Create Digital Motion

Demos and Tutorials: Live Control of Open Source Animation in Animata, even with a ViewMaster

By Peter Kirn

Mickey Mann from Matti Niinimäki on Vimeo.

MATTI NIINIMÄKI, aka Original Hamsters, has been hacking away with the fantastic new, open-source animation package Animata. Using OpenSoundControl (OSC), he can control live animation with two other open source tools: “Pure Data” Pd (which opens up all sorts of other sonic and control capabilities) and the Arduino controller platform. The proprietary but beloved Max/MSP works, too.

Translation: if you want a Mickey Mouse ViewMaster controlling live animation (top), Animata is your tool of choice.

Matti is really doing us a huge favor, as a lot of the OSC calls aren’t actually documented yet. Full tutorials here, found via CDM comments:

How to Control Animata With OSC from Max/MSP and Pure Data [Original Hamsters]

You can see some of the results in the videos here. The students and faculty of Finland’s University of Lapland all hang out on Vimeo, too:

http://vimeo.com/groups/ulapland

I think the ability to use Animata’s smart tools for setting up puppet-like characters should be especially nice. And yes, someone rightfully took issue with me calling this “3D,” but technically speaking, it is a 3D engine, even if the elements being used here are 2.5D or even 2D. Now, that said, I’d love to see some real 3D models in this engine, too – not to knock the deep creative possibilities of working with 2D models, but both should have some potential.

Pure Data to Animata with OSC from Matti Niinimäki on Vimeo.