Art Cam – early development of new iPhone app

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Have just started on a new iPhone project, literally just a few days in and just got some basic code up and running on Saturday, which was also the date of the ‘Life in a Day’ global film experiment, so I’d thought I’d try and document getting the first results of my Art Cam app and submit this… not all my days are like this, but enough to make me love my job…

I want Art Cam to merge everything I love – photography, art, painting and image processing – into a single real time creative experience, to create still art, or animations.  Algorithms, brushes, fx can all be creatively and interactively changed and experimented with in real time through a live camera view, you will also be able to ‘paint’ in detail and affect the general image processing though multi touch.

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Zio 1.1 for iOS 4, new features, free app.

Zio, the one and only graphic and audio reactive visualizer for iPhone, now a single free app on iTunes, initially US only, rest of world to follow…

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**IMPORTANT NOTICE**

There seems to be crashing issues with the new update adversely affecting older devices due to iOS 4 extra memory demands – I’ve just been working to resolve this and the problem seems to be fixed – Look out for another update in about a week!

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New features in version 1.1 -

- 10 predesigned visualizer presets.

- ‘Trails’ render mode, generates motion trails of entire graphic scene.

- ‘Paint’ render mode, redraws continually over graphic scene, in effect becoming an interactive, animated painting tool.

- Randomizer function – Completely randomizes all the settings to quicky and easily generate new Zio visualizations.

- Automatic timer to randomly shuffle through presets.

- External VGA projection support (iPhone 4/iPad VGA adapter compatible).

- iAds supported (disables after 3 min, future updates will include purchase option to disable completely).

- Autolock override.

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(Preset Gallery)

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(Trails mode example)

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(Paint mode example)

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(Randomizer gallery examples)

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(Help Screens)

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(Full app Description)

An interactive generative art visualizer – explore and interact with an endlessly generating world of organic, audio reactive visuals.

** 2009 Best App Ever Awards finalist **

http://www.148apps.com

** 15 Best and Must Have iPhone Apps of 2009 **

http://www.creativeapplications.net

** “Download this amazing app and have an eyegasm” **

http://www.synthtopia.com

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- Use drag and pinch to pan, move and rotate through space.

- Pause / play, save snaphots to your photo library.

- Switch on audio reactive visuals (for devices with mic only).

- Comes with 3 unique preset Zio worlds.

- Shake to shuffle between presets.

Using the same Zio animation technology, Glenn collaborated with Peter Gabriel to create The Nest That Sailed The Sky music video which won at Prix Ars Electronica 2009, one of the biggest computer arts festivals in the world.

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http://www.vimeo.com/3245120

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Zio Studio

With the Zio Studio toolset you can customize or design from scratch your own unique interactive visualizations and digital artworks.  Featuring 60+ editable parameters and 5 interface screens, you can alter and experiment with just about everything.

- Size, shape and growth of branches.

- Particle motion and dynamics.

- Colours, shading and special effects.

- Audio reaction settings for individual graphics.

- Alter the underlying math algorithms.

- Camera tracking and motion.

- Watch Zio react in real time as you make changes.

- 10 user preset slots to save your creations.

- Full visual instruction and help guide built in.

Zio is a fusion of science, technology, art, nature, mathematics and philosophy.  Use it for the experience you want.

- A zen garden in your pocket.

- A sophisticated eco-graphic design tool for still art.

- An interactive meditation and therapeutic ‘aquarium’.

- An audio reactive bio-world.

- A performance instrument for organic visuals.

- An endlessly generating music video for your iPod library.

Think Zen.  Think Bio.

Metamorphosis and beyond…

It’s nice to be able to celebrate the 300,000+ plays on Vimeo of my generative animation piece Metamorphosis, and tell of where else it has been, and going to.

I’ve actually lost track of the requests I’ve had for it, for festivals, screenings, private use etc, and so many kind comments and emails, from Planetariums, Churches, even from people dying from cancer using it as therapy.

Alas I just don’t have the time to submit to every festival that requests it, or maybe I’m lazy.  They usually have to keep badgering me before I give in.  Two such recent screenings were as an installation at the Edinburgh Film Festival and at the Athens Video Art Festival.

Metamorphosis has proved more popular than anything else I’ve done.  It’s been my ‘big hit’. I often contemplate this.  Maybe because it’s not ‘too’ abstract, the eternal symbolism of the Butterfly, coupled with a generative animation concept that mirrors the cycle of life and death, and the potent atmosphere from the Boards of Canada soundtrack.

Anyway, it seems fitting that I should bring its journey to an ‘end’ by designing a real time, interactive version, for iPad.  Technically more challenging than my Eyegasms and Supernova, but I feel I have to do it.

It will also bring an end to this chapter of my generative animation work, before trying out other things, I’m already prototyping and brainstorming some very different and ambitious projects

p.s. all my generative apps for iPad (Eyegasm, Supernova) are getting updated for VGA projection, with added speed & color settings.  I’m also updating Zio at the minute for iOS 4 – which will also have VGA support!