Looping new realities

[Jamie Lack <jlack@auran.com>]

 Stew Benedict wrote:

 >I know this thread sort-of died already, but I just saw this and maybe
>it might stir someone's imagination out there.  (I know it did mine -
if
> only had $8K to drop and lots of free time).

> Softimage (www.softimage.com) has a package for 3D computer animation
>that has hooks to MIDI, so a creative looper, animator could design
>his/her own creation and then animate by sound!

 >There's a whole write up in 3D Design mag. If anyone's interested I
>>could scan the article and email it to you.



I am pretty sure that this use of midi is primarily aimed at external
control of animation parameters.
So, if you have a creature modelled in 3D for example, 
and fully prepared for animation with expressions and Inverse
kinematics, 
you can assign certain expressions to sliders on a midi device or a
pitch wheel or whatever.

You can then record you're animation and manipulate the midi devices in
real time, 
assuming your system is powerful enough.
( The computer needed to do this would cost way more than $8k :)   )
It would be preferable I suppose to "compose" the variation of midi
values in accordance 
to the sounds you were animating to.

Softimage is not the only package that does this.
3DStudio MAX 2 does this natively, and I am sure that Alias on SGI does
it too.

Another neat thing that you can do in 3DStudio MAX is use an audio
waveform 
to control values for any animatable parameter.

The basic limitation, however, to all of this is that for anything other
than very simple 3D objects, 
it is strictly non-realtime.
Sigh....
If you want to play real-time loops and have visual reflections of those
loops, 
it is only possible, I think at the moment anyway, to do this very
primitively. 
Colours, basic shapes, fractals, randomized images and short animations.
In maybe five to ten years, we can expect to see real-time 
3D environment manipulation through external control, such as live
music.

This won't stop me thinking about it though...

Here is a little piece of my imagination along these lines.

" I create a few interesting patches on my control instrument/s, 
sounds with a lot of expressive variation and character.
I may have something real in mind when I design these sounds, 
or I may generate the reality for the sound when it is done.
So for the farty, squealy bass patch, I decide to use a character 
I had modelled in 3D. A big shambling ogre of a creature, 
with a lively agile bounce to it's step. 
Every time I use some modulation on this patch, 
I cause the ogre to act in some sort of way, 
based on some interpretation of the sound. 
Every time I play a certain sequence of notes, the ogre walks, 
Play them faster and it runs, Play it backwards and it moves backwards, 
certain attacks make it jump etc.. . 
I also set an overall sonic environment for the group of patches, 
the theme or feel of my musical piece. 
This corresponds to a 3D or graphical environment that I have generated
beforehand.
(Hopefully not too long beforehand)
I assign certain "feels" of the sound canvas to regions of the
environment, 
and perhaps I have control of different characters in the different
regions. 
Or perhaps they act independently, based on individual sound parameters
in the loop. 
In the end, what we have here is a real-time movie, being made !!!!!! "

So this is where I see things going for myself.
JL