I got such a great reaction from my first Android live-wallpaper that I figured that I should make another but this time in 3D!!
This app had me getting my hands dirty with OpenGL ES, and I think the results are pretty great! It can be downloaded for your Android device here.
In the last three months, in addition to producing live-projections for several concerts and club nights, I have set to work making some new apps. Last year, I had the pleasure to work with two different firms, Tinfoil Fez and Superfad., to produce an app or two for the itunes app store (links to these apps are at the bottom of the article). The work got me thinking about what cool things I might be able to do on my own with the technology.
Being the proud owner of an Android EVO 3D, and having tried the apple thing for a while, I decided I should get my feet wet with Android development.
The first project I created was a ‘live wallpaper’ using the backbone of a sketch I made in Processing which does a reasonable job of taking a cellular automata called Langton’s Ant and making it visually appealing. As a quick side note I found Langton’s Ant very interesting because the only real cellular automata I had been exposed to in software was Conway’s ‘Game of Life’.
Check it out! You can find it on Google Play here!
The next was a sound board with four sounds and one button simply and descriptively titled “Sick! Button.” There is little to say about this project, with the exception of that I may add several more recordings of “Sick” to the app eventually, because that would be sick.
The Sick Button can be purchased here.
My next app was a great deal of fun – I decided I would jump back into iOS development and build an app as a Christmas present for my friends new daughter! It seemed like a great idea. It would be a way for me to get my first self-published app out in the itunes app store and I could get really creative with it. I figured since Caroline would be less than two months old, the app I made for her would have to be really simple. The finished product reacts simply to touch, releasing brightly colored stars which fall according to the orientation the iPad (or iPhone) is held. I personally think it’s really great when you hold it directly over your head!
Stars for Caroline can be purchased here.
The app I helped make for Superfad., “Jimmy John’s Sandwich Cannon” can be found on itunes here.
The app I helped make for Tinfoil Fez, “Barbie® Fashionistas®” can be found on itunes here.
I have created a Tumblr blog bearing my namesake.
http://benvancitters.tumblr.com/
To celebrate I have a new video showing off a metaball/voxelization exercise I made in processing.
It’s basically just me seeing how difficult it would be to make a 3D metaball-like program. It would be sweet to really implement a full-on marching cubes isosurface viewer but firstly, I think processing runs far too slowly on my computer to ever really be satisfied with that and, secondly, I wanted to play in a more “tactile” way with voxels.
I have been wanting to come at this voxel aesthetic for a while now and I actually got as far as pitching the idea of using some kind of voxel renderer to some fellow game developers as an aesthetic choice but they didn’t bite.
I’m digressing a lot! The point of this post is that I have a Tumblr now! Check it out! Really! It’s dope!