October 12, 2014

The Weeks Just Keep on Getting Busier!

Hey guys!

This was another pretty productive week! Andrew and I ran two workshops in how to use Agisoft PhotoScan. The first workshop had no turnout unfortunately–but our second one this past Friday had a few very interested and excited people come along. I explained how the software worked and showed some examples of running through the workflow of building a 3D model based on a set of photographs. It’s a pretty awesome software package–but also needs some finesse i understanding the settings to get better results. These settings are key, because a single set of photographs has the potential to have great alignment–or not–all dependent on which settings one uses. I beseech someone to come out to the next set of workshops we hold this semester! We have the software installed on all out computers and that means we can start doing a lot of on-the-fly modeling in the workshops with various groups working at different workstations!

Next week my goal is to finish figuring out how to create a 3 cube based on a list of points rather than just a 2D plane–I’ve tried and failed a few times already so I have to go back to reading up on the workflow surrounding the triangle stripping. I’ll be excited to share with you next week what I figure out! This will help get our buildings accurate in in the 3D reconstruction of Decatur St–because I can start inputting accurate measurements for buildings that don’t follow a strict right-angle cubic polygon–which is all the buildings and sidewalks. We have another meeting scheduled with Michael Page from Emory coming up as well to start learning how GSU and Emory can team up to get this project running faster.

The last thing I want to mention is digital signage and some cool ideas we have about it for our campus. We’re in the process of linking two iPads together through a live video stream with the goal of creating a ‘portal’ around campus. One screen may be set in the student center, while another might be set in the plaza. This will allow students to see one another an interact from different places across campus in a novel little portal-like window. If the venture goes well–we may add more so be on the look out!

Cheers,

Robert

September 29, 2014

3D Reconstruction of 81 Decatur Street Project

Hey Guys!

Just wanted to talk a little this week about the project some of the SIFs and I are working on! It’s been a rough week due to a stagnant cold that’s been ailing me, but we’ve managed to accumulate a lot of good data to throw at this project. What is it you ask? Well–every time you happen to walk by Classroom South on Decatur St, there is actually a rich history swept underneath the building that now stands there, namely 81 Theatre. It started as a Vaudeville stage and slowly evolved into a popular African American theatre in the 30s onward. The street was bustling with activity–pool halls, barber shops, clubs…it was an extension of the Auburn Avenue community’s spark.

So our team wants to rebuild this block of Decatur St as an interactive environment–a game of sorts. If you’ve been reading my blog up until this point, you’ll know how into gamifying experiences I am. By adding a layer of engaging interactivity to this historical environment–we hope to promote education through engaging experiences that reflect what the different departments we represent do best: English and Literature, Anthropology, Geography, and Computer Science. It’s one thing to build a historically accurate 3D environment through maps and computing–it’s another thing entirely to fill it with narrative and meaningful culture that grabs attention and keeps it engaged. Can someone interact with this small microcosm and leave that interaction knowing more about the past than they realize? It’s hard to say, but I’m confident we’ll do a good job between CURVE and the Exchange’s combined resources.

Here’s a screen grab of the very primitive block I’ve started building. The placement textured facades of buildings have exact widths that are historically accurate. I’m working on the heights. How am I getting this information? Glad you asked. GSU’s library has a vast, untapped resource of historical maps and photographs from the 20s, 30s, and 40s. The maps are various city planning maps that contain incredible details: sidewalk widths, facade widths, interior measurements, occupant business names, placement of fire hydrants, sidewalk materials(tiled or granite), street car lines, and much more. Combining these maps with the numerous photographs we’ve already found–we have incredible historical detail to work with.

We’ll be sure to keep you updated on the progress we accomplish! It’s going to be awesome.

Cheers,

Robert