22. Things For the Frame

I have been sourcing things, for my framework and reflecting on what I think can attribute to visual metaphors and analogies. I've taken influence from the work of Fleming and Kolbs learning models. Both have surveys that denote what type of learner you are, by looking at these I can try to ensure my work meets these requirements and thus reaches visual learners and possible Kinaesthetic learners if interactivity was included.
There will be holes or parts that will need addressing, breaking down or thinking. So far I have:

1. Memorability
2. Concept Complexity
3. Visual Style
4. Levels of the metaphor - strength
5. Age demographic
6. Visual Impact
7. Interactivity
8. Encoding of information
9. Ability to picture
10. 2.5 D concept

My theory is that they all are dependant on each other, one casing an effect on the other.
For example, the concept complexity denotes the age demographic, which affects the visual style, levels of metaphor and encoding of information. I will test these out on the imagery that I have encountered so far and see what else i could break apart.

In the end I hope to have a dynamic chart where you can see how the framework interacts. You could decide one factor and see how it effects the rest.

http://www.faculty.mun.ca/cmattatall/WhatWorks-Marzano.pdf

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/memorable-images-0524.html

http://www.journeytoexcellence.org.uk/resourcesandcpd/research/summaries/rslearningstyles.asp

21. Bit of an Exhibitionist

Above is a rough, very rough layout of the showcase (thankfully still very far away)

I wanted to have the two main projects, continental drift and DNA library as the focal point with a possibility of having a visualisation of my final framework at the bottom to better show how all of the theory interacts and changes the output of the project.

Looking at this visual imagery that would normally be found in a science book helps me to see just how it can be broken down. Seeing the elements laid out in such a way helps to simplify a complex topic, it is still rather hard to follow in places ironically due to the lack of visual that can be found. With each cell containing 46 chromosomes 23 from the mother and 23 from the father I need to be sure that im making it clear that these are separate in the final imagery. 

20. The spools of life

After my meeting with Brian last week he suggested looking up Henri Bergson as perhaps a good source on the workings of memory and time. 

After researching him I discovered that he had some interesting metaphors for his own concepts on duration in introduction to metaphysics that were very provocative;

"two spools, one unrolling to represent the continuous flow of ageing as one feels oneself moving toward the end of one's life-span, the other rolling up to represent the continuous growth of memory" - Henri Bergson

I have done a little in my sketchbook, however, it will have to be continued after the deadlines today.
Could lead to some very abstract imagery, but I think soon I will have to pick my core concepts to focus on and polish, then iterate them against my framework.

19. Doing Everything By the Book

I have gotten thought the, experience based import/ export business that come with using MudBox and have a few models that have differencing levels of polys. I also created a normal map that I still need to so more experimenting with before its perfected. 

Its a lot more organic than the other bookcase, which was one of my target goals. This works well as it makes the visual flow more complete - organic embryo > organic bookshelf
This will benefit the final output as the better flow will work well with visual learners, making it easier to follow and thus allowing them to focus on making the connection/ absorbing information.

My Next challenge will be making a bookcase embryo and looking further into shades that can make a visually convincing embryo. For now I have sourced a free model and shader to establish a good foundation for my own assets, and also experiment with how they interact with each other. 

http://www.creativecrash.com/downloads/electron_microscope_pollen

The above model is meant to be that of a pollen spore, though i thought with experimenting with the shadersattributes it could serve as a fairly convincing embryo

With reference to the embryo inspiration board, I thought that playing with red and purple hues it could make it more true to life.

I finally squashed the model to see if it would give it more of a discus shape to work with, this would make it easier to morph the one model to another. 

18. Pulling Books off the Shelf

I have Revived my Proposal feedback! And had a meeting with my supervisor. Im hitting the ground running from that. I feel horrifically behind on practical work after working on my proposal over the break, but onwards and upwards. Its very clear now that the metaphorical work is where I am aiming at, my framework is still in the works after only getting feedback on it. So! I think I am going to focus on the DNA library concept for now as it seems the most true and interesting currently along side the Lava Lamp of Continental Drift. 

After collecting some key images for inspiration and reference I wanted to create something that was a fusion of the embryo and bookcase, almost like a capsule for the 'books' or chromosomes.  

A quick digital sketch to work out the spacing of the books, the number is important as it is integral to the success of conveying  factual information versus more slack representations. The colouring represents the mothers 23 books (red) and the fathers 23 books (blue) I wanted to pick rather washed out colours to further represent and create connections to the old hard back books that are on 'serious' topic in the library, such as law. This enforces that the content of them is established and almost peer mediated in that its not just existing from nowhere, there is a system. This system is conception > building > birth, these books have a serious purpose. 

Iterations need to be made to the design, possibly having cells that are duplicated and have the 'library' copied around to show that it remains the same when the cell splits and duplicates itself.

I have been thinking on the practicalities of what media to use, I think for now I have decided to go with an animation from egg > egg library (above) > bookcase model with rigged books > open book showing text

This would allow for the whole analogy to play out, creating connections and enforcing them though the visuals. I have been looking into how to use blending to morph two models together, as i would like the embryo and embryo bookcase to merge from one model to another. Almost as the segmentations are revealed and have always been there, then it becomes more like a bookcase, in its colour and arrangement. 

Link  below to articele on Morphing of topology. 

http://ncca.bournemouth.ac.uk/gallery/view/120/Morphing_of_Polyhedral_Objects_of_Different_Topology

Abstract:
The technique to transform one object into another has been widely used in the entertainment industry as well as science. To graphically present morphing the current technique is to transform between 2D images. This can be extended to transform between 3D objects, which has many advantages over the 2D approach. The problems with 3D morphing includes keeping a convincing form throughout the sequence due to the different topological arrangement of objects. This paper proposes a tool to morph between two 3D objects regardless of their topology and with controls in which the user can manipulate to define the morph.

I have also found a free to use rigged book! This was the deciding news that made me go with using Maya for the animation. The rig even comes with two meshes so i can use them to represent the older books/genetic material and newer books / younger genetic material. 

Below is the demo reel for the rig. Its simple but very well made. I have encountered some issues with UV mapping the book which has slowed progress, however, I think I can overcome them and it will be the perfect rig to use. 

I am not a very good modeller at all, but i have endeavoured to crate a bookcase.. and it has not tris, or poles, or 5 sided polygons! A personal best for me! I have UV mapped and am looking into taking it into MudBox, a program which I have had no prior experience with, but would like to sculpt the embryo/ embryo bookcase in there so I thought i could make a more organic shaped bookcase to serve for two purposes:

1, To create a better flow from  embryo bookcase model as it will be more rounded, possible keeping more of a stable connection to its source concept
2. To allow me to get to grips with the importing and exporting Maya> Mudbox >Maya developing a new tool-set

The bookcase is simple, but it is well made in polygon terms. Next to take it into Mudbox.

17. Ebb and Flow

The eb and Flow of the planets continents is very fluid and upon reflecting on the rise and fall of the mountains made me think about how the movement is like that of a spherical Lava lamp.

An analogy could be formed that the Earth's surface (continental drift) moves, combines and separates in a fluid manner much like that of a super slow lava lamp. 

An animation of land mass beginning with the original mass of Pangea could be made. Showing how the land mass got to be how it is today and how it will continue to change and drift, fueled by the hot core of the earth.

Critical Framework

This would work well with the  framework as has natural commonalities that don't take encoding to take in the information. 

The Lewinian Experiential Learning Model

As with the elemental flowers it is more of a codding of information  where as this shared aspects of the earth and the lava lamp connect a lot better on my levels, creating a more natural metaphor. This is similar to the analogy train reviewed in the last few posts, in that it shares a lot of close knit connections that 'naturally' occur to the mind.  I will be keeping a note of the different types of metaphor or analogy that I encounter as i am starting to see their diversity, I could be that they can be used in different ways to better the educational curriculum.