Animated Connections

What do Twitter, GTA IV, Google Reader, Indiana Jones and Second Life have in common? Next year's DIM course perhaps...

Via Twitter this week I saw the augmented reality game LevelHead Cube... this one made using Blender's video editor.



I wondered if it could be made in Second Life - as a game and also using chroma key to bring it into other environments...

Then via Google Reader I watched a great TED talk on using biology and physics in animation...

This led me to discover the Natural Motion software used in GTA IV and the latest Indiana Jones movie. I had no idea virtual stunt actors had progressed so far. This software also gives NPCs in games the next generation of AI - something for DIM in 2009? Or even in 2008 since it will be loaded onto the SIM PCs...



Here is the result of me playing with the cube, chroma key and Endorphin - NaturalMotion software. I wonder what could be done with these technologies with a little more thought... and expertise :-)

Robotic Interlude

A number of students have taken a break this week from their normal work to build and program robots. The college has purchased two LEGO Mindstorms NXT kits for use VET IT, Interactive Media and Computer Science students - mostly in 2009.

Several students - and teachers - have been building with Lego for the first time in many years... lots of fun!

Presentations

It's been great watching project presentations to see so many projects beginning to take off as individuals and teams settle on directions and scopes. Many have commented on how they have cut back on their original ideas or changed direction... and in a couple of cases changed projects entirely.

With so many presentations over several weeks not many people have been able to view them all - and unfortunately not all were recorded. Nevertheless the slideshow on the right shows some material and there are a few video clips below made from some of the presentations.