Learn how to use the Processing programming language and environment to create Android applications with ease. This book covers the basics of the Processing language, allowing users to effectively program interactive graphics in 2D, 3D, and Extended Reality (XR). It also details the application of these techniques to different types of Android devices (smartphones, tablets, wearables, and smartwatches).
This updated edition walks you through the entire process of creating an app, from the initial idea to release of the final app via the Google Play App Store. Over the course of the book, you’ll learn to write engaging apps driven by user interaction and sensor data. A comprehensive series of hands-on projects, ranging from simple sketches to more complex projects involving shaders, VR, and AR will give you the firsthand experience you need to begin developing your own projects.
And once you have your Processing projects completed, you’ll be able to upload them to the Google Play store to be shared with the world!
What You Will Learn
Write apps and live wallpapers for smartphones and tablets
Design and implement interactive watch faces
Create Extended Reality (VR/AR) experiences
Incorporate GLSL shaders into your Processing apps
Integrate Processing sketches into larger apps and Android Studio
Learn how to write your own libraries to share with the community
Export projects as completed apps ready to distribute through Google Play Store
Who This Book Is For
Artists, designers, students, researchers, and hobbyists who are not necessarily Android experts, but are looking to write mobile apps that make creative use of interactive graphics, sensor data, and extended reality.
Author(s): Andrés Colubri
Edition: 2
Publisher: Apress
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 401
Table of Contents
About the Author
About the Technical Reviewer
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Getting Started with the Android Mode
What Is the Processing Project?
The Processing Language
The Processing Development Environment
Extending Processing
The Contribution Manager
Processing for Android
Installing the Android Mode
Interface of the Android Mode
Running a Sketch on a Device
Running a Sketch in the Emulator
Summary
Untitled
Chapter 2: The Processing Language
A Programming Sketchbook for Artists and Designers
The Structure of a Processing Sketch
Drawing with Code
Coordinates
Form
Color
Applying Geometric Transformations
Responding to User Input
Coding a “Vine Drawing” App
Summary
Chapter 3: From Sketch to Play Store
Sketching and Debugging
Getting Information from the Console
Getting more information with logcat
Using the Integrated Debugger
Reporting Processing Bugs
Preparing a Sketch for Release
Adjusting for Device’s DPI
Using the Emulator
Setting Icons and Bundle Name
Setting Package Name and Version
Exporting As Signed Bundle
Summary
Chapter 4: Drawing Graphics and Text
Drawing Shapes
More Types of Shapes
Curve Shapes
Using Bézier Curves
Shape Attributes
Shape Styles
Drawing Images
Drawing Text
Loading and Creating Fonts
Text Attributes
Scaling Text
Renderers in Processing
The PShape Class
Creating PShapes
Loading Shapes from SVG
Texturing Shapes
Summary
Chapter 5: Touchscreen Interaction
Touch Events in Android
Basic Touch Events
Multi-touch Events
Touch-Based Interaction
Item Selection
Scrolling
Swipe and Pinch
Using the Keyboard
Summary
Chapter 6: Live Wallpapers
Live Wallpapers
Writing and Installing Live Wallpapers
Using Multiple Home Screens
Handling Permissions
Drawing with Particle Systems
Simulating Natural Motion
An Image-Flow Wallpaper
Loading, Resizing, and Cropping Images
Putting Everything Together
Wrapping the Project Up
Summary
Chapter 7: Reading Sensor Data
Sensors in Android Devices
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Magnetometer
Location
Accessing Sensors from Processing
Creating a Sensor Manager
Adding a Sensor Listener
Reading Data from the Sensor
Reading Data from Other Sensors
The Ketai Library
Installing Ketai
Using Ketai
Event Handlers in Ketai
Summary
Chapter 8: Driving Graphics and Sound with Sensor Data
Using Ketai to Read Sensor Data
Measuring Acceleration
Shake Detection
Step Counter
Audio-visual Mapping of Step Data
Playing Audio
Using the Magnetic Sensor
Creating a Compass App
The Gyroscope
Controlling Navigation with the Gyroscope
Summary
Untitled
Chapter 9: Geolocation
Location Data in Android
Using Location API in Processing
Location Permissions
Accessing Data from Multiple Threads
Location with Ketai
Using Additional Location Data
A Street View Collage
Using Google Street View Image API
Making a Simple Image Collage
Putting Everything Together
Summary
Chapter 10: Wearable Devices
From Activity Trackers to Smartwatches
Smartwatches
Running Watch Face Sketches
Using a Watch
Using the Emulator
Displaying Time
Counting Steps
Designing for Smartwatches
Adjusting for Screen Shape
Watch Face Preview Icons
Summary
Chapter 11: Visualizing Time
From Sundials to Smartwatches
Using Time to Control Motion
Square vs. Round Watch Faces
Working with a Watch Face Concept
Elapsed/Remaining Time
Adding Interaction
Loading and Displaying Images
Summary
Chapter 12: Visualizing Physical Activity
Body Sensors
Step Counter
Heart Rate
Visualizing Physical Activity in Real Time
Simple Step Counter
Accessing the Heart Rate Sensor
Visualizing Step Count Data
A Beating Heart
Sensor Debugging
Grow a Tree As You Exercise!
Generating a Tree with a Particle System
Incorporating Step Count Data
Tweaking the Watch Face
Blooming the Tree
Summary
Chapter 13: 3D in Processing
The P3D Renderer
Hello World in 3D
3D Transformations
Combining Transformations
3D Shapes
Custom Shapes
The Camera
Immediate vs. Retained Rendering
Custom PShape Objects
Loading OBJ Shapes
Summary
Chapter 14: Lighting and Texturing
Making 3D Scenes more Realistic with Lights and Textures
Light Sources and Material Properties
Texture Mapping
Putting Everything Together
Summary
Chapter 15: GLSL Shaders
What Is a Shader?
The Graphics Pipeline: Vertex and Pixel Shaders
The PShader Class
Anatomy of a Simple Shader
Defining Custom Uniforms
Types of Shaders in Processing
Color Shaders
Texture Shaders
Light Shaders
Texlight Shaders
Image Postprocessing Filters
Day-to-Night Earth Shader and Live Wallpaper
Summary
Chapter 16: Basics of VR
Brief History of VR
Google Cardboard
Hardware Requirements
VR in Processing
Stereo Rendering
Monoscopic Rendering
VR Interaction
Eye and World Coordinates
The Line of Sight
Selecting a Shape with Screen Coordinates
Bounding Box Selection
Movement in VR
Automatic Movement
Unconstrained Movement
Summary
Chapter 17: Basics of AR
A Brief History of AR
AR on Android
Requirements
Getting Started
Drawing Trackables
Using Anchors
Hitting Trackables
Adding a User Interface
Using Custom Shaders in AR
Drawing in AR
Summary
Chapter 18: Creating XR Experiences
Challenges with XR Apps
Drawing in VR
Initial Sketches
A Simple VR UI
Drawing in 3D
Flying Around
Final Tweaks and Packaging
Intro Text
Icons and Package Export
Summary
Chapter 19: Appendix A: Gradle and Android Studio Integration
Google Tools for Android Development
Exporting a Sketch As a Gradle Project
Importing into Android Studio
Adding a Processing Sketch to a Layout
Chapter 20: Appendix B: Processing Libraries for Android
Extending Processing with Libraries
Installing Libraries with the Contribution Manager
Installing Libraries Manually
Writing New Libraries
Index
