Augmented Reality Contact lense Project
I set about creating a prototype augmented reality lense according to the brief, which was based on the article from
New Scietist found on the New Media site.
Below is the finished aspects of this particular designing for the User Brief
User manual
This is the user manual required in the brief which details how the user utilises the contact lens.
I looked at websites pertaining to real contact lenses and how to apply them and product manuals for smartphones and personal data assistants to gain a realistic look at how to boot and use PDA’s and smartphones which are similar to the Pocket unit from my design.
Below are the websites I used for my research
Contact lens application information
Another contact lense information website
User Interface Prototype
This apsect of the brief required creating a working and interactive prototype for the interface for the contact lense.
I created my prototype in Adobe Flash and used Photoshop to create the graphical elements such as icons, the GUI for the interface and the background.
Miscellaneous Materials
I created an infographic detailing the components included in the contact lense and pocket unit package in Photoshop using 3D models created in Autodesk 3DS MAX Studio.
I created the base primitives in 3DS, UVW Unwrapped the primitives and exported the UVW template to Photoshop where I used a combination of stock images, brushes, vector shapes, illustrator paths and layer blending.
To create the transparency for the Contact lense in the 3D Model I created an alpha channel in Photoshop and duplicated the layer containing the lense into the alpha channel. Unfortunately, there was an error due to blending modes whihch resulted in the exterior ring on the lense to also be transparent which was not the desired effect.
I imported to .PNG files containing the finished UVW Map into 3DS. I placed one in the diffuse material slot and another which contained the Alpha Channel into the Opacity material slot in the 3DS MAX material editor interface.
Below is the UVW Wraps and the models they were applied to. The same problem occured with the PDA model as stated above, the layer blend cut through all of the layers and reveald the actual UVW template underneath which can be seen on the corners of the model. However overall I am satisfied with the quality of the finished pieces despite the errors but in future I will definately take the mistakes aboard.
Conclusion
Overall I would say that this project has been a success. I enjoyed creating the 3D assets used aswell as the user manual and other assorted images for the project. Throughout I have learned a great deal about graphic design (owing to the fundamentals of graphic design by Gavin Ambrose) creating and designing interfaces for various uses, creating functional and efficient buttons in Flash and other assorted tidbits of knowledge.
At the beginning of the module when the brief was in flux, a lot of my work went into creating a functional guided user interface and inventory system for my RPG Project. When the brief was changed, I used what I had learned during the creating of that inventory and applied it to the two new briefs; the Tractor Ted brief and this contact lens brief. The finished inventory also contributes towards my RPG Project.
