I've just uploaded v1.2 of ofxMSAPhysics, a traer-like particle/physics library for openFrameworks. Download can be found here and also needs the ObjC Pointer addon.

Demo of v1.0 features at memo.tv/ofxmsaphysics_traer_like_physics_library_for_c_openframeworks

This is a demo for a traer like physics library for C++/openFrameworks.
I wrote the lib for a little project with Todd Vanderlin while in Linz, Austria at Ars Electronic 2008 (vimeo.com/1707467). I tried to keep the same API as Traer (so processing code using traer can easily be ported to oF) and it is basically a particle system with springs, attractions, gravity etc (but uses verlet integration instead of RK4).

In this demo I am interacting with the app using the keys:

This is an 'early current state of app' demo for a multi-discipline event I'm working on with Streetwise Opera, Mira Calix and fellow visualists Flat-e, to be showcased at the Royal Festival Hall later this year with quite a few more venues lined up.

The app was written in Processing 0135 and is running realtime at 60fps, though if I add another couple hundred eels it does drop, so I may switch to OpenFrameworks if performance does become an issue (which it probably will). There are occasional freezes in the video which happened while capturing the screen so that is a bit annoying.

I'm controlling the eels using the mouse, keyboard and Quartz Composer (just simple sliders sending OSC to vary some parameters - similar to the 'magnetic force fields' video - I'm quite into this technique now, very quick and easy to setup, and you can have loads of sliders with descriptive names at your disposal to play with, and adjust your internal variables in realtime for tweaking heaven).

The final show will have many many more features, both in the digital realm, and physical... more info coming soon...

I strongly recommend watching the HD version at http://www.vimeo.com/1582196

This is a very early version of a GPU based depth-of-field GLSL shader and sample Processing code. Adjust some parameters and it can also be used to give the scene a nice backlight/glow effect.

Quartz Composer is a great piece of software for many things. It has a lot of features which really allow you to create amazing things very quickly. It also has some 'features' which allow you to lose your hair very quickly. One of these 'features' is loading images from within an iterator.

You'd think it was quite straightforward, just send a different string (either generated within the iterator or loaded from XML etc.) to the Image Downloader, but alas QC has other plans. It always loads the same image whatever string you send it!

I created a little patch in Quartz Composer 3.0 which allows you to navigate a 3D scene using the 3Dconnexion Space Navigator.

Controlling Quartz Composer with the Space Navigator from Memo Akten on Vimeo.

I showed the VDMX / QC setup used in 'Amoeba Dance - Caliper Remote' to my girlfriend and some her friends and this is what they came up with.

Who needs Autechre when you have a bunch of mad girls!!

P.S. I have hours of footage of this if anyone is interested :P

This is a little test using GLSL in Quartz Composer 3.0, and controlling via VDMX. All happening in realtime and completely audio-reactive with no post production or timeline animations etc. The potential is humongous and very exciting!!

Here is the source code for the previous example of 3D Sprite (billboard) particle system Starry Trails. The source code is by no means generic enough to be considered an engine or library, but is work in progress. I will extend the Node3D, SpringyNode3D classes to use Papervision3D and the Billboards for the rendering, and will definitely carry on working on the particle systems. I've also been converting a lot of noise functions to AS3 and will post them soon... its all getting quite exciting in the flash world! :P

This app is made of quite a few classes so Ill start from the top (application) downwards.

/***********************************************************************
MAIN DOCUMENT CLASS
make sure you have 2 sprites in your library exported for actionscript with linkage identifiers set to RedStar and BlueStar
 
***********************************************************************/	
 
package {
	import flash.display.*;
	import msa.sprite3d.*;
 
	public class StarryMouse3Dapp extends Sprite {
 
		public function StarryMouse3Dapp() {

Another example of an AS3 3D Sprite based particle system. This one is using my 3D sprite engine but will port this to papervision asap. Can post the source if anyone is interested.

** UPDATE **
I posted the source code here:
http://www.memo.tv/3d_particle_system_actionscript_3_source_code

I've been using papervision for a short while now and have been very impressed so far (hopefully soon I"ll upload some demos and code), but in the meantime I wanted to look at the performance of the new Billboard rendering and see how much (if any) overhead there was.

After examining the code at http://www.sebleedelisle.com/?p=157 I ported my AS3 3D Sprite Flies demo to Papervision using the builtin Papervision3D Billboard rendering and the results were very encouraging. The Papervision version doesn't behave exactly like my 3D Sprite engine version, I think this is due to difference in units and needs number tweaking, but I didn't bother with that for now, just adjusted it a tiny bit to make it look roughly the same in terms of pixel coverage (also couldn't figure out how to rotate the papervision billboards, dont think you can). But most importantly the performance seems identical, which means the
Papervision Billboard system is very efficient and does not have any
overheads.

A 3D particles system using Action Script 3. This does not use Papervision 3D or any other 3D engine but just a simple custom 3D sprite based engine. Not sure whether I should spend time enhancing this or just use Papervision for this kind of stuff. I've used it a bit and it looks great (will post some stuff soon), but I don't know if there is any unnessecary overheads for just 3D sprite stuff. When I get a chance I"ll recreate this demo in Papervision and compare the results.

P.S. They are my babies!

Click attachment below to view.