Final Exhibition Piece

After much editing and changing ideas I feel my poster clearly shows the function while-loop. The different use of colours and arrows really helps to show this and once the write up is read, I personally think the viewer will get a clear idea of how this function works. I like my chosen metaphor as University students will be able to relate to it. Although if I didn't have to match my poster to my original writ up then I personally feel I could have done a lot better with this project. But overall I have done the best I could and really hope the viewer of my poster understands my work well enough to understand what the function while-loop is used for in processing.

Final Background.

Even with the coloured people background I still felt that the poster looked very plain and simple so to add effect to it I'v decided to add bricks to the background as well. With much editing in PhotoShop I came up with the idea of making the poster look as if it was quite old and on a brick wall. 
This is the brick wall image I have used:

Background For Poster

I have taken the image of the people in a que and edited it in PhotoShop by copying the image and adding different colours. I like this idea for a background as it keeps the idea of a cue going.

Poster Layout Final

After receiving the feedback I did from my friends, I have made many changes to the layout of my poster in order for it to be a lot clearer and less confusing. I feel this layout does that. It is very plain and simple at the moment so I am going to add a background to make it look more like a poster and more appealing to those viewing it. I just have to decide on a background. I feel this layout clearly shows how a while-loop works.

Write Up

For my exhibition piece I have created a poster to explain the function while-loop. A while-loop is a control flow statement that allows code to be executed repeatedly based on a condition. The while-loop consists of a block of code and a condition. The condition is evaluated, and if true, the code runs. This repeats until the condition becomes false. If the condition is false from the beginning then the code never runs.

The metaphor I have chosen to use is one I feel many university students will be able to relate to. The kitchen server at the hostel serves dinner to the students and as long as there is student in line, the server continues to serve. This means the condition is true. The grey circuit of photos on the poster represents this. The black circle with the question mark represents the question - ‘is there students in the line?’ Once there are no students in the line the server stops serving, as the condition has become false. This is represented on my poster by the small red arrow going through the question. And if there were no students in the line from the beginning, the server never begins serving. The red line on the left of my poster shows this, as it skips out the loop.

This example of a loop in code can be modelled as:

·         While (there are students in line)

o   Serve the students.

A while-loop is a very handy function to use when it is needed. It can save a lot of time, and code writing.

*Because I wrote the write up for my poster before I had finished my final poster, I had to fit my final poster to my write up which meant I had some restrictions when deciding on my final layout for my poster.

Changes I am making.

After receiving feedback from my friends, I have made many changes to my poster, including editing my photos in Photoshop to make them clearer to understand. I have made the image of the server at the counter black and white with the server in colour. This makes her stand out of the image. 

Instead of using the images with the students in them, I decided to insert people silhouettes. It makes the server stand out more and it clearly shows the movement of the students. Here is an example of the photos:

 

I have also created a better way of showing that the question of 'is there students in the line?' These symbols show whether the question is true or if the question.

Poster One

This is my first design for my poster:

Feedback:

Julie Russel - 'I personally find this poster is rather confusing. The layout of the lines doesn't really show what the loop is, and in the photos the server does not stand out in the photos. The colours of the arrows does help give understanding of what way the images go. Although after reading the write up, it does become a lot easier to understand'.

Maria Chang - 'I understood the poster after reading the write up, but until then I didn't really understand what the poster was trying to show. The lights in the photos above the server are very distracting as they are very bright and seem to take over the photo. Without the write up I would not of understood the poster because the layout is quite confusing'.

Hayden Taylor - I agree with the others. Without the write up and the arrows, the poster would not be understandable. The circle at the top of the poster is not needed. It personally just confused me. The write is good as it is easy to understand and definitely explains what a while-loop is.

New Layout of Poster

 I did not realize that our exhibition piece could not contain words so I have changed the layout in order for it to show a loop without having words on the poster.

Photos I'm using

Here are just a few of the photos I have taken to use in my exhibition piece:

 

 

 

 

My Chosen Idea

The idea that I have chosen to make is Idea 3 - The Poster. I chose this because I feel I make can make it show clearly what a while loop is and what it does. Also because of the Metaphor as living in a hostel and being served dinner is a very common experience for many university students.

Time Management Plan

I have not yet decided if I am doing a stop motion or a poster but I've made my Time Management Plan to fit both ideas.

Planning and Ideas.

Possible Metaphors for a While-loop:

1) A packager prepares orders by packing items into boxes. If there are no items, he never starts packing. As long as   there are items, he continues to pack. When he runs out of items he stops packing.

2)  A checkout worker serves customers as long as there are customers in line. When there are no customers, she has time to handle previous orders. While" and the condition "there is a customer in line" continues until the condition is no longer true. Then the customer service representative handles previous orders.

3) A dinner server at the hostel serves food to the students. If there are no students in line to begin with, the server never begins serving. As long as there is students in the line, he continues to serve. When the line of students ends he stops serving.

4) Electrons in a light circuit. While the switch is on, the electrons flow to the bulb. As long as the switch is on, the electrons keep flowing. Once the switch is turned off, or the battery runs out, the electrons stop

Top Three Exhibition Ideas:

- Idea One: Metaphor two could be made into a stop motion clip. Using clear photos I could get the message across of what a while-loop is.

Equipment:        Camera

                              Tripod

                              Computer (iMovie)

Costing: There would be no cost in the making of this idea.

Time Management: I could possibly be pushing it to make this idea in time. It will be a lot to get enough photos taken to get the idea of a while-loop across. The editing would also take quite a bit of time. So I would probably not get this idea done in time.

- Idea Two: Metaphor four could be made into a application on Processing. I would include a on/off switch in the app and have electrons flow around a circuit.

Equipment:       Computer
                          Processing
Costing: This idea would not cost anything to make as it would be all done on the computer.

Time Management: I don't think this idea would be possible to make in the amount of time we have. I also don't have the best skills when using the Processing program so would probably struggle a lot to make this idea.

- Idea Three: Metaphor three could be made into either a stop motion or a poster.

Equipment:        Camera
                            Tripod
                            Computer (PhotoShop or iMovie)
                           Paper
                           Printing

Costing: This either would either cost nothing, or less than $10, depending on what option I choose. Making a stop motion wouldn't cost anything and making a poster would cost less than $10 to get printed.

Time Management: This idea would be managable with the amount of time we have left. I would get the main of my idea done during this week until the 22nd of May, then fix up anything needed and have the report done by the 27th.






SKETCHES:

Analysis and Exploration of Processing Applications.

Because my chosen processing tool is 'while-loop', I typed in 'while-loop' into the search engine on OpenProcessing to find applications people had made that contain a while loop.


I came across this application that I quite liked: 
1- http://www.openprocessing.org/visuals/?visualID=22793 
In this application it simulates a random walker which attaches itself to any structures it touches, which leads to an overall growth in the shape of the structure. The while in this application is whats keeping the walker wandering around looking for a position where it has a neighbor to attach to. This then turns ON its current position and attaches itself to the existing structure it is touching because the condition is TRUE. The while will continually attach the walker to a structure as long as it touches a existing structure. As soon as it doesn't touch or runs out of neighbors to attach to, the while will stop because the condition has become false.

      
Here is two images, one while its quite small, and one when its grown a little bit.






I have personally struggled with this task. I do understand my function but I find it really difficult to completely understand with it is doing in other peoples applications as i haven't written the code myself and i find decoding other applications quite difficult.

My Chosen Programming Tool - 'While-loop'

The term I have chosen to use for this project is 'While - Loop'. The definition of a while-loop on the processing reference website is: Controls a sequence of repetitions. The while structure executes a series of statements continuously while the expression is true. The expression must be updated during the repetitions or the program will never "break out" of while.

A simpler statement that I understand better is: a While-loop is a control flow statement that allows code to be executed repeatedly based on a given boolean condition. It can be thought of a repeating 'if' statement. The while consists of a block of code and a condition. The condition is evaluated, and if true, the code runs. This repeats until the condition becomes false. 

PROJECT THREE - Coding Expedition

Your task is to choose a basic programming operation and - by creating a metaphor - present it in such a way that the exhibition spectators understand it. You are completely free to choose whatever medium you find appropriate.Your task is to choose a basic programming operation and - by creating a metaphor - present it in such a way that the exhibition spectators understand it. You are completely free to choose whatever medium you find appropriate.
  

Evaluation

Over all I am very pleased with how my final application has turned out. It meets all ingredients of sound, visuals and interactive. I find it enjoyable to play with and I hope others do as well.


In the beginning of the project I was really struggling and without the extra tutorial and extra help sessions with the tutors I would not have got as far as I did. They helped me a lot by talking me through different steps while creating my application.


I now have a way better understanding of the Processing Program and I'm slowly learning how it work out codes for myself. I feel the standard of my work has increased a lot from the first project and I now understand how important it is the blog everything as I go.

Transformation Final. URL link to OpenProcessing.

http://www.openprocessing.org/visuals/?visualID=28004 - Project Two. Transformation.




I have uploaded my final application to the OpenProcessing website and have also added it to both the Creative Coding 142 classroom page and the Transformation sub-collection.

Screen Shot of blue circles.

I personally think the colour blue looks much better than the red did. The red stood out just a bit to much and seemed to take the screen over a lot quicker than the blue does. I am glad I made this decision.

Progress during break

After many hours searching online for free sound effects downloads, I came across four that I thought would work together well on my application. I have have to convert the files to mp3s and then add them to my app. Once this is done I would have finished my project and will upload it to my openprocessing account.




I have also decided to change the colour of the circles to blue. I think it looks a lot better on the white background.