Cityscapes
Interactive Installation
Cityscapes is an interactive projection installation for those with the imaginative hope of somehow being able to transport to a beautiful city as easily it is to send mail through the posting of a stamp. Using Processing, MadMapper and Arduino rfid hardware, Cityscapes was able to come to life just by placing a stamp of a specific city onto a box (shaped like an envelope) and having it project the corresponding city in a nighttime sketchy illustration style with moving parts. It was a passion project brought to life with the use of the illustration style and sculpture media mix.
DEVELOPMENT
The Initial Sketch of the overall idea
The Initial Sketch of the overall idea
Using photoshop, we layered the four chosen skylines on top of each other. From there on a new layer, there were blocked out areas where all four meet to create a brand new skyline to fit all four skylines.
Taking the new ‘skyline’ and fitting it into each of the cities landmarks and identifying monuments.
Using black to block out areas where black will be project and using the
varying grays to show what will be on each layer of foam.
Using black to block out areas where black will be project and using the
varying grays to show what will be on each layer of foam.
After fitting each skyline, a cool toned color palette was used to block out colors of each building.
From there, shading, hatching, and texture were added to give it a unique look
and feel that feels cohesive through all four illustrations.
and feel that feels cohesive through all four illustrations.
This is the foreground piece that will stay consistent throughout all four skyline illustrations.
This part will be projected the front most piece of the sculpture.
This part will be projected the front most piece of the sculpture.
From there, a 60x40 foam board was taken and cut into four 30x20 boards.
Then a rough projection was done projecting the finished illustration of the Paris
skyline onto the board to make sure all dimensions were correct.
Then a rough projection was done projecting the finished illustration of the Paris
skyline onto the board to make sure all dimensions were correct.
Next using tiled tracing paper, we made a template by projecting the sketches onto the 30x20 boards and traced the template. To ensure that each sketched skyline still fit into the pieces.
Then, each illustration section from the tracing paper was cut and taped it to the foam board.
The illustration was projected once again onto the boards and set up to project on
before glueing them down permanently.
before glueing them down permanently.
Here it is projected from a small projector in a smaller space with all the pieces in place to see
proportions and dimensions, as well as how far it should potentially be.
proportions and dimensions, as well as how far it should potentially be.
After that, the sculpture was taken into the space it would occupying in the end, to
madmapper the final illustrations and make sure it’s as close to the projection as possible.
madmapper the final illustrations and make sure it’s as close to the projection as possible.
Each illustration was animated using after effects. You’ll notice some elements spinning,
twinkling lights and some flickering window lights.
twinkling lights and some flickering window lights.
Here are the final projections with the illustrated gifs
A stamp was made for each illustrated skyline.
Each stamp would then have a sticker connected to the Arduino rfid and Processing code
that would flicker through each skyline when placed on the Arduino touch thing
that would flicker through each skyline when placed on the Arduino touch thing
A box was made out of the left over foam board. The box itself was made to big enough to house
the arduino but also to be the size of a small envelope. This gave the illusion of “stamping” to
send the letter off to the city the skyline is illustrated to be.
the arduino but also to be the size of a small envelope. This gave the illusion of “stamping” to
send the letter off to the city the skyline is illustrated to be.
Here is a still of the project in use, this person placed the NYC stamp on the designated spot
on the box and the skyline is project to reflect that.
on the box and the skyline is project to reflect that.
Here is a video of a person using the installation in the space.
