Programming
Tweet A Twist
December 2015
The aim behind this project was to create an experience, which could be used as an installation at an exhibition. I chose to create a slit image style interactive app, which would distort the live stream on screen, based on a time delay between each line of pixels within the image. This app was created using Java in Processing 2.0., and the Twitter REST API.
Interesting Parts
- "Let's Twist Again" plays while the app is running, to encourage passers-by to twirl around in front of the installation.
- If someone tweets with the hashtag #TweetATwist while the app is running, a picture will be taken and tweeted back to them.
- Pressing spacebar while interacting with the app will take a picture and place it on screen as a "polaroid" image. If there is internet available, this image will also be sent out to the @TweetATwist2015 Twitter account.
What I learned
- Primarily, I learned a lot about the syntax and structure of Java.
- I learned how to store images in RAM. There are only ever a set number of images stored at any time (based on the height of the app) so the oldest image is always being overwritten by newer images coming in.
- I learned how to link in with the Twitter API to send, receive and search tweets.
- I learned how to access the pixel array of an image, to make adjustments down to the level of a pixel.
