ACHIEVEMENT LOG
7th March - 13th March 2022
WHAT DID I DO THIS WEEK?
Planned my essays for the Playful Thinking module
Discussions with Adam
Made a list of priorities & moving parts to test
Setup our Itch.io
Tested equipment - two projectors and different media players
PLAYFUL THINKING
On the 21st March, we are set to hand-in our Playful Thinking essays for this module. As we have two essays to write this Semester, we have accounted for this in our schedule and have assigned ourselves less tasks for Week 6/7. This week, I planned my essays and began to write the introduction for each one and I plan to finish this next week, in preparation for our deadline.
PRIORITY LIST
After discussing the project with Adam this week, he said to begin thinking about each moving part in order of how they'll work, because he knows we have been struggling with what to approach first. We have faced many issues already with the box build and achieving an interactive setup, so Adam suggested listing out what needs to be tested in a list of priorities, to then carry these out in the next few weeks. From here, we'll know exactly what does and doesn't work, and hopefully be able to make rapid informed decisions. This list started with testing the projectors, which we successfully fulfilled this week.
TEST EQUIPMENT - PROJECTORS!
After getting our hands on the media players and projectors, Kiera and I set up all the equipment on campus, took measurements and evaluated each outcome. We came to the conclusion that the SANYO short-throw projector will work best for us, allowing us to get a perfect scale image on a flat surface, which can be placed beneath the walls themselves. This requires less setup than if we were to use a normal EPSON, which requires a bracket to be held up, away from players. We also concluded that we will be using HDMI cables to run our browser game and project on screen. As we are now working with 'image processing', this setup will also require webcams to detect the players movement, so webcams must be embedded or placed within these walls too. We plan to continue testing the space, and creating setup mockups as we progress.
SETUP ITCH.IO
This week I also setup our itch.io site and forwarded the necessary links to Adam. These links can be accessed on the wsagames.com and winchester.games site too. I plan to update the site throughout the next few weeks with our chosen colour schemes and additional information, as we further develop the experience.
WHAT DIDN'T GO WELL? / TEAM DECISIONS
After testing the setup of the space with Adam, he commented on the difficulty of getting this built ot the exact standard we need it, especially as we plan to make the walls interactive! Instead, he touched on the idea of bringing walls/panels together instead, which we are not opposed to, but know this will require more thought and planning. To overcome these issues, we know we must continue to test the setup of the space, using different equipment and adjusting things until they're how they expect.
STEPS FOR NEXT WEEK
Next week I am scheduled to begin creating the Sound Bible to begin asset production, which I should have complete and sent to Harry Williams by Week 8. We should also be prioritising our essay module, so should focus on getting these in by the 21st March. Alongside this, we have scheduled another discussion with James next week regarding 'Image processing' to get our first prototype demo/version done, to begin development.
HOW DO I FEEL?
I am ready to finally enter the development stages of the project. I am excited to begin prototyping the main interaction, because this is something I am really interested in and I find the idea of gesture control really fascinating and I'd like to begin planning how we can tie this into the setup of the experience.