Malignant Habit

Smoke and Gas Sensors

2007-10-21T17:45:00.000+08:00

Been doing research on gas sensors, the TGS2602 by Figaro. I am planning to use it as part of my VJ project.
The Interactive Mud Hut was extremely useful in making me realise how simple it is to interface the sensor to Arduino. The tough part now will be programming the visuals.

Tests on the sensor:
It reacts to cigarrette smoke, which is good as I intend to place this sensor at the smoking area outside a club. The smoke will then affect visuals. That's the basic idea that I have right now. Will update soon.

audiOdyssey

2007-09-14T14:28:00.001+08:00

We've received really good response from people about our game. Do download it here

X34-X48

2007-09-13T12:04:00.000+08:00

View the video

1 week, 3 artists, 2 actors, 9 video channels, 5 sound channels

New Speakers in Town

2007-08-31T16:57:00.001+08:00

clipped from technabob.com

This pocket-sized speaker may look like nothing much, but it has some unique design properties that help it crank out some serious low-end.

The XMI X-Mini Capsule Speaker features a special vacuum chamber which opens up like an accordion. The makers of the speaker claim this design mimics the acoustic properties of subwoofers, significantly enhancing bass output when compared to other compact speakers.

It’s also got built-in rechargeable batteries, letting you untether from your USB connection and listen to music wherever you go. Available initially in Singapore only, the X-Mini costs $49 Singapore Dollars (about $32 USD.)

Back In Town

2007-08-17T17:19:00.001+08:00

I'm back in Singapore after 9 weeks in Boston at MIT. It was educationally extremely enriching. Met great friends there whom I really enjoyed working with. It probably showed that we enjoyed working together because we did manage to create a really good game at the end of it. The game will be available for download in the near future.

Some Screen Shots

2007-07-30T09:50:00.001+08:00

Some screen shots of earlier developments: The third image is the most recent development. I will be polishing up the visuals in the final 2 weeks and making changes so that every thing blends and works well.

New York City

2007-07-25T10:22:00.000+08:00

Was in New York City over the weekend. Went there primarily for Dr Sketchy's life drawing class, which was realllly an eye opener. I liked the whole atmosphere of it. Theme was Weimar Cabaret, with 2 models posing. There were many different poses, whole session lasted 3 hours. It was at the Lucky Cat Lounge in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Apart from that, yeah New York is an interesting city, totally contrasting from Boston. I like it somewhat, but am kind of wary of the place (it's a little difficult to judge a city in one day).

Work wise, things are heating up workload wise. But I think I have everything under control. Art assets are massive and I'm the only artist, but I'm confident of getting everything sorted. Will post up development pictures in the next post.

Sounds Of The Underground

2007-07-16T08:11:00.000+08:00

Went for Sounds of the Underground in New Jersey, completely crazy concert. Myself, Fezz and Jim drove down. Ended up not sleeping for 24 hours and with ringing ears. Was really worth it!

Some of the bands that performed were Job For A Cowboy, Testament, Chimaira, Shadows Fall, Amon Amarath, Acacia Strain.

Weird weather

2007-07-10T09:22:00.001+08:00

It's supposed to be mid summer right now, but surprisingly it was quite cold today. There was even a massive fog that came along in the evening.

Brand new week, I have massive deadlines for this week. Been working with the programmers and doing some coding. Actionscript 3 is very different from AS2. I've been trying to work with the computeSpectrum() method that calculates sounds by their frequencies. I have this strange feeling that there are a lot of bugs in it though. If it can work, it would make the visuals much more dynamic.

Watched a band from Iceland over the weekend. I didn't know they were performing, but realised that they were playing only when I had reached the joint. They were really good, 4 guys playing brass instruments, one playing a xylophone and triangle (my favourite), apart from the usual guitar, drums and bass.

Picture is extremely blur, I know.

Update

2007-07-06T08:42:00.000+08:00

Been a very busy week. End of last week, we had a testing session, marking the end of Sprint 1. Sprint 2 has begun. Testing was really helpful as we received a lot of feedback. We even had a blind tester in on Monday. That really proved very helpful.

Week 2, Sprint 1

2007-06-27T19:56:00.000+08:00

Development this week has been more on the lines of the visual content of the game. The core game design has been set. The tester and the lead game designer will be doing some paper prototyping to check what needs to be changed. I will be working with our sound guy to produce an audio/visual demo for Friday.

MFA and Edward Hopper

2007-06-25T09:08:00.000+08:00

Went to the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Boston today. It's really amazing when you're presented with such a large magnitude of amazing pieces of art. Edward Hopper's works were on display, which was a major bonus as I like his work a lot. His play of light, perspective and space is really interesting.

What I did not expect is that so many of his works would be on show. There must have been at least 50 pieces, including of course his very famous ones, like Nighthawks. Apart from that, the rest of the paintings in other galleries were equally inspiring. Turner's "Slave Ship", some of Manet's work, Monet's work, the list goes on. The architecture in MFA is really amazing as well.

Saturday

2007-06-24T20:47:00.001+08:00

Weekend is the best time to explore. We don't work on weekends and the days are extremely long, which is ideal. I managed to head down to the old naval shipyard as I wanted to have a look at U.S.S Constitution - built in 1797 and one of the first ships in the U.S Navy. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but as I was walking across the bridge, I could see it's imposing size from quite a distance.

It looked even more magnificent close up.
That is definitely one of the most ornamental pieces of history I have seen here so far.

Lunch Break

2007-06-22T08:18:00.000+08:00

Weather was perfect this afternoon for sitting outdoors for lunch, as my shoes suggest.

Brainstorming

2007-06-22T08:11:00.000+08:00

Past few days have been spent brainstorming on the game itself. We have been exposed to various elements of deejaying and have spoken to a few DJs, just to get an idea of what the experience is like (both good and bad). That has helped a lot in our idea generation.

Made more headway today as compared to yesterday in terms of the idea content. That's great news for us.

Tomorrow will probably be spent coming up with one or maybe two ideas and developing some of our current ideas.

The evening weather here was great, I thought there would be a thunderstorm but there wasn't. It was nice and breezy though, that was cool, especially while walking across Charles River on Harvard Bridge.

Phase 1

2007-06-19T19:32:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was considered the beginning of phase 1 of our project, where we moved to the space where we will be working. For the next 4 weeks, we'll be based in an architecture studio. I quite like the space.

Prof. Henry Jenkins gave us a brief talk yesterday as well. He is the head of the CMS programmer in MIT and is definitely a very good speaker. We got a lot of insight into the whole Gambit programme and what he hopes will come out of it.

I've received my first "product backlog". A product backlog comprises of the tasks one has to complete within the next two weeks. I'm quite excited about the things I have to do, one of which will be coming up with the overall user experience. Apart from that, I'll have to work with the sound guy to understand how sound can affect visuals.

Walk

2007-06-18T09:31:00.000+08:00

Boston is truly a city where people walk more then anything else. I have never walked so much over so few days before. It's fun though, the weather does suit walking very well.

Our first "sprint" begins tomorrow. That's when our project proper begins. This past week has been filled with lectures to mould and gear us up for the project. Most of the speakers were very good, with very informative lectures. These ranged from Character Design, to the whole process of learning in a game.

I like Boston fire engines.

MIT Day 3

2007-06-14T08:17:00.000+08:00

Work is getting into gear on our prototypes. Today was quite a long day, had quite a few talks on GUI design and usability issues. I'm definitely learning more on HCI and how to go about idea developments in groups. For example, how not to be "married" to your idea; something I have definitely been guilty of. Game scope and production were other equally important issues covered today.

The approach to work is truly professional, which I think is great. Nothing is meant personally at all and nothing is (or should be) taken personally.

Weather here was fantastic today, temperature hovering around 12-15 degrees Celsius. Walking across Harvard Bridge was especially fun because of the strong and cold wind whipping against my face.

Boston, Day 1

2007-06-12T09:09:00.000+08:00

I'm finally at MIT. What a long journey. But what a campus! As it was our first day, we took it fairly easy. Went for lunch nearby, had a 3 hour gaming session after. I played this board game called Vicin, it was my first time playing it.

In the evening Bin, Fezz and I decided to walk around certain parts of Boston and Cambridge. The atmosphere is quite amazing, managed to walk past Berklee College of Music as well. Did a little (very little) grocery shopping, will probably get more supplies tomorrow.

3,2,1 Blast off

2007-06-10T12:35:00.000+08:00

I'll be flying off in a couple of hours to MIT!

Lasalle Graduate Show

2007-06-08T10:22:00.000+08:00

Went to the Lasalle Graduate show opening last night. Very impressive! Was great to meet up with friends, a few lecturers and look at the work. I liked the whole setup of the various spaces and how everything was done up. Just a couple more days till I fly off....and I'm yet to pack! :) Might pack tomorrow I think.

T Minus 6 Days

2007-06-04T10:29:00.000+08:00

It's 6 days till I fly off to Boston. Really looking forward to it. The experience, people I meet, everything. Will post pictures as often as I can when I am there.

Will be working at MIT for 9 weeks, building gaming prototypes.

Run

2007-05-04T13:59:00.000+08:00

I saw a picture of a running person in the midst of many stagnations. It hit me quite suddenly...
We are all running people running moving looking running people running people running people but not moving people not moving running but not moving but running people but not moving.

Look out and look in. The violence of running, the violence of it's repetition, the violence it can inflict on oneself.

Running people

New Painting

2007-05-02T11:34:00.000+08:00

I've started working on a new painting, smaller one this time. It is actually meant to be a collection of small ones. Been about 5 weeks since I painted, so it feels quite good to paint again. I'll probably show the picture of only the completed one, than the process I guess. Sometimes it is better to view the final piece alone.

Project Update

2007-04-18T12:43:00.000+08:00

Click here to view the update on my project documentation.It has just been uploaded, will update it more in the next few days.

Half Asleep

2007-04-18T08:23:00.000+08:00

It's my day off from school and I have absolutely no idea why I woke up at 7.30am. But I am awake now, so I guess I shall remain awake. "Moonstruck TV", is on Friday, that is something to look forward to. I hope it turns out well.

I'm still half asleep so I think I shall add more into my blog later

New project update

2007-04-06T02:12:00.000+08:00

This is a sample of the visuals in my new project. It's based on a synthetic lab situation, with an element of play in it. It has been quite an interesting experience working on this project. The deadline is next week, I just have to complete the full installation.

This would probably be my first proper installation piece. Full documentation of this work would be on my site by next week.

Minor Absence of Fine

2007-04-04T01:51:00.000+08:00

I haven't painted a new piece since my last one and am beginning to feel it a little. Painting, for me, isn't just about recreating an object. Although I'm not studying painting as my major, I don't think it should deter me from painting. The feel of brushing the canvas, each stroke applying different pressure, creating a whirlwind of meanings in a single image.

I think it's about time I went to get myself a new canvas and do a few preparatory sketches for a new piece. Hopefully I would be able to do so by next week, once my current project is complete.

Heat

2007-03-25T23:06:00.000+08:00

Honestly, today was so unbearably hot. The heat constantly bearing down on you while you're attempting to concentrate on a game of cricket isn't a very good combination.

Might have to get my feet shown this week, both of them aren't doing too well. For one, the swelling hasn't gone down. The other one is definitely a heel spur, that's much worse.

Ultraman

2007-03-22T12:02:00.000+08:00

I am ultraman.

Case of Bad Feet

2007-03-16T23:13:00.000+08:00

2 feet. Both injured. One of them a recurrence of an old injury, plantar fasciitis. The most irritating bit is that it's just the beginning of football and cricket season. I know I have to rest, but I don't feel like. Oh well, see how it goes.

Weekend

2007-03-04T10:52:00.000+08:00

Weekend's been very active, more work-based than anything else. No complaints about it though, I enjoy it. Yes, there are sacrifices involved, but hey it's for a cause. Been updating my site further, you can look at it here.

It's been really busy otherwise, trying to juggle a few things, work, studies, etc. Back to school on Monday after a week's break. This week never felt like a holiday though.

Visual Rage

2007-02-27T20:01:00.000+08:00

Had my works exhibited for the first time at the Earl Lu Gallery recently (Feb 1 - Feb 8). It was part of the LaSalle-SIA College of The Arts open house. Some works were picked from all faculties and I was quite fortunate for mine to get chosen. It was part of my geomapping project. Together with me, 2 of my classmate's works were chosen as well. The experience of exhibiting my work was quite good, to have people give comments on it, both good and bad. That's the only way one can learn and grow. Will post some pictures shortly.

Herculean

2007-02-27T19:42:00.000+08:00

We sometimes take on certain tasks that seem so large and unreachable. But I guess if you work towards is, you would gain some form of direction. Not that I have much direction yet, but I hope to reach a clearing in the next few years.

In Progress

2007-02-08T20:31:00.000+08:00

This is a painting I'm currently working on. Oil on linen. I hope to complete it by the end of this week.

Red Flags: Warning Signs of Suicide

2007-02-07T22:38:00.000+08:00

It is estimated nearly thirty percent of those diagnosed with bipolar disorder will attempt suicide at least once in their lives. The suicide rate is twenty times that of the general population. So, the subject of suicide is not something we can ignore. Each of us needs to know the warnings signs, the red flags so we may be prepared to help a friend in crisis, prepared to see the cry for help from a loved one, prepared to seek help when our own resources for coping have worn thin. The Red Flags | Suicide Crisis Resources

Tiring weekend

2007-02-05T01:27:00.000+08:00

Weekend was hectic as hell, it was great though. Had my open house for Lasalle, was quite involved in it. Managed to document my work that is on display at the Earl Lu Gallery, so I should get it up on my new site soon. Click here to go to my site. It's going to change to a site just for my documentation and maybe a few other things. Still toying around with the idea of a forum for certain issues, lets see how that goes. Been working more on Processing and I really enjoy it. The language isn't really tough at all. This is an example of some work I've done with Processing so far. It's nothing too fancy...yet.

Currently working on another painting, black and white. I do hope to be good at painting someday. Was looking at a book on Lucian Freud over the weekend, he is one of the most amazing painters I have ever come across.

Update

2007-01-30T11:43:00.000+08:00

Been working on my new project, the analog game. There have been ups and downs. It's not very easy creating one, especially one that is original. I have an idea that I'm currently working on, it's probably best not to say what it is now. But I'm quite confident about it...and yea it's got to do with the triangle, as always. I would be quite happy if people get pissed off when they play the game I'm creating. It's good to do that once in a while, or maybe a bit more often than that.

Back to the old

2007-01-18T09:45:00.000+08:00

I'll be doing some work using Processing in the next few weeks. It's a Java based language, which I'm really happy and excited about. It allows me to apply what I had learnt before, which is 3 years of core Java. It will be applied in a very different manner though. I won't be creating systems or managing servers...or writing databases. Rather, this would be more of visualisations, which can use databases, etc but I will not use that yet.

Programming for me is a simple way of thinking. It's logical, broken down into steps...and the possibilities are quite infinite.

Barrel Of A Gun

2007-01-17T00:16:00.000+08:00

I've kinda made a resolution to try and blog a little more. My life can't be that uneventful can it? Maybe try and post some of my work or some ideas up from time to time. It might help, you never know. It's funny that while the whole world is undergoing global warming, so many people are freezing up emotionally, becoming absolutely numb and immune to everything that surrounds them.

I don't belong here

2006-11-07T22:27:00.000+08:00

Nothing is ever true or in its right place.