MAT259 Visualizing Information(4 units)


George Legrady
Charlie Roberts

Lecture: Tuesday 10:00-12:00, Lab: Thursday 10:00-12:00 - e-studio/Arts2220

In this lab we looked at how to animate datasets, import images and add interactivity to our visualizations in Processing.

When attempting to add animation to a visualization, there are two important elements to consider. First, make sure that you abstract the visualization from the data model itself. You don't want to change the data, you just want to change what's on the screen. Second, in general you want to avoid linear motion through the use of easing. Easing out (slowing down towards the end of the animation) is very easy to add programmatically. In class we did a demo of a random dataset that animates from one dataset to the next when the mouse is clicked.

Images are very easy to add in Processing. We looked at extracting images from Amazon using the Switchboard Library, and then looked at grabbing images from Flickr using REST methodologies. Here is the example I showed and modified in class to grab images from Flickr. Rememebr, with both Flickr and Amazon you have to get your own API key in order to enable your Processing sketches to access data.

Last but not least we looked at adding interactivity to our sketches using the controlP5 library by MAT alum Andreas Schlegel.