Alda Boyd - APM Spring 2026 Process Blog
For my week 3 assignment, I wanted to explore using POPs in TouchDesigner since my background in creative technology is primarily 3D. I decided to follow this tutorial :
Point Cloud / Object Disintegration Touchdesigner Tutorial (With Pops!)
I wanted a somewhat unique OBJ for my project, so I generated an MJ image using one of my old Cinema 4D renders as a reference. After that, I put the MJ generation into Meshy.AI and downloaded the OBJ to use in my TouchDesigner file.
I'm really happy with the results. I feel like there is so much room for experimentation. I want to explore working with other types of POPs and 3D objects.
Week 4 & 5 Assignment Part I & II - ( 02/24/26)
Kantan Mapper Historic Site Mockup
I chose the Cotton Club. During the first initial lockdowns in the 2020s, I came across a YouTuber named AshleySaysSo. On her channel, she would share stories about vintage Hollywood actresses and musicians, and one place many of them gathered was the Cotton Club in Harlem. In my mockup, I wanted to reimagine the Cotton Club as a memorial to Black media and entertainment. Though the Cotton Club is considered a historically renowned New York City nightclub, it only allowed Black people entry if they were coming to entertain or perform. My storytelling experience serves as a memorial to the legendary Black musicians and creatives who once performed in the Cotton Club, connecting them to future generations through music and dance.
https://freight.cargo.site/m/F2798735977390401287880181665705/APM-2026.zip
Point Cloud / Object Disintegration - Audio Reactive Iteration
I decided to iterate on my POPs-focused project. I used a virtual audio cable to port the sound from my computer into my TD project. I then used an audio analysis .tox file to make different parameters of my project respond to the music I was listening to on Spotify. I tried several different noise variations on the same OBJ I generated from the last assignment. If I were to explore this project further, I would want to use animated FBX sequences, different OBJ poses, or map different noise variations to a controller.
Week 6 Assignment - ( 03/02/26)
As of right now, I'm stuck between two concepts for the story behind my midterm. One is purely fictional, and one intends to reflect the building's real-life history. Both, however, play with the concept of time, reconstructing moments through architecture. Concept A reflects how human life evolves over the decades, while buildings can remain the same for decades and years to come.
Concept A
The building's windows and exterior are split into three decades (1966, 1996, and 2026), each column showing the everyday happenings at each tenant's window. Although my mockups use realistic imagery, I'm not set on a realistic look. My work is usually stylized, surreal, and somewhat animated.
Concept B takes us back to the golden days of the Weeks & Dickson Music Store (https://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/connections/history/2017/01/05/musical-memories-store-lasted-over-century/96159844/)
Inspiration
Using MidJourney, I generated images of what I'm picturing for the windows, in terms of look and feel. Then I laid them out in Photoshop and Touch Designer. I also created several masks to experiment with different FX layers. By focusing the majority of the visuals on the windows, I intend to convey a voyeuristic storytelling experience for the audience. The exterior will be mapped too, with simple, less dynamic visuals.
As of right now, I'm stuck between two concepts for the story behind my midterm. One is purely fictional, and one intends to reflect the building's real-life history. Both, however, play with the concept of time, reconstructing moments through architecture. Concept A reflects how human life evolves over the decades, while buildings can remain the same for decades and years to come.
Concept A
The building's windows and exterior are split into three decades (1966, 1996, and 2026), each column showing the everyday happenings at each tenant's window. Although my mockups use realistic imagery, I'm not set on a realistic look. My work is usually stylized, surreal, and somewhat animated.
Concept B
Inspiration
Using MidJourney, I generated images of what I'm picturing for the windows, in terms of look and feel. Then I laid them out in Photoshop and Touch Designer. I also created several masks to experiment with different FX layers. By focusing the majority of the visuals on the windows, I intend to convey a voyeuristic storytelling experience for the audience. The exterior will be mapped too, with simple, less dynamic visuals.
Week 6 Assignment Update
- ( 03/08/26)
I narrowed the scope of my concept to communicate my idea while staying within realistic time constraints effectively. My focus shifted to what life in a New York City apartment might look like and to how each apartment has its own story. I drew inspiration from the sounds I've heard in my own apartment building, as well as little stories from neighbors and roommates.
In my 20-second visuals, you will see that each window shows what is happening inside the building, reflecting the dynamic, chaotic nature of everyday life in the city.
My scene primarily focused on the building's windows, and I used a combination of licensed stock footage, Photoshop, and generative video. Everything was composited and rendered in my TouchDesigner file. If I were to do anything differently or dream bigger, perhaps I would have filmed the footage for each window frame with myself and/or actors. Or maybe I would've rendered something more stylized and reminiscent of my general 3D aesthetic; regardless, I think it turned out really fun and dynamic.
Current storage space on the desktop computer
Link To Files
Week 8 Assignment - ( 03/29/26)
Week 9 Assignment - ( 04/05/26 )
For my final project, I want to experiment with voxels, geometry transformations, depth, perspective, and surrealism.
Potential theme 1 keywords
- surreal, aquatic, ancient, ocean, the primordial soup, time, water, memory, transcending time, evolving
Potential theme 2 keywords
- life is a game, glitch in the matrix, pixels, voxels, the human experience, playful nostalgia, CRT, rendering real life
I also browsed some tutorials I feel could be relevant to the look I want to go for
3D Projection Mapping Tutorial with Photogrammetry and TouchDesigner
For my week 9 homework, I chose a seashell prototype that I sculpted last semester with Crayola Model Magic. It has held up surprisingly well. I was able to test out my projection with a small projector I bought on Amazon Prime Day a few years back. I realized it had a wireless connection option, which I found very convenient. What was not convenient was trying to map from a desktop computer with your projected object sitting to the right of you and your projector behind you. I probably would’ve gotten a more accurate mapping if I had oriented myself, my projector, and chosen objects differently within the room. I’m excited to approach this process in class later today with more confidence to experiment with visuals.
Week 10 Assignment - ( 04/12/26)
Projection Site: Dumbo, Brooklyn
Due to server allergies, I wasn’t able to come along to scout the location in person, so I decided to use Google images as a reference for what I’m envisioning for my storytelling experience. Now that I have a better sense of the location, I think I would want my projection to be interactive as well.
(Additional Context for Simulation Theory:)
General Concept and Storyboarding - Breaking the simulation
For my concept, I wanted to take a playful approach that reflects everyday life and still touches on themes of surrealism.
I decided to center my story around sayings like “Life is a game” or “A glitch in the matrix.” As a creative, my aesthetic tends to lean into colorful, dreamy, somewhat realistic aesthetics. I knew I wanted to work with voxels, geometric shapes, and procedurally generated textures for this project, which is a little different than my typical approach.