Programming Interactivity: A Designer's Guide to Processing, Arduino, and Openframeworks [Paperback]

Joshua Noble (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0596154143 | ISBN-13: 978-0596154141 | Edition: 1

Make cool stuff. If you're a designer or artist without a lot of programming experience, this book will teach you to work with 2D and 3D graphics, sound, physical interaction, and electronic circuitry to create all sorts of interesting and compelling experiences -- online and off.

Programming Interactivity explains programming and electrical engineering basics, and introduces three freely available tools created specifically for artists and designers:

• Processing, a Java-based programming language and environment for building projects on the desktop, Web, or mobile phones
• Arduino, a system that integrates a microcomputer prototyping board, IDE, and programming language for creating your own hardware and controls
• OpenFrameworks, a coding framework simplified for designers and artists, using the powerful C++ programming language

BTW, you don't have to wait until you finish the book to actually make something. You'll get working code samples you can use right away, along with the background and technical information you need to design, program, build, and troubleshoot your own projects. The cutting edge design techniques and discussions with leading artists and designers will give you the tools and inspiration to let your imagination take flight.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Josh Noble is a consultant, freelance developer and Rich Internet Application designer, based in Brooklyn, New York. He's the lead author of O'Reilly's Flex 3 Cookbook (released May 2008).

As a graduate student, Joshua Noble studied interactive art, teaching himself programming and electronics using available resources on the internet. After school, he began teaching coding to art and design students interested in interactive design at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. He found an acute need for a book that taught the technical aspects of programming and computing for interactive art and design as well as some of the theoretical and conceptual aspects of design interaction. He's worked extensively with each of the tools discussed in this book and has taught the subject at workshops, colleges, and to friends.

Product Details

• Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 1 edition (July 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596154143
• ISBN-13: 978-0596154141
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 1.5 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #625,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joshua Noble, is a consultant, author, and teacher based in New York City and Portland, Oregon, and is the co-author of Programming Interactivity (O'Reilly 2009), Flex 3 Cookbook (O'Reilly 2008), and ActionScript 3.0 Bible (Wiley, 2007). He has worked with Flex and Flash on a wide range of web applications on a variety of platforms over the past six years as well as working with PHP, Ruby, and Erlang. He also works on architectural installations and large large-scale touch systems using Processing, C++, and OpenCV, microcontrollers and sensors to create reactive environments. His website is http://thefactoryfactory.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST for those learning Arduino, Processing, or oF August 31, 2009

By K. Sederquist

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

What I great book! I was surprised to see how thick this book was.

I am learning the Arduino and have found this book such an in-depth and invaluable reference. It's a well written book that presents each language from the ground up so that even the complete beginner isn't lost. This book is for all, no matter what stage of learning.

If you're just started with the Arduino, or already have some experience with the Arduino and want to learn more you will NOT be disappointed.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear, concise, very useful. Top notch Arduino info! November 30, 2009

By J. Scott Davidson

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Being new to programming I have purchased a dozen texts as of this last purchase "Interactivity". This is the only one of the twelve that got me coding straight away. Within twenty minutes I had something a little more interesting than blinking lights to look at. My home brew robot had an obstacle avoidance routine written and working. I have been adding to that program ever since, not laboring over seemingly hopeless examples of projects that just don't interest me.

If you just bought an Arduino, or have any other reason to understand and use a computer language this should be your first purchased. More than any of that (and that would be enough) this text is readable, enjoyable. I would reread this book just because I enjoyed the author's style of writing.

This book also offers you a bonus, this might scare off some that read other reviews or the book description: you will learn three languages simultaneously. This would seem like an impossible task for most folks intimidated by learning just one language, but the author demonstrates quickly how natural it is to learn all three side by side. What a boon to your knowledge base!

It is very rare a text book of such wide scope and usefulness is authored.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tour De Force of Interaction Design and Physical Computing August 6, 2009

By Ira Laefsky VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

This massive volume provides the artist, designer, or non-technical hobbyist with all the skills they need to create awesome demonstrations, interactive systems and exhibits which exploit the best of what has been developed in Physical Computing and Interaction Design. Contained within this handbook are the tools for the non-technical individual to explore and exploit the capabilities of the Arduino Microcontroller environment, three different and powerful programming environments (Arduino, Processing and openFrameworks), basic Analog and Digital Electronics, Machine Vision and Sound Processing, as well as interviews with leading practitioners of Interaction Design and Physical Computing.

Its all in here in a well explained and comprehensive fashion--everything the artist, designer, or hobbyist needs to exploit programming, microcontrollers, physical computing, sensors and actuators, and interaction design. My only slight nit, on this excellent instructional handbook is that--given there is much too much information to be digested in a few sittings, the navigation and exploration of this important guide to Interactivity, will be somewhat anecdotal and will require tabbing of important spots for subsequent reference.

But this is the best and most up-to-date and comprehensive review of Physical Computing and Interaction Programming available anywhere.

-_Ira Laefsky
Information Technology Consultant and HCI Researcher