About this project
I want to put this into a book with expanded tutorials / examples!
http://www.shiffman.net/teaching/nature/
I've been saying that I'm going to do this for 2 years now and I've only drafted about 4 chapters. It's time for me to suck it up and finish the book by summer 2011. I would like to raise a little money to pay for illustration and design work, as well as some copy editing support. By doing this, I also create a mini-contract between me and you, and if I don't finish writing the book I'll just feel guilty about it all the time until I do.
Though I'm not yet sure what service I'll use, I'm planning on self-publishing the book and making it available in print and in digital form. I also expect that much of the book's content will be available on my web site for free. I'm guessing the book will be between 250 and 300 pages, $10 for an ebook, and $25 for a print copy (black and white).
Description:
Can we capture the unpredictable evolutionary and emergent properties of nature in software? Can understanding the mathematical principles behind our physical world world help us to create digital worlds? This book will focus on the programming strategies and techniques behind computer simulations of natural systems. We’ll explore topics ranging from basic mathematics and physics concepts to more advanced simulations of complex systems. Subjects covered will include forces, trigonometry, fractals, cellular automata, self-organization, and genetic algorithms. Examples will be demonstrated using Processing with a focus on object oriented programming.
Sort of a maybe Table of Contents:
I. Introduction II. Numbers! 1. Vectors and Motion 2. Forces 3. Oscillation 4. Physics libraries (box2d and toxiclibs) 5. Particle Systems 6. Steering behaviors and group behaviors 7. Cellular Automata 8. Fractals and L-Systems 9. Genetic Algorithms 10. Neural Networks
FAQ
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As of now, the draft of the entire book is complete. Creating all the illustrations and doing the production design for the book has proved more complex than I originally envisioned. I hope that backers will have a PDF copy of the entire book with the design elements early this summer with the printed book shipping shortly thereafter. If anyone has any concerns or questions about this timeline, please contact me via e-mail!
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
1,189
Backers
$31,575
pledged of $5,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on April 3, 2011.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
PDF copies of draft chapters as they are completed. PDF copy of final book.
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
PDF copies of draft chapters as they are completed. PDF copy of final book. Print copy of final book.
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
PDF copies of draft chapters as they are completed. PDF copy of final book. Signed print copy of final book.
Pledge $200 or more Pledge $200 or more
Custom-made Processing example code on a topic requested by you. PDF copies of draft chapters as they are completed. PDF copy of final book. Signed print copy of final book.
Pledge $300 or more Pledge $300 or more
One hour skype or in-person (NYC only) Processing discussion/tutoring session (can be transferred as a gift, etc). PDF copies of draft chapters as they are completed. PDF copy of final book. Signed print copy of final book.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
Name listed as book "patron" on web site and in print. Anything at all you want from any of the other rewards.
Project By
Connected as Daniel Shiffman (1078 friends)
Daniel Shiffman works as an Assistant Arts Professor at the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Originally from Baltimore, Daniel received a BA in Mathematics and Philosophy from Yale University and a Master’s Degree from the Interactive Telecommunications Program. He is the author of Learning Processing: A Beginner’s Guide to Programming Images, Animation, and Interaction and a founder of Page Seventy Three Productions, Inc. a non-for-profit theater company dedicated to producing and developing the works of emerging playwrights.
