Categories
Misc Urban papercraft

I’m being ripped off…

Update #1: On NicePaperToys there is a discussion about this topic started by Brian Castleforte: read it here

This is a first…
I know it happens to other artist, but I would never thought it would be happening to me.

A Chinese website is selling my free papertoys…. they are making money of my free papertoys.

I want this the first thing you read: you don’t have to pay money for Drukk or Grumm!!! They are FREE papertoys for you to enjoy. A lot of papertoys on this Chinese website are free, so they must have stolen it!!!

And so there is NO misunderstanding:

  • I didn’t know they are selling my papertoys
  • I never agreed about selling my papertoys on this website
  • I don’t get paid from any papertoy they sell
  • You don’t have to pay for my papertoys: THEY ARE FREE

They stole Grumm: visit the search page

But this is even worst: Drukk and all the customs made by other designers are sold there: visit the search page

And I’m not the only one: Speakerdog, NiceBunny, Horrorwood, SIZZA to name a few.
They don’t even take the time to build the models, they just use the images that the papertoy designers use on their websites….

Because I don’t want “help” the Google raking of this website with this post, I used a rel="nofollow" in the links (read more about that on wikipedia)
Categories
Design Urban papercraft

Urban Paper in Kansas City

Another Urban paper book artshow:

Urban Paper in Kansas City

You can find the usual suspects there plus some that are not in the book (but probably will be in the next, if this book will be sold enough 😉 )

via Custom Paper Toys

Categories
Design Urban papercraft

Urban Paper Tokyo Show

I mentioned before that there would be a Urban Paper exhibit in Tokyo organized by Josh McKible (http://www.nanibird.com/), he posted some pictures here.

Show list

The Urban Paper show opening Sept. 7th at Caf Pause in Ikebukuro is the latest stop of an international tour of paper toys first published in the book, Urban Paper. Tour stops have included Los Angles and Arnhem, the Netherlands and after Tokyo, the show will re-open in Rome.

Paper toys have been around for almost as long as paper itself, but what’s new is that paper toys have recently become a medium of choice for young designers. Because paper is cheap, light and recyclable it has become a populist alternative for artists who previously might have released their toys as collectible vinyl figures. Many of the Urban Paper designers make their toys freely available for download on the Web and anyone with access to a printer can easily make and enjoy their very own paper toy. Urban Paper is the first book that collects designs from 26 of these international artists, printed on heavy stock, along with an included DVD of extra materials, that also gives readers designs and ideas on how to make their own paper toys creations.

At the Urban Paper show at Cafe Pause, new paper toys, designed exclusively for the Tokyo stop will be on display, along with posters, postcards and other material. Flat packs of the toys will be on sale, as well as some built models.

Quote from the Flickr page from Josh McKible

Read more at jeansnow.net the place where the show is held.

Categories
Custom Design Urban papercraft

One-Off Paper Totem! – Urban Paper NL

I wanted to make a custom for Dolly Oblong, but I guess Dolly didn’t want to wait anymore…

At the Urban Paper Toys exhibition at Subwalk in Arnhem (The Netherlands) Dolly asked all designers present to do a custom… on the spot.

One-Off Paper Totem! - Urban Paper NL by Dolly Oblong.

Hand drawn Paper Totem! pieces by the artists participating in the Urban Paper NL show! All pieces were made during the opening 😀

Totem on the left from top to bottom: MCK, Loulou, Nick Knite, Christopher D.
Totem on the right from top to bottom: e440, 3EyedBear, Sjors Trimbach

Cheers heaps guys, lovely meeting you all :)))

As you can see, I’m totally outside my comfort-zone… I don’t sketch a lot, and I think you can see that.
I promise to make a better one! (using my computer 😀 )

Visit Dolly Oblong

PS
It seems that I’m know in the papertoy world as MCK, it should be [mck]… but I can live with that.

Categories
AS3 Flash

What a Flash / ActionScript Developer needs to know

Yesterday I saw this post in my RSS feeds, and I just want to remember this (and make sure that I’m really a senior 😉 )

So here is a list of stuff you need to know when you say you are a senior Flash/ActionScript developer:
http://pv3d.org/2009/08/28/10-things-every-senior-flash-developer-should-know/

I don’t like to regurgitate so I only show you the top 10, for examples visit the list by John Lindquist

  1. The Elastic Racetrack
  2. FlexSDK, mxmlc, compc, and all that jazz
  3. Player Events, Custom Events, Event Bubbling
  4. Statements, Keywords, and Directives
  5. ASDoc
  6. Managing visual assets (images, fonts, CSS, etc)
  7. Arrays, Collections, Dictionaries, Mapping
  8. Programmatic motion (tweening, easing)
  9. OOP and Coding Against Frameworks
  10. Version control

And after reading this I remembered gskinner had a similar list:
http://www.gskinner.com/blog/archives/2009/07/flash_actionscr.html

This is a bigger list and a lot of comments, so you need to visit the list and read it and all its comments

Another post about the subject: “Things Every Flash Developer Should Know” –> http://gskinner.com/talks/things/

Categories
Design Urban papercraft

Book Launch and Paper Toy Art Show – Cafe Pause – Tokyo

Urban Paper book has generated another art show, this time in Tokyo!

Urban Paper Poster/Papertoy
Urban Paper Poster/Papertoy

It will be at Caf Pause in Ikebukuro and will run from Sept. 7th to the 20th.

Since not everyone who was in the book will be in the show, this is final list of who will be showing:

Jack Hankins
Maarten Janssens
Kenn Munk
Sjors Trimbach
Ringo Krumbiegel
Ben O’Brien
LouLou
Christopher Bonnettte
Nick Knite
Matthew Hawkins
Matthijs Kamstra (me 🙂 )
Dolly Oblong
Josh McKible

This show is setup by Josh McKible that most people will know as Nanibird.

He create a poster that also is a papertoy, and you can download it
here (save link as)

Urban Paper book Poster-papertoy front
Urban Paper book Poster-papertoy front

Read more here

Categories
AS3 Flash

My first AIR app: SWF2GIF-banner – part 1

Sometimes, and I’m not very fond of them, I need to make banners…..
The animation part is not so bad, but making the different sizes…. that can be a drag.
And after you made the SWF banners, you also need to make the animation in GIF.

This is how I use to do it:

  1. make the SWF banner
  2. embed it in a html page with a background color that is not in the banner itself (a border around the SWF banner helps)
  3. make snapshots of the animation
  4. open photoshop >> (I used a action for this part….)
  5. place all the images in one document
  6. cut the browser from the screenshot
  7. select the background-color reverse the selection and cut
  8. make a animation from all the layers (end photoshop action)
  9. save

I have never made an AIR application but I think that it should be possible to make a SWF2GIF converter in AIR.

Stuff what I need to find out:

  • browse for a file
  • load that file into air
  • take snapshots of the animation
  • controle the frame rate of the animation
  • make a animated gif
  • save everything
  • etc.

Lets start with some basic:
I’m still working on CS3, and it seems that AIR default is installed with CS4
Installing the Adobe AIR update for Flash CS3

English: http://help.adobe.com/en_US/AIR/1.5/devappsflash/WS5b3ccc516d4fbf351e63e3d118666ade46-7fc3.html
Dutch: http://help.adobe.com/nl_NL/AIR/1.5/devappsflash/WS5b3ccc516d4fbf351e63e3d118666ade46-7fc3.html

You can also use FlashDevelop 3.0.1, AIR is also installed with that program and in combination with Flex sdk you don’t even need Flash.

Because I’m not finished with it (I will only work on it when I have to build banners) I will post now and then some parts of the code.

For some reason I couldn’t find the code to load SWF into AIR using “browse”.

[as light=”false” wraplines=”true”]
private function openSwfFile(e:MouseEvent = null):void
{
var imagesFilter:FileFilter = new FileFilter("Flash SWF", "*.swf");
myFile = new File();
myFile.addEventListener(Event.SELECT, selectHandler);
myFile.browseForOpen("Open", [imagesFilter]);
}

private function selectHandler(event:Event):void
{
myFile.removeEventListener(Event.SELECT, selectHandler);
loadSWF(myFile.url);
}

private function loadSWF(inName:String):void
{
trace( "Main.loadSWF > inName : " + inName );
mLoader = new Loader();
mLoader.contentLoaderInfo.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, onLoaderComplete);
mLoader.contentLoaderInfo.addEventListener(IOErrorEvent.IO_ERROR, onErrorComplete);
mLoader.load(new URLRequest(inName));
}
private function onLoaderComplete(e:Event):void { startOnEnterFrameHandler(); }
private function onErrorComplete(e:IOErrorEvent):void { trace( "Main.onErrorComplete > e : " + e ); }

private function startOnEnterFrameHandler():void
{
_movie.addChild(mLoader);
// _movie.addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME , onEnterFrameHandler);
}
[/as]
just use a button to activate.

I know the code is not complete… and that some classes have strange names… it’s work in progress.

Categories
Design Urban papercraft

Urban paper show – Lo Slungg

Saturday August 1st the gallery SUBWALK in Arnhem, the Netherlands opened URBAN PAPER: book launch + paper toys art show.
And it was awesome!!
If you missed it, you missed something special. (Read more about the show)

I liked it because I got to meet : LOULOU / MARSHALL ALEXANDER / MAARTEN JANSSENS / MATTHIJS KAMSTRA / RINGO KRUMBIEGEL / DOLLY OBLONG en SJORS TRIMBACH.
and a special appearance NICK KNITE.

Nice to meet them all, it was very educational (need to have better business cards and a papertoy which I can sell) and very inspiring. That was what I hoped for: get good energy to create even better stuff.

I had two new paper toys to show:Lo Slungg and NOISSGrumm.

Today I present Lo Slungg

Lo Slungg papertoy
Lo Slungg papertoy

I don’t have a logo for the little fellow yet, no instruction, it’s not finished for the public. So you can’t download it here yet 🙁 .
But that will happen soon enough, and if you can’t wait: drop a line in the comments and I will send you the file as-it-is. 😀

My photo’s (flickr-set) about the exhibit in Subwalk can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthijskamstra/sets/72157621946708500/
But there are more set to be found:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/funkfood/sets/72157621795665281/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marshallalexander/sets/72157621830735865/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/3eyedbear/sets/72157621827191065/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sjorstrimbach/sets/72157621946038528/

Categories
AS3 Flash Flash experiments

Six screens Flash animation

I currently working on a project where a Flash Application is played on six (6!) screens.
The screens are 1366×768 which must be (a least mine) the biggest Flash animation (8196px wide and 768pixels high)
The problem with Flash is that it will not go full-screen on more then on screen. With some hacking you can get it to open full-screen on your secondary monitor but not 2 monitors.

I hoped to find the solution in AIR, but that has a 2880px limit (read here)

After some googling I found Flash Dancer by Gizmoware.

Flash Dancer by Gizmoware

And who can explain it better then the Flash Dancer creator himself:

Flash Dancer gives Adobe Flash multi-monitor support. Want to play your Flash file fullscreen on monitor 2? Now you can. Want it to span fullscreen over 4 monitors? No problem with Flash Dancer. This is extremely useful in kiosk type applications, large scale multimedia installations, restaurants displaying menus on remote monitors, etc. Its been confirmed to work on a 6 monitor setup without a burp.

(I’m the one that has confirmed that it works on Vista and on 6 monitors 🙂 )

So what can I tell more:

[as highlight=”4″ light=”false” wraplines=”true”]
// Specifies that the size of the application be fixed, so that it remains unchanged even as the size of the player window changes.
stage.scaleMode = StageScaleMode.NO_SCALE;
stage.align = StageAlign.TOP_LEFT;
stage.quality = StageQuality.LOW; // important: the image will be cut off when you use HIGH
[/as]

And of course you need to tile a pattern, but I’ll leave that up to you.

Categories
Design Urban papercraft

Subwalk – Urban Paper: book launch and papertoy art show

I should have posted this a lot sooner, but here it is: the official invitation to the Urban Paper: book launch and papertoy art show at Subwalk. (in Dutch and English)

Op zaterdag 1 AUGUSTUS opent SUBWALK URBAN PAPER: book launch + paper toys art show. Naast de Europese release van het boek URBAN PAPER gevuld met paper art van diverse internationale designers, start een expositie met de nieuwste werken van diverse nationale en internationale designers die nog te zien zal zijn de gehele maand augustus.

PAPER TOYS zijn de snelst groeiende stroming binnen de designer toy wereld. Door hun gratis beschikbaarheid online wordt er een uniek platform voor zowel designers als liefhebbers geboden.

BOOK LAUNCH

Het URBAN PAPER is het eerste boek waarin deze opkomende trend centraal staat. Het bevat naast 26 kant-en-klare papertoys van de internationale top designers, interviews met de makers en een stap-voor-stap uitleg over het ontwerpen van je eigen paper toys, en een bonus DVD vol met templates, videos en meer.

ART SHOW

SUBWALKs URBAN PAPER show viert de officile Europese release van dit eerste paper toy boek en toont de beste originele handgemaakte paper toys van al de Urban Paper ontwerpers met o.a.: TETSUYA WATANABE / BRIAN CASTLEFORTE / BEN OBRIEN / FILIPPO PERIN / MATT HAWKINS / MCKIBILLO / JACK HANKINS / SHIN TANAKA en KENN MUNK.

Daarnaast zullen voor het eerst unieke, exclusief voor de expo ontworpen designs te zien zijn van de NEDERLANDSE ONTWERPERS: LOULOU / MARSHALL ALEXANDER / MAARTEN JANSSENS / MATTHIJS KAMSTRA / RINGO KRUMBIEGEL / DOLLY OBLONG en SJORS TRIMBACH.

OPENING

De URBAN PAPER EXPO opent op zaterdag 1 AUGUSTUS om 20 u in aanwezigheid van alle genoemde Nederlandse ontwerpers en is te zien tot en met 30 AUGUSTUS.

LEZING

De LEZING door paper toy pionier SJORS TRIMBACH vindt plaats op vrijdag 21 AUGUSTUS en vangt aan om 20.00 u. Entree 5 euro (inclusief gratis DIY paper toy).

Meer info:

www.subwalk.nl / www.custompapertoys.com / www.sjorstrimbach.com / URBAN PAPER op myspace

CONTACT:

SUBWALK // Roos or Sjors Trimbach

LEES OOK HET INTERVIEW MET MATTHIJS KAMSTRA OVER PAPERTOYS IN HET ALGEMEEN DAGBLAD

URBAN PAPER: BOOK LAUNCH & PAPER TOY ART SHOW

Gallery SUBWALK in Arnhem, the Netherlands opens on Saturday August 1st ‘URBAN PAPER’: book launch + paper toys art show. The show will be a celebration of the European release of the URBAN PAPER book and a showcase of the newest paper pieces by both national and international artists which will be on view throughout August.

PAPER TOYS are the fastest growing trend in the designer toy world. Through their free online availability they form a unique platform or both designers and collectors. Urban Paper is the first book to capture these toys. It contains 26 ready-to-build paper toy templates by top designers, interviews with the artists and a step-by-step how-to on designing your own paper toys.

SUBWALKs URBAN PAPER art show brings the best one-of-a-kind handmade paper toys by all Urban Paper contributors such as: TETSUYA WATANABE, BRIAN CASTLEFORTE, BEN OBRIEN, FILIPPO PERIN, MATT HAWKINS, MCKIBILLO, JACK HANKINS, SHIN TANAKA en KENN MUNK.

It will also premier new paper toys designed exclusively for the expo by DUTCH ARTISTS: LOULOU / MARSHALL ALEXANDER / MAARTEN JANSSENS / MATTHIJS KAMSTRA / RINGO KRUMBIEGEL / DOLLY OBLONG en SJORS TRIMBACH.

The Urban Paper show opens on SATURDAY AUGUST 1st at 8pm with the above Dutch designers on hand and will be on view through August 30th. On FRIDAY the 21st of AUGUST a LECTURE is held by paper toy pioneer SJORS TRIMBACH.

MORE info:

www.subwalk.nl / www.custompapertoys.com / www.sjorstrimbach.com / URBAN PAPER op myspace

CONTACT:

SUBWALK // Roos or Sjors Trimbach