4th dimensional cube

gabemott's picture

Anyone know how to make a tesseract in Quartz Composer? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-WyreE9ZkI

usefuldesign.au's picture
Re: 4th dimensional cube

In that video you need to define 8 points cycling on the 'left' path and 8 points cycling on the 'right' path. Then it's just a matter of joining the points with lines or defining quads with those points.

As for generating the paths defining the point locations over time that's a good question for a mathematician. They do seem to move in straight line for much of the time when flattened to the 2D projection in that video, perhaps you can cheat and just work out the limits (trial and error placement of a 3D point) and smoothly interpolate between a set of limits (at least four limits that I can see).

I have some JS patches that interpolate with various curves if you want some examples of doing interpolation in JS, as opposed to instances of the Interpolation patch.

jrs's picture
Re: 4th dimensional cube

Hi Alastair,

I'd love to see you JS patches for interpolation as I'm about to embark on something similar.

Also can I ask what it is that you actually use QC for? Whilst most people on here seem to be related to the visual arts I get the picture your using it for something else?

Cheers James

gabemott's picture
Re: 4th dimensional cube

I'd love to see your JS patches. I can give it a shot, maybe find a mathematician... Attempting to digest this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamming_distance Thank you.

usefuldesign.au's picture
Re: 4th dimensional cube

Sent you code. Will post in Repository for all. Was waiting until I had completed the code for handling interpolation smoothing of structures of numbers. If you are on SL you could put the single number JS code inside an iterator and queue the results to an output structure.

My matrix handling JS Patch was proving much more difficult than the scalar code to debug so I left it after a few attempts.

gtoledo3's picture
Re: 4th dimensional cube

You should try doing a search for "impossible architecture" (or maybe something like that) on Google... seeing stuff from multiple sides will shed light.

This is bothering me, because I've setup this exact illusion, and can't remember what I eventually did.

Here's the big caveat - it will only look right to a very small amount of viewers, usually at least. Never know! It's might at least look "cool" for the people who don't get the illusion from being right in front.

I look at some clips of some stuff I've done like that, where someone is way way way off to one side, and it winds up irritating the heck out of me! :) Illusion destruction :) It's just important that you not 100% count on the depth illusion, and that at least the colors and speed of movement are pleasing. (my $.02 for covering your butt)

usefuldesign.au's picture
Re: 4th dimensional cube

I posted the JS code for curved interpolation smoothing of a scalar value here in the Kineme composition repository.

gabemott's picture
Re: 4th dimensional cube

Thanks for posting, I had a look... honestly, going to have to find some inspired mathematician.. will see. Thanks again.