As you may have discovered from a previous post I have a deep interest in generative art (algorithmically generated systems) and material computation. A few of the most commonly used applications that allow folks, especially artists from all walks of life, to create art and interactive works are Processing, vvvv and MAX/MSP.
In experimenting with organic structures and particle systems, I’ve had the good fortune to receive some advice from Kristopher Collins over at rgb.nu whose Configurator application and other projects are brilliant mosaics of generative art.
Among others of our ilk whose research extends beyond the artistic, Alisa Andrasek of biothing is well known for her work in computational systems for design, and (among other things) experiments with genetic algorithms in the manufacturing of materials. Of one of her projects, L-Garden, she had this to say about it (from “Transitions in L-Systems” by Geraldine Sarmiento)
“This project engages the yet to be explored potential of computational ecology. Protogreen is a garden in the machine - a meditation on a possible universe populated with specimens of a looming new kind of nature - ones that perhaps resemble a new kind of architecture, a new kind of landscape. So-called “natural” and “artificial” are not so distinct any more. This genetically engineered ecology operates as a flat and beautiful version of a possible world - an environment that actualizes itself in a foreseeable future in which computation becomes increasingly ambient, dispersed, and ever present.”
This is a fantastic notion that, if we extend to the world of game development, provides us as game developers the potential to affect the development of real world materials and processes. There has been a great deal of research these last several years to build generative techniques into game engines from 3D objects (whole cities being generated on the fly) to textures to animation systems. All of these are being generated at run time, with no human input. It is this research and development through which game developers have a chance to actually improve the human condition beyond that of providing entertainment, by sharing the techniques discovered or by developing applications that use these algorithms to help advance the state of architectural and materials development.
(I would be remiss here if I didn’t mention the Demoscene as having a significant hand in advancing the art of generative techniques, so feel free to check out www.scene.org, www.demoscene.tv and www.pouet.net for some excellent examples.)