Photo Fun!

This site has a creative way to integrate your photos into other photos. The final composites are interesting, and fun. Try it with your own images here http://www.photofunia.com/

ROBOT MINDS

Robots are on the Minds of many these days...here's a nice couple of ways web designers, game designers, and other digital artists are using Robots as a basis for design.

Mercedes Benz Safety

http://safe.mercedes-benz.co.uk/home.php

Six Revisions - Review of 22 Creative sites using robots

http://sixrevisions.com/design-showcase-inspiration/22-creative-uses-of-robots-in-web-design/

Six Revisions - 30 Artworks of Robots

http://sixrevisions.com/digital-art/30-beautiful-artworks-of-robots/

Fast Rounded Corner Boxes!!

I know it doesn't sound like much, but if you've ever wanted to have a nice little background for a table, or an element with rounded corners of a certain size, Photoshop can often be "too much sugar for a dime". This site, www.roundedcornr.com has just the ticket. It's simply a very quick way to generate web ready graphics, ( boxes actually ), with rounded corners, colored backgrounds, and even text! It's worth checking out if this is something you need on occasion for you media projects. Have fun!

Obscura ROCKS

The Hard Rock Cafe is all touchy feely these days. Check out this article on CGW!

CGW.com

HELLO RACER!

Interactive media is an interesting art form. In most cases it is a commercial art form, but with some developers, the lines between commerce and art are blurred a bit more than others. I was exposed to a very nice example this morning while reading over my Twitter list. The designer / developer's site is http://www.helloenjoy.com. This site is currently under construction, but the design for the logo screen will have me going back for more once they have it all up and running. There is plenty of information about the company here on their Blog http://blog.helloenjoy.com/

HelloEnjoy works in Papervision3D, (which they also invented), and Unity3D, (a relatively new game development engine that has exploded onto the market, quickly moving up into the 4th most popular game engine in the World spot). The fact HelloEnjoy is even using Unity3D is a huge compliment to the Unity guys, but enough about the tools. Take a look at the Art and Design that HelloEnjoy is sharing with the World as they ready their official site launch by having some fun with this www.helloracer.com. It's simple, pleasant, casual, whimsical, and expertly executed. I Love this stuff.

HelloEnjoy!

Interactive 3D Beyond Games

It has been a long while since I posted something here. I have been distracted. One of my more recent distractions is a little known game development environment called Unity3D. http://www.unity3d.com. If you are a developer of 3D animation, games, visual fx, or interactive development, you owe it to yourself to dig in a bit to this program. The basic version is FREE by the way.

When I began programming in HyperCard, I thought wow, this is the coolest thing. I can make images, text, buttons, and windows, and link it all together with HyperTalk. One of the biggest developments in this environment was the game Myst. A huge success, this was the first pre-rendered 3D game, and it was spectacular. I was inspired then to pick up 3D as well. Then on to Director, Maya, Houdini, Flash, and on and on and on...Fast forward 17 years.

I currently have a digital media company, Blind Squirrel Digital, that produces media based projects from digital signage to interactive games, websites, kiosks, visualizations, and interactive forensic animation. I also teach at a local community college in digital effects and simulation and game development. Regardless of my experience, and all of the things I have seen thus far in my career, I know the best is still yet to come. My goal now is to inspire those around me in whatever ways I can to recruit for the media blizzard that is coming. All I can say is Unity3D is going the right direction, and I'm happy to be in the mix.