Procedural Mapping

The purpose of this project is to collect qualitative characteristics of a site. This is an alternative mapping technique, that will hopefully begin to describe a site in terms other than cartesian coordinates. The method of data collection is to triangulate the site, taking sequential photos from three points, documenting the use of the site, mainly occupancy. I would like to synthesize this collection of imagery in such a way that each photo can be cross referenced with its two counterparts, then further compared to the sequential photos. These comparisons will reveal fixed objects found within the site and changing objects, and between these two points will reveal descriptive qualitative data. I do not yet know how this will be done, perhaps via a series of Photoshop of Processing filters, or through an arraying of a point grid, that can then be further expressed in Grasshopper.

As an overall idea, this process should be deployable and repeatable. An entire city or neighborhood could be scanned, then each of the mappings can be combined. This is an experiment in creating a method of qualitative data gathering.

Not Processing, Magic

I did not use a script to make this image, I used magic. But, lucky I did some research and their happens to be a code that exist to manipulate the image in a very similar way. This is using crude and undeveloped technology, it is not as refined as the Dark Arts that have been passed down from generation to generation from the Middle Ages, but it works none- the-less, pretty well.

Let’s start with a quote from the book to frame how the code is proposed to be used:

“Using the pixels[] array rather than the image() function to draw the image to the display window provides more control and leaves room for variation in displaying the image. Small calculations modifying the for structure and the pixels[] array reveal some of the potential of this technique.”

With that frame in mind this is a image manipulation based on grayscale representation of the in conjunction with the vertical “blocking” of informations. The spacing of the vertical lines are controlled through the code which allows my specific analysis to take place, this happens when the background color of the manipulated image is rendered and blends with the grayscaled corresponding color. At these moments the image “blurs” out, notation the specific information that I am looking to map via digital technique. The code is as follows:

size(750,587); //size of the image

PImage arch3 = loadImage("arch3.jpg"); // note arch3 is the name of the image that is loaded and anywhere that this is mentioned in the name of your image instead

int count = arch3.width * arch3.height; // frames how the script read the information which is structured by the width and height of the image

arch3.loadPixels();

loadPixels(); // call to load the pixels to be manipulated

for (int i = 0; i <>// tells the program to run the script at a spacing of 5 pixels for the entire width of the page until the page width runs out

pixels[i] = arch3.pixels[i];

}

updatePixels(); // calls to update the pixels via the above information

the image below is the “blind” outcome come from running this script.

As noted before this can also be done, with relative ease, using magic. But make sure you have a beginner Warlock / Witch Kit and proper safety equipment. Wizard-ing is a highly dangerous practice and must be respected and regarded as such.