Project 3 - Processing function - Ellipse

Ellipses - Wave conformity on a fluid surface

My theme throughout 142 Creative coding has been quite linear. In project one, I created wallpaper fashioned purely out of ellipses (arcs). In project two, I modified 3D water scripts to make it 2D, added audio which gave it a more lively feel when interacted with. For my final project I wanted to expose what I discovered during these assignments - also focused on ellipses. How do objects interact with a fluid surface? When spheres and cirlces collide with a surface, it makes sense that they make sphere shaped waves. What about geometric shapes? As it turns out, initially at the time of impact the wave starts out with a direct linear relationship to the shape which displaced/shaped it. Once the waves distance from origin passes a certain point however, the wave begins to curve away from the normal - essentially becoming elliptical. I believe what is happening is where two waves intersect, either perpindicularly or more acute, the waves energy dissipates or is disrupted with either cancelling effects or by shear integrity losses, creating a drag effect. There is very little explanation covered in full descriptions of Snell's law of fluid mechanics, but I am sure if I knew the scientific name of a phenomina I would be able to share more freely about it. To describe what I have been dazzled by, I created a linoleum etching with a charcoal paint relief, using 1970's vintage linoleum and charcoal power with water. One side of the relief is geometric and the other side is elliptical - this is to express the phenomina of geometric sourced waves, conforming to ellipses on a fluid surface.

 

After Assignment 1 I wanted to continue on with my theme of ellipses and curves in a repetitve mode and composition. The most natural source of this particular pattern occurs best in the interaction of water. The same repetitive function that I created in my first assignment was pushed into a 3D model with some help and recomposition to be then forwarded onto an interaction where random and entirely uniqure compositions of ellipses are created when the user interacts with the mouse and the programme. When the mouse is clicked and held down, the sound of water moving is faded in to give the user a feeling of interacting with digital water. Once the mouse button is released, the sound fades out at the same time the ellipeses lose their power and cease to be visible.

Assignment 1 // Wallpaper

This set of designs was inspired by earlier experimentation with coaxial curves in confined spaces (see sketch board below). The repition of semi-circular elipses was used in a grid format, where an opposing twin was overlayed in various squences - offset and perfect mirror, to create some simple, yet effective patterns which are unique and I believe are aesthetically pleasing to view.

It took alot of experimentation and required also some experienced help to allow me to complete this set of patterns, however I believe I will be able to create more complex designs in the near future.

These are the set of 4 sketches I designed for the first assignment. The inspirations came from windy, fluid forms, supported by repetitious structure and oppositional formats. The fourth sketch (bottom right) was a bit of a wild card, which was an attempt to depict random pressure changes in tunnels, also perhaps the waves of viscious layered material of some kind - i.e liquid plastic of some kind - the background represents a cast or block for the design to be bored into.

Currently I am working on the process to combine these two designs using the coding programe "Processing" at Victoria University's Faculty of Architecture and Design
For my pattern I am going to combine these two designs to make a series of overlapping - opposing elipses to create tubular "jacks" (i.e union jack). The code will be posted on http://www.openprocessing.org/portal/?userID=10412

Above these sketches will show scans of my original hand drawn inspirations which have encourgaed me to take this step in direction.

Cam