But back to the digital realm…

I just received a note from Carla and Ezio about their upcoming SPECULATIS workshop.  Here is a quick statement from them:

The deadline for applications for the SPECULATIS workshop has been extended to JUNE 25th, 2010!!
To apply, contact: education@opolab.com

SPECULATIS is a workshop that introduces and explores techniques of algorithmic design and fabrication integrated with interactive components. The platform integrates seminars and construction of a design piece at natural scale – a working chandelier – as a means of investigating different techniques and potentials present in the intersection of morphological discovery through algorithmic processes, fabrication technologies, and interactivity modulation.
The workshop will be held July 10-17th in Oporto, Portugal. Please find attached our advertising poster and press release. We thank you in advance for helping divulge this initiative.
More info can be found at:
http://speculatis.com/

For general information, questions: info@speculatis.com
For applications/registration: education@opolab.com

This is a great opportunity for anyone in Portugal (or in Europe in general) who is interested in computational methodologies to get a first-hand experience with algorithmic and advance fabrication techniques.  Also, since it has been scheduled over the summer, it shouldn’t conflict with regular academic schedules.  So don’t hesitate to sign up. 

SPECULATIS workshop

First, you can always have a dedicated counter integer number no matter how many times you render a scripted sequence.  This is great when you are rendering a series of images, making changes to a model, then repeating the process.  When finished, you have a directory of a work-in-progress image sequence.

Another thing outside file data can be useful is to make changes to your MEL script as it runs.  As we all know, MEL scripts are not very good at allowing for manual modification in runtime.  Now we can have a bunch of environmental variables set by the user whenever they want.  It’s like having a slider in runtime.

One suggestion for all MEL script loops you may make is to set up a KILL.txt file.  Just in case you make an endless loop, have a conditional that always checks a simple 0 or 1 in the Kill text file.  This work around can save you a lot of time if you make the common mistake of not writing in a end conditional.

Lastly, among other multiple reasons for txt file controls, this is very useful for setting up standards for file saving, render image saving, and export saving directory strings.  It’s very annoying to put all your save locations across all MEL scripts.  This txt file technique can be saved in one location, thus allowing you to set up your project “set” and export paths quickly and without errors.

I made two functions, called GetTopLineTXTFile and ChangeTopLineTXTFile.  Now that I think about it, I probably should have followed standard Maya MEL command conventions and used SetTopLineTXTFile, but oh well.  It’s simple to use: make a text file, save the path, and install this MEL in your documents/maya/scripts folder.  Remember, MEL requires different “special” characters depending upon your operating system and string conventions.  In my example, I just used the double slash special character to force the final string to be a single slash.  There are different techniques for this, just make sure whatever you use will be compatible with MEL string objects.

int $YYY = GetTopLineTXTFile("c:\\mayacount.txt");
global proc int GetTopLineTXTFile(string $Path) {
//Nick Pisca 0001d, string $Path = "c:\\mayacount.txt";
string $exampleFileName = ( $Path );
string $s;
$fileId=`fopen $exampleFileName "r"`;
$s=`fread $fileId $s`;
fclose $fileId;
return $s;
}

Here’s the second command:  (note, this will overwrite your text file.  Use this with caution because there is no undo.)

global proc ChangeTopLineTXTFile(string $Path, int $NewValue) {
//Nick Pisca 0001d, string $Path = "c:\\mayacount.txt";
//ChangeTopLineTXTFile "c:\\mayacount.txt" 3;
string $exampleFileName = ( $Path );
string $s;
$fileId=`fopen $exampleFileName "w"`;
string $ConvStr = string($NewValue);
fwrite $fileId $ConvStr;
fclose $fileId;
}

Both of these functions have been on my wiki for a while.  Feel free to log on and add more functions and procedures if you like.

For some more standard techniques of multiple batch rendering (a name I gave for the process of batching the batch render sequence), take a look at Chapter 12 in my book YSYT.  Simple as it may appear, txt file modification from Maya may not be a task for a beginner.  Regardless, have fun coding.

Screencapture of Nick Pisca's Wiki, 2010

I’ll be a part-time contributor to the site.  I have a feeling this blog will be receiving thousands of hits soon. 

Parasite Screencapture on Feb 7, 2010

In this example, the required inputs are a string containing the full path of the start directory.  Note, Maya is funny with slashes.  It uses the opposite slash than Window Explorer.  Also, the second input of the subroutine is a Boolean to control recursion.  A zero value just finds files in the root directory; a value of one finds all files and sub-folders.

Screencapture of MEL Recursion script by Nick Pisca, 0001d.

Here’s a link to my wiki, containing this script:  http://www.nickpisca.com/BLAST/index.php?title=CycleThruDir

My suggestion is to use this code as an embedded custom script.  Save this file with a MEL extension and place it in your …/maya/scripts/ directory.  Then whenever you access CycleThruDir in your codes, it will simplify the process.

For more information on strings and string-based functions, there is an entire chapter on this usage in YSYT – Maya MEL Basics for Designers.

Here is the direct link to the write-up:  http://www.evolo.us/2009/12/01/the-genotower-05/#more-226

Genotower project by Nick Pisca 0001d (copyright 2006)

Plan View Rendering of the Genotower by Nick Pisca 2006

Portion of Building Section from the Genotower by Nick Pisca

I’m not too thrilled that the uncompressed, hi-res boards are up on the net for all to download and misuse, but I suppose it’s been long enough. 

This acts as a fast, cheap way of getting the actual center of a worldspace collection of point vectors, instead of relying on the “.center” or “.translate” attribute.  Often, due to vertex manipulation or pivot point placement, “.center” and “.translate” may not accurately store the centroid of the object.  Also, those attributes only deal with a singular object, whereas a collection of vectors could return a centroid based on several objects, or more interestingly, several objects over time.

.

global proc vector ReturnNVectorCOG(vector $AllVecs[]) {
//Author Nick Pisca 0001d 2010
//$AllVecs[0]=<<0,0,0>>;$AllVecs[1]=<<1,-1,0>>;$AllVecs[2]=<<1,0,0>>;$AllVecs[3]=<<0,0,2>>;
vector $TempVec = <<0,0,0>>;
if (size($AllVecs) != 0 ) {
for ($i=0;$i<size($AllVecs);$i++) {
$TempVec = $TempVec + $AllVecs[$i];
}
$TempVec = $TempVec / size($AllVecs);
}
return $TempVec;
}

.

.

Nick Pisca MEL Multiple Topology Tests 2010 Copyright 0001d Pisca

This procedure is designed to handle a n-length array of vectors.  One place to make some enhancements to this code would be to handle a zero or one element array better.  I know my current use of this function is pretty limited and will always have more than three elements, but in the future, it should be expanded.  If your codes require this type of possible functionality, consider revising it to accommodate for such small arrays.  

Here is the link to the function on my 0001d BLAST wiki:  http://nickpisca.com/BLAST/index.php?title=ReturnNVectorCOG

See also:  http://nickpisca.com/BLAST/index.php?title=ReturnCOG

global proc vector ReturnCOG(vector $V1, vector $V2, vector $V3) {
//Author Nick Pisca 0001d 2010
//$V1 = <<0,0,0>>; $V2 = <<1,-1,0>>; $V3 = <<1,0,0>>
vector $TempVec = ($V1 + $V2 + $V3)/3;
return $TempVec;
}

Screencapture of Intensive Fields Webfeed, captured by Gustavo Rincon.

Screencapture of the Parametric Techniques Panel on the Intensive Fields Webfeed, captured by Gustavo Rincon.

My only criticism of the conference was the presented and discussed work was predominately “algorithmic,” rather than “parametric.”  Several respondents and speakers used these terms interchangeably, which to me as a computational and parametric designer was a severe transgression.

This is especially evident in the exhibited modes of urban planning and design, where parametric techniques are antiquated and predictable.  Countering Delanda’s lectures on the shift into new-materialism, parametric top-down strategies to planning appear more alien with each myopic stab of formalism.  These approaches were best exemplified in the uninspiring soft-renders of Schumaker’s urban fabrics, something better termed as “Blendshape Urbanism.”   By the loosest definition of parametric, these proposals ultimately manifest themselves as datum process.

Roland Snooks diplomatically mentioned near the end of his presentation that definitive parametric techniques for urbanism were investigated at Kokkugia, but due to the self-evident restrictions to top-down hierarchical digital processes, they were not utilized.  Frankly, and I mentioned this in my response, Parametric Urbanism is an oxymoron.  Parametric design is defined by two main components:  Static Topologies and Permanent Linked References.  These two characteristics have no relationship to the macrobial growth and development at a city scale, which are always multi-topological and references are constantly generated and broken.

So city behavior always lends itself to computational techniques.  The term “Algorithmic Urbanism” is inherently redundant.  Agent-based coding is and will be the preferred mode of urban planning simulation, analysis, and exploration.

Practitioners of these new digital philosophies need to address the difference between “querying” and “linking,” and also to make the distinction between “variable” and “parameters.”  Respectively, these terms along side “Algorithmic” and “Parametric,” were all used interchangeably.  Granted, the misuse of these terms is ambiguous and often undetectable, but these coupled words mean very different things.  And the age of idealism, misappropriation of software, and recursive definitions is drawing to a close.

~~

After participating in the amazing Intensive Fields Conference at USC, Dean Ma threw a great reception at his James Bond house.  The discussions continued for hours after the symposium.

Intensive Fields Reception, image courtesy Luoya Tu.

Once again, the conference was amazing and I’m glad that I was given the opportunity to participate.

Video Feed.

‘Due to the unprecedented interest in the conference, we understand that the venue has now changed to a larger auditorium, Taper Hall 101, and that a few more tickets have become available.’

You can find the location of Taper Hall here.

Also, you can find the line-up of individuals participating in the conference here.

Intensive Fields Updates

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