Project Megapixels

[Gatecrasher]

So here is a link full size .jpg of last years image (cropped a bit of course).



http://www.flickr.com/photos/gatecrasher/55083981/

Each pixel is 1m x 1m.

I was thinking, and this may have already been brought up, but if you don't worry about the background, you can get a bigger picture with the same amount of participation.

Cheers!

[sputnik]

The first pic on page 14 of this thread is the image. All the background will be playa.

[ThePikey]

Good News - with the playa as background, you'll need fewer pixels. (Have you calculated it out for your different sizes?)

Bad News - with that configuration, it looks less likely that you'll be able to use large swathes of pixels in one go. Especially the black ones, they'll probably have to pretty much all be 1 - 3 in a row at most...

[Thatgirlagain]

Got your email...I have about 50 feet of rope lights if you still need lights and if you can't get a generator let me know. I can't really commit it just yet since Drag'n Boy says we don't have room to haul it there. We will be hauling our art car and two other small gen's, gas, water, etc. Anyway, it's a 4000 watt. Let me know as a last resort, maybe I can convince him or someone else to haul it. I can donate fuel even if not the gen. TGA.

[sputnik]

Good News - with the playa as background, you'll need fewer pixels. (Have you calculated it out for your different sizes?)

Bad News - with that configuration, it looks less likely that you'll be able to use large swathes of pixels in one go. Especially the black ones, they'll probably have to pretty much all be 1 - 3 in a row at most...

I'm not sure I get what you mean by the first statement. As to the second, there sure will be lots of opportunity to have large swaths. The head and coat are essentially solid colors.

[sputnik]

Got your email...I have about 50 feet of rope lights if you still need lights and if you can't get a generator let me know. I can't really commit it just yet since Drag'n Boy says we don't have room to haul it there. We will be hauling our art car and two other small gen's, gas, water, etc. Anyway, it's a 4000 watt. Let me know as a last resort, maybe I can convince him or someone else to haul it. I can donate fuel even if not the gen. TGA.

I'm putting you down for the lights and a maybe on the gennie.

Thanks!

[ThePikey]

Good News - with the playa as background, you'll need fewer pixels. (Have you calculated it out for your different sizes?)

Bad News - with that configuration, it looks less likely that you'll be able to use large swathes of pixels in one go. Especially the black ones, they'll probably have to pretty much all be 1 - 3 in a row at most...

I'm not sure I get what you mean by the first statement. As to the second, there sure will be lots of opportunity to have large swaths. The head and coat are essentially solid colors.

If you're using the playa as background instead of the large chunks of blackness in the original picture, then you don't need to fill that area in with fabric. So you don't need as many pixels to make the image. Those large black spaces covered, what, a third of the area? If we pretend for a moment that made up number is accurate, then you don't need 3,333 chunks of black fabric, and your goals for the total have shifted lower - in your favor. (Like what Gatecrasher was saying. He was saying that if you didn't fill in the background but still got 10,000 pixels, you could make a much larger image. I'm saying you could make the same size image as before, but be able to get by with fewer pixels. Which I gather is more your concern right now.)

I s'pose you're right on the head/coat thing.

[sputnik]

Oh yes. Exactly correct. At this point I'm shooting to get the head done at minimum. That requires about 2500 pixels give or take a few.

[Bob]

Re: cordage: At some point I suggested the orange poly twine the DPW fence crew uses, which is very strong stuff with minimal stretching, but I'm guessing sisal baler twine (per BB Sue) would be servicable enough, if you compensate for possible shrinkage or stretching after you lay it out. I see Tractor Supply Co. has it in 9000-ft+ spools. For layout, might look into what the DPW survey & theme camp crews use -- wire stakes w/ colored vinyl flags, and a push tool for setting the stakes. Could work out a system to match the flag color to pixel areas. Available at your better stocked local contractor supply yards, or Forestry Suppliers -- who also have a wide selection of compasses, 100-300 ft tape measures, GPS units, etc. Or maybe you had some of that in mind already. Also -- the Artery crew uses AOL disks to flag installations, which is easier to mark up w/ a Sharpie marker than the wire stake flags.

[ThePikey]

Wow, nice spot on the cordage. *thumbs up to Bob* That's something I was actually kinda worrying-about-but-didn't-want-to-stress-Sputnik-over-not-yet-anyway. At a guess you'll need a total of 35000+ or 70000+ feet of line, depending on how you set up.

1 length of line per pixel
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or 2 lengths (so as to have something to attach to on each side)
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[sputnik]

That's pretty much what I was thinking of using Bob. And ThePikey, I think we need to go with the second layout you show for the reason you mention and to keep each row separated from the next, thus preventing the whole thing from ripping up in a wind if one section cuts loose.

[ThePikey]

I was thinking you'd need the two lines because after you fold one pixel over the line and staple it in place, you don't have anywhere to attach the adjacent pixel, so you'd need a second cord running down...

[sputnik]

Yeah, that too.

Right now the head is about 55 pixels maximum. I figure, even with using doubled lines we need about 11,000 feet of cord. Same goes for the flame, if we get there.

[sputnik]

Gatecrasher! If you're following this. I seem to recall you saying that the satellite will be overhead on Thursday morning. Is that correct.

[Gatecrasher]

Nope, never made such claim. I don't know when the Ikonos sat will be available. I'll check in on it this week. Worst case is, it comes every 3 days, so, you know, figure out what the worst case is.

Also, since it's a bit ahead of the event, I'm not sure if they will even know the orbit 3 months from now. They may change orbits due to collection contracts, pushing it back up out of the atmosphere, etc. That's just my speculation, I don't know the full nitty-gritty.... I guarantee they won't guarantee me a date, but I'll see if I can find out their best guess and how reliable that will be (99% or 50%).

Definitely you can count on knowing what day it will be available at least a few weeks in advance.

[sputnik]

OK. Thanks.

[Thatgirlagain]

Sputnik: You've got my committment to bring the generator. I just want to know what day we'll be done with it so we can pack it up. Drag'n Boy doesn't want to wait til the last minute, cuz he wants to play, play, play the last couple of days!

[sputnik]

Cool. We may need it through thursday night depending on whether or not there is anything left on the site that needs light on it.

[Thatgirlagain]

That would be perfect!

[ThePikey]

Went to a thrift store, snagged a bunch of yellow sheets and brought 'em home to measure. Adult size makes for a 4 pixel square, kid size bed makes 2. They might actually make more, because they're a bit wider than 44 inch increments. 14 pixels (minimum) for $22 that's a buck and a half each, no dyes necessary, edges are already stiched up. And some of them have nice little patterns. Heh.

Bought 14, signed up for 30, might add to that later.

[regynalonglank]

not to be a complete, attention deficient, whole thread not reader, but the idea is to bring fabric? whaddo i gotta do? splain it real slow and use small words, m'kay?

[ThePikey]

The Megapixels site FAQ.
http://projectmegapixels.org/megapixel/ ... p?ui=about

[regynalonglank]

you know, i had read that too...and this time it made a lot more sense :) so all i have to do is bring fabric of the correct color, i think i can do that.

[mars]

you know, i had read that too...and this time it made a lot more sense so all i have to do is bring fabric of the correct color, i think i can do that.

And sign up on the MegaPixel web site!!!!!!!!

And get some friends to sign up too!!!!!!!



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[regionalchaos]

1330+ Pixels ( really I think we're talking about square meters of fabric now ) commitmed too

I picked up a 100ft tabe measure the other day. I thought it might come in handy on the playa.

[regynalonglank]

i did, i did sign up. and i am going to get the kitemakers in the loop, cuz if anyone has colorful fabric it would be them...i said i would bring 8 but really i can bring more.

i may have to make mine and mail em to Sput early so he can bring them, i'm not getting there until veddy veddy late, waaaay past YOUR bedtime :)

[ThePikey]

Save on postage - try and find somebody else in your area who's reliable enough to bring them out to the playa for you. Ideally somebody else from your camp, or who's helping out w. Megapixels and is already delivering a bundle of fabric.

[sputnik]

Long live megapixels!

I want to thank everyone who put any time into this project this year. Without the efforts of a few individuals this project could not have gotten as far as it did.

I've decided to scrap the image of Cyfar blowing fire for this year. At this time we have about 1400 pixels spoken for, which is about enough to do the outline. I say that because I'm pretty sure we'll have a 1/3rd dropout rate, which puts the number at just around 1000. Technically this is enough to do the outline, but I really don't want to just do the outline. I want the whole thing. Unlike the Dragon, this just won't look as good if it isn't complete (BTW, I totally love the Chinese Dragon, if you're looking to get involved with something, check them out)

So, this year I want to test out some concepts on the playa. I want to try a few different methods for attaching pixels together in the real world. I want to advertise to the public more. All the other people who don't get email. I want to try to reach those people who have no idea what tribe, or ePlaya or any of the other electronic communication methods are. I'm convinced there are a lot of them out there.

Does this mean you can go off and do something else? Absolutely...if you want to. On the other hand, if you want to play around a bit on the playa and experiment, come join me. I have the application in for art project space. I still intend to create a perimeter and put out material to form an image.

"What image?", you ask. An arrow, like you would find on a map pointing north, except this arrow will point in some other random direction.

I'd also like to create an information booth of some sort at the project site that has the proposed image displayed on a board along with some information about participation in 07.

I know this may be a shock to some of you. Maybe more so for those who just joined based on the last communication from the Jack Rabbit. I didn't intend for that to come out. They just reprinted old information.

[Mozy bonz]

Sorry to hear this. I am still with you in what ever form megapixels becomes.

[mars]

Okay, well this may just be part of the 2-year plan...I like the idea of testing it out on the playa so that for next year, you'll really know what we're up against and what tools/materials we need.



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