Finishing touches

I spent today putting the finishing touches on Groove Culture. All the functionality is now fully incorporated into the piece and is ready to be presented. The interface is also fully overhauled and looking a lot nicer and less 'flat'.

Interface Overhaul

Further to my previous interface updates, I spent all of today working on the Interface for Groove Culture. I have changed the colour pallette considerably and have changed the way in which the grooves interact with the user. As I was working on the interface I continually sought the opinions of my peers to gauge the effectiveness of my work. Their honest opinions served as invaluable constructive criticism and stopped me form being single minded in my approach/design.

PD and XML are now working.

After a lot of experimenting and editing, Groove Culture is now working properly with the server side software PD. This is a huge advancement and a great relief. Not all features are working yet but the main ones are working fine. There is a lot to do still but having this functionality is a big milestone to reach. Also I have encorporated a slider into the design/interface which will control the volume and tempo of the beats. I sourced the code for this online because I have never implemented a slider in Flash before. So I give all credit for the code for the slider to the original creator: 'http://www.kirupa.com/developer/mx/slider.htm'. I did adjust it heavily to meet my own needs so it looks totally different in the final piece.

XML and Review Feedback

Just a quick update: I have received the updated the XML code from Gary which will work with the server side of the piece. Next step is to take this to Hugh in the CSM and link it all up. On top of this I must work in the interface a lot more - the aesthetics are not to be a last minute consideration.
Regarding the Prototype Review that we had on Thursday last, I think it went fairly okay however I am awaiting the feedback which will provide greater clarity and focus as the final weeks approach.

XML Update and Prototype Review

I'm still making the grooves that will be used in the final piece. Mean while Gary Couse has sourced the necessary XML information that I need however it is written in Actionscript 2, the now defunct version which won't work with my piece. Gary is kindly updating the language and has told me to keep reminding him about it. I'm not sure if he'll have it ready for the prototype review on Thursday but I'll be able to just run the sound samples from within the Flash file itself.

CSM Visit

Last night I used the electric music center (EMC) in the Cork School of Music. This room is packed with a plethora of digital music instruments. However for my project all I needed was the use of the computers which had the necessary software for making my grooves. I booked the room from 6-10pm which gave me plenty time to work. That being said I found that the initial setup the process very time consuming. Once I had a system in order then I was able to produce the grooves at a reasonably fast pace. I didn't get all the grooves done but I now that I know what I'm doing it will be a lot quicker to complete.

XML sockets and Flash progress

I'm continuing to work on the flash code which is coming along at a slow but steady pace. I have emailed Gary Couse in relation to the XML functionality of my piece which will have to be sorted out within the next three weeks. Time is moving fast but things are starting to come together too.