Artefact 6 - Planing

After completing my 5th Artefact, the Augmented Reality Business Card, I came across two major problems -

1. I couldn't apply my own marker, the QR Code AR marker
2. There was no audio playing making the video which made it useless

How do I over come these problems?

The problem lies with my a lack of ActionScript 3.0 knowledge as I don't know how to code in a video plane so when the marker is visible it would display my video.  With my previous artefact not having audio maybe I could produce a motion comic of some sorts to counteract the fact there is no audio. This would be the only way to come out with something that's an improvement on the last artefact.

I have therefore looked at a few examples of motion comics, with Watchmen and Batman being the best examples as they display the text too.

In the meantime I need to look again at my example to see if I can change the marker files to the one I had created.

Obviously and help or suggestions feel free to comment below

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Client Project - Complete

The Colwyn Bay Hockey Club website is now finished and ready to be handed over to the client.

It's a full WordPress site build with HTML5 and CSS3.

It will hopefully be found under http://www.colwynbayhockey,co.uk over the next few weeks too.

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Client Project - Validating

It's nice when things work out and you see the green bar.

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Artefact 5 - Evaluation

I encountered many difficulties in coding functionality into my augmented reality business card in this artefact. I also had trouble finding methods of augmented reality that would work on mobile devices. I did try using Junaio, an augmented reality browser by using the marker from the previous artefact but I found it difficult to change the 3D model it was producing. I therefore tried coding a version myself but was unsuccessful. After contacting the developers at Junaio they suggested using a different marker as it would be hard for the application to encode and track it correctly.

As I was having trouble producing my AR business card through Junaio for smartphones, I decided to further my research into an AR toolkit for Flash in ActionScript. As Flash utilised a computer's webcam this would hamper the business card's flexibility in mobility however it was more important for me to see it working correctly on a computer rather than on a mobile device. With limited ActionScript knowledge it was difficult to produce what I wanted exactly and not being able to change the model it produce was the biggest problem. The QR Code AR maker however worked better using Flash. Following more research I found an SWF file and connecting source files that would play a video. I then managed to replace the video file with one of my own. I was however unable to change the marker file as it were encoded differently. Once completed and tested, users liked the interactivity and manipulative features. Unfortunately adding audio was a problem.

To conclude, it's a sound way of adding and sharing information to a traditional business card however if you don't have the coding capabilities to add in key functionality like audio it can be an incredibly hard task to perform.

A working example of my 5th Artefact, for those of you who haven't tired it yourself yet.

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Client Project - JavaScript Disabled and Out-of-Date Browser Warning

As you know not all browsers fully support HTML5 and CSS3, and since I’ve been coding my client project in HTML5 and CSS3, I’ve needed to add in a few extra features to tell the user to upgrade their browser with a short error message below. Example if the user is using Internet Explorer 8 or later –

!html

Also since the website uses a large chunk of JavaScript to create the weather widget, I’ve create a simple no script message. If the browser has JavaScript disabled –

!html

Warning – Your Browser has JavaScript disabled. Please enable Javascript to make full use of this site.

If sure there are better ways of going about it but here are two very simple examples.

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Client Project Mobile Site Using WPTouch Plugin for WordPress

WPTouch works brilliantly with my client porjects site! I've just selected the news page so club members can get their news on the go. It also includes a switch to the full site too.

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Artefact 5 - My Augmented Reality Business Card (Video Example)

A working example of my 5th Artefact, for those of you who haven't tired it yourself yet.

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Client Project Gallery Plugin for WordPress

In searching WordPress for a gallery plugins for my client project, I've come accross the NextGEN Gallery. I have used this plugin on a previous project and found it's ability to batch process images really helpful. It can crop, resize, create thumbnails, add watermark and create various galleries and albums which can all be adjusted through the plugin's settings. The gallery's supports lightbox box too which you add via another plugin.

I will also need to look at the images within posts and create thumbnails for them to be used in the blog posts.

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Further Client Updates

Today I finished the sites footer. I've added in an admin login section which replicates the login method of navigating to /wp-admin. This was done using the following code -

Once logged in, a simple dashboard appears allowing the user to access the full dashboard -

I've also added a simple but stylish jQuery scroll to the top button. The 'Top ^' links to '#top.' I'm also using the Google Code link to the latest jQuery file.

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Artefact 5 - Presentation

artefact5.pdf Download this file

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Artefact 5 - My Augmented Reality Business Card

print-marker.pdf Download this file

Print the marker.

Connect your webcam.

Answer the questions.

Yes, here's Artefact 5.

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Developing My Augmented Reality Business Card - Progress Report

I've spend a few hours searching through Google and various connecting sites and have found a little helper in my attempt to create my own Augmented Reality Business Card. I've been having trouble with getting my QR Code based AR marker to work effectively so I'm in the process of designing an improved version. However, I have managed to get my video to display on a test version. This was using code that was already written that I've then adapted for testing. It's also using a set AR marker.

Next steps are to improve the video, change the marker and work out how to get the sound working with the video.

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A Look at WordPress Plugins For Creating Mobile Themes

One of the many positives for using WordPress as a site's Content Management System is its ability to install plugins. With 13,944 different plugins available it can be hard to find the right one for the job. In my case I want to look for plugins that assist in the creation of a mobile optimised version of my site.

Step 1 - Search the WordPress Plugin Directory for keywords such as 'Mobile'

Step 2 - A good tip for finding the best plugin is to search by 'Most Popular' or 'Highest Rated'

Step 3 - Find the best plugin, download and install!

Here is a short list of the 3 best plugins for optimising your website for a mobile device -

WPtouch

WPtouch automatically transforms your WordPress blog into an iPhone application-style theme, complete with ajax loading articles and effects, when viewed from iPhone, iPod touch, Android, Palm Pre, Samsung touch and BlackBerry Storm/Torch mobile devices.

The admin panel allows you to customize many aspects of its appearance, and deliver a fast, user-friendly and stylish version of your site to touch mobile visitors, without modifying a single bit of code (or affecting) your regular desktop theme.

The theme also includes the ability for visitors to switch between WPtouch view and your site's regular theme

WordPress Mobile Pack

The WordPress Mobile Pack is a complete toolkit to help mobilize your WordPress site and blog.

It includes a mobile switcher to select themes based on the type of user that is visiting the site, a selection of mobile themes, extra widgets, device adaptation and a mobile administration panel to allow users to edit the site or write new posts when out and about.

WordPress Mobile Edition

WordPress Mobile Edition is a plugin that shows an interface designed for a mobile device when visitors come to your site on a mobile device.

Mobile browsers are automatically detected, the list of mobile browsers can be customized on the settings page.

My Final Call
After looking at the plugins above, I've decided to use WPTouch for my client project. This is because it provides a more concise mobile version of the website and its design is modern and simple for all types of mobile devices. I also like that this plugin provides the user with the ability to switch between the desktop version and the mobile version of the site. For me this is important as sometimes I still want to view full sites on my mobile device.

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Intel's The Chase Film. Amazing.

Agency: Venables Bell & Partners
Client: Intel
Executive Creative Directors: Paul Venables, Will McGinness
Creative Directors: Paul Foulkes, Tyler Hampton, David Kim
Copywriter: Josh Parschauer
Art Directors: Beau Hanson, Dan Kenneally
Interactive Design Director: Ezra Paulekas
Production Company: Nexus Productions
Directors: Smith & Foulkes

Details thanks to - http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2011/january/intel-the-chase

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Thanks to #Saqoosha My AR QR Code Business Card Works

OK it doesn't work perfectly yet, and I haven't added in my own 3D model, but I've been able to create my own marker file so the SWF file will recognise my business card marker and produce the pink box above it. It does struggle to produce the 3D box all the time but this is due to the size of the QR Code. It's to small and detailed for it to be easily recognized.

Next step is to customise the AR in producing my video with a transparent background using green screen.

I may also need to improve the AR marker for better recognition.

Link to the tutorial

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Running a #Junaio Channel On My Server

Further developments to my Personal Research Project, Artefact 5.

I tried using their GLUE Channel Creator but didn't have much luck. I've therefore uploaded one of their GLUE examples onto my server to see it I can start to understand how it works and customize it from there.

Now it's successfully running from my server, I now need to change the tracking image to my QR Code based Augmented Reality marker and create my own 3D image, which has to consist of a .md2 file and a .obj file.

'The MD2 file format supports animated models with up to 1024 vertices per model. MD2 models cannot have different colours but textures. Therefore, textures have to be baked in case for instance "vertex colours" shall be shown.
One MD2 file can contain a set of different animations. The animations are calculated on per-vertex base (no bones) and are very efficient for mobile devices with weak processors. Although the MD2 file format is a vertex-animation format, the file itself is very small in size compared to other vertex-animation supporting formats (like VRML for example). A Model with around 500 Vertices, 1000 Polygons and a total frame number of 200 with all animations will consume about 480 KB of storage on the mobile device. When this exemplary model is loaded into the renderer it will consume additionally 750 KB of system memory. Please consider that 200 frames in MD2 at 25frames per second can be actually about 600 frames when considering some steps ongoing in MD2 content preparation. Usually, MD2 models do not need to have more than 500 vertices (although 1024 per model are supported). Differences between a model with 500 vertices and a model with 1000 vertices are nearly unrecognizable if the texture map for the MD2 model was well prepared.

The OBJ file format is a model format for static meshes. It supports multiple meshes with different textures and materials. Meshes can also have assigned different materials to their polygons.
Thereby, the OBJ format provides more flexibility with respect to textures than the MD2 format which can only use one texture. However, the OBJ format does not support animations. Thus, it is recommended to use the OBJ format for high quality static objects and rely on the MD2 format for animated models.'

These files must the be encrypted with a file size limit of 350kb each.

If I want sound with my 3D Model I would also have to add this to the XML -

<poi ...>                            <customizations>          <customization>             <name>Name</name>             <type>sound</type>             <!--"click" will start the sound on user interaction; "idle", once the model is loaded -->             <node_id>[CLICK/IDLE]</node_id>             <value><![CDATA[URL_TO_YOUR_SOUND_TO_BE_STREAMED]]></value>          </customization>       </customizations>    ...  </poi>

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#Junaio Augmented Reality Browser Saves The Day!

As you can see in my last blog post, I've been trying to set-up an Augmented Reality SDK, which unfortunately didn't support the HTC Legend, so now I've moved back into looking at AR Browsers.

Here's where Juniao comes into play with their GLUE Channel Creator which is exactly what I've been looking for!

I've even played with a test version of my QR Code based AR marker within Juniao's Instant Tracker.

I've also signed up to be a Juniao Developer and currently waiting for their servers to be updated with my created channel which will allow me to test my Augmented Reality business card on my HTC Legend.

The test images are viewing my marker from a computer screen.

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Problems With Eclipse and Software Development Kits

As I've mentioned before, I've been following the steps on the QUALComm website (https://ar.qualcomm.com/qdevnet/) to try and develop my own Augmented Reality business card idea.

It's been a tough few hours of following tutorials on setting up the development environment I'm which their step by step mentions the installat

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