After a 2 day sprint and massive battle with multiple exporting issues i managed to complete my iPhone app for BBC Learning and Cbeebies. This isn’t an app that will go into production or anywhere near the appstore but as I described in my previous posts, for demo purposes and skill development with multi touch functionality, this project was perfect.

My second day of sprint mainly consisted of finalising the basic hitTest and math functionality the game needed and completing a basic GUI for the game itself (which was the easiest part).

I created an environment where only 1 variable need changing to effect the difficulty of the game. This would make adding a stage system very easy later on.

I added some basic teaching material and some simple formulae for younger users to understand when doing their fractions. As a product, the app is a solid little product but like everything could be majorly improved with more time.

I would make a few changes to the logic of the game, making it less obvious and a little more challenging. You can in fact complete the exercise in just 2 moves. With more time I would have spent adding to the aesthetic of the app and its tweens between states. This is massively important for this age group, the more shinny the product, the more touchable and usable it will become.

I would like to carry on producing iPhone demos with flash but there are other projects and maybe Objective C which i’d like to investigate first.

Today I began a 2 day BBC children’s hack to produce a develop project which CBBC can experiment with in the future. As I’m working for BBC Learning I decided to make a collaboration between both childrens, learning and my person passion for the correct teaching of Mathematics (story for another day).

I also decided to work within the Flash and Actionscript and develop an iPhone app using the new Adobe CS5 iPhone exporter. I know that the app store won’t recognise Flash produced apps but as the project was for demo purposes I felt it was still ok to do. It also ment I could work with some of the new Multi-touch API’s which are featured in Flash player 10.1

In my first day of sprint I managed to create a ‘hello world’ example using the iPhone as the browser, and work with some drag and drop functionality. I also started work with some basic maths to work a fractions theme to the game, asking users to split ‘bugs’ into halves and quarters.

Tomorrow I intend to add a mass amount of GUI so that game makes sense and is as simple as possible. I also need to add a pre-loader as the graphics struggle to render.

I’ve started working on a new, as of yet unnamed project. The main thinking behind the project is to embrace gaming and interactive concepts around current affairs to inform and educate the subject matter through interaction. With this project as a test base I want to create a visual appealing interactive concept to teach younger audiences about the importance of charity and the work it does to support those less fortunate.

The slightly more serious subject matter is a little new to me, but I hope I can explore new ground in how immersive environments can engage a new and strong understanding in its target audience. This is all a but deep for me, I think I need a lay down.

Above is a test character walk cycle a worked on this weekend for the project. Early days but more shall come soon.

My demo of Fraser just moving up and down and breathing. He was built to try and animate the ChartBlog which he writes for the Radio 1 Chart Show. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chartshow He doesn’t have an on air presence so this was a first attent to make him a face on the blog, without using his photograph.

click on it to activate

After months of messing around between other things. I’ve finally got a few new website online.

A few of my friends were in some need of some simple sites to show off their work,talents ect. so i present

www.visualdirt.co.uk
www.stepfordism.co.uk
www.samhorner.co.uk/buubledrum

Visual dirt is a web portfolio for a friend of mine called Nick Ellis, he is an incredibly talented spray artist and graphic designer. I’ve loved working and will continue to enjoy working on this site.

Stepfordism is concept project by another friend of mine Stephanie Corbould. Her project is a sarcastic take on the stepford wife and its morals.

Bubbledrum is a start up drum teaching company by my best friend in the world, Mike Brazier. This simple splash pages took me 3 hours and will be used in his university project.

Yay! for new work

Sam