REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS

Processing: A Programming Handbook for Visual Designers and Artists by Casey Reas and Ben Fry

TIME AND PLACE

TR 9:00-10:40AM Robinson Hall 223 (Late Start 9:35AM)

INSTRUCTOR

J Dean Brock

Robinson Hall 220

Office Hours: TBA

Phone: 828.251.6446

brock@cs.unca.edu

DESCRIPTION This course is a practical introduction to computer programming for artists, designers, and anyone who wants to have fun developing their ideas on a computer. The course will be taught using the Processing programming language which won a Golden Nica award at the Arts Electronica 2005 festival. CSCI 273, Processing, may be substituted for CSCI 201 within the requirements of the MMAS major.

INFORMATION Late assignments will not be accepted. As expected in an professional setting, assignments deadlines will be strictly observed. To be safe, submit your work prior to the time specified. Do not wait until the last minute to upload your assignment to Moodle. An equipment failure is not an excuse for turning in an assignment late. There will not be makeup exams. Please do not ask me to make an exception unless it is an emergency, and you have the necessary documentation for an excused absence.

Attendance is important for success in this class, as there will be graded in-class labs most days. As per the catalog, students will be excused if they have a documented emergency, a documented illness, or are representing UNCA on university-sanctioned travel. If you must miss a class, please let me know prior to class, and submit your assignments on time. You may miss one week of class without a penalty or, alternatively, I will delete your two lowest in-class lab grades.

When you submit your code, please only submit the source code file (.pde) unless specifically requested otherwise. Your code should be commented. Make sure any submitted code begins with your name, the date, a one-line description of your program, and the assignment number. Each function should be preceded by a one-line comment. Also comment any programming statement of which you are particlarly proud or you do not think you will understand in a month. Most assignments will have an technical aesthetics component worth 10% of your grade - this is the 10% that distinguishes stellar work from work that simply meets requirements.

Letter grades are assigned based on the percentage of available points obtained by a student. 100% to 90% guarantees an A, 89% to 80% guarantees a B, and so on. The instructor reserves the option of relaxing the cut-offs for a letter grade in special circumstances. Plus and minus grades will be used for this course.

Course Schedule

01/12-14/10

Lecture 1: Course overview and goals, Processing in context (how does it relate to Java, Coordinate system (x,y dimensions), Environment, Open, Save, Run, Sketchbook, Exporting (JAR file), Structure, Comments, Statements, Point, Line.

Lecture 2: Shapes (fill, stroke, ellipse, curve, quad, attributes, grayscale)

Reading: up to Structure 1 (pp. 1-22)

01/19-21/10

Lecture 3: Data & Calculate, Variables, Data Types, Arithmetic Operators ( +, -, *, / %), Operator Precedence.

Lecture 4: Catching up

Reading: Shape 1, Data 1, and Math 1 (pp. 23-50)

Homework 1 due

1/26-28/10

Lecture 5: Conditionals and Repetition

Lecture 6: Repetition lab

Reading: Control 1 & 2 (pp. 51-68)

Homework 2 assigned

02/02-04/10

Lectures 7 & 8: Geometry lab

Reading: Transform 1 & 2 (pp. 133-142)

Homework 2 due

02/09-11/10

Lecture 9: Continuous execution

Rotating ground hog

Lecture 10: Functions

Reading: Structure 2 & 3 (pp. 173-196)

02/16-18/10

Lecture 11: Shape, pictures, and math done quickly

Reading: Shape 2, Math 1, Color 1, Image 1 (pp. 69-100)

Test 1 on 02/18/10: Processing up to loops (pp. 1-68)

02/23-25/10

Lecture 12: Text

Homework 3 due

Reading: Data 2 & 3, Typography 1 (pp. 101-116)

03/02-04/10

UNCA class canceled for snow on Tuesday

Lecture 14: Even more math

Reading: Math 2 & 3 (pp. 117-132)

03/09-11/10

Spring break

03/16-18/10

Lecture 15: Mouse handling

Stop Light example

Lecture 16: Events

03/23-25/10

Homework 4 due March 23

Moving ball example

Arrays

03/30/10 & 04/01/10

Homework 5 due March 30

A little on PImage

Objects

Object-Oriented Programming

04/06/10 & 04/08/10

Test 2 on 04/07/10: Writing small sections of code

Test 2: Processing up to noise (pp. 1-132, 173-196)

Homework 6 due April 7

Java and Greenfoot

04/13/10 & 04/15/10

Greeps

Return of the Greeps

April 13 example

04/20/10

Arduino

Reading: Extension 8 (pp. 633-657)

Terse introduction to the Arduino

Bionic Arduino

Arduino Programming Notebook

Arduino tutorial

Arduino and Processing

Project 1 due April 22

04/22/10

No class -- Undergraduate Research Spring Symposium

04/27/10 & 04/29/10

Arduino

Project 2 due April 29

05/06/10

Project 3 due in the final exam period

Grading

Resources

• Processing
• Arduino