Building a Frame

I had originally planned to use trussing to support the lights and had planned to use this to secure the PIR detectors in position and also to cable tie the wiring to. Although this would probably have been the easiest option considering it is the standard for stage lights, such as the follow spots that I plan to use. I was considering methods of how I would be able to hide or cover the trussing so that all it is not completely visible, and consequently will make it appear that the lights are coming out a blank space. I don’t want the technologies and equipment behind the project to be visible, as I feel that it will cause distraction from the light and the relationship between the user and the light. Although, as mentioned earlier, interaction cannot not be entirely sub-conscious I would like to remove the idea of ‘communication with a machine’ as much as possible. As a result I have decided to construct a platform the can be suspended that will house most of the equipment involved with the project. This will include, the lights, the PIR detectors, the wiring, the DMX controller, the PIR controller and the laptop that will control all of the processes. Although this may sound like a lot of equipment to secure, it is relatively lightweight, and should not pose a problem in terms of weight.

The structure will be similar to the flats that are used in the university studios, but will be slightly smaller and more lightweights. The structure will be built out 37mm by 63mm (approximately 1.5 inches by 2.5inches) CLS construction timber, which is extremely sturdy, and supportive. The beams will be 2400mm in length (which is approximately 7"10) and will form a square. Four extra beams that will be secured across the width will then support the square. Over this beamed structure I will secure 6mm plywood boards, acting as a skin upon which the equipment can be secured. Holes will then be cut into this skin, which will allow the lights, which are secured above, to emit the beam. In order for this to be safe as possible batons will be used to securely hold the lights in place. The entire structure will then be supported from the ceiling via welded steel chains that will be connected to the structure with 30mm steel hooks. The structure will be made in a way that will enable it to disassemble easily and then be reassembled once in the studio. This will be made easy by cross dowelling bolts. All of the equipment that is necessary for this to be built is available at Homebase or B&Q. I will then paint the underside of the structure in matt black paint so that it is more camouflaged with the darkness of the structure. Fortunately for me my stepfather is a budding carpenter and offered to help with the construction of the structure. This was beneficial, as although the build would not have been too complicated to produce it would mean that it would be as safe as possible. Health and safety is a big consideration for a structure such as this, something that will be considered later in this text.

Pricing:

Here is a breakdown of the pricing of the materials needed for the structure:

CLS construction timber beams: £1.79 each £1.79 x 8 = £14.32 (homebase)
Welded steel chains: 10m x 8mm = £14.49 each (screwfix)
6mm Plywood Sheets: 2440 x 1220 = £14.86 x 2 = £29. 72 (homebase)
Cross dowelling bolts: £1.90 per pack of 50 (screwfix)
Cross dowels: £1.99 per pack of 50 (screwfix)
Steel Hooks: £2.29 per pack of 5 (used 8) £2.29 x 2 = £4.58 (screwfix)
Black fabric: £18.00 (Matalan)

TOTAL: £85.00

Construction:

1) As the wood already came in lengths of 2400m this dictated the size of structure. In order to produce a square Cut the two side lengths slightly shorted enabling the pieces to be bolted together.

2) Cut recesses (grooves) in left and right lengths, which the cross middle support could then be supported in.





3) Repeated this process with the other two supports.



4) Bolted in position with cross dowels, allowing for easy disassemble.

5) Attached plywood skin to the structure using screws



6) Added small feet to the underside of the structure to allow the platform to be raised slightly of the ground, which prevented the PIR detectors from being damaged.

Health and Safety:

As you can probably imagine there are large health and safety risks associated with a structure such as this, especially considering that it will be hanging from a ceiling and users will walk underneath it. In order to properly assess this I contacted Robert Belton who is the studio manager and organised a meeting between, him, John Viney (the set technician) and myself.

The weight of the structure is the main determining factor of safety and how the structure can be supported from the ceiling. In order to consider this I need to consider the total weight of what would need to be supported. Firstly each light is 10kg (30kg for all lights), the PIR detectors are 80g each (400g for all PIR detectors), the laptop that will be used is approximately 3kg, the structure is wooden structure is 40kg, and I would allow for additional 5kg to cover the weight of both controllers, the wiring, batons to hold the lights in place, power cables, extension leads and everything else that would be housed on top of the structure. The total of all of this comes to 78.4kg, which I will round up to 80kg, to be extra safe.

This is a generous calculation, as I think that it is better to be over the actual weight than under, as any calculations considering the supports will then certainly be safe.

Introduce Sound?

Although I haven’t given the use of sound much consideration during the planning and production of the project, it is something that I would like to consider. I have worked with sound in sensory projects before this and it has always proven to be a valuable asset to the piece. Sound works extremely well in interactive pieces as it gives the user a clear indication that an action/input has been registered. For example, when a user of a computer uses a mouse, a press is acknowledged with a click noise. This is a sound that could be avoided, but is employed as it adds certainty to an action. If the click did not sound then the user could be left wondering if they had clicked adequately.

I am confident that the changes in light, whether colour or on/off, will highlight a change adequately. I like the idea of introducing sound, not only as a method of highlighting change, but also as it helps to engage more senses, making the piece more engrossing.

It is important however that the sound does not distract from the main ideas of the piece, which I still want to be fully focused on the light and how it reacts to touch. The introduction of sound will add a recognition system and another aspect to the relationship between the user and the installation.

As I have already mentioned I do not want the sound to detract from the lights. This means that the sound should be kept to a minimum, maybe introducing a single noise when movement is detected. This could be something as a simple as a click, a tap or knocking. It is a decision that I cannot jump into as although it won’t act as the main output of the installation it will still be extremely noticeable, and if it is the wrong sound it will change the entire dynamic of the piece.

I have also highlighted in earlier entries the interactive aspect of the project is extremely integral to the work, and this is something that could be depicted with the choice of sound. One of predominant ideas that has featured in all of my work since working with new media has been to investigate different methods of computer control, rather than simple using a mouse and a keyboard. As I have mentioned a mouse click is an important method of recognition for a user, as it highlights that a command has been registered. I think it would be quite effective to use this sound within the installation. The sound will play every time that motion is detected.

Minimaforms: Memory Cloud

Memory Cloud was an transient light environment that was exhibited in London's Trafalgar Square in October 2008 that I was fortunate enough to see. Memory Cloud was based on smoke signals, which is one of the oldest forms of visual communication. The public were invited to participate in the installation by sending text messages that were then converted into plumes of smoke. In reality the text messages were projected through clouds of smoke, but gave the illusion that the messages were in fact in cloud form.



The light acted as a virtual ink scrawling through the smoke that perceptually wrote and then erased. This work was extremely relevant to my project, as the main features revolved around smoke and light. It was fascinating how vibrant the text looked as it was projected across the square. Although some texts were not as visible as others, especially when the wind picked up and blew the necessary smoke away from the light, it helped to enrich the idea of smoke signals. As my project is planned to be shown in an enclosed area, wind should not pose a problem, however it is something to consider, obviously not external wind, but any breezes or movement that could effect the movement of the smoke. If the smoke is seen to be moving around the space it could ruin the solidity of the columns.

The above picture was taken from the Minimaforms website as I felt that it help to support my own photos from the installation.

Soldering/DMX controller

Although the USB controlled DMX controller was going to make the project easier to finish (enabling the use of DMX to be controlled by Visual Basic) it did pose another problem. The kit that I has purchased from Maplin was not assembled, and required relatively expert soldering for a total of 119 solder points (shown in the picture below, every gold circle corresponds to a solder point). Although I had some experience with soldering it had been several years since I had last used one, I think the last time would have been during sixth form college.

I first had to buy a soldering kit, which I luckily found cheaply in a home furnishings shop, for only £7.99. The kit came with everything necessary to complete the solderin; a soldering iron, a solder extractor, a spare head to the iron, a holder for the iron and solder.

This was a challenge that I was not particularly looking forward to as the board was imperative to the project and had been relatively expensive therefore it was not something that I wanted to get wrong. I decided that it would be wise to do several test and retune my soldering technique by testing on a spare piece of board and some wire.







Although the solder points probably aren't up to an expert's level I was confident that they would be adequate, which was pleasing as it meant that I would not have to pay somebody to do it for me.

The instructions for the procedure were extremely thorough and easy to follow. Upon starting I was pleasantly surprised with the joints, which were neat, and well placed, shown below. I tested the joints with a digital multimeter as a continuity tester, which confirmed that the joints were satisfactory to support a current.





With my confidence levels increased by these initial joints I proceeded with slightly less caution, but it was a long process.

After I had finished soldering the initial components, including the diodes and resistors I was pleased with the progress, and confident that the finished product would be suitable and would work sufficiently.

Although the initial joints had worked extremely well, it became more difficult once I had to operate closely to other joints, as I had to make sure that the solder did not touch the solder of another component, which would prevent the board from operating properly. As a result I had to use a solder extractor, to remove the touching solder from the joint, which meant that the whole process would take even longer.



This became especially relevant once I started to connect the IC sockets, which have several pins, some of which are not suppose to touch and some are. This meant that I needed to carefully following the schematic diagram in the instruction booklet.

Following approximately an hour and a half of concentration the board was finished and was able to be secured into the case that is provided with it.







At this point there was a real sense of achievement, but I was dubious about whether it would work or not. Much to my amazement it did work first time, and I was soon able to control a light through the the software that was provided, simply with the click of a mouse. This was an exciting breakthrough with the project.

USB DMX controller interface

Although DMX can be controlled using a DMX controller, I need the system to be able to be pre-programmed using Visual Basic, and consequently need a method of connecting the DMX lights to a PC. I was informed by the lighting company that I hired the lights from that such converters do exist. Following a quick search I discovered that Maplin stock a controller, but it does not come assembled. However, I was certain that this component would be vital to the installation, as I would not be able to control the lights without it.



Specifications:
- connected and powered through USB
- 512 DMX channels with 256 levels each
- 3 pin XLR-DMX output connector
- optional 9V battery needed for stand alone test mode
- solid state - fuse protection on DMX output
- dimensions: 106 x 101 x 44.5mm / 4.2 x 4 x 1.75"

http://www.velleman.be/downloads/0/illustrated/illustrated_assembly_manual_k8062_rev3.pdf

The DMX controller converts the signals and commands that the PC sends through USB into a format that the lights can understand. Without the controller the lights would not be able to understand the signals that are sent from the computer. As mentioned the the unit comes with test software, as well as a DLL (Dynamic Link Library) library of code that can be loaded and linked into the executing program, which means that the DMX controller can be called upon without having to program it yourself.

This unit had everything that I would need in order to make it work within the installation, the only problem that it would pose was concerning the soldering aspect, something that I have not done for years. I was confident however, that following some practice I would be able to sufficiently solder in order to connect everything to the circuit board. As well as practicing my soldering techniques I need to get on with the software side of the project, which is now the main focus for the remainder of the time.

Atmosphere of the Installation

It is useful to consider the atmosphere of the installation, and how I want the installation to 'feel' during the presentation. The installation will be presented in studio 1 at university, which is a large space. This will affect how the project is perceived and how the users see the light. The space will also be relatively quiet which will also effect the presentation.

As the users enter the space they will be greeted by the structure with one column of light dissecting the darkness of the rest of the room. I hope that this will be quite enchanting and appealing, and the users will then be invited (one at a time) to move towards the light and explore the space. The light will appear quite mysterious, especially as the rest of the room will appear misty due to the use of haze. I hope that the quietness will add to the exploratory sense of the work, as the user will feel quite alone in the darkness, with only the columns of light to explore. I have been involved in other sensory projects and have found that such works offer the user a more rewarding experience when they are on their own, as they generally feel freer to explore. I think that the piece will appear quite magical and connote ideas of science fiction. The light will hopefully appear crisp, which will be visually stunning. I want the users to want to explore the light, to move towards the columns at investigate them further.

DMX Controlled Lights/ Chauvet Followspot 400g

As mentioned in the previous post I have discovered a follow spot that can be controlled by DMX, the Chauvet Followspot 400g. The Followspot 400G is a 2-channel DMX spotlight featuring 7 dichroic colors, a variable electronic dimmer, variable mechanical iris, variable mechanical focus and has a single gobo slot. The light is also smaller than other follow spots that I have seen and does not get as hot, which will mean it is easier to handle during testing, set-up and the actual presentation than if I was using a full sized follow spot.





The specifications are as follows:

2-channel DMX-512 followspot
7 dichroic colors + white: (red, blue, green, yellow, orange, magenta, UV purple)
Variable electronic dimmer (0-100%)
Variable mechanical iris
Variable mechanical focus
Single gobo slot with 4 free gobos
Beam angle: 2 ° - 12°
Lux: 48,420 @ 1m
Light Source: ENX 82V 360W 75hrs
Power and current: 120V, 60Hz:326W, 3A operating, 8.2A inrush, PF0.92
AC power: 115V/60Hz or 230V/50/Hz
Weight: 20.6 lbs (9.34kgs)
Size: 22.5in x 11.5in x 6.38in
572mm x 292mm x 162mmm

User Manual: http://www.chauvetlighting.com/products/manuals/tfx-fs360_ug-159.pdf

As you can see the beam angle can be as little as 2 degrees, which is the narrowest that I have seen whilst I have been considering stage lights. This will mean that the beam will be almost perfectly collimated, which will hopefully avoid the light from looking like a spotlight and more like a architectural column. Although the light is not completely controllable through DMX, the two options that are available are colour and dimness, which can effectively control if the light is on or off. These are the two options that I wanted to be able to control for the installation.

There are, however, some disadvantages to the 400g. As it is a smaller light it is not as powerful as standard followspots, so the light that it produces will not be as bright as a larger model. This will effect the columns, as the contrast between the light and the darkness will not be as vast, meaning that the columns may not appear as shape and distinctive as they possibly could have been. The beam of light that is produced is also not as sharp as it could be, which will also mean that the columns aren't as distinctive as they could have been if a different light was used. Another disadvantage of the lights is the bulb life. Each bulb lasts for only 120 hours, and the company that I hired from suggested changing the bulb after every 100 hours in order to keep a sharp beam. Although this will not present a problem for the presentation, which will only last for a couple of hours, it may pose a problem when exhibiting the installation in the final year show.

Although the lights do have disadvantages, the advantages greatly out-weigh these, providing a narrow beam with the flexibility that I was looking for.