Making the Data Work

In working out methods for extracting the data embedded in the mocap paths, a recent Drexel grad, Zack Melnik, and I have been testing the visual scripting software Grasshopper. Grasshopper runs within Rhino and allows us to specify parameters within the motion trails to extract and rebuild or redraw in a new format. These drawings are finally getting to a point that is measurable and may tell us something about the questions we asked at the very beginning!

For instance, by extracting 2 sets of motion trails from the animation we can study the compression and expansion of the body. The two sets of data taken are the extents of the body, both horizontal and vertical.

Those distances, are sorted frame by frame and redrawn as ellipses. When overlaid and run adjacent to another dancer’s data, patterns begin to emerge relating to when dancer’s bodies compress in space and when they are outstretched or expanded in space.

In another direction we’ve started to explore the location of words within space, or rather their occurrence in time. Using Grasshopper, we can locate the frame the word was spoken in and then tell the program to draw that text at its relative location in space. This can be see from any angle as the words are drawn in three-dimensional space.

The most important part of this process is the parametric quality of it. We are able to run the many permutations of dancers and prompts to truly begin to study the effects across a broad range of movements. Here, the word cloud adjusts for distance moved between words-making longer distances between words larger and shorter distances between words smaller. This is inspired by your book draft Valerie!