Vincent Hsu: June 2008

Motion Picture

Synopsis: EXP 3 Real Time Captures

If we exam both clients, both clients exhibit substantial power in the world. One exhibits an element near weightlessness and the other near virtual, both are ultra light and communicate very little momentum in terms of movements. It is this notion of a balance weigher that inspired me in the overall layout of my final design. The bridge from the original map is like the weighter, whereas the design need to illustrate the difference in balance of the clients power.

The Retractable Lift

Zhang Yin's Space (This is where Your Player Starts When You Play the Game)

I made the player start here because it illustrates how information such as historical record was first stored through paper, hence chronologically the player begins at Zhang Yin's space first.

[ATTENTION - MAKE SURE YOU STAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GRID]
Note the Lifts may collide into you at times, I tried to mathematically calculate it, as well as through trial and error, but as i came to realise, because the distances all vary, as time progresses, its possible collisional encounter varies too. Just because you don't get hit by a white paper ball the first time, doesn't mean it won't happen when you jump on the ride again 3 minutes later.

The Concept Behind

The reason why I made the space long in distance and included so many elevators is largely due to clients occupational characteristics. Zhang Yin's powerful character is fundamentally shaped through the recycling of paper, over the years, this paper shredding process has fluctuated her life experience. Sometimes the process of getting somewhere in life can be more meaningful than the destination itself. Rather than applying textures, I wanted to fully utilize the capibilities of the texture, although the process was tedious, it served a critical purpose. Because security is an important aspect for financially powerful characters like Zhang Yin, by taking textures into the next stage I was able to use Japanese inspired shoji texture design to explicitly define a protected space, making the experience controlled and contained. In this space, there is limited freedom, instead, the lift also acts as a security mechanism to enforce control and power.

The reason why I didn't incoporate windows is largely to prevent her space from seeing Steve Jobs' Space, this is to reinforce the power relationship in chronological order. Because the basis of Zhang Yin's power can be traced back to a few centuries ago, hence her space pre-exists Steve Job's Space. This illustrates the possibility of her being unaware of future, how intergrated technology are begining to take over the utility of paper in storing information and data.

Meeting space at the retracting table

The reason why I made the table a retractable mover is because both clients products give me a sense of compactness, hence i made the table retractable. The table consists of a glass surface and a seperate water mover in which illustrates the fluidity of information in which connects Zhang Yin and Steve Jobs. This depicts the power to store information from paper to virtual technology.

Steve Jobs' Tunnel

This tunnel basically serves two purpose, one is to connect his space to his lift, second is to extend the travel distance so that the occupant can experience the architecture. To get into this tunnel you need to use the microchip-weblike looking elevator and wait for it to drop down to the tunnel gates.

Perspective from Steve Job's space towards Zhang Yin's tunnel.

Steve Jobs' Space

Inspired by Japanese Architect Toyo Ito's comment from a television documentary, he describes the difference between the western concept of space and the japanese notion of space. From the Japanese perspecitve, they believe that westerners view space like a hole cut out a rock, whereas the Toyo Ito refers to space as a meaning, a mechansim for something to communicate and make sense. He uses the example that between ever word we say, there are pauses, empty spaces, nothingness. In my design for Steve Jobs, I chose to incorporate this space to illustrate the sense of virtual power in which seemingly definable, but its boundaries are blurred and the structure remains unenclosed.

Steve Jobs' Tunnel Interior

Progress Shot

Half way through my assignment, I discovered the need to take photo's of my progress in google sketch up, this is because by explaining tips and tricks through words is far difficult to understand. In particular, these shots show how I constructed the curves in which Steve Jobs' space exhibits.

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Note my use of tape measure in google sketch up, this is a tool in which pin points everything to snap perfectly, it may be tedious, but may prevent you from going insane later down the track.

This is when i seperate the design into different components so that I can import meshes with different textures from Google Sketchup into UT 2004.

This is essentially the core of creating unique curved shapes. Yes, there are other ways to create cool shapes with small amountes of smooth curves via intersection methods, however, to me, that is simply striking a optimal balance between your true imagination and personal convenience. It changes the outcome of what you originally had in mind for the design. Hence, I insisted to created each curve manually using the arc tool, until you are satisfied with the gradient and connection of every point.

Rescaling and drawing the construction lines...

Using the follow me tool...

Just like construction in reality, I used mouldes to create idential shapes intersections. To create these moulds, i combine them into components, this way when I intersect, I can still remove the mould.

This is an example from Zhang Yin's space, I uploaded this image to illustrate how important the tape measure tool is, prior to EXP 3, I never used it because I always held the shift button and at the most draw lines. The downside is that these lines will appear and interfere with your model as you work, where as the tape measure tool is easy to remove because it projects into the horizon where you can easily erase out with the eraser tool.