CS 427: Creative Coding
Advanced topics in interactive media and virtual reality (VR) through the lens of creative coding. Students design and develop interactive VR projects using the Unity game engine, exploring the intersection of art, design, and computation.
Course Overview
This course covers advanced topics in interactive media and virtual reality through the lens of creative coding. Students are introduced to the theory and practice of designing and developing interactive VR projects using the Unity game engine. Participants explore novel forms of design practice with advanced technologies such as the CAVE2 system in UIC’s Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL).
Focusing on creative coding, 3D interaction, audio design, typography, theater, and seminal works in VR, the course examines the intersection of art, design, and computation.
Course Material
- No required textbook.
- Selected readings from seminal and contemporary works in VR, media design, interactive narrative, creative AI, immersive experiences, and visualization (e.g., Leonardo, SIGGRAPH, ISEA proceedings).
- Tools used: Maya, Adobe Creative Suite, Unity3D, C#, Audacity.
Grading
- 50% Projects / Final Deliverables
- 30% Assignments and Weekly Deliverables
- 20% Attendance, Participation, and Collaboration
Schedule
| Week | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Unity and VR Development Course overview, Unity setup, VR fundamentals. |
| 2 | 3D Interaction and Scene Design Importing assets, scene composition, basic interaction. |
| 3 | Typography in VR Text rendering, spatial typography, readability in immersive environments. |
| 4 | Audio Design and Immersive Media Spatial audio, Audacity, sound design for VR. |
| 5 | Theater Methods for Interactive Experiences Narrative structure, staging, audience engagement in VR. |
| 6 | Seminal Works in VR Art and Design Historical context, key artists and projects. |
| 7 | Creative Coding Methods Generative art, procedural content, real-time visualization. |
| 8 | Ethics and Visualization Critique Ethical considerations in immersive systems, critical analysis. |
| 9 | User Perception in VR Human-computer interaction, perception models in immersive environments. |
| 10 | Advanced Systems — CAVE2 Introduction to CAVE2, multi-display environments, group VR. |
| 11 | Project Development Collaborative project work, iteration and feedback. |
| 12 | Project Development Continued development, user testing. |
| 13 | Project Development Final polish, documentation. |
| 14 | Final Exhibition in CAVE2 Collaborative class exhibition and presentation. |