Thats Cat

Programming Development

2012-02-18T12:17:00.000-08:00

I have decided to create a list regarding the programming aspects of this project to help both myself and the group keep track of our progress. The order of this list however, is not the order in which we will develop the application.

Completed / In-progress:

Pre-loader: Loading and unloading the main application files, including visual representations.

Navigation: Links and buttons to allow the user to load the relevant file, using the loader class.

Xml Parsing: Parsing of live RSS Xml data, using the URL request class.

Character Animation: Using timers, tweens, transitions, listeners and events.

Text Search Engine: Study, testing and development of custom textual search engine. This aspect of our application is based on an online action script 2.0 example, which has needed to be reverse engineered and re-developed in action scrip 3.0, for use within our application.

Drag & Drop Interaction: Allowing our users to interact with our application and its content.

External AS Files: Use of external .as files to re-position large bodies of script into external files and also to hold shared variable values, which then makes this script and its variables available to the rest of the application files.

Methods / Classes: Along with the above I have also needed to familiarise myself with many other new methods and classes within the Action Script 3.0 language. eg. split(), indexOf() or TextFormat(), for use within our text search engine, for finding and highlighting words, or while() conditionals, which carry out actions or execute functions, along with others.

The features and aspects of our applications programming listed above, have almost been completed (see previous post). However, there are some usability issues which have arose during this development, which will need to be addressed.

Outstanding Programming Aspects:

User Data: As we have decided to not include a Login or "user database" within our application, which would require PHP and mySQL coding, we will store user information through the use of Cookies within the Flash Player, of the users browser.

GUI: The GUI of our application will need to be further developed to include other elements like character statistics. The script to process this information will be located within another external action script file.

Character Animation: Our avatars animations will need to be developed further, to include new actions and also to optimise this large body of script.

Character Control: The development of script to allow the the user to control and move their avatar around the user interface.

Gestures: The further development of gestural interactions, within the character file.

Audio: The programming and handling of all audio content for the character and application.

CSS Styling: Research and development of CSS within Action Script 3.0. We plan to use an external CSS document to unify all textual content of our application.

Graphics: All the graphics created by our designer will also needed to be placed and tested within the application.

User Testing: Resolving issues and feedback from user testing.

As we develop this application, I have found that I have needed to research many other aspects of the Action Script language to create the functionality we require. Each aspect listed above also then needs to be implemented within our programs code.

Philip Clarke

Programming Development

2012-02-18T07:56:00.000-08:00

For the programming of this project we have decided to break the application up, into smaller projects. Each one dedicated to an individual aspect of the application. Also using external action script files to communicate between the files.

	1. This is the pre-loader screen program. This small program will be used as the landing screen for our application, entitled "index.swf". It will be executed both at the beginning of our application providing the user with feedback regarding the status of the application while loading. It will aslo be executed, when the user navigates between the welcome screen and the applications main GUI. This space can also be used to display a small animation or information during loading.
	2. This is the welcome screen program. This program will include an instructions and about screen. New users will be able to navigate to the instructions screen and familiarize themselves with the application. This screen will also include a button to allow the user to navigate to the applications main GUI. Various different animations and information can be displayed here also.
	3. The welcome program originally also included a register and login screen, which would allow a user to signing up to our application. However we have decided not to include this feature within our application. As we feel this time consuming aspect of many websites today, may deter some perspective users from using our application.
	4. This is the character program. This program will consist only of functions which control the character on screen. This means that this file alone, without the rest of the application to house this character file, cannot be used.
	5. This is the news interface screen program. This program is used to display the live RSS data from our choosen news source. For testing, we have decided to use the Irish Times RSS feed. The user will be able to drag a new story onto their character to feed their character that particular story. With their character then reacting accordingly. The user can also click on the "Read More" button on any story to view and read that particular story.
	6. This is the story screen program. This program will be displayed when the user selects a story from the news interface above. It will display the information passed to it by the news interface, it will then call on an external asction script file called Text Search Engine, which will search for all the terms and words which we have pre-determined. Which are also stored in an array within this file.
	7. This is the GUI screen program. This is the program which will combine all the files above, and any other files which we may have to develop for the application. This will be the main user interface for the application.
	8. This is the GUI screen program, with a full story displayed. Notice the words which have been highlighted in red and also counted, by the text search engine. The result of this search, the most common word, from our pre-dertermined search terms, is the word which will be fed to the users avatar if this article is choosen. Also notice, the HTML data which is attached to each RSS xml article. These are actually links and images which accompany each article. At present, I am looking at ways to further parse this data to display these images.
These images and screen shots in no way represent the appearance of our finished application. We will incorporate the design elements and aesthetics of our application at a later stage. However, they allow me to, develop the programming aspects of this project in conjunction with our designers.

Philip Clarke

Facebook page

2012-02-06T09:36:00.001-08:00

"Thats Cat" new facebook page which is still under development! :)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thats-Cat/185443451557883?sk=wall

2012-02-06T08:59:00.000-08:00

Loading animation

Here is an example of the type of loading animation I thought we could use while our user is waiting to log onto "That's Cat"....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtIkKcgndVo

This plays on the style of our character page and the overall theme of our project.

Paula

Characters

2012-01-23T08:50:00.000-08:00

We decided to draw four steps for the character, in our application, the character evolves through the feeds, if the feeds are good the cat becomes bigger and more and more rich else, he becomes more little.
So we have :
- the Small step (-1), the most poor one.
- the Medium step (0), the kind of normal clothes, the application begins with this step.
- the Large step (1), the cat begins to be rich but not satisfied because he wants to be at the top of the luxuruousness.
- the Extra Large step (2), the cat is biggest and the richest he's in top form and he knows it.

Laetitia Desplat

The NEW Logo

2012-01-23T08:28:00.000-08:00

This is the logo of our project called That's Cat. Tim and I wanted a logo which represents the cat's life and our character too.

Laetitia Desplat.

Basic room layout for That's Cat project

2011-12-05T02:54:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone this the Basic room layout for that's cat project , we change idea for the infront of angle and the real daily life style. hope everyone like and if you have and suggestion please let me know thanks.

Tim

LOGO

2011-11-15T12:59:00.000-08:00

This is the logo. I hope the font is well this time. It's very difficult for me to find the perfect font.

Laetitia.

Dialogue Designs

2011-11-15T12:43:00.001-08:00

Adding an Article from the Rss feed to Fat Cat.

Information on FATCAT.

Information on another cat.

These will appear when the user wishes to interact with the colony.

Pic

Presentation

2011-11-14T15:09:00.000-08:00

I have made the presentation for our group project in Prezi.com. I have structured it so that I will give the overall introduction and story with each individual member giving their own input on their specific areas.

This can be viewed through this link:
http://prezi.com/6ttxmgx-9nqw/present/?auth_key=3mc42oj&follow=vy8xpgunetk3

Paula

LOGO

2011-11-14T12:06:00.000-08:00

I tryed something better with the logo. But I'm hesitating between two ways. Is this better with colours or black and white ? What is your point of view ? I think the b&w is more serious for a newspaper and in the same time an application whereas the coloured can mean the share with the mix between the yellow and the blue which become the green. But I have a little preference for the b&w.

Laetitia

Final Layout

2011-11-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

Hello,

I have finally done some modifications on the Philip's layout. I just replaced the logo by the final logo, the fonts by the good font for the title and the circle cats by the cats drawings. And I added the date (which will be the current date) and the number of the day that the application "works".

Laetitia

The inside enviroment layout

2011-11-12T09:13:00.000-08:00

This is the basic enviroment layout, after our talking we decide to use the top view angle for the graphic.

Gantt Chart Updated

2011-11-12T05:03:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

I have now updated the Toms Planner Gantt chart for this project, with the deliverable dates
which Anya gave us in class on Thursday.
The Chart is also now public accessible too.
Here is the link.
https://www.tomsplanner.com/public/fatcatfeeds
Use the same Password as before.
"epeclarke"

The public however, only view a read only version so only the group can edit the original.

Pic

Quick Layout Draft

2011-11-12T03:26:00.000-08:00

Hi,

I had some time last night so I decided to do up a quick loyout draft too.
Hope know one minds.

Laetitia feel free to edit this as you wish.

I will mail the Photoshop file to you all too.

Pic

Basic enviroment layout

2011-11-11T06:58:00.000-08:00

This is the basic enviroment layout, after our talking we decide to use the top view angle for the graphic.

final logo, characters and layout

2011-11-11T06:31:00.000-08:00

This is the final logo, some drawings of characters on top view and the newspaper. I used only two fonts for this project called MoolBoran for the typical font of newspapers articles and the Handwriter-draft for the logo and the title of the application.

Laetitia.

Fat Cat Developments

2011-11-09T13:55:00.000-08:00

As a group we have been having brainstorming meetings to try and fine tune our original concept. To sum up our project in one sentence, it is an entertaining, virtual character that depends on daily news feeds and interacting with users will be a collaborative experience.

At a glance of our virtual character the user can tell if the majority of the news feeds have been good or bad on any given day. We are initially going to use RSS feeds for our "news feeds" with the aim to branch out to Twitter feeds if this is achievable. In doing some research I found that one of the elements of the virtual pet "Tamogotchi",(which was part of the inspiration for our idea) was that the goal of the user was to breed the pet forming generations of their first original pet. This concept means that there can be new dimensions added to our initial idea of one Fat Cat. We plan to grow a colony of cats and using this colony to represent society and the people in it.

Fat Cat Feeds is currently still a work of art so some of our concept may morph or adapt over time.

Our target audience is 18-25 year olds as this demographic is more interested in social networking such as Facebook and Twitter.

Presently we are working on the image and design of our "Fat Cat Feeds" but initially we are thinking that the user will view our page from an above looking down angle. This is reminiscent of games such as "The Sims".

Paula - Project Manager

Some sketches

2011-11-06T10:48:00.000-08:00

Hello !

I drew some cats versions on top view and some objects. I see the cat character like a normal cat. I don't know if it's the good way but I prefer beginning with a simple design idea and then we can add some details.

Laetitia.

Idea for the logo

2011-11-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

I drew some sketches of cats, with only a paw, with only the cat face, all the cat but with an surprised face and I was thinking to represent the game a cat seen from his back like if he ignore the user.

But it's just my idea because I wanted to show the cat feelings with a simple design and also the newspaper picture effect with the hatching.

Laetitia.

simple draft of cat character design by tim

2011-11-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone i just draw two simple draft of our cat character at this weekend, and this is just simple idea of my maind and if anyone have any suggest please tell me thanks !!
TIM

Our Project Concept Development.

2011-11-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

We looked at quite a few different concepts, during our brainstorming phase of this project, and also allowed the group to break over a weekend to consider the various ideas expressed during our meetings. The aim of this break was to allow all members of the group to reflect upon the concepts discussed, with the aim of further developing a few ideas at the same time.

Our ideas included:

A mobile device music application.
An interactive environment, which reacts through multimedia elements to the users movements.
An interactive multimedia ball game, in which the user creates music through their game score.
An interactive music game machine, creating music through visual elements on screen.
A digital avatar, which reacts to the users movements and interactions.

After some group discussion, regarding some hugely creative ideas from all members of the group. We decided on a concept which would require the full skill base of all members. As no member of the group had choosen the audio module as an elective subject, within our third year of studies at DKIT, we all decided it would be wise to move away from a project which would centre around audio as the main element. This was agreed by the group and we began to consider other interactive projects.

The final project concept, which the group agreed on, was the digital avatar. However, after discussion and consideration we also agreed that the project required some other possible form of interaction from the user. After a little tweeking of the initial idea and also the advice from one of our lectures. We came up with our groups concept.

Pic

DKIT Creative Multimedia 3rd Year Group Project.

2011-11-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

We are a group of third year students studying Creative Multimedia and DKIT, Dundalk. We have set up this group project Blog, to collaboratively work together on the various aspects of our project.

The aim of the project is to create an interactive multimedia installation, environment, website or any other form of user interactive project, which utilises the many different aspects and media which we have studied in Creative Multimedia.

As our project begins to grow and develop, we may decide to create multiple pages within this blog to separate the various different areas for discussion and development within the project. However for now, we are brainstorming and developing our ideas for our project, in an attempt to refine these ideas into a single concept which allows all members to successfully apply their individual skills to the project.

We feel as a group, that the best project we could create would be one which incorporates our individual skills and tallents to the best possible degree.

Pic: Philip Ian Clarke