Art Project Proposal

For my final interactive project, I have decided to incorporate a previous design I have conducted which is the LED die with a motion sensor. Although I do not incorporate the motion sensor into my new project, I am creating a game which can be played directly on the LED matrix with the use of a potentiometer as a “game controller.” My initial plan for a project was to create a game in which the die that I had created from my previous project could some how be used as the main focus of the game, yet I could not conjure up any ideas where the die itself could be used as the basis of the game. Therefore, I had decided to stray away from the use of the entirety of my previous design, and instead decide to use a major component—the LED matrix—and somehow incorporate that into my new, interactive project. I knew in order for this project to classify as a new media arts project, I needed to include an interactive aspect to the piece itself. I had decided that I will be expanding the previously used 7-digit segment, into a 8X8 LED matrix instead, creating an overall larger design. In addition to creating a larger LED matrix, I have decided to use a potentiometer as the main interactive portion of the project, creating a connection between the visual media—or the matrix itself—and the person interacting with the project. In terms of purpose, I am combining the use of the LED matrix and the potentiometer to create a 2-player ping-pong game in which the opponents use the potentiometer to control the small LED lights on the programmed LED matrix, which will display the game of ping-pong on the LED matrix itself mimicking the original game itself. I had chosen this project, for I admire it’s complexity amongst what seems to be such a simplistic concept, bringing back an almost nostalgic feel to the piece, for it’s incorporation of modern technology and original gaming are brought together to form a unique and equally simple, yet fun gaming system. 

Questions:
-Is there any way my design can be improved in order for it to be more visually appealing? 
-Is the incorporation of a potentiometer a viable substitution for a game controller?
-Are there any ways that I could possibly improve the display of the design? (Ex: larger LED matrix, larger screen, LCD screen vs LED, etc.).

1. /********
2.  * Arduino Pong
3.  * By Pete Lamonica
4.  *  modified by duboisvb
5.  *  updated by James Bruce (http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/author/jbruce
6.  * A simple implementation of Pong on the Arduino using a TV for output.
7.  *
8.  */
9.  
10.  
11. #include <TVout.h>
12. #include <fontALL.h>
13.  
14. #define WHEEL_ONE_PIN 0 //analog
15. #define WHEEL_TWO_PIN 1 //analog
16. #define BUTTON_ONE_PIN 2 //digital to start game
17. // #define BUTTON_TWO_PIN 3 //digital to reset and go back to main menu
18.  
19. #define PADDLE_HEIGHT 14
20. #define PADDLE_WIDTH 1
21.  
22. #define RIGHT_PADDLE_X (TV.hres()-4)
23. #define LEFT_PADDLE_X 2
24.  
25. #define IN_GAMEA 0 //in game state – draw constants of the game box
26. #define IN_GAMEB 0 //in game state – draw the dynamic part of the game
27.  
28. #define IN_MENU 1 //in menu state
29. #define GAME_OVER 2 //game over state
30.  
31. #define LEFT_SCORE_X (TV.hres()/2-15)
32. #define RIGHT_SCORE_X (TV.hres()/2+10)
33. #define SCORE_Y 4
34.  
35. #define MAX_Y_VELOCITY 6
36. #define PLAY_TO 7
37.  
38. #define LEFT 0
39. #define RIGHT 1
40.  
41. TVout TV;
42. unsigned char x,y;
43.  
44. boolean button1Status = false;
45. // boolean button2Status = false;
46.  
47. int wheelOnePosition = 0;
48. int wheelTwoPosition = 0;
49. int rightPaddleY = 0;
50. int leftPaddleY = 0;
51. unsigned char ballX = 0;
52. unsigned char ballY = 0;
53. char ballVolX = 2;
54. char ballVolY = 2;
55.  
56. int leftPlayerScore = 0;
57. int rightPlayerScore = 0;
58.  
59. int frame = 0;
60. int state = IN_MENU;
61.  
62. void processInputs() {
63.   wheelOnePosition = analogRead(WHEEL_ONE_PIN);
64.   // delay(50);
65.   wheelTwoPosition = analogRead(WHEEL_TWO_PIN);
66.  // delay(50);
67.    button1Status = (digitalRead(BUTTON_ONE_PIN));
68.   
69.  //  button2Status = (digitalRead(BUTTON_TWO_PIN) == LOW);
70.    if ((button1Status == 0)&& (state == GAME_OVER))
71.    {
72.      Serial.println(“game over, drawing menu”);
73.      drawMenu ();
74.    }
75.   
76.  
77.    delay(50);
78.   //Serial.println(button1Status);
79.   //Serial.println(state);
80.   //Serial.println(button2Status);
81.   //Serial.println(wheelOnePosition);
82.    //Serial.println(wheelTwoPosition);
83.  
84.  
85. }
86.  
87. void drawGameScreen() {
88.  //  TV.clear_screen();
89.   //draw right paddle
90.   rightPaddleY = ((wheelOnePosition /8) * (TV.vres()-PADDLE_HEIGHT))/ 128;
91.   x = RIGHT_PADDLE_X;
92.   for(int i=0; i<PADDLE_WIDTH; i++) {
93.     TV.draw_line(x+i,rightPaddleY,x+i,rightPaddleY+PADDLE_HEIGHT,1);
94.   }
95.  
96.   //draw left paddle
97.   leftPaddleY = ((wheelTwoPosition /8) * (TV.vres()-PADDLE_HEIGHT))/ 128;
98.   x = LEFT_PADDLE_X;
99.   for(int i=0; i<PADDLE_WIDTH; i++) {
100.     TV.draw_line(x+i,leftPaddleY,x+i,leftPaddleY+PADDLE_HEIGHT,1);
101.   }
102.  
103.   //draw score
104.   TV.print_char(LEFT_SCORE_X,SCORE_Y,’0’+leftPlayerScore);
105.   TV.print_char(RIGHT_SCORE_X,SCORE_Y,’0’+rightPlayerScore);
106.  
107.   
108.   
109.  
110.  
111.   
112.   //draw ball
113.   TV.set_pixel(ballX, ballY, 2);
114. }
115.  
116. //player == LEFT or RIGHT
117. void playerScored(byte player) {
118.   if(player == LEFT) leftPlayerScore++;
119.   if(player == RIGHT) rightPlayerScore++;
120.  
121.   //check for win
122.   if(leftPlayerScore == PLAY_TO || rightPlayerScore == PLAY_TO) {
123.     state = GAME_OVER;
124.   }
125.  
126.   ballVolX = -ballVolX;
127. }
128.  
129.  
130.  
131.  void drawBox() {
132.       TV.clear_screen();
133.       
134.    //draw net
135.   for(int i=1; i<TV.vres() – 4; i+=6) {
136.     TV.draw_line(TV.hres()/2,i,TV.hres()/2,i+3,1);
137.   }
138.   // had to make box a bit smaller to fit tv 
139.     TV.draw_line(0, 0, 0,95,1 );  // left
140.    TV.draw_line(0, 0, 126,0,1 ); // top
141.     TV.draw_line(126, 0, 126,95,1 ); // right
142.      TV.draw_line(0, 95, 126,95,1 ); // bottom
143.   
144.   
145.   state = IN_GAMEB;
146. }
147.  
148.  
149. void drawMenu() {
150.   x = 0;
151.   y = 0;
152.   char volX =3;
153.   char volY = 3;
154.   TV.clear_screen();
155.   TV.select_font(font8x8);
156.   TV.print(10, 5, “Arduino Pong”);
157.   TV.select_font(font4x6);
158.   TV.print(22, 35, “Press Button”);
159.   TV.print(30, 45, “To Start”);
160.   
161.   
162.   delay(1000);
163.   while(!button1Status) {
164.     Serial.println(“menu”);
165.   Serial.println(button1Status);
166.   
167.     processInputs();
168.     TV.delay_frame(3);
169.     if(x + volX < 1 || x + volX > TV.hres() – 1) volX = -volX;
170.     if(y + volY < 1 || y + volY > TV.vres() – 1) volY = -volY;
171.     if(TV.get_pixel(x + volX, y + volY)) {
172.       TV.set_pixel(x + volX, y + volY, 0);
173.     
174.       if(TV.get_pixel(x + volX, y – volY) == 0) {
175.         volY = -volY;
176.       }
177.       else if(TV.get_pixel(x – volX, y + volY) == 0) {
178.         volX = -volX;
179.       }
180.       else {
181.         volX = -volX;
182.         volY = -volY;
183.       }
184.     }
185.     TV.set_pixel(x, y, 0);
186.     x += volX;
187.     y += volY;
188.     TV.set_pixel(x, y, 1);
189.   }
190.  
191.  
192.  
193.   TV.select_font(font4x6);
194.   state = IN_GAMEA;
195. }
196.  
197. void setup()  {
198.     //Serial.begin(9600);
199.   x=0;
200.   y=0;
201.   TV.begin(_NTSC);       //for devices with only 1k sram(m168) use TV.begin(_NTSC,128,56)
202.  
203.   ballX = TV.hres() / 2;
204.   ballY = TV.vres() / 2;
205.  
206. //  pinMode(BUTTON_ONE_PIN, INPUT);      // sets the digital pin as output
207. }
208.  
209. void loop() {
210.   processInputs();
211.  
212.  
213.  
214.  
215.   if(state == IN_MENU) {
216.     drawMenu();
217.   }
218.  if(state == IN_GAMEA) {
219.     //Serial.println(“gamA”);
220.   //Serial.println(button1Status);
221.   
222.     drawBox();
223.   }
224.  
225.   if(state == IN_GAMEB) {
226.     if(frame % 3 == 0) { //every third frame
227.       ballX += ballVolX;
228.       ballY += ballVolY;
229.  
230.  // change if hit top or bottom
231.       if(ballY <= 1 || ballY >= TV.vres()-1)
232.      { ballVolY = -ballVolY;
233.                  delay(100);
234.   TV.tone( 2000,30  );   
235.      }
236.       
237.   // test left side for wall hit    
238.       if(ballVolX < 0 && ballX == LEFT_PADDLE_X+PADDLE_WIDTH-1 && ballY >= leftPaddleY && ballY <= leftPaddleY + PADDLE_HEIGHT){
239.         ballVolX = -ballVolX;
240.         ballVolY += 2 * ((ballY – leftPaddleY) – (PADDLE_HEIGHT / 2)) / (PADDLE_HEIGHT / 2);
241.             delay(100);
242.   TV.tone(2000,30 );   
243.       }
244.       
245.  // test right side for wall hit     
246.       if(ballVolX > 0 && ballX == RIGHT_PADDLE_X && ballY >= rightPaddleY && ballY <= rightPaddleY + PADDLE_HEIGHT) {
247.         ballVolX = -ballVolX;
248.         ballVolY += 2 * ((ballY – rightPaddleY) – (PADDLE_HEIGHT / 2)) / (PADDLE_HEIGHT / 2);
249.             delay(100);
250.   TV.tone( 2000,30  );   
251.       }
252.  
253.       //limit vertical speed
254.       if(ballVolY > MAX_Y_VELOCITY) ballVolY = MAX_Y_VELOCITY;
255.       if(ballVolY < -MAX_Y_VELOCITY) ballVolY = -MAX_Y_VELOCITY;
256.   
257.  // Scoring
258.       if(ballX <= 1) {
259.         playerScored(RIGHT);
260.      // sound 
261.      delay(100);
262.   TV.tone( 500,300 );   
263.       }
264.       if(ballX >= TV.hres() – 1) {
265.         playerScored(LEFT);
266.         // sound 
267.         delay(100);
268.  TV.tone(  500,300 );
269.       }
270.     }
271.    
272.    
273. //    if(button1Status) Serial.println((int)ballVolX);
274.  
275.     drawGameScreen();
276.   }
277.   
278.   if(state == GAME_OVER) {
279.     drawGameScreen();
280.     TV.select_font(font8x8);
281.     TV.print(29,25,”GAME”);
282.     TV.print(68,25,”OVER”);
283.     while(!button1Status) {
284.       processInputs();
285.       delay(50);
286.     }
287.     TV.select_font(font4x6); //reset the font
288.     //reset the scores
289.     leftPlayerScore = 0;
290.     rightPlayerScore = 0;
291.     state = IN_MENU;
292.   }
293.  
294.  
295.   TV.delay_frame(1);
296.   if(++frame == 60) frame = 0; //increment and/or reset frame counter
297. }