500 Words on my Grid project

Grid 1
The group decided to keep our game a simple more "old fashioned" type boardgame.
Taking inspiration from each of the grids of Huddersfield we were given we wanted to create something that would be able to portray each one in some literal fashion, the idea, that each of us can create a different playing board, but play the same game with the same rules and playing pieces.
The basic gameplay is to build up as large a group of blocks (or buildings) on your gameboard, each one being a different shaped geometric shape before your opponent, while also trying to hinder your opposition doing the same.
I recreated my grid as a usable gameboard, playing cards and set about designing the pieces in a way that would make them usable but still show some connection with my area of Huddersfield.
Finally I made the official rules up and collected it all in it’s own box.
And of course got it stocked on the selves of a major high street store!

Grid 2
The first step was to explore the area of Huddersfield on the grid that I had been given to look at.
It followed New Street, the main shopping high street in Huddersfield, and is an area primarily given to pedestrian transit and high street stores.
I visited the area on several occasions, mainly sketching or taking photographs and started building a profile of the area.
As it is quite a straight forwards area with no traffic and very similar buildings on either side I began experimenting with different ways that I could gather information about the square.
Eventually I began taking notes on the passage of people through the High Street, and made sheets that would allow me to make a form of chart allowing me to display the comings and goings of the different kinds of passing visitor.
This led to me creating an animated map of my grid, plotting this passage of people and an animation of their journey without the map.
This in turn led me to think of star charts and constellations, giving me my final scene and name.

Grid 3
My third project led me to want to expand on the idea of the grid, and with the idea of charts and navigation by the stars from my previous project I began to look at a much larger idea of grids and maps.
This led me in turn to look at atlas’s, charts and globes and I began to experiment with making one of these flat 2D maps into a 3D object.
Beginning with as simple ideas as possible I began with origami shapes, this also meant manipulating the maps on the sheets so that they would still resemble an accurate globe.
Finally I found a way of creating an entire, and quite accurate globe out of separate detailed flat pieces, making 2D, 3D.
This was then stop-motion animated and edited in flash. Eventually to become a spinning globe logo for my website.

GLOBE VID

Here it is!

The Globe...

The Flat Earth...

And here it is,

A fully 3D detailed globe that a few days ago was nothing but small card like pieces of card, I'm quite pleased with the way that it has turned out.
The photos are below but for some reason I am having trouble posting the stop-motion that I have put together with it.
The vid will be on asap

Just for fun...

Available in all good shops...

More complicated...

More Water Bombs
The making the origami has proved the easy part, more difficult is the fact that your map is folding in on itself so just ends up looking terrible if you don't account for it.
The globe below has had the map on it altered her and there to make sure that you can recognise it as a globe.
I am also using cut out techniques to try to find something suitable.

Eureka!

The idea

I have settled on still trying to make something 2d into 3d but have found a way of connecting small cards of paper together and slowly, slowly creating a full globe.
Hopefully from there I can play with some animation for it too.

Gallery 2

Gallery 2

Globes

Making a globe (sort of)

I am going to start making artifacts for this module that are still in essence a flat map or piece of paper but I want to try and make a 3D item from them.
I had the silly thought of making a paper aeroplane out of maps and charts but obviously want to make an entire piece out of paper planes (tempting though.....) but the thought has stuck with me and I really like the idea of creating something out of them.

So I have decided to see what can be done with 2D paper to make it 3D

The GRID game gallery

Gallery 1:

 

Final Piece

The Final Piece:

I have realised my projects final piece by stylizing my Grid area and redraw the mapped out section, I have then animated the paths and peoples who are passing through it for whatever reasons.

My next step was to remove the map completely so that the pathways can be seen making their own routes without the distraction of the buildings and map.

And then I did one more thing.....

First attempts....

First attempts...
Just playing around with what I already know how to do to be honest, and having some fun.
The easiest was I could think of creating a sphere out of flat paper was to scrunch it up!
The second is a little more mechanical, paper folding and creases were required but it isn't much more than a school "paper water bomb".
But I did put my grid to good use again!

Charts

More nice maps/charts

2D or not 3D?...

2D OR NOT 3D? That is the question....

Having been more drawn to using Flash to complete my other solo project, and with the group project being, obviously a little of everything from everyone I have been looking at what maps and charts mean in a hands on sense, a little piece of world that you can fold up and put into your pocket, taking out when you need it.

I like the idea of taking those little pieces of map and making something more tangible out of them and am going to be using modelling, photography and hopefully some stop-motion animation to make my artifacts and evidence to support my last project in the Grid series.

I have been looking at different kinds of maps, charts and even atlas to give myself some thoughts as to what I can make out of them or do with them.

Some of my maps...

The GRID game!

The GRID game!

The finished game.

Here are the results for my portion of the group project.

• I have written up a working rule system (based on my version of the brief)
• Created a working geometric board
• fashioned pieced (buildings) in various different shapes for variation to play with
• Created a box and logo for my set (each member's will be different)
• Created various cards to play with, boons and pitfalls.
• Made up an ad for the game

The photos will follow in the next gallery....

Plotting Cont...

Plotting Cont.

I have been using sketches like this to give myself a chance to plot the people passing, it becomes a bit hectic, so apologies for the mess above, (and this is one of the quietest ones!) and there are often tangles that I think only I understand. I've created a new language! 

I have built a selection of these plots and am now looking to draw and animate a piece accordant to the information that I have managed to now gather.

The next version will be much prettier.

The Playing Board

...And here is the board to play the game on.

Again, I have designed it on a computer and then printed it onto a board that I have made to size.

The playing pieces...

Game Pieces

Here some of the basic playing pieces for the board game. 

Wanting to make the game fun to play and quite a tactile experience I have designed the buildings, many of which have real-life counterparts from my grid of Huddersfield and then printed them onto card and assembled them together, each should fit in a variety of ways to keep the game-play interesting and different each time.

Plotting Paths

After looking through my evidence so far and making some general outlines this is now my plan to complete my project:

I am going to purely study the patterns of pedestrians, shoppers and wandering folk as they pass through or across my grid and plot their courses to see what kind of random shapes and dances there maybe once I can see their journeys across the area.

Ideas

Ideas, ideas, ideas

I have visited my grid several times over the last few weeks, with it being such a main street within Huddersfield I have also found myself wandering though on missions completely non-project related, and have been playing with ideas of what I can do to somehow re-plot or re-imagine this area.

I have found that the shops in the area have not been that busy on my visits, however it is a very busy threw route for people it seems (myself, as mentioned often among them) so I have began to take note of the people rather than the place itself, and am thinking that it may be useful to include them in my ideas rather than the locale itself.

The weather has been my worst enemy, and whenever I am going to go with my camera and pad it is deserted.

Maybe I should wander through at pub kicking out time?!

Watching the pedestrians...

The GRID Game Rules...

The Grid Game Official Rules....

Rules of The Grid Game:

Reconnaissance

The Lay of the Land


I have visited my grid several times and made some reference photos to go with it.There are 16 shops in my square but unfortunately many of them are shut down, and lots of the buildings are very similar. However one or two do stand out, especially the building that houses the Yorkshire Bank, which looks quite out of place compared to the rest of the street.

various photos of my grid area

GRID 2

This is my first of two solo projects, and I am hoping to use traditional techniques but still create a way of interpreting my grid area in an original and interesting way.

The first thing that I needed to do was become familiar with the section of town that I had drawn.

My grid runs through the middle of Huddersfield's main shopping High Street and includes the main length of the pedestrianised High Street, as well as the shops that run it's sides, so it is a very straight run with out any bends, or off roads, so in terms of re-creating a map that won't get you lost I shouldn't have any troubles.

GRID the Boardgame

Grid, the boardgame!

This is the group project that my team and I are to be working on.
We know that each of us needs to use our Huddersfield grid as the basis not only for our game but also to find a way to include each of ours into this project.

We have decided to keep the gameplay mechanics simple where possible as it will make for easier gaming and look at something that will be a good idea to complete our own take on the project while still sticking to a frame work.

So far, we have this to begin with:

The Basics

The GRID game, is a simple more "old fashioned" type boardgame.

The object of the game is to build as large a group of blocks (buildings) on one your gameboard before the other players beat you to it.

The Buildings are made up from different shaped geometric shapes, making it more difficult for you to place your pieces as you go.

A die roll will determine what size block you get on your turn, but your opponent picks the shape.

There are also cards that can be drawn, which will greatly alter the outcome of the game.

Bigger pieces could be worth more resulting in a greater final score.

You can also remove and hinder other players as they try to build larger areas up.


We're not to sure of the finer details, but are going to be mocking up boards and trying some game testing to see what does and doesn't work.

Basically this project is broken into three parts,

GRID 1
1. A group project in which we must be create a board game, using a grid square section of Huddersfield to use as a starting point to invent some form of game that can be played

GRID 2
2. Continuing to use my square grid, this is a solo task in which I must again use that area to look at how I can find a way to map, chart the area myself in different ways.

GRID 3
3. Expanding on the last task I must again, working alone, use a different area and ways of looking at an area to create a kind of chart.

I shall be using the GRID 1, 2, 3 titles until they get full names to distinguish them apart.

My Grid section

GRID 3

GRID: Project 3

My third project based around the Grid idea allows me to expand my horizons and find an area that could be much further afield than Huddersfield. I am taking this opportunity to look at older ways of charting and navigation, and what maps actually are. 

This has been inspired by my work on both of the other projects, especially my second which has left me think about plotting and courses much more than standard ways to map reading or location finding. I have already, very briefly touched upon stars in their assistance to chart the skies and it interests me that flat 2D charts can illuminate paths via the celestial skies above that extend on so far.

I have always liked to draw basic maps when I have traveled abroad, I have found that it helps to give me a sense of direction and an idea of position when I have done.

Grid Project

This is a project contributing to my studies for a Virtual Reality Design and Animation degree at Huddersfield University

This is the third project in my Studio Practice Module and I shall be using this blog as a running diary of my progress