Getting Started in Flash Augmented Reality -

Grant Michaels points to a lovely post on getting started with augmented reality using Flash.

FlarToolkit/Flash Augmented Reality [Mikko Haapoja]

It’s all free for FlarToolkit, and with free tools for Flex out there, you could build a whole free toolchain. Of course, we tend to like Java and Processing round these parts, so I can add “make a tutorial for Java” to my massive to-do list – unless someone else has already done it!

What Great Concert Visuals Did You See in 2008? -

Accent Feed of San Diego has a fantastic list of the 10 Most Innovative Concert Visuals ‘08. Now, I’m not normally a big fan of top ten lists, but in this case I couldn’t agree more with Migeux. And likewise, with the likes of United Visual Artists’ project for Massive Attack and the incredible Nine Inch Nails tour, atop projects like my personal fave Cornelius, we’ve had some truly wonderful concert visuals lately. Check out the list, but any you’d want to add?

Happy New Year, Quivering in Processing -

Here’s another visualist way to celebrate the coming New Year, from Douglas Edric Stanley:

twothousandnine

(I’m not including a screen grab as that’ll kill the surprise.)

Hmmm, perhaps a series?

Free Plug-ins for a Free Visual App: Flash-Based Onyx VJ Plugs Get a Blog -

Batchass has added a new blog which will feature new plug-ins for Onyx VJ, the free and open source VJ app built in Flash / Flex / AIR. With the possibility of support for Adobe’s new Pixel Bender, this is all getting pretty interesting. (And because of the Adobe architectures beneath, that means creations can have a life on the Web, as with Processing and Java.)

Batchass Code

I also like Batchass’ tagline, “electro-rock VJ.” Oh, yeah.

Ask CDM: What Do You Use for Rear Projection Screen Material? -

I have a project coming up which requires some non-rectangular rear projection screens installed on windows. We’ve been investigating specialist rear-projection films and have found the options to be thrillingly expensive. 3M’s Vikuiti seems to be the byword in high-end rear projection films, but I couldn’t find any local distributors, and a 10m x 1.2m roll of GlassVu will set you back AU$5,000-8,000+. Not the kind of thing I’d be keen to cut in to weird shapes and install for a single evening.

Mememamo’s recent Visual Space Music installation brought up a considerably less expensive solution: Ikea’s vinyl SAXÅN curtains.

I’m going to be picking up a supply of these curtains soon to give them a try, but as more CDM readers are putting together installations these days, I think it would be beneficial to have this information available for the community.

What are people using for cost-effective or temporary rear-projection?