Project Update 11-16-15

Texturing is going well, we are hoping to get more detailed results later but these are the beginnings. The look is very gray so far but we are looking to ad more advertisements and add variation to many of the surface. Then we will export the file altogether as a .obj to be converted in the layar converter with an embedded texture map as well

Project Update 11-9-15

Working on preliminary modeling of intersection. Have the basics down with some embellishments added. Next steps will be texturing specific parts on the base objects with ads that hint at the utopia just before the fall of society. 

Project Update 11-2-15

Technical Rider

Art 451 Problems in Digital Media

Fall 2015

YOUR NAME(S): Zachary Cordisco and Mason Furr

TITLE OF PIECE: Utopia

MEDIUM: Mobile Augmented Reality

DESCRIPTION:  

Our project is a site specific piece that will involve the manipulation of the site through augmented reality. The goal is to render the corner of fourth and sierra, when facing the silver legacy, of downtown Reno. We are choosing to model a society that is balancing on hope and fear. We would like to depict a civilization just before the apocalypse happens.

PREFERED SPACE:

The work will be location specific. The corner of fourth and Sierra facing towards the Silver legacy will be our subject matter. 

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

In order to view our work, the user will need to have a smartphone with gps and to have downloaded the app called “Layar”.

10-26-15 Project Update

We have narrowed down an intersection we would like to duplicate on the Layar platform for a superimposed AR experience. The intersection is the iconic reno intersection of 4th and Sierra. The viewers will have to stand at an exact spot to view the superimposed reality and we have marked a spot where the viewer will be able to see most of the buildings and advertisements. We have a 3d model working now, however it is specific to the GPS coordinates of the inputted geo location. In order to test it we will have to import the 3d models and then make trips to the geo location to observe what modifications we will have to make.

10-19-15 Project Update

Moving on from our 2D AR experience development we have undergone a rigorous setup of web-based addresses so as to upload a temporary example file to be used in Layar's geolocation settings. The geo-location settings provided a good middle ground for us due to the inability to scan a location and superimpose an AR experience. If we were to stay with the image scanning option it would limit the angle of view for the participants too much and any modifications in reality to the source image would not allow participants to properly scan the image.

In order to utilize the Layar geolocations settings we must pinpoint the exact GPS coordinates and upload them in the web database. The instructions we followed for the setup of the web-server were extremely rigorous and involved hundreds of input sections before input of the .obj file converted to .L3D (layar file) along with proportions and positioning of the model. The web database is necessary for all the input sections and is specific to Layar which needs to explicitly pull the information from the web file location to superimpose the AR onto the mobile device.

After many frustrating days we were able to resolve the issue with the files and used a creepy model found online as a placeholder with GPS coordinates set to the Art 451 classroom. The only issue we have noted is the inability for the program to resolve visual proximity cues from the mobile device and compensate for viewing angle from the mobile device camera (i.e. the model does not grow when approached or shrink when distancing). Another issue right now is the model stays (from every angle) at a front facing view. We have compensated for this however by expressly marking a GPS spot from which the participant will view the geolocation.

10-12-15 Project Update

Using Layar we have been able to create relatively simple augmented reality experiences that involve scanning original images and then accessing a database to pull content needed to superimpose the image. These two examples we chose to illustrate the wide range of capabilities with just this simple development. Additionally we have also discussed the use of transparent videos to add more movement to the AR experience.

10-5-15 Project Update

Per suggestion I have taken a look into various Augmented Reality platforms. The winner right now seems to be the free downloadable app Layar, however there are other multitudes of possibilities including working with Google Cardboard and Unity.

Zachary Cordisco and myself have decided to team up as we are both interested in utilizing this technology to advance our topics. I hope to be able to superimpose advertisement modifications for app users while Zach intends to focus on a post-apocalyptic rendition of a location in Reno. As of right now we have decided to attack this new software together to parse through the information and bounce ideas off of eachother.

We have found tutorials aiding our initial steps into Layar

https://www.layar.com/features/developers/

currently we have both created accounts and have started exploration of the possibilities of Layar. One thing that is troubling both of us however is the ability to move freely around an environment with models staying at the same point in AR so it would be possible to walk toward a model and have it expand on ones mobile device. We have also signed up to be developers to access more advanced features in layar to input our own model data.