Diploma – Generative Systeme

2007 Jul

Diploma thesis “Generative Systeme – A compendium of visual possibilities of generative techniques” of Julia Laub and Benedikt Groß, contributors Joreg and Rainer Kohlberger, Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd, University of Applied Sciences.

“Generative Systeme” is a compendium book (at the moment only in German) of imaging generative techniques with two goals: first readers can have easily an overview over the whole topic of generative techniques and second learn with practical examples how to use these techniques to profit later from them.

Our Definition of “Generative Systems” is: they are systems, letting you create complex visualizations which aren’t possible to create by the normal approach (edit objects manually).

Because of the quickly development of the computer industry more and more possibilities are offered, “Generative Systems” are going to be very important and popular in future. You can see this in the last few years by the increased appearance of software tools, which have their main focus on generating things, like Processing, VVVV and many others.

At the moment there is more a deficit of documentation and information rather than a deficit of “possibilities” compared to mid of the 90ties. There was no point in media or computer-history with this kind of potential possibilities accessible for a wide public like now. Till now there was no literature for designers and related disciplines (like art, computer science in media, etc.) with an overview and in addition showing “how to do it”. The thesis “Generative Systeme” tries to close this gap.

The content is divided into the following 4 parts:

  1. Theory, historic and thematic introduction in Generative Art and Design
  2. Input, collection of input techniques (like parsing, tracking, timeline etc.)
  3. System, collection of generative techniques
  4. Output, A selection of existing projects, references back to “System” part

The second part “Input” shows various input techniques for collecting data. The third part “System” consists of a collection of techniques in Generative Art and Design. All examples are exemplified with the two programming languages Processing and VVVV. The fourth part “Output” is a look book chapter featuring the mentioned techniques (of the “System” part) applied in existing projects.

Theory

System

Output

Appendix