Maple’s Diner – Dine in Experience
Stills of the Experience
Week 10 – The set up & summary
Challenges in Setting Up the Experience
Setting up the interactive experience was challenging, to say the least. I initially expected an easy setup since I had tested my projection at home without encountering significant issues. My plan was to set up in the Creative Lab, with the projector positioned directly above the dining table and plate. However, this proved more difficult than anticipated.
I ran my projections using a ceramic dinner plate. However, I found that the projections were losing clarity and appeared slightly blurry due to the material of the plate. When I decided to film the entire setup at home, I realised it would be more effective to use a paper plate instead. This change significantly improved the clarity of the food and other 2D visuals, making them much sharper and more visually appealing.
The Creative Lab’s space was not ideal; it wasn’t dark enough, making it difficult to project clearly. Additionally, once I set up all my sensors and ran the experience in TouchDesigner, I faced several technical issues. Obtaining support for the setup was challenging, and I had to quickly find solutions to avoid wasting time. This situation was incredibly stressful, especially since it was the day before the project deadline.
Despite my efforts, I was unable to set up as planned at the university. Fortunately, I had the right equipment at home and managed to get the code and sensors working with the help of a friend who is well-versed in Arduino. I was also fortunate to have borrowed the projector from the kit room, which I had on standby at home throughout the project. Consequently, I decided not to film at the university. Instead, I brought everything home and conducted the experience there.
Overall, I am very happy with the outcome and the visuals I presented for this project. They were exactly what I envisioned during the first week when I set up my mood board and pitch. I couldn’t be more proud of the result. This experience has assured me that this won’t be my last interactive project. I am eager to experiment further with interactivity in future projects and potentially create a more elaborate interactive experience.
I am delighted with the new knowledge I gained in interactivity, Arduino, TouchDesigner, and creating toon shaders. I am seriously considering expanding this project for my Final Major Project (FMP) or creating something entirely different that incorporates some level of interactivity.
Week 9 – Arduino & Soldering
Exploring Interactivity with Arduino
To tackle the interactivity aspect of my project, I sought assistance at the Creative Lab. A technician there helped me understand Arduino and guided me through setting up the necessary cables. She provided me with a wiring guide, and I practised my wiring under her supervision.
I quickly realised the importance of having a concise menu, as each force sensor required five wires and a resistor. Given that my menu needed six sensors, I faced the task of managing around 30 to 35 wires on my breadboard. This setup became quite complex, but using colour coding and starting slowly helped me understand the process better.
Through the technician’s guidance, I learned how to prepare the sensors by unscrewing them from the positive and negative terminals and soldering them to wires for a more robust setup. This knowledge was crucial for ensuring that my final setup was both functional and reliable.
Implementing and Testing Force Sensors with Arduino
After practising my wiring and running my code in Arduino, I proceeded to set up my force sensors and integrate them with TouchDesigner. Running the code, I focused on troubleshooting and tweaking it to ensure the delays were accurate, allowing my visuals to play seamlessly.
Given that this was my first time working with such a setup, I opted to start small by setting up only two sensors for the initial test. This approach made the process manageable and less overwhelming, providing a solid foundation for scaling up the project.
Week 8 – Toon Shader, Blender
Crafting Food Textures and Enhancing Visual Appeal
For creating the textures for the food, I referred to several YouTube tutorials. I focused on toon shader tutorials to achieve the specific aesthetic I had in mind. While the tutorials were straightforward, fine-tuning the lighting and shader settings to work seamlessly with my food models proved a bit time consuming. I also needed to combine the toon shader with the right render settings to ensure the food projected clearly with the desired tones.
I experimented with various render settings and outputs to determine the best look. Additionally, I played around with bloom effects and manually painted some strokes on the textures in combination with the toon shader. For instance, the toon shader alone didn’t work well for the bacon, as it lacked the distinct stripes that make bacon recognizable. To address this, I painted the texture in Procreate and layered the toon shader on top. This approach worked exceptionally well, and I was pleased with the outcome. It perfectly aligned with the visual language I had set for this project.
To further enhance the appeal and freshness of the food, I decided to add vapour around the dishes. This extra animated element made the food look more enticing and freshly made. Initially, I considered rendering with backgrounds, but the vapour didn’t project well against coloured backgrounds. Therefore, I opted to render with a transparent background to maintain the desired visual effect.
Week 7 – Projection Mapping
In this session, I learned projection mapping in TouchDesigner, which proved to be an enriching experience. We had the freedom to create unique setups to project onto surfaces. Using paper folded in various ways, we crafted intriguing shapes that we could map out using Kanton Mapper. The session was incredibly helpful, providing insights into the limitations of projection mapping and the requirements needed for smooth animation projection.
I aimed to run tests and refine how the projection mapping and audio-reactive visuals would appear. To do so, I borrowed a projector from the kit room and set it up at home to anticipate any challenges I might encounter in layering my visuals. Maple (The owner of Maple’s Diner) assisted me with the setup, ensuring everything was in place for effective testing and troubleshooting.
This testing proved invaluable as it helped me determine the angles required to render out my 3D assets accurately, ensuring they appeared as if they were being viewed from the correct perspective.
Week 6 – Audio Reactive Experimenting
Creating Visuals with TouchDesigner: Inspired by Retro Jukeboxes
For my 2D visuals, I chose to create something in TouchDesigner, drawing inspiration from the retro music boxes commonly found in American diners. These jukeboxes, with their vibrant, moving lights, evoke a nostalgic feeling that I wanted to capture in my project.
I aimed to represent the sensation and appearance of jukebox lights shifting from one side to another. American diner jukeboxes often feature classic records that are widely known and loved, accompanied by beautiful light displays that sometimes react to the beats of the music. Inspired by our TouchDesigner sessions, I decided to incorporate audio reactivity into my visuals, creating a dynamic representation of jukebox lights.
To achieve this, I experimented with various American classics and other music tracks, selecting those that would produce interesting visuals due to the unique instruments used. This approach allowed me to create an engaging and visually appealing experience that pays homage to the iconic jukeboxes of American diners.
This was my moodboard for capturing the essence of a diner while creating the audio reactive visual for the experience.
Week 5 – Creating 3D Models
Creating 3D Visuals with Blender : Inspired by American Diner food
I had a very clear mood board for what I wanted the diner food to look like. My goal was to capture the essence of classic diner food with a chunky and authentic representation. To achieve this, I curated a collection of distinct visuals from Pinterest, carefully selecting images that embodied the nostalgic and hearty feel of diner cuisine. Using these references, I aimed to replicate the look and feel of iconic diner dishes as closely as possible, ensuring that the visuals were both accurate and evocative of the diner experience.
I used Blender to model my 3D assets. Since the food items mainly comprised simple shapes, which made the modelling process relatively straightforward. While I didn’t encounter many challenges during modelling, I knew that texturing the food was critical. It had to align perfectly with my anime-style cartoon shader aesthetic to preserve the essence of mouthwatering food. Ensuring accurate and appealing textures was paramount to evoke the desired response from viewers.
Week 4 – Designing 2D & 3D Elements
Shifting My Visual Approach: From Intricate Cuisine to Nostalgic Comfort
Before I began designing my 2D and 3D visuals, I explored various restaurant menus from places I admire. As an avid fan of Italian cuisine, I initially gravitated towards both traditional dishes and high-end restaurants known for their intricate creations. These establishments often present their food with a unique visual style, which I intended to incorporate into my project.
However, as I delved deeper into the world of intricate food presentations, I realised I was missing the essence of what my project needed to convey. It became clear that my visuals should evoke a sense of familiarity and nostalgia, allowing everyone to relate to them and recall immediate memories, smells, and tastes.
To achieve this, I decided to pivot from showcasing curated and designed dishes to focusing on food that is widely recognised and beloved. I switched my theme from Italian cuisine to classic American diner fare. This ensured that my visuals would evoke a sense of nostalgia, making the project more accessible and relatable to a broader audience.
By adopting this approach, I aimed to create visuals that would immediately resonate with viewers, bringing forth universally cherished memories and sensory experiences. This shift not only aligned my project with its core purpose but also enhanced its ability to connect with and engage a diverse audience.
I decided to approach this as a branding project and so I focused on creating a very clear brand identity for this diner. I drew inspiration from the American diner classic checkerboard print and this menu above and created this menu
I also animated the logo that I will use as filler animations at the beginning and the end of the experience
Week 3 – Introduction to Touch Designer
Discovering TouchDesigner: A Game-Changer for My Project
I recently enrolled in a TouchDesigner workshop and found the software to be remarkably engaging. Initially uncertain if it would align with my interests, I quickly developed a profound appreciation for it under Pierre’s tutelage. The interface is intuitive and logical, facilitating a smooth learning experience. Later in the week, Serra and Sunni introduced us to more advanced features, highlighting TouchDesigner’s capacity to merge real-time graphics with precise control.
TouchDesigner offers a versatile platform for manipulating various types of visuals and mediums. It supports audio reactivity, mouse and keyboard interactions, and allows for seamless integration of live camera feeds, music, sensor data, controllers, and more. This level of interactivity is both innovative and compelling.
During our sessions, we learnt to create captivating visuals using noise operators and gained an understanding of the functionality of each operator system. We explored how to connect these systems to produce coherent visual outputs. These workshops were immensely beneficial and played a crucial role in my decision to incorporate interactivity into my project.
Without TouchDesigner, my project would have likely been a straightforward 3D animation with anime aesthetic 2D style shaders. However, these sessions opened my eyes to new possibilities. I was able to experiment with and explore different mediums and abstract art forms, maintaining control over the fine details while ensuring the art remained cohesive and aesthetically pleasing.
As a practice project, I created visuals using noise operators, colour ramps, and music. Overall, I found the sessions with TouchDesigner to be highly enriching and began planning how to integrate it into my main project. TouchDesigner has proven to be a transformative tool, enabling me to elevate my project through the incorporation of interactive and dynamic elements.
Week 2 – Planning & Visual Language
Developing My Visual Language
Developing my visual language was crucial, particularly because food needs to look appealing. If the presentation of food doesn’t make you hungry or evoke a mouthwatering appeal, it’s not something you’re excited about. The first concept that came to mind for my visual language was the vibrant portrayal of food in anime. Anime is one of the best mediums for capturing the essence of a dish, making viewers eager to indulge.
This feeling of immediate indulgence was an emotion I was keen to evoke in my visuals. I wanted to draw strong inspiration from the way food is depicted in anime and incorporate these elements into my 3D food project. Many food commercials successfully capture this essence as well, so I aimed to merge these two worlds.
My goal was to curate a menu featuring classic items that are immediately recognisable, allowing viewers to anticipate the taste based on the visuals alone. To achieve this, I explored different cuisines, seeking out dishes that would resonate universally. By doing so, I aimed to create a visual and culinary experience that both captivates and delights.
These are my mood boards for the dining experience
Week 1 – Brain Storming Phase
A Journey into Culinary Animation: Bringing Food to Life in 3D
Since my earliest memories, I’ve harbored a profound admiration for culinary shows. From the intense competition of MasterChef to the fiery challenges of Hell’s Kitchen and the sweet delights of The Great British Bake Off, each show has left an indelible mark on my appreciation for the culinary arts. My admiration extends beyond the screen as I immerse myself in the creative journeys of renowned chefs on Instagram and TikTok.
Icons such as Amoury Guichon, Reynold Poernomo, Cedric Grolet, and Anna Polyviu have charmed me with their culinary artistry. I follow their every move, indulging in the captivating reels they share that bring mouthwatering dishes to life. The creativity and skill displayed in these digital snippets have fueled my own desire to create something equally enchanting.
Recently, I embarked on a culinary journey of a different kind by immersing myself in the highly anticipated MasterChef Australia Dessert Masters. In this competition, culinary maestros competed for the coveted title of dessert master, pushing the boundaries of their creativity with each challenge. This experience served as a catalyst for my aspiration to translate their ingenuity into a delightful 3D animation of food.
During moments of reflection, I was reminded of the impeccable food montages featured in anime classics such as Food Wars, Toriko, and Restaurant to Another World. These animated sequences beautifully capture the essence of culinary delights, inspiring me to explore the possibilities of 3D animation in the context of food. Beyond the world of anime, motion graphic shorts showcasing food have become a staple in advertisements on platforms like YouTube, TV, and even cinema.
The Vision: A Captivating Food-Oriented Animation
My goal is to challenge myself and embark on the journey of creating a captivating food-oriented animation. In the coming weeks, I plan to delve into the development of this idea, contemplating how deeply I want to infuse storytelling into this project. My vision includes experimenting with liquid simulations, incorporating dynamic particle effects, all while ensuring the textures evoke an irresistibly appetizing appeal.
This project is not just about creating a visually stunning animation but also about pushing the boundaries of my creativity and technical skills. I envision a world where the art of cooking transcends the kitchen and comes to life in a deliciously animated form. I am excited to see how this endeavor unfolds and to share this imaginative world with others who share my passion for both the culinary and visual arts.
The fusion of culinary inspiration and digital animation is a testament to the limitless possibilities when passion and creativity collide. As I embark on this journey, I invite each of you to join me in savouring the delightful experiences that can be created at the intersection of food and animation.