I know, it has been a very long time since I’ve blogged here… perhaps this post marks a revival of sorts - only time will tell.

A while back I worked with and even made a brief demonstration machinima video of my explorations in using the Lighting and Shadows settings.

I have been playing again with what I call shadow projections.  I am taking advantage of the ability place images and choose color when working with Light in the build menu.  Since some have asked… 

Specifically: Build>Features tab> check box “Light”

• Choose color and image in the two windows to the right of the check box.  These operate just like image and color windows in the Texture tab.
• I recommend thinking of the image as a stencil.
• The surface must be a color other than pure black, the lighter the grey the brighter the image.

But wait, I can’t see anything?  Apparently it is only possible to see the effects if you can operate with the “Lighting and Shadows” box checked in the advanced graphics settings.  

Specifically: Preferences>Graphics>General Tab> select check box “Lighting and Shadows”.

• This path is specific to the current Firestorm viewer. 
• However, any viewer that allows you access via preferences to advanced graphics setting (beyond simply choosing Low to Ultra render quality) should work.  Look for a setting allowing you to activate Lighting and Shadows.

Once settings are good, and your viewer is also set to Nighttime then have a look around.

• If you find this is difficult on your machine or the sim is lagging (it is mainland after all), then park your avatar and view via fly camera mode, etc.
• The Sphere is entered from above… sit on the glowing cubes and observe the rotating images.
• The Cube is entered by simply walking into the inner cube (the cubes are phantom).
• Unfortunately, it is close quarters in the cube... again fly camera mode may be best for viewing here.
• Along the viewing screen at the East Edge of the platform are some “projectors” casting images onto a wall.  Here I am experimenting with how to shape, focus and point the images at objects.

Please note all pieces are still works in progress.

 

Also note, the figures in orange & yellow colors are unrelated to the shadow projector projects… just another unfinished work.

For those that want to see in Second Life here is the link to Anzac.

Here are some sample images of the type of lighting effects I'm getting. Not revolutionary and likely old hat to some, but I'm enjoying exploring the possibilities.  I hope you enjoy as well.

Using directed projections... 

View from inside the Sphere... have a seat and let the images scroll by...

Inside cube, walk thru walls or fly camera in to view...

View from high above platform... 

"The only art I'll ever study... "

Ok... lets face it I am an infrequent blogger.  But tonight I feel compelled to share one of those mind expanding moments that can only happen when we discover something fresh, creative and new (to me).

After a long day at work... 12 hours... I got home and really only had energy to check my email.  So there I was looking at an email from NPR and noticed it highlighted their latest Tiny Desk concert.  This is a series of videos of musicians and bands that perform in a corner of the NPR music offices (perhaps a musician is brought in for an interview and in some cases they perform in the offices for about 20 mins).  I idly followed the link and saw it was a guy called Kishi Bishi.  I'd never heard of him, but the write up spoke of how he combined 21st Century pop and classical sensibilities in real time as a one man band.

I clicked the link and what unfolded fired my imagination and blew my mind.  Literally it was mind expanding... watching him perform meshed completely with something I've been reading recently called Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon.  The premise of the book is the idea that proof of creativity requires some sort of originality and declares that to be a misconception.  He takes what amounts to a post-modern stance declaring that there really isn't anything new, nothing is pure originality. My favorite way of thinking history as a wave full of ideas and future is that wave of ideas cresting and breaking against the shore of the present and there for completely mixing, dissolving and re-creating those ideas.  For Kleon, creativity is really the re-purposing of known content.  Essentially creativity is a mash up.  He quotes many artists to bolster this idea... such as "The only art I'll ever study is stuff that I can steal from." - David Bowie.  An idea I like since I seem to struggle coming up w/ anything that feels original...lol

Back to Kishi Bishi... he takes his own performance informed by his knowledge of classic music and popular music and repurposes the performance to create a real time digital mash up.  Think a DJ re-mix of his actual performance as he performs.  For example, he may hum 2 bars, digitally loop that and then sing harmony to the humming in real time w/o skipping a beat (literally w/o skipping a musical beat).  Clearly it defines my paltry attempt to describe it.  Just watch... and enjoy.

Kishi Bishi Tiny Desk Concert NPR