HISTORY - WORKSHOP MARSEILLES

2-10th December 2002, La Friche la Belle de Mai

The opening workshop that took place in Praha from 20/09/02 to 04/10/02 organized by CIANT, had initially as a main purpose to allow the partners to meet and agree on the project’s orientations as well as the terms and conditions of the working methods. A first work on the construction of virtual spaces has been started.

In the second workshop that took place in Marseille from 02/12/02 to 10/12/02, Cypres was in charge of developping the experimental laboratory.

This laboratory was taking into account any aspects and characteristics of artistic works, in and about the Network, by respecting specific conditions imposed by the Net itself.
The thesis advanced by CYPRES, proposed that any artist working on the network was inevitably immersed in a dynamic flow of communication and that he was constantly requested by this phenomenologic space.

Based on this reflexion the participants were building all together an artistic plateform: the “Lab”
The purpose was to focus on the developpement and the experimentation of specific technological tools and programs used by each team (and thus share together different knoledge and know-hows):
· VRML Environment powered a StringX and Java-based Technologies with Jarda, Thomas (.cz)
· 3D Modelling and Motion Capture with Francois, Gonzague (.fr)
· Apache Server/XML, sharing Environment with Emmanuel (.fr)
· Miscellanous technologies: ASCII Art, 3D Modelling,.... Aix Fine Arts Schools (.fr)
· MultiUser Lab, Max and streaming video with Karl, Alexandre (.fr/.cz)
· VRML World and video with Pascal (.fr/.cz)
· Interface, graphic design and 3D Modelling with the MIDE team (.es)

2. The Workshop

2.1 Time table of the workshop

General planning

On Wednesday 4th december the workshop opened its doors to the public for a general presentation of E-Galab’s project and allowed the visitors to discuss with the WS’s participants.

2.2 Work proceedings

The participants spent nearly three days discussing how they would work together. Some answers raises:

2.2.1 VRML and Motion Capture (mocap)
With the help of Thomas, Jarda, Gonzague and François.
· Real Time connection between Motion Capture (polhemus 16cpts wire) and the vrml 3D world.
· Real-Time Distribution of Mocap up to 10 computers, mocap session sharing.
· Connection of a 3D puppet driven by Mocap.
· Creation of a 3D Navigation system based on Mocap.
· Real time projection of real faces (taken by a web-camera) onto a 3D real time modelling.

2.2.2 Multi-User VRML Environment
With the technical help of Thomas and Jarda, Alexandre and Karl works the Multi User VRML World
· Moving, Rotating, Scaling Object
· Attach Textures, Video on Object
· ....
They also work on a more user-friendly, more intuitive interface.

2.2.3 XML Import / Export
Would a real time data processing, open-publishing, becomes a real necessity, an import/export process inbetween nods could be thought.An add-on to the VRML server was added to give information about the multiusers world. Emmanuel worked on a script creating and updating a XML catalog of media library. This catalog details all available medias that can be used by the participants in the Lab.

2.2.4 Media Library
Considering the tools the participant are working with, a multimedia library is necessary to be developped. Pascal, Alexandre, Karl and the MIDE team have already released a large numbers of files: sounds, textures, streaming videos, ... They worked on producing data that can we re-used, re-composed, re-sampled in the coming multi-users plateform.
The MIDE team works also on the Aesthetic aspects, finding the form that best suits to these ideas including a “multimedia passage” presented by Sara.

3 What’s next ?
In Cuenca, the goal is really to experiment and play with that technical system to be meaningful.

4 Conclusion
The workshop in Marseille went much further than we expected in the begining of the work, considering the realisation of a virtual galery and the setting up of the experimental laboratory as a whole. From the reflexion on the Lab, raised the concept of the virtual galery.