Cloth Simulation

Since I have no knack for sewing or knitting, I decided to give something similar a try on my computer screen:) As a quick and fun programming exercise, I wrote this simple cloth simulator based on the mass-spring model. The cloth is a simple grid of 13x13 nodes, each node connected to its neighbors by three different types of springs (structural, shear, and flexion). The cloth is initially suspended in air, and each end gets detached by a programmed keystroke. The node position is determined by the influence of the internal spring forces, the gravity and the wind. And lastly, the simulation is based on the leap-frog numerical integration method, slightly a higher order of accuracy than the Euler.
There're many features that could be added to improve the system, like adding a few more user-interaction GUI controls for the spring constants and the integration timestep size, as well as improving the lighting and rendering aspects, not to mention prettying up the scene a bit:)
Over all, it was a fun and rewarding exercise which kept me occupied for a few days.

Japanese doll

Japanese doll
Originally uploaded by adelie

Konichiwa, minnasan!

Here's a bit of dabbing to commemorate my summer in Japan. It turns out that with all the traveling and Japanese studying I've been doing, I haven't had much chance for more.

We saw this doll in a glass display case of a hotel lobby while waiting for our bus in Sakunami mountain village where we enjoyed some great Japanese outdoor onsen. There was the picturesque setting of a quiet brook spotted with playful fishes, flowing next to the bath which was well kept hidden by a crowd of tall pine trees. The doll was about the size of Barbie, carrying a blue cocktail umbrella, and dressed in a lovely silk kimono.

We don't have access to a proper scanner here, so I don't think the color is true to the painting 100%, but you get the idea.

Joanna

Recyclebin Art

recyclebin Originally uploaded by adelie

Hi Everyone!

My name is Joanna and this is my first post, after a long period of observation and procrastination. I love what you all have been posting, and I hope you will find this one interesting.

We bought these IKEA plastic bins to organize our obsessive recycling lifestyle here in Switzerland. Since all three were exactly the same and plain, we needed a way to distinguish one from the other, so I decided to give each bin a characteristic look. I could have just painted 'PAPER', 'BOTTLES & CANS', and 'PLASTIC BAGS', but in case we use the bins for other purposes in the future, I wanted to keep the theme generic. Hence the three different paintings.

Cherry blossoms

I painted the sky background and the branch, then glued on the flowers which are actually the Japanese textile cutouts. We use this one for storing all our plastic bags.

Poppies

This was a spontaneous inspiration from a trip to Provence. This one is for all types of paper.

Cats

This one is special because the painting shows all six cats that we had at one point in our house attic. One cold winter, the mother cat took a refuge in our attic, and soon after we discovered that she gave birth to five kittens! Now the mother and the three others (Pumpkin, Mustard, Dusty) have either passed away or gone missing in action. We currently have two friendly cats (Green eyes and Halloween), and an extra stray cat whom we call Totoro. This bin is used for all the bottles, cans, and aluminums.