Batten: Some Notes on NomadS

This work, formerly called "meta-Weaver" and now re-named "NomadS" was the second work to be completed after "Quad".

It is a compendium of machines (from which an ecology can be built by selecting a small selection of different, or similar, processes). Each of these machines move around independently of the others -although they do "communicate" by modifying the (coloured) "environment" in which they live (and which also determines their behaviour).

The collection is more or less arbitrary and exploratory in nature. It is based a series of previous explorations -some (applications) in Java and some much earlier in Basic on the Amiga. They are all part of a learning process.... an attempt to develop a (possibly self-generating) system by exploring (and charting) the differences and similarities of various processes -so that they may be integrated and articulated on a "higher" (meta) level.

For some (now unknown) reason it was originally placed (under the title "MetaWeaver") on the "Work" page of my site in a way that suggests that it (in some way) "followed" Weaver -although now, by looking at the component classes, it is apparent that (the previous final version) of "Weaver" was developed after "meta-Weaver" (which is why I have decided to change the title -as part of a "renovation" process necessary because the interface did not function properly with more recent java versions).

Meta-Weaver needed to be updated because of changes (by SUN) in the menu system prevented its correct operation in later versions of java.

The Original Notes (on MetaWeaver) stated:

Java has two basic forms:"applet"-which work in browsers and "application" -which work as normal programmes outside a browser. For some reason (perhaps related to the development of Java Applets) -the first Java programmes developed by the artist were applications and not applets. This was the first succesful Applet to be based on previous applications by the artist.

MetaWeaver is basically a "compendium" work -initially integrating various previous experimental applications into a single work. However, in order to do this in an efficient manner, it was necessary to analyze the basic components of the different works in order to establish the basic principles involved -and the individual variations which were specific to each (previously) individual work. This process is still continuing -for example the "radial" lines used in some of the images are treated separately (at the moment) to the polygon shapes which are also used by some images -although there is perhaps no good reason to do so -as the polygons used are radial figures.

Later, it is hoped to integrate these (and perhaps other) different sets of procedural classes -for example, by redefining the radial lines as part of a polygon figure. At present it is impossible to tell how much changing the underlying conceptual structure will also modify the visible image (if at all).

It might also be worth noting that while Weaver is based on an organized scanning system, MetaWeaver contains both relatively structured and relatively unstructured (anarchistic) processes.

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To start Java Applet -click on image
(To bring up process menu: right click on Java image when Applet is running)

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Some Notes on NomadS: