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Composite [iPad, openFrameworks]

Inspired by the neo-dadaist collages of Robert Rauschenberg, about a year ago James Alliban decided to write software which would allow him to quickly paint using using a webcam. In March this year, when the iPad 2 was released with both a front and back facing camera, James saw this as an opportunity to make a mobile version.

Composite allows you to remix your surroundings to create compositions. Users can paint pictures using live video stream by simply pointing their iPad towards your subject drawing over it. A variety of control over the brush and video stream is offered to allow for a range of different aesthetics. These include brightness, contrast, colour offset, alpha, blur and thickness.

More images and video below.

Install it, paint compositions and email your best work to submissions [at] composite-app.com to be featured in the Composite gallery.

Concept & development – James Alliban
Design & illustration – Juliet Lall
Filming – Lee Daley and Steven Archer

Neo-dadaist collages of Robert Rauschenberg

Platform: iPad
Version: 1.0
Cost: $1.99
Developer: James Alliban

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Posted on: 10/08/2011

Posted in: iPad, openFrameworks

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  • Tman

    Not impressed. It is basically a mask the reveals the image below.

  • http://www.creativeapplications.net Filip

    Hi Tman, I don’t believe it’s a mask. Pixels are caught in realtime and mapped onto canvas. This allows you to repeatedly overlay pixels on top of each other. If you look at the video there are instances where a person is caught in motion as they change position. Quite processor demanding task thus only available on iPad 2. 

  • James Alliban

    Thanks very much for your valuable feedback Tman :) The video is also on YouTube. Perhaps you would like to leave a comment there too.

    Filip is correct in his analysis. There is a great deal going on behind the scenes in terms of per-pixel blending and analysis. Also, the brightness/contast calculations are done by hand. I didn’t use a single 3rd party library/addon for the app other than for social networks and email.