Nail Imagery has definitely been a different experience. Working with TouchDesigner was a challenge since this opportunity was the first time I actually used the program to complete a project.

 

The beginning of the process boiled down to what I wanted to do – considering I had to experiment with something new and not comfortable with, I had to think about my surroundings and ponder what could be possible. Of course there were a few ideas thought out during the development of this project but ultimately Nail Imagery made the cut. As a nail technician I wondered what could be useful in that sort of setting. My experience with cliental told me they have difficulty imagining what a color would look like on their nail unless it’s actually painted on. This is when the idea came about and immediately the process went underway.

 

I had to do research about the operators of TouchDesigner in order to get this project going. My proposal or statement for the project was – “This application will allow users to test polish colors in real time reflected through a camera by attaching green colored tips to their nails.” I found a good green polish and to top it off I used a matte top coat so that the color of the tips would be dull instead of shiny. After that, using the chroma key operator, we were able to key the green color of the tips. Then by adding some color options with the constant operators, the green colored tips were able to reflect the colors. After that I created the interface design and flowchart of the application.

 

While I struggled to figure out how to create a flip through of the design pages in TouchDesigner; my professor Emil helped me with the code and process to make the pages move in a linear fashion. Lastly, I put all of my assets together to complete the project.

 

I felt like it was a very delicate process that needed rechecking the operators and asset arrangement to fit the appeal of the application. As well as making sure the buttons worked properly. I tested the application on clients and nail technicians at the salon I worked at; which was rewarding and helpful because I received feedback on my work. Overall, I had a fun time with the project this semester.