Request Station
http://techblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/03/itunes-81-makes-every-partygoe.html - iTunes DJ
http://www.tuaw.com/2009/03/12/itunes-8-1-dj-gives-another-excuse-to-party - iTunes DJ
http://www.adecmusic.com/Power/digital_dj_music_system.htm - Digital DJ
http://www.toprankblog.com/2008/08/visualizing-search-marketing-blogs/ - Word Visualization on SEO
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/08/02/data-visualization-modern-approaches/ - Modern Visualization

Everyone's Smiling
Laughter rings throughout the Mall
Forgot to zip fly

Calle Ocho Fly Through from Steve Lucin on Vimeo.

Abstract
The “Mission Debriefer” is a mini computer device that comes with a G.I. Joe action figure. It provides videos of missions or scenarios to accomplish, which is a guideline for the child’s imagination. This device detects the action figure’s moves and decides whether or not it has completed the mission. The computer will also be able to connect with other similar devices in the area via WiFi, as well as download more missions from a household computer with Internet and upload statistics.

Overview
Playing with action figures has always exercised one’s imagination. Have you ever used your bed sheets, chairs, and pillows to build a fort and then make up a storyline for your figurine?
With the “Mission Debriefer” that comes with the G.I. Joe, imagination and skill are taken to another level. In current role-playing video games (i.e. Call of Duty, Spider-Man, Grand Theft Auto, etc.) there is always a mission that your character must accomplish. This device brings the mission concept from video games to the actual action figure. A video is played from the “Mission Debriefer” and the child reacts whiling using his imagination to accomplish the orders that have been given to him.

Crooks & Castles from Steve Lucin on Vimeo.

Downlod pdf here

Abstract
A mini computer/device that will come with G.I.Joe action figures that will provide a debriefing of the day’s mission. The device will be able to detect the action figure’s moves and decide whether or not they have completed the mission. The computer will also be able to connect with other similar devices in the area via wifi, as well as download more missions, and upload stats.

Overview
Playing with action figures has always exercised one’s imagination. You would build a fort made out of bed sheets chairs and pillows and make up a story line for your figurine.
With this aided computer device that the G.I.Joe will come with, imagination and skill are taken to another level. In current video games (i.e. Call of Duty, Spider-Man, Grand Theft Auto, etc.) there is always a debriefing of some sort, a mission if you will. This device brings the “debriefing” concept from video games to the actual action figure.

The player would flip open the laptop-like computer and plug in the action figure to it’s appropriate stand on the computer. The screen would turn on with the day’s mission from the sergeant. Let’s say the player must shoot down 10 villains, fight with 10 more, and knock down a tower to disrupt communications from the evil do-ers. The player must use their imagination to complete the “level” using their actual play surroundings. The action figure is designed with motion sensors that the computer can read. In order for the computer to read the 10 villains being shot, the gun that comes with the G.I.Joe must be shot 10 times, and actually hit 10 objects. The way it would detect the fighting is if it completes the appropriate combinations of kicking and punching 10 different times. This is where some skill comes to play, similar to video games that involve 2 player combat (Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, etc.). In the fighting video games, the player must follow through with certain combinations of the directional pad and action buttons in order to successfully execute one move. For the G.I.Joe’s, certain combination must be successfully executed as well in order to proceed.As more and more missions get completed, the more actions and combinations will be demanded, as well as the imagination.

If there is another device in the area, the “sergeant” will be able to detect it and ask if they would like to do a cooperative mission together. Once missions have been completed, statistics can be uploaded to a computer with an internet connection via wifi or usb connectivity. Depending on how many levels the player has accomplished, the more videos of the cartoons can be streamed to the device to watch, as well as more missions for the player.

Scenario
Computer Device Mockup

Computer Device connected with another device.


Resources
Toy Laptop: The computer device will function similar to this.
http://gadgetfind.com/compukidzbilingualtoylaptopcomputer.html

G.I.Joe Website: G.I.Joe’s Official Website, where the missions and videos will be hosted
http://www.hasbro.com/gijoe/

Hot Wheels Laptop
http://products.howstuffworks.com/oregon-scientific-hot-wheels-accelerator-laptop-jw88-review.htm

Link to my version of Declaration of Human Rights: Here

2/5/09
Obituary Data Visualization Project Proposal

Download pdf here

Abstract
“Obituaries De Stijl” is a data visualization graph with a neoplasticism feel to be displayed on a computer. Since this type of style was Dutch artistic movement, the obituaries that are plotted on this graph are of different type of designers, including web, architects, fashion, etc. It would display the deaths throughout the year.

Overview
Given: Having full access to the Legacy.com database from the past 15 years.
Legacy.com is an innovative online media company that collaborates with more than 700 newspapers in North America, Europe and Australia to provide ways for readers to express condolences and share remembrances of loved ones.

Being in a school with many design talents, having a data visualization system that shows the deaths of designers would be rather interesting.

The system itself would look similar to a piece of artwork from the neoplasticism movement (a grid like composition with solid colors). Each of the solid colors would represent a different sub category of design. The De Stijl artworks would usually be limited to the primary colors, white and black, but since there are way more design disciplines than 5, there will be more colors to this graph. The disciplines include web, communication, graphic, motion, production, fashion, architectural, game, and other. There are an exceptional amount of other design disciplines and to determine which ones make it to the top 8 will be analyzed through out time.

The larger the solid, the more deaths it represents. Each solid color have a hover feature stating which design discipline it’s representing and how many deaths. Once the solid is clicked, the Mondrianesque graph will animate smoothly to show another De Stijl type graph, illustrating the ages of the deaths. The color of the solids would no longer be variant, but would be different shades of the color that was clicked. A lighter shade would represent a younger age, while the darkest shade represents an old age.

The data will be scraped from the Legacy.com database by means of a web scraping program (Beautiful Soup library made on for the Python language). Once the data is obtained, another program will be written to visually display the information in the De Stijl style. Flash will be used to animate from main graph to subgraphs.

Scenario
Initial graph displaying different design disciplines. Cursor is hovered over Web Designers.




Sub graph displaying specific discipline and number of deaths.


Resources
1. Graphic Visualization of Male Deaths
http://www.schneiderism.com/the-graphic-visualization-of-death-for-men/

2. Interactive Chart: Your Risk of Death
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/06/interactive-cha.html

3. Death by Cause
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/06/revisualizing-y.html

4. Effects of Blogs
http://www.gridplane.com/html/projects/data-vis

5. Fresh Information Graphs
http://designyoutrust.com/2008/12/06/fresh-information-graphics/

6. Very Small Array (Music)
http://www.verysmallarray.com/

7. Stock Market and World GDP Data Sculpture
http://infosthetics.com/archives/2009/01/world_gdp_statistical_data_sculpture.html

8. Piet Mondrian
http://www.pietmondrian.org/

9. Map of the Market
http://www.bewitched.com/marketmap.html

10. Mondrian Visualization
http://rosuda.org/mondrian/

This is how I feel when I Party, haha!

Check out the video about my Internet Famous Class, courtesy of Current TV
http://current.com/items/89780332/internet_famous_class.htm

http://delicious.com/lucis270
Type in the tag ad650 to see the 5 sites that i have chosen with notes.

They are also available here:
http://rzmota.com/
http://esdev.net/
http://xgraphica.com/
http://www.narrowdesign.com/
http://www.alexstubbs.com/