Switching to GUI

    As I got very interesting results, I started to think about add and improve things that can enhance communication quality. the next development will be a GUI, a flexible interface that can make the process of experimenting with this interface more effective. automatic responses and pre-programmed effects can be  achieved much better using GUI side by side to Photoshop.

Promissing

   While using the interface I can feel that I am more attached to the digital environment. it is like having an extra hand that can function independently.

Using "Drawing by emotions", "butterfly"artwork

      following, links to two parts of a video showing me using "Drawing by Emotion" interface for the first time as a usable mean of production
part 1 

https://youtu.be/xn52G473ePI

part 2

https://youtu.be/mGwZK3PnEb0

Preparing a PC for "Drawing by emotion" project

   The project is involved different digital aspects, it is uses multi programming levels and different hardware components that needs to work together smoothly. I am using Windows as operating system. to make the project works, I need to install:

- Photoshop application as the main interacting art software.

- python, as the central processing language.

- win32.com protocol that connect Python with Photoshop

- visual Python (VPython) to create the visual interactions with Python.

- pySerial to communicate with the serial port that transfer Arduino Data 

- ِArduino IDE which is the software that control Arduino board, and enable the pc to upload Arduino code into the board

  these points represent the main preparing steps I need to do in order to create my connections. 

I have data flow from pulse reading system to the com port.

data contain several info so far it is :

- heart rate 

- pulse value

- save button signal

- apply button signal 

on the other end, python programming language is detecting these data by reading the port.

python code is able to separating all of these data, and use it. 

Develop the Interfacing Concept

      after developing the prototype board... it is time to develop the software and make it easier to use and more effective. the most tiny details can mean too much. the ability to reset colours, check values, monitor the changes before applying it .. and much more details that can make huge different.

First Organised Prototype

       This is the first organised prototype for this project. it is working OK now. it should be more stable in term of structure and data processing, will expect no missed data now on.

Better Prototype

Now, it is important to get more accurate and steady results by improving the prototype structure. initially I used breadboard to connect the electronic components, it is very easy way to experiment, but, heart rate sensor is vert sensitive to any minor changes in connections and will give inaccurate reads in case of there is any lose connection. So I think it is time to go to higher level of connecting, generic PCB board, wires and ironing solder work.
the image below shows the PCB iam going to use and some of the connections header and other components.

What I have for now

So far, I can access Photoshop, read specific data out of it, transfer it to the processing software I wrote in Python. in other direction, I can get readings from pulse sensor which represent the physical readings of the real world. Using the program I wrote in Python, I can combine these data, process it and send it back to Photoshop.
the project is going in the right direction now, little more steps and it will function as it is designed to.

Developing the Process

to solve some lagging issues, I did many developments to the way of accessing Photoshop sending and receiving process. Also, two physical buttons are there now to control colour saving and processed colour applying processes. pressing the save key will save the current foreground colour by storing RGB channels values in a special array designed for this purpose. the other button, the applying one, is used to activate colour processing procedure using the exact current heart rate average, and to apply the new colour to Photoshop foreground colour, channel by channel.

Closer Look

This image shows a closer look to the project breadboard, where all components are communicating and puling to each others. LEDs are blinking an fading just as my heart do. 

That's what it looks like now

wires, electronic parts, sensors and codes
that's how the interface looks so far.

Photoshop Open Now

     Photoshop application is designed with a Com port that allows programmers to control it's features and run pre-programmed tasks by communicating through this port. and as I need a way to collect the data that arrived to the computer to use it with Photoshop I used Python for those two tasks. through Python I accessed serial port to collect the sensor data and also I accessed Photoshop to get and transfer data from and to it.
     I managed to go through this successfully and now I can get foreground colour from Photoshop to process it and send it back to Photoshop. using the usual Photoshop colour palette to chose a colour, save it, process it and send it back to Photoshop.

Art Application to Use

     At this stage, and as I successfully got a live data from the sensor. I need to apply the collected data to the artwork in progress. my idea for now is to use Photoshop as the main art making application. within Photoshop art environment, I need to chose a specific parameter or action that can respond to the collected data, also can possibly indicate some information about the artist at this specific moment when the data will be applied. the element I chose within Photoshop is the foreground colour, the live selected colour that Photoshop tools use by default. I chose foreground colour to be linked to my heart rate status as I believe that the instant and continuous changes in the used colour can indicate much about artist body responses.

Got Data Successfully

So far.. the Arduino board is able to talk to the heart rate sensor and collect the required information successfully. as I have a live data out of my body, the plan is not to use these data to draw a an ECG like graphs, but to employ these data in a way that reflects these immediate information into an artistic actions.
the form of connection can be a direct controlling and processing of an active element in the process of artmaking, so this element will represent in it is existence my body responses.

New World

      I got the required components to start the project. The Arduino board and the Heart Rate Sensor and other wiring bits and boards .. the Arduino board is capable to communicate with the sensor and collect the required form of information through an internal software that needs to be written in Arduino programming language which is Java based programming language. the software will define the connection pins and set the multi timers that can provide the environment to allocate the collected heart beats on a timeline and this will provide the required readings.
also this software is controlling the flow of the processed information back to the main PC that running the other parts of the interface.
the other software that will collect Arduino collected data and analyse it with other collected information and communicate with Photoshop still unclear so far.

The new project TItle

the new suggested features that this project aiming to provide the working environment with, are mainly promoting the idea of adding new senses to the working canvas allowing the digital canvas to pentrate the physical environment and extract useful information and use it. in this sense this project will make the canvas a more ' Live Canvas'. 

Exploring New Horizons

Having an interesting ideas is not enough. the project I am willing to start requires a combination of electronics, computer programming and artistic tools development. the good thing is I worked before on several industrial projects including robotics and automation including both the mechanical and programming developments.
Arduino platform beside Raspberry pi are very common electronics developments platforms nowadays. they are flexible and able to provide a professional level of interaction an communication between different environments.

I started few experiments to explore this medium and it is possibilities. this will help me  figure out the design of my new interaction approach.

Art Concept

    One of things that made me think about the concept of using my body parameters as a source of information about me is an old story about (Ibn Sena) an ancient scientist . Ibn Sena was the first to read human thoughts and emotions, by listening carefully to heart reactions while asking the tested person a series of questions. the same principle is used nowadays in lie detecting machines. it is a human nature that human body is instantly responses to the sudden changes of our thoughts and feelings. the responses can be as heart rate changes, sweating, facial expressions and/or skin conductivity changes. 

   the current plan is to employ this principle for art making. For my art practice, the process of creating an artwork is very similar to a series of questions and answers that I go through that results in forming the artwork visual structure and develop the narrative gradually