We’re nearing the end of the Convict Depot project. The touch screens are in. The computers are in.
So to celebrate, we’ve uploaded a set of screen grabs from the interactives. Check them out here.
And here… 
Tim Murray
Sep 292011
Sep 292011
Overview
It’s Royal Show time again here in WA and GMG has been approached to create a couple of exhibition pieces for the WA police. This year our brief is quite different to our previous creation.
The new theme is the future of policing and the two exhibits focus on the jobs in a modern police force and their new concept car.
Multimedia
We were provided with a set of 8 photograph cutouts of police officers, their job descriptions and some highlights. The brief was to create something encompassing Terminator and Predator in an interactive touch screen presentation.
The character photographs were displayed in a 3D layer, three deep. When you drag your finger across the screen, the character closest to the centre of the screen gets focus (all others are blurred out and faded) and the job highlights and description are displayed. Changing focus also resorts the police description (PD) list (top left) and they animate in. Text animates in as if it is being typed.
The PD list can also be touched to quickly change focus to that character.
On the right there is some eye candy. There are four buttons that change the scan mode to infrared, ultraviolet, night vision, and magnetoresonance. We just made up some colours and had a glowing wipe between the backgrounds. Changing mode also changes the blend mode of the characters that are not currently in focus.
Finally, we added a screen saver that changes characters and scan modes randomly at different times.
Video
The video is created from a selection of video clips of the concept car, some motion graphics, and custom 3D animation.
Surrounding the concept car are four large screens that loop the video and introduce the main features of the car.
Dec 032010
Overview
GMG designed and developed multimedia content for inclusion in the exhibit for Orbital’s client. The multimedia includes engine animations, user interface design, and design and construction of a hardware rig for driving LEDs from the multimedia presentation. The system also includes design and implementation of a custom software layer to enable communication between the multimedia presentation and the hardware.
GMG specified the computer and touch screen components for Orbital to purchase. We also consulted to the requirements for the LEDs.
At the show, this exhibit was the only one to make use of interactive multimedia as a tool to get prospects with suppliers. The overwhelmingly positive response to this presentation is generating new business for the client as well as GMG!
Multimedia
This included processing the 3D engine models as supplied by Orbital, rigging the models for animation, creating the animations, and rendering to video. The touch screens have a user interface designed to access and coordinate the different pieces of video and other information. Programming included control routines to coordinate LED activity on the physical engine.
Hardware LED control rig
Programming of a custom hardware control layer and design and construction of a hardware interface module provides access to multimedia presentation so that it can drive LEDs included in the physical engine. This lets the multimedia highlight cut away areas of the engine and any other points of interest.
Oct 012010
From the Archives with Naomi Jones (RSL Archivist)
The Archive Project has secured funding for a further three years with the generous support of Lotterywest. We will be visiting the Sub Branch and their collections with the aim of developing, at the end of the three years, an online exhibition focusing on the RSL in Western Australian communities.
The online exhibition will tell the story of the RSL in Western Australia since inception in 1916. The story of the RSL will be told through the Sub Branches both active and defunct. We are lucky to be working under the direction of a steering committee made up of representatives from the State Library, the National Trust, the Aviation Museum, Friends of the Battye, and the Royal WA Historical Society.
The Steering Committee will oversee the direction of the project making sure that we achieve desired outcomes. The exhibition itself will be developed by Glasson Murray Group (GMG) and facilitated by the use of audio visual equipment. In capturing the history of the RSL in Western Australia, we are looking for photographs of Sub Branch members, functions, events, buildings and memorials. We are also looking for documentation detailing the formation and operation of the Sub Branches. We will be conducting oral histories and interviews with Sub Branch members to capture the history of the organisation.
Apr 152010
Outline
The site is a central point for the creation and management of online content for the RSL’s Centenary celebrations. The content is derived from the first phase of collection and branch visits.
Photos and links will be added as they become available.
Content management system (CMS)
This includes login management, media (pics, videos, histories) management and organisation, and general site organisation. The CMS forms the “back end” of the online exhibition and allows each branch to manage and coordinate their own content within the framework of the general exhibition site.
Web presentation of online exhibition
Data from the CMS is presented as an online exhibition site (similar to the “Land and People” exhibition) with all the audio, video, pictures, and text.
There is a general history that is common to all Branches of the RSL in Australia. This is presented as a foundation to the more personal and regional stories that relate to each separate RSL Branch.
The exhibition will be browsable by Branch and searchable by at least person, event, date, or media type.
All media will also be placed on a map of Australia (possibly of the world) so that the map can also be used as a method of locating media and stories. It can also be used to track the journey of collating the online exhibition by all involved – the story behind the story.
Mar 182010
PSA International, Singapore – 40th Floor Visitors Gallery
Summary
An interactive corporate communications tool for the world’s largest port operator. This presentation uses a blend of video, text and photos to convey the scope and quality of PSA’s operations around the globe. This is an updated version of the original presentation we developed for PSA back in 2005.
The exhibit is the feature of the visitor’s lounge on the 40th floor of the PSA building. It is a single large format touch screen and a large overhead projector. Tour staff use the multimedia tool to present to a wide range of visitors from international dignitaries to local school children.
The focus of the presentation has changed slightly since the original was created: there is no longer a need for the immersive 3d content and there is a need for greater control of the addition of new ports and editing the content of the presentation.
Media
This exhibit presents a range of media within a state of the art 3D environment. The media provided to GMG included
- 360 degree x 180 degree panoramic photos
- photo gallery of each of the 30 ports
- port statistics
- port maps
- video of each port
- model photos
All up, over 1.3 gigabytes of multimedia (once processed and compressed).
Technology
The presentation was built using the latest Adobe Flash development tools. The whole presentation is driven by a simple to edit XML file, allowing PSA staff to keep the presentation up to date.
Design
This installation contains three main elements: a fully rendered computer graphics 3d globe (featuring port holdings in several countries) the automatically adjusting label system (making sure that labels don’t overlay each other), and the dynamic window system (that can handle any number of images, movies, or interactive elements).
Included in the presentation is 30 minutes of video (port videos, corporate, historical and branding videos). The corporate video is available in all in 5 languages. Interactive diagrams explaining port operations and transshipment, and a quiz covering corporate and historical topics in Singapore ports.
Dec 152009
Samples of A Separate Prison Journal 1848 – 2008.
Interactive touchscreen exhibit.
The Port Arthur Historic Site today contains many traces of its former uses, including the 19th century prison and the later free township of Carnarvon/Port Arthur. The conservation of this rich and evocative landscape, as well as the associated archival resources, is an ongoing challenge.
To assist in that challenge, the PAHSMA have looked to new technologies to enhance and broaden the visitor experience.
This exhibit was built from 3 Word documents and a selection of images. We built the 3d models of the prison as the main interaction method. Custom programming was completed for the self balancing tags that float around a location.
Dec 082009
Overview
The Department of Treasury and Finance – Building Management and Works – Fremantle Prison is a major heritage tourist attraction averaging 175,000 visitors per annum. The Prison offers a variety of experiences for visitors including guided tours of the prison site, education programs, public programs, exhibitions and commercial outlets.
Fremantle Prison is a significant heritage site listed on both the State and National registers. Currently Fremantle Prison is part of a joint Australian Convict Sites nomination for World Heritage listing, to be decided in 2010.
Fremantle Prison is currently developing a visitor centre (the Convict Depot) that will engage visitors with the story of the prison’s early convict history. The Customer has a requirement for the supply, delivery (FIS) within the Perth metropolitan area and installation of two multimedia touch screen interfaces for the Convict Depot. In addition the Customer has a requirement for the successful Respondent to provide multimedia programming and digital graphic design services.
Henderson’s Desk
This touch screen will allow visitors to the Convict Depot to interact with digital copies of primary resource material related to the prison’s convict history including:
- Map and plans;
- Photographs;
- Paintings and drawings;
- Newspaper clippings; and
- Documents.
The touch screen will also include a series of Fremantle Prison convict-era staff biographies as well as stories relating to convict escapes from the prison.
Convict Database
This touch screen will provide access to a database of information about Western Australian convicts.
While the database content already exists, the database needs to be converted from the online version to the touch screen version. The projects will also require graphic design to complement the surrounding exhibition space.
This touch screen will also provide extended biographical information on specific convicts.
Jul 022009
Overview
An historic Claremont boat building shed is now housed in a purpose built new shed on the edge of Freshwater Bay as part of Claremont Museum. It is in the popular Mrs Herbert’s Park, which receives large numbers of visitors to swim, barbeque, picnic and use the playground facilities. Many visitors to Mrs Herbert’s Park are not aware that the boat shed and Claremont Museum are here.
Project Aims
This project aims to undertake the following:
- Provide visibility from outside the boat shed to engage visitors to Mrs Herbert’s Park. This may be achieved through replacing parts of the outer shed with clear walls so the inside of the shed is visible at all times.
- Enable visitors to independently enter the boat shed during museum open hours without need for supervision by museum staff. This should also provide wheelchair accessibility.
- Provide new, updated interpretation of the boat shed.
- Address conservation needs in the boat shed.
Background
The boat shed was built in about 1905 at 8 Victoria Avenue in Claremont. It was used for boat building and repairs.
The boat shed and its contents were moved to Claremont Museum in 1996. They were housed in a new shed in Mrs Herbert’s Park close to the river. This saved the shed from demolition and made the shed and its contents accessible for interpretation at the museum.
The Swan River adjoining the museum is important to Noongar people and is a registered site under the Aboriginal Heritage Act (1972). Until at least the 1940s the grounds adjoining the museum were an occasional camping site for local Nyungar families. The museum itself is on the State Heritage Register but is not a registered Aboriginal site.
Currently the boat shed has interpretation that was installed in 1996. This project will update that interpretation as well as addressing access and conservation needs.
Museum staff currently spend considerable time with visitors in the new boat shed looking at the historic boat shed as the artefacts are vulnerable to theft and if people go through the barriers and walk inside the historic boat shed the floor is dangerously uneven. This project will enable the public to safely visit the boat shed unaccompanied.
Design
We approached the boat building tools and process through building an actual boat in the interactive. Selecting a tool takes you to an indicative phase in the boat building process while it gives you summary information about the tool.
Each tool then has a second and third level of detail, further explaining the uses and giving supporting photographs.
We modeled each tool and the entire boat, giving us the ability to strip it down to 10 stages. Each stage was rendered out into 10 movie clips and then displayed so that visitors can:
- rotate the boat by dragging their finger across the screen, or
- select the tool that they are interested in and the boat automatically rotates as necessary
Superb content was written for this project by Mike Lefroy and invaluable boat model consulting by Ross Anderson. Thanks guys!
Jul 012009
Western Australian Police
Samples of Henry McLaughlin Gallery Installation.
The exhibition Step Back in Time opened at the Royal Show Police Pavillion in September 2009 and tells the story of rural policing throughout Western Australia.
Part of this exhibition is a collection of 35 paintings by Henry McLaughlin. The paintings are presented as a virtual gallery where patrons can zoom in on them by touching the screen and using the magnifying glass.
Henry McLaughlin was born in 1937 in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Together with his family he migrated to Western Australia in 1969.
Henry’s career started as a Constable serving in the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) in 1959. During his time in Londonderry, Henry met well known artist Arthur Twells, who proved to be one of the early inspirations for Henry’s artistic pursuits.
In Australia Henry joined the West Australian Police Force in 1970. Henry’s talents as a landscape artist were soon recognised by Mr. Athol Webb, Commissioner for the West Australian Police Force and thus Henry was given his first commission to paint a collection of works detailing Western Australia’s Historic Police Buildings which now hang in Police Headquarters and form part of Western Australia’s history.
Henry retired from the Police Force in 1982 to pursue his passion for creating fine works of art full time. His inspiration comes from such masters as Arthur Streeton, Hans Heysen, Leonard Long.
Henry’s works are collected throughout Australia and overseas.