LocoMotion is web-based live coding language for choreography and movement. With LocoMotion, one can activate and move 3D models and motion capture data, via live coding, with brief programming notations inspired by choreographic/dance vocabulary and notation.
LocoMotion is being developed as part of a research project lead by David Ogborn and Kate Sicchio, funded by the New Frontiers in Research Fund (Exploration stream) of Canada. Research assistants contributing to the project, at both McMaster University and Virginia Commonwealth University, are: Shaden Ahmed, Ashmeet Dhaliwal, Fatima Ghaderi, Milica Hinic, Misha Joao, Esther Kim, Raahil Mahetaji, Saiara Mashiat, Karthyayani Ramesh, and Vic Wojciechowska.
We hesitate to document the language much at this point, as the notations are very much in flux - it is entirely possible that something that works in the language now would be removed at a moment's notice as we experiment with different possibilities. That said, enthusiastic onlookers may be able to intuit some of the possibilities from the demo program in the standalone at https://dktr0.github.io/LocoMotion or from videos that appear in this youtube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1r62fG6fHM&list=PLz3wq0ad0gSYc0NhFG2ucAdnttFy5a99K
LocoMotion is free-and-open-source software, released under the terms of the GNU Public License, version 3. In addition to the abovementioned standalone, it can be used in the Estuary collaborative live coding platform at https://estuary.mcmaster.ca. (Place the text ##locomotion in the first line of an Estuary code panel, with no language selected, to access LocoMotion.) Make sure you don't select a language type from the drop-down menu in the panel.
As mentioned above, the LocoMotion demo is accessible through both the Estuary platform and the demo program in the standalone at https://dktr0.github.io/LocoMotion. You should be able to see the description provided below on the website:
-- Welcome to LocoMotion -- A live coding language for dance, choreography, motion, etc -- Type programs here and click the "Eval" button to make them go -- This is a rapidly emerging work in progress - check back often for updates -- Or get in touch on the Estuary discord server! -- More info here: https://github.com/dktr0/LocoMotion#readme -- And then you can make changes and press shift-Enter to re-evaluate!As described, You will need to pick a model as your dancer, and then you can change the size or relocate it in the provided environment. Also, you can adjust the floor color or the provided globe environment (We are still working on it).
The camera could also be relocated in the provided environment. Following, you can find further information about how and what you could evaluate in LocoMotion.
For a valid LocoMotion program, it is needed to evaluate the model you wish to appear in this form:
dancer { url="NAME OF THE MODEL.glb", size = ANUMBER , x = ANUMBER , y = ANUMBER , z = ANUMBER };
Remember that the numbers entered should be Rational numbers (Q). For example, if you want to log "Lisa" as your dancer, the following could be the required code for evaluating in the LocoMotion:
dancer { url="lisa.glb", size = 0.0 , x = -3 };
You can create multiple dancers by separating each line by a semicolon ;
dancer { x = 1, y = 2, z = 3 };
dancer { x = (-1), y = 2, z = 0 }
You can change the dancer model by inputing a new url. Find the current models available at the following link: https://github.com/dktr0/LocoMotion/tree/main/models.
Below is the full list of available models for evaluating:
- Alan
- Bboy
- Daffy
- Diver
- Lily
- Lisa
- NatureGirl
- Oak
- StoneFigure
- Woman
- ant
- benny
- cactus
- forest
- racoon
- woodman
- wireman
PS: Capitalazation is importat here!
There are also other features which you can adjust while live coding you dancers such as:
If you don't want to log any of these provided dancers, you can skip picking dancer and type the following for the default one:
dancer { size = ANUMBER}
(Shown in x,y and z) of the dancer on the floor .
The duration parameter (dur) of movement for each dancer. For example dur = 2 is going to faster the pace twice as it was.
It's possible to use oscillators (osc) output values which is by default between -1 and 1. For example you can input x = osc 1 and the result would be movement of your charecter in the x axis. It will result the changes from range 1 to -1 in the x axis. if you do it x = osc 2 it will be twice as fast again in 1 and -1.
x = osc 0.5
x = osc 0.5 * 3+3 that is one way of changing the motion of your charatecters.
You can also push it further by something like x= range 0 2 (osc 0.5) it will move in the range of 0 and 2.
x= range 0 2 1 (osc 0.5) with that 1 the character will be locked there.
Also Notice that putting () could help with distinguishing the number. For example we could distinguiosh the -1 and (-1).
Each dancer model has multiple animations associated with it. To change the animation, change the number for the animation parameter:
dancer { url = "Oak.glb", animation = 2, z = 5, x = 2 }
For example for models there are currently different dance movements from 1 to 37. It might be a little bit confusing if you put 38, 39 etc, It will automatically wrap it up and start from 0.
By default and oscillator outputs values between -1 and 1, to change the range of motion you can use the range function
dancer { url = "lisa.glb", dur = 3, x = range (-2) 2 (osc 0.25), y = (-1) }
there are two ways of rotationg models in the lococmotion. Rotation is always in degrees so the range would be 0 to 360 degrees which 360 would result the carachter facing us again.
rx: Rotation around X axis
ry: Rotation around Y axis
rz: Rotation around Z axis
For Example:
dancer { url = "lisa.glb", ry = 90 }
Alternatively, you can direct dancers to "look at" a particular location by using these parameters and giving them coordinates:
lx : Look at X axis
ly : Look at X axis
lz : Look at Z axis
For Example:
dancer { url = "lisa.glb", lx = 0, ly = 0, lz = 0 }
For example a complete code for evaluating a dancer in LocoMotion would be like this:
dancer {url = "lisa.glb", x=1, size 0.6}
You can add as many dancers that you want in the dance floor.
To place your models on the scene, You will need a dance floor which could be evaluated simply by typing down plane and evaluating it.
again rx , ry and rz for the rotation.
lx , ly and lz for the looking at.
sx , sy and sz are for changing the size of the object in each axis. so for the plane we will change it untill it would be visible.
It is possible to customize the color of the hexadecimal color code.
When making a RGB hexadecimal color code, the numbers are preceeded by a pound sign (#). The 6-digit hexadecimal number is divided into 3 parts:
- The first two numbers are for red.
- The second two numbers are for green.
- The last two numbers are for blue.
Note that hexadecimal 00 has no color, and hexadecimal FF is 100% of that color. For example:
- #FF0000 is red, which has no green or blue.
- #00FF00 is green, which has no blue or red.
- #0000FF is blue, which has no red or green.
For example for having floor in green, You should evaluate this code:
plane {color = 0x00888};
You can find hexadecimal color codes to use on the web at sites like this: https://www.w3schools.com/colors/colors_picker.asp Make sure you prepend each 6 digit color code with 0x otherwise LocoMotion won't understand
There is the possibilty of repositioning the camera in the scene by typing down the camera and given x, y and z dimensions to it. To reposition it and make it look at things.
so for looing at differrnt things it ould be like lx , ly , lz.
If you are using LocoMotion in Estuary https://estuary.mcmaster.ca You must place the camera code in the lower right hand corner box in order to it to function. There can be only one camera panel
camera { x:(-4),y:2,z:10}
Working with the LocoMotion, There is a default ambient light.
But overall there are currently 6 types of lights available in LocoMotion, 3 types are ambient point and directional. Each light can accept an intensity parameter to indicate how bright the light is. Point and Directional light can be given a position. A point light emits in all directions whereas directional emits in a specific direction.
For making it darker or brighter you a=can use the code :
ambient { intensity = rage 0.3 1.0 ( osc 0.5 )}
This can cause to lighter or dimmer the light accprsing to the background music being played.
there is a point light as well. which is more likly to a light bulb
point { x= range 0 2 y= 1 , z = 0 , colour = zz}
directional light
directional { x= 10 , ly}
All 6 types of lights are based on underline lights available on ThreeJS which is the basic library for some of our underline features.