PRID302 - Stuart Gardner

I've finished to a level where it can be handed in and demo'd. Before it can be sold, it'll need work, but then before it can be sold I'd need to get clearance for the use of images.

Today, I've finished the How to Use guide and packaged it all up and tested it on two computers by three different people. All seems ready.

I've been slightly busy with my dissertation and 4D project. I've been working on this project, but I haven't updated what I've done.

So here's a brief run through:

- I've titled the project - it's called Paignton Past and Present
- The locations on the main map when moused over, change colour
- It's now 800x600 friendly, which I think is important for older users who may have a lower resolution to see things more clearly
- I've added an X in the corner, so that users can close the program
- I've added 15(!) new locations
- The map in the corner has compass points
- Each view has it's name shown at the bottom (like how some postcards include the location on the front)

The deadline is looming and I'm worried about getting all tied up. All that really needs to be done is the How to Use section.

Some more screenshots.

This has been a big issue to me.

Though I would like this to have been completed without any use of copyrighted material, it seems that I have to and will then use the finished version as a demo to companies and hopefully get permission and/or better copies of images I've used.

The main problem being that I can't present my project to those locally as I do not have a laptop and would fear taking a copy of the project on a pen drive to find suffer a blivet.

Instead, I have used copyrighted material, on the basis that this is a demo for educational purposes (which is also why there is no product website).

Here is a list of sources I've used for photographs and trivia:

Tully Peter (1988) Pictures of Paignton, Obelisk Publications, ISBN 0-946651-28-0
Tully Peter (1992) Pictures of Paignton Part II, Obelisk Publications, ISBN 0-946651 52-3
Pike John, Thompson Mike (2003) A Torbay Century, Breedon Books, ISBN 1-85983-344-6


Here is a list of sources I've used for trivia:

Rumbelow W. Harold (2005) Paignton After The Railway Came, Anthony Rowe, ISBN 0-9546071-1-2
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paignton


Having referenced Wikipedia, it should be pointed out that the information concerning Monty Python was added to the page by myself and later edited in more detail by someone else.

All locations now display original photos and I've taken more photos for locations than I had planned, moving all the way down to Palace Avenue.

This should mean I've "completed" the project.

I feel it is far too "quick" to see everything though, so I'm starting to another element - trivia. An example of this can be seen in the screenshot on the left.

I will dot tiny bits of trivia around the town, since there aren't enough websites to link to in the information box, plus it all fits in to my idea.

Seeing past views of Paignton and reading what is written on the backs of postcards gives an unusual social aspect to the project. Incorporating trivia, such as when the pier was built or when the railway reached Paignton when added together help make up what Paignton currently is and what makes it different from its neighbouring towns of Torquay and Brixham.

I've noticed things about Paignton that i'd never noticed before, and hopefully, others who know Paignton and view this project, will notice things they didn't notice before.

I've replaced some of the old Tor-bay.com photos with my own.

I've also changed the squares which showed where the locations are, to circles. I'd used squares to keep with the design, but circles seem to give a nicer aesthetic.

I made a little error in putting it all together today (or one I've just noticed), which has made me decide to add a few more locations.

I've accidentally put a "Forward" button in where there is currently no way to go forward, along what is known as Adelphi Road. If I add to it, it will connect with the seafront.

I think it'll just gives users more freedom to navigate.

This screenshot to the left, and those in other posts below show the current progress of this final year project. Recently, I've been out and taken some new pictures to use for locations. I've yet to put the locations on the map, but it links the town centre locations with the seafront locations - a crucial piece for a fully operational virtual tour.

My main difficulty has been the weather, since it hasn't been dry enough to get across the Paignton I wish to convey.

I do not believe there is a chance of this being sold by the Council as the screenshot to the above shows.

I still believe I am on schedule for an end of March completion, by which I mean the project itself.

To make it slightly easier to navigate in areas where it isn't so clear to see the "Forward" button at the top of the page (locations where the sky is white/light coloured), I have introduced a "Forward" message that appears when the user mouses over the button.

Similarly, the left and right buttons now have "Turn Left" and "Turn Right" messages when moused over.

Hopefully, this will make it a little easier to navigate intuitively.

I've taken 56 original photos now, giving 7 new locations to view.

I've also introduced the code required to view views from the past.

Here are some screenshots to give an example of what I've done.

Present



Half-way



Past

Here are some screenshots of the current design and some original photos for the first time.




I previously complained about the project being 11 MBs. It is currently 93.9 MB.

This means it won't be available online - at all - and will now certainly be a DVD project.

After visiting the local library, I've found the pictures they have aren't of the quality I'd expected.

Some are torn, ripped or been painted over to "repair" marks made to them.

I've contacted Francis Frith about the possible use of their photographs, but have been told it would cost £25 per picture, which is far more than what I consider reasonable.

This means I shall be relying on my parent's collection of Paignton postcards from the last 100 years.

I have changed my initial idea, from that of a project about secrets, into a Virtual Tour of Paignton.

The project has been progressing rapidly, from the original demo which featured two “positions”, to a current demo of eleven “positions”, details of buildings moused over and links to their websites (if they have them).

Further ideas for the project include adding a hybrid map, using the arrow keys to control the movement, longitude and latitude for each “position”, a “game” where mousing over an icon or an object will show a historic photo of Paignton in the same “position”.

I have yet to decide whether I should use a large file size for photos, or reduce the quality to allow for a quicker opening speed. It is likely that I will produce two versions.


The images have been mostly taken from Tor-bay.com, whilst I wish to replace these with my own, it may not be possible if the weather continues to be unsuitable. The aerial photograph is used by Microsoft Virtual Earth and Google Maps.


My time has so far been spent putting together the project in Director, but I have recently got in contact with the local newspaper to ask about any archive photos that I may be able to use. They have given me an email address of someone who may be able to help, since they do not own the rights of the archive photos they use.

I feel reasonably confident, that should the weather be suitable on days that I take photos, I will be able to produce a rough final version by early March.

Forget the screen and secrets - now introducing the Virtual Tour of Paignton!

To operate it, click in a square, then use the opaque areas to move left, right and forward. Each position has 8 views. In some positions, you can mouse over buildings and details for the building will pop up. e.g. The cinema, has it's address and it's website.


I have to clean up it's appearance and stuff, add my own photos and a few other things, but it's the basic appearance.

Unfortunately, at the moment it's 11mb, and I want to try and cut that down, and add more things at the same time. It's a battle of size vs resolution.

I might have got use of some old photos of Paignton for use.

How it might look on Portland Square.

Confessions of Academia (as my project will be tentatively titled), is a way in which the citizens of Plymouth, will be able to read what activities relating to student life go on in their city. Some students may forget that not everyone goes to university, and that they miss out on some of the activities that go on inside, or may not even know what goes on inside a university. This project will convey some of those activities, be they ‘interesting’ accounts of student accommodation, or how a student rushed to hand in a piece of coursework for a deadline, or just what students feel they get from university. It will not be exclusive to students though, anyone who works at the university will be able to post to the blog, as long as they have a valid University of Plymouth email address.

The aim is to inform people what they are missing out on, and perhaps promote the university to teenagers who might pass by.

The term 'confession' is to be used lightly, as it is expected negative things will be posted to the blog, which will have to be removed.

References:

http://grouphug.us/

http://www.cloudplay.org/

http://www.postsecret.blogspot.com/

http://www.stallscribbles.com/

Since my idea for this project has a lot to do with it, I thought my first post should be a link to postsecret.blogspot.com