Break Wk3 - Grad Show AV Requirements

Chris has asked for our requirements from an AV requirement perspective.  My e-mail:

I'd require the 5 iMacs on plinths (still organising plinths... I hope), with associated power... minimum 1 keyboard and mouse for setup...  iMacs will communicate with each other via a wireless connection with each other.  An additional plinth will sit nearby to display my two objects.  I'd prefer to have sound coming from the installation but if headphones are needed then that's fine... Otherwise, I'd like to connect my 2.1 speaker setup, thus meaning 6 power points.

From a location perspective, if it out in the open, I'd like it to be in a corner, not facing a light source (ie, window) so that I avoid glare.

If you require more info or to discuss further, please advise.

The response:

We are going to to have to be creative, as I don't think we have 5 iMacs. I understand we have 13 for the entire show! Can you outline a possible alternative?

We will get your work installed and looking impressive, somehow.

The logistics of moving from 5 to 3 seems impossible in my head.  Apparently I need a backup though... I don't know.

Chris said to have a look at the spot he thinks will work for me... I've taken a photo of it:

Wk11 - Status update for Chris.

Chris requested a status update of our work, I provided the following:

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As you know, my work kinda evolves over the course of a semester so it's far from what I had in mind when I started but the work now involves two components:

1) A fly-thru of a customised Mandelbox, presented on five monitors at head height, so that the person standing in the shape can experience the complexity inside one.

Current Status: Base renders are complete... Just rendering out the various final movies which will play on the screens.  Should be done by cob tomorrow.  The rest is logistics of getting 5 plinths and 5 imacs but that's in the process of being sorted through JP and hopefully James (Holland).  I want to do a test-run next week with JP's help.

2) The development of a physical interpretation of a Mandelbox, the one that is shown in the fly-thru... I currently have one physical representation in plastic and by next week I should have one in sandstone... both will be presented alongside the fly-thru sitting on a plinth.  Both are 5cm cubes.  

Current status: I have made the reflective base they'll sit on... made one metal stand and yet to make the other, should be done this weekend.

What's left to do: - Documentation to reflect complexity of bringing the Mandelbox into physical world. - Flesh out missing parts of my blog - Two supporting renders will be presented as well... one involving the HD fly-thru I did earlier in the semester and one involving the possible ambient occlusion render of a particle-based fly-thru.  The later will only be completed and shown if everything else has come together.

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Wk10 - Assessment AV Requirements

JP asked for assessment AV requirements.

I sent the following response:
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I'm displaying for assessment in the Green Room on the 22nd of November.

5 plinths AND monitors/computers (must be networked to allow for synchronised video playback - I have a program for this) - ideally monitors at standard head height.  I'll need audio for one of these computers... fed through the green room stereo.

1 plinth for display of physical object(s)

1 additional computer for display of alternate animation.

1 computer for scrollable website content.

One of those could use the projector but I'd prefer monitors.

Is that doable?  Please advise.

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Wk2 - Wherefore art thou Mandelbox Script?

I really am having no luck in finding script for a Mandelbox... I'm kinda losing hope.  Other than a few very old programs that can generate a Mandelbox (including some that once worked), I'm coming up empty, particularly on the Maya front.

I've even joined Fractal Forums in the hopes that they might know something... it's taking ages for them to accept my registration though...

On the off chance, I've decided to send the following e-mail to Duncan Brinsmead to see if he can assist:

Hi Duncan,

My name is Terrence Craig, you don't know me.  On the off chance, I was wondering whether you might have some script for the Mandelbox or Mandelbulb for Maya that you could share with me.  For once the internet is failing me.

Just for some background, I'm a third year student doing Digital Media at the Australian National University.  A lecturer of mine (Kit Devine) showed me your Mandelbrot presentation.  I found it very inspiring, particularly when you went into the 3D world of the Mandelbulb and the Mandelbox.

I'm hoping to make such an object for my major project this semester, tweaking the code so that it becomes somewhat unique then add atmosphere, etc and do a fly-through.  I find myself very disappointed though that I cannot find any scripts on the net that will generate such an object.  I can see that there are specialised programs for Windows but I'd prefer to use Maya, on a mac, due to the power and control it would provide.

My background is in programming but my experience with Maya is quite limited to date because my art works haven't required it  I'm not scared of MEL or Python though.

If you could assist in any way, possibly even pointing me to a resource to find such a script to generate those 3D shapes, I'd be extremely appreciative.

Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

Regards, Terrence.