Emily Kohler
Natural Force and Form, Final Questions
VR Design for Science
29 September 2008

1. What is the subject of your proposed virtual world?
	My subject is the Tiger Bush, a plant community living in arid or semi-arid climates that has 	adapted to grow in patterned, parallel bands.

2. What mood, feelings, and/or emotions will you try to evoke in a viewer
experiencing this world?
		I hope to evoke a sense of awe about the surprising beauty of natural phenomenon. This is a bit ambitious considering my current project looks a bit like something the cat threw up, but it sounds like a nice goal to have. 

3. How can visual form be given to abstract forces or energy principles?
		Modern technology has allowed us greater access to the invisible forces of nature. But for those forces that remain too abstract to be captured in a representational style, we can look to analogous observable forces for examples that can be understood by our visually-dominated perception.

4. What are some basic natural forms, and how does the character of their form relate to natural forces?
		One example of a basic natural form is branching, which allows for flow of resources in an organism or landscape. Another is the whirl, which can especially by observed in smoke. Atmospheric properties cause the patterns found in this natural form. 

5. What is the role for movement in your concept design?
		Movement can reflect the interaction of different elements. In my concept design, I hope to show that the movement of particular forces causes can cause form . 

6. What are some examples of linked forms in nature: forms from different 
realms (atmospheric, liquid, plant, organic, earth, energy) which have 
analogous character?
		Billowing smoke forms (atmospheric) look very similar to the interaction of liquids, as observed when a drop of food coloring falls into a glass of water. Also, the branching arms of rivers (earth) remind us of branching tree limbs (plant). Veins in a human being (organic) are analogous to the veins in a leaf (plant).
		
7. If we are to convey the sensation of flying or swimming, how can the arrangement of forms in relation to the viewer's point of view, create a dynamic sense of place, an invitation to explore, a quality of engagement, comfort, awe, or another emotional or physical quality.
		Chapter 4 from Block and Martinez's Seeing and Perceiving deals with the dynamic possibilities in static images. Traits such as balance, thrust, gradient, and symmetry can alter how we view images. Beyond these inherent qualities, serial imagery, gestural forms, and the “tracks” of a movement can be used to suggest activity.

8. Does your world fit within the "real" space of the Cave (8x8x8 ft) or does it extend beyond the walls?
	The landscape of the tiger bush is vast, making the Cave experience unique. Its world can be 	explored virtually in ways that would be impossible in the physical world. My visualization 	extends far beyond the 8x8x8 space and as a result gives off a good sense of scale. 

9. What did you choose to depict with 2D imagery? Why?
2D imagery was perfect for capturing significant textures and patterns. It also allowed me a more diagrammatic visualization of soil permeability. This aided communication of a significant feature of the tiger bush's interaction between force and form.

10. What did you choose to depict with 3D painted form? Why?
I choose to depict the plants that make up vegetated bands within the tiger bush in 3D painted form as well as the overall landscape. This helped contribute to the visualization's atmospheric qualities.

11. Did you have any trouble logging in?
		Nope.

12. Did you have any trouble running Cave Painting?
		Yes, but those troubles have been resolved.

13. Did you learn how to change colors? Change brush stroke types?
		Yes.

14. What discussion question do you have from the Cave paper?
	Given the shortcomings mentioned in the Cave paper, I wonder if Cave technology is refined 	enough at this point to be widely distributed and applied to a range of fields and purposes.

15. In this assignment, what worked, what didn't work, and how would you change it? (briefly)
	More than anything, I would have liked more time to work on the assignment. Beyond that, I 	think some of the concepts that I was trying to communicate could have been more clearly 	articulated. I also think the overall aesthetics could have been improved, especially in the 	surrounding terrain.