Group Project: Virtual Public Sculpture

This repo will be used as the example format for the group project. Any updates regarding structure or directions on content and format will be updated as we work through the different phases. Current tasks as of ... 2/2/22 ... include:

1. Introduction of project including structure of phases, due dates, and weight of final grade.
2. During Week 4 lab students will be instructed on additional git skills including branches.
3. GitHappens.md is a refresher on some Git content for students
4. ::::::::::::::::::::::: we are doing QR code, custom model loads, and other types of AR March 8, 9, 10 UPDATED :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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Remember, you are asked to document a discussion between group members regarding the technical and aesthetic thoughts - it would be best to read some of the provided context first as well as the expanded details of the project. A successful project must consider a larger context and concept - situating your technical output/work with critical thought is as important as the programming design.

Yes I am asking you to be creative. Yes I am asking you to think. Yes I am asking you to gradually apply these skills... first through our individual lab assignments - moving from Lab 1 through to Lab 2, and then Lab 3, and Lab 4 - will require a substantial gain in addressing why what you are building matters, or has worth - to you, to others, to no one, or what value it has beyond utilitarian -- such that you can apply your developing design principles and motivations to this project.

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Phase 3

• to be submitted April ~19/20 ish
• Let me know if you plan on having anything printed (not specifics needed at this time) by the end of this week (so say Saturday) i.e., range or estimate of number, colour v greyscale, do you want test markers printed?; everyone should have a QR code! to send to print

To be submitted

Phase 2 content plus the addition requirements for Phase 3. Note that if you no longer use markers then this is not required for your Phase 3 submission.

PHASE 3 specific additions

1. QR code submitted for printing
2. The Group Meeting with me (this is yes or no and will be counted from the first request of meetings - not the reminder to have a meeting with me)
3. Set of videos and photos documenting the experience and all working components
4. The live website at gh-pages branch AND QR code to custom Group landing page and AR activation
5. Instructions, introduction, theme, story etc. as documentation on landing webpage
6. One of the following:
   • List of GPS coords/locations
   • List of custom markers, printed
   • List of facial features tracked, or points used for AR content
7. a clean and organized repo
8. GitHub commits of content from each group member
9. PDF file of Group Project information - more comprehensive than the website landing page including:
   • Group members and contribution
   • Think of this PDF document as the detailed and comprehensive README.md and STATEMENT.md files combined
   • Specific customization of AR content submitted - BE SPECIFIC AND DETAIL WHAT YOU DID THAT WAS CUSTOM CODE, MODELS, ETC
     • is this in the interaction code?
     • is this in the concept?
     • is this in the models?
     • is this in the experience?
     • what is the expected experience: what should we see and where (if you have treasure/riddle content you may leave this out until after we test)
     • other ?
10. Also to be evaluated is the final project experience and functionality
    • 3 marks for technical code: complexity, interaction, difficulty
    • 3 marks for aesthetic experience: design, cohesiveness, affect

Reminder Phase 2 content was the following

1 mark for each of the following (total /10):

• custom QR code (test this) that directs to website
• group project gh-pages / website live (you should see a link on the right side of the group github page that says "environments github-pages active'
• document of at least one Phase 2 group meeting
• updated 'group members' file, or listed somewhere
• uploaded a custom asset/ model use for their AR
• a custom marker and pattern file (.patt and an .img file that are probably named similarly)
• Group Project repo is updated, cleaned/organized
• video or link to video of example documentation of the working AR scene
• has a working AR scene
• images of working AR scene/screen capture

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Phase 2

What to submit by March 14

1. WEBSITE: Groups are to build their basic github pages website. This requires your group repo to be public - for now, submit the repo under public settings. Once your website has been verified and accepted you may swap back to private to continue building if you choose.

   • but remember to test under public settings using your pages site as you continue building your project
   • you may follow the sample site structure shown in this repo
     • mine is set up where all content to be displayed and site structure files are found in docs/website/ in progress for more demo content during Tuesday Lecture
     • remember how we set up for Lab Project 1 (browser extensions)... index.html, style.css etc.
     • my site has been updated to deploy from the branch called gh-pages
     • the directory structure will change as we build more content over the next 5 weeks

2. DOCUMENTATION: An example of documentation of the following:

   • video capture of an over-the-shoulder view of your group's github pages running/showing a live AR scene
   • screen capture of the AR live scene

3. ASSETS: You do not need to submit any final/polished/production-ready content but you must include:

   • an example of at least one asset/3D model created by the group
   • a custom QR code that directly loads to your AR scene on github pages
   • a custom pattern or barcode marker for the AR scene
   • the asset is to be displayed via the groups pages site, and can be activated when someone scans the QR code via mobile
     • add an assets/ folder to your website folders

4. GROUP: Document at least one more group meeting between now and March 14th - have a more focused discussion on what your group is planning for the final project

   • include a discussion summary, images, sample code or artwork etc.
   • point-form is OK as are other methods of documentation

GOOD ENOUGH FOR NOW - MORE WILL BE UPDATED over the weekend - so everyone should try out the simple AR scene

(UPDATE: we are doing QR code, custom model loads, and other types of AR March 8, 9, 10)

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Phase 1: Inital project concept - artistic & technical scope

During Week 4 Lab (so yes, due by end of day on February 2) you will submit a personal file and demonstrate a git branch on your private repo. In this file you will answer a few questions (provided during lab). At the end of Week 4 you will be informed of the final members in your group along with members' preferred contact methods. At that point, you will have until February 14th to submit Phase 1. Updated instructions will be released when groups are made official.

(show students this - there are currently a number of branches on this repo... find the branch called Student_1 and they should copy that file to their own private repo on robots on a new branch (read the file first))

Next steps with group members

Expanded project information

1. Expand your initial thoughts by reading, discussing, and thinking about critical technical-artistic perspectives included in the expanded project description PDF

Readings to get at the aesthetic side

1. Street art, graffiti, social context - dive into some history - the concept of democratic, visual space...

Street art can be instrumental in the creation of democratic space. As the examples I’ve discussed above have shown, it can make transparent the systems of control in our environment, bringing courage to those being controlled, and fear to those doing the controlling. But I can’t stress enough the importance of the connection to larger social forces. Street art is a dynamic tool which can be wielded for social transformation, but it does not create revolutions alone. Our visual space is a complex environment, and it is easy to simply create the illusion of democracy, rather than democracy itself. The reclamation of visual space has to set the stage for our interventions deeper into physical space. It is in the interest of the status quo to relegate all matters of political importance to the two-dimensional world of the advertising wall, the billboard and the television screen. As the media theorist Stuart Ewen has said, “By reducing all social issues to matters of perception, it is on the perceptual level that social issues are addressed. Instead of social change, there is image change.”

2. View some global and unusual monuments
3. Some thoughts on design here and here
4. Museum of Modern Art under siege

“At the moment, there’s no such thing as a recognized right to control the space or virtual augmentations of your work,” says Alexia Bedat, an attorney specializing in AR and VR; however, Bedat adds that existing laws, such as copyright or the Visual Artists Rights Act, may apply to certain augmentations.

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What to submit by February 14th

1. A written document, PDF or .md file, that contains the following information:
   • a group name, no not just "Group 1" .. make it relevant to the concept you are developing regarding the project, or to the group members (it's ok if there is no final concept yet or if the ideas are general or rough sketches - but this is where doing the reading of the suggested readings becomes relevant.)
   • confirmation that each group member has confirmed their best contact methods and availability
2. Decide on if one, two, all of the team members will have write access to merge GitHub branches, pull requests, and content updates. If no one is particularly comfortable in this role, indicate that (someone will have to learn though). This is simply to help the groups' limit mismanaged projects while also maximizing the ability of each member to freely contribute. Include this in the report.
3. You will need to start a new repository, under GROUP#_yourteamname - you can clone this one, but make yours private, give each other access (admin, maintain, triage, write, read etc. - it is OK if one person maintains and handles the merging or if you all do - you are also welcome to ask for assistance).
4. Create a branch in your group repo - one for each student. These will be your working copies or dev branches. There should be one of main, base, or primary etc. branch (the original) and then an additional branch for each student. Name the branches dev-student name (first name or last name only is also fine).
5. Submit your document to the main branch.
6. Everyone should clone a local copy once all branches have been made and named, and then write this down on a sticky note - put it on your computer screen if you have to:
   • Git Status -> Git Fetch -> Git Pull -> Git add -> Git commit -> Git push
   • please remember to fetch and pull first so you are always working with an up to date copy of the remote repo

Here is how you will practice and test #6 :

• create a new file in your main branch called resources.md
• each student is to GIT FETCH then GIT PULL the remote repo to obtain a copy of this file
• checkout/switch to your dev branch and GIT ADD the file
• each student is responsible for locating 10 resources
  • they can be links
  • they can be books
  • they can be code
  • they can be existing works
  • they can be people, places, things that inspire you
  • things you hate, things you love etc.
• each student will be responsible for 5 x technical resources and 5 x artistic/design/aesthetic resources
• add the links to your local copy of the file
• whenever a student is ready - fetch the remote repo, and then pull or create a pull request if you don't have write access
• whoever has merge access - merge all the files back into one this should not be a copy paste I should be able to see the different commits, pull requests etc.
• edit and combine the resources together - there should be about 40-50 resources total - 20-25 of each type
• the resources.md file should be located on the main branch along with your Group document