PLATFORM

The total value of canvases will be defined for the beta test but imagine an image made up of 35.000 canvases, each of which is a grid of 32×32 editable pixels. With these characteristics the total work reaches an image of more than 35 million pixels that must flow smoothly to each screen of each user who is observing it! Let’s multiply that x2, x3, etc. It’s crazy!
But the complexity only starts here. If to the aforementioned we add the characteristic that any of the 35 million pixels that are being “observed” can change at any time and that this variation implies a modification and an update of the complete image for all users, we are forced to admit that potentially this gigantic image needs to be continuously detected, updated and transmitted. To be clear, the ephemeral change in a single pixel of those millions mentioned forces a complete update of the entire work in all the places where it is being observed. Issues like this represent a true technological challenge and have had to be faced not only with an elaborate development strategy, but also with great creativity.

The efforts regarding what has to do with the “passability” of the work also deserve mention. As expected, an image of such dimension cannot be observed in all its detail simply by displaying it on a standard monitor. To give visitors the possibility of being able to go from one end where the entire work can be seen from afar, to another where the amplification is sufficient to be able to perceive the infinitesimal work of users on their canvases, it is necessary to develop a Zoom-type tool whose structure has represented a real achievement for the team. Adding this and other navigability tools, we arrived at a visualization interface that allows handling an enormous amount of information without losing the desired image quality and fluidity, thus respecting the idea that was present from the beginning. That of generating that sensation in the observer (perhaps closely related to abstract art) in which the visitor gets lost inside the work as he goes deeper into it and goes through it looking for new discoveries that never end.

Another of the many interesting development proposals that this project entails is related to the canvas editor. As we mentioned, each canvas is a 32×32 pixel editable space where the owner can work with a fairly limited number of tools to put together their drawing. But under the guidelines of a cooperative work that achieves a “greater objective”, it was essential that the owner of the canvas could have reference from his neighbors. This enhanced the central idea of ​​Myriad Art that users could combine their drawings with neighboring ones to form larger compositions, thus achieving a common thread throughout the entire work. Regarding this topic, skilfully taking advantage of the resources, our team worked on achieving a very interesting interface. In it, the user can edit his drawing while observing in real time how his neighboring canvases are updated. In this way, as they draw on their canvas, users can feel like they are working cooperatively with others on the same larger image.

As far as information management is concerned, it is interesting to point out that just as managing the flow of so much data has not been trivial at all, neither is its accumulation over time. The idea of ​​achieving a history of the work through continuous snapshots is truly interesting, but it presupposes the in eternum need to save said history.