Table of Contents_Idea1

Hopefully, this will start a discussion on the layout of the table of contents. Considering we do not yet  know which projects we will have and the characteristics of their layouts, this ToC is very rough. This is basically a plotting of points, just like a normal x/y axis graph, but with a pixelated project image as the organizational element. As noted on the image, the project number might not be an appropriate organizational element. Rather, the project title, student, etc. could be used as the layout is flexible space wise. The user finds their "project" on the x axis, then its relative size on the y axis, then connects the axis to find their orange dot which shows the page number. This is a start so keep the ideas coming. Ed

My name is ARCHPUB and I will be your server.

Hello everyone. This post will be your go-to for instructions on

• how to get onto the server
• working on the file
• creating a memberfolder
• submitting new content

How do I get on the server?
1. find a Mac
2. open the Finder and hit "apple-k"
3. choose "caed1"
4. login. username: "(see e-mail)" / password: "(see e-mail)"
5. select "ARCH"
6. select "Courses" > "ARCHPUB" > "0608_ARCHPUB"

From here you'll find the master file and other pertinent publication folders. The InDesign file we'll be using stands alone in the "masterfile" folder.

How do I work on the file?
7a. drag it to your desktop
8a. complete the intended work
9a. drag it back onto the server and replace the existing file

How do I create a memberfolder?
7b. select "memberfolders"
8b. click "File" > "New Folder" (or hit shift-apple-n)
9b. title the folder using your name (eg: justin reinhart = "justinreinhart")

How should I submit new content?
Follow the instructions above to get onto the server. Once you're on, you'll see a folder titled "pages." Within this folder is a series of other folders:
> ARCHIVEpages
> extracurricular
> facultyarticles
> hearstlectures
> studentwork1_4
> thesiswork5
> travel

These folders will act as drop-boxes, in which you will submit new content. The graphic design group (GDG) will then access the content, place and format it into the master file, then put it into its respective folder in the "ARCHIVEpages" folder. When you submit new content, label the folder using the following format:

"projectname"_yymmdd
(eg: Vellum2007_071026)

WHAAAAAAAT?
If you have any questions/comments/suggestions, feel free to e-mail me at novomundus@gmail.com or call me at (408) 307-1088.

A400 Publication Revival...and Welcome

After a short sabbatical into the realm of summer spirits, the group known as "ARCH400" is back in early-morning action. This marks the impetus for the slow, rumbling rhythm in the womb of the architectural beast, the small group of dedicated students who are crazy enough to dedicate time they don't have to something greater than themselves. A complex cacophony of thoughts and words and sounds and flipping of pages will be the trail that others follow to reach the diminutive, dim-lit make-shift office lobby with small, surrounded table and a spattering of letters and pictures.

This, if it is so desired, will be the collection box for whispers that fall and are forgotten on the cutting room floor. And perhaps even where some soft mention of a passing thought will rustle and revive some long-lost inspiration to create something anew, an amalgam of common things that in combination create something far more astounding.

For those times that we cannot hear the tired breath and throat-clearing of Tuesday mornings, we will labor here, languishing at the keyboard with a temporary thought of something that might be better expressed in person.

To those who look a fresh eye upon this group, welcome. Tarry only as long as you need, to squeeze and sputter and spill your words onto these pages so that they might be remembered a few days later, when they have failed to survive in the confines of your mind. This is not a meeting place, nor can it be, not in the flesh. More simply it is a place where your thoughts and words can be cast into the void of pages and pixels to be caught and released but returned with one more piece of information, a single inspiration more then you came in with.

Save your good ones for Tuesday. Obviously. That said, I wish you all the best and I look forward to seeing what crazy, mal-formed and magnificent oddities we conjure up this time around. If you need any help with any of this, blog, server, what not, and that, let me know. That's all.

Justin

Arch 400 = Dead?

I know Disco is gone, but is the publication as well?
What news?

hamburger helper WITH the meat

Hello everybody.

crunch time.
here is the schedule for the rest of the quarter...working backwards in time (or forward if you are an ancient greek):

23 march - 15 march: our work will be pinned up in the CAED Lobby for all to see.

15 march: 8:00 am meet to pin up our work in the CAED lobby (do we pin up in an orthogonal manner? or do we pin-up all over the place with string making diagonals in space to forge connections).

14 march: morning - whitney and tom print out the book

13 march: evening - deric, justin + gabe (and anybody else interested) run the final edits on the work)

12 march: 23:59 deadline to load your work onto the server

7 march at 10:27 until 12 march 23:59 work, work, work...and don't complain.

other updates:
we need to determine a class time that we can all meet bi-weekly next quarter, preferably on tuesday or thursday in the 11:00 hour

we need to know your committment level for next quarter...this is a no pressure situation...and a lean, mean, writing machine may not be a bad thing...we just want to know who is in...and who is out.

day in the life: we will only get one chance to make this happen, so don't #$%* it up....we want to document dead week around here...next spring will be too late, and our deadline for copy is 23:59 on monday of deadweek...so this weekend and all monday is crucial...we have assigned die-hards to cover the various levels of the architecture building and engineering west, but all are welcome to shoot images of studio life in your own studio...or in others...we are looking for diversity...so feel free to shoot wide-open clean standard-issue-etch-a-sketch studios as well as the labs wherein you fear for your life merely entering.

did i miss anything from our last class period...feel free to add notes to this message...i will also place this as a blog.

best regards...and do good work,
tom di Santo

UPDATE #3

hello fellow arch400s,

Just a quick reminder on how the new set-up works (and also for those who missed the meeting). The master file is now available to everyone so you can add, format, etc. as you please. Also, if you try to get on while someone else is using the file, or you'd like to leave your submissions for others to format, the dropbox (now called "04_Dropbox") still exists so that new additions can be temporarily stored until they are added to the master file.

The instructions for getting on to the server are the same:

1. find a Mac
2. open FINDER and hit "apple + k"
3. choose " caed1.calpoly.edu"
4. login. Username: "(see e-mail)" Password: "(see e-mail)"
5. select "archpub"

From here, the instructions change based on what you wish to do. For formatting, follow the first set of instructions that follow. For submitting to the dropbox, follow the second:

Formatting:
6a. search for the folder entitled "01_InDesign"
7a. open the folder entitled "01_Working"
8a. open "working_022107_1911.indd" (the name for this file will change as it gets updated, but there should only be one file in this folder from here on out, so there won't be any confusion as to which file should be used)
9a. add, format and remember to save (no "Save As..." is needed) before exiting

Submitting to the Dropbox:
6b. package your InDesign file
7b. search for the folder entitled "04_Dropbox"
8b. click and drag your file (with package folder) into the dropbox

Also, instructions for setting up a personal template:

a. open "working_022107_1911.indd"
b. go to "File," then "Save As..." (<--this is important)
c. save to your desktop as something you'll remember
d. keep the file open
e. delete its contents (while saving the format)
f. save again

You'll now have your own template which will allow you to more quickly cut and paste your pages to the master file and/or allow you to quickly package your pages and submit them to the dropbox.

A reminder also to have any additions/formatting changes/submissions in by the Tuesday night before the next Thursday's class so that we can prepare on Wednesday to have the changes ready for Thursday.

If you have any comments/questions/suggestions etc., send me an e-mail at novomundus@gmail.com. Thanks, and happy weekend!

Justin

I noticed on my comparison of camera types someone had asked, in so many words, how it related to architecture. While I understand the author's point of view (that, as a publication of the CAED, every piece should make some stance on Architecture), I do not agree with it.

Does every one of our articles have to explicitly refer to architecture? Similarly, does every image we produce have to include some sort of architectural construction? If not, why do we impose different rules on images as we do on text? It seems as though, if we are permitted some level of ambiguity in our images, we imply a similar ambiguity for our words.

"__________ is architecture, because..." seems an unreasonable path to follow, all the time. If we are explicit in talking about a particular subject's relationship to the built environment, that is fine; however, is there no room to allow a viewer of the book to draw their own conclusions?

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

this is a publication UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

per Justin's request, please upload your InDesign pages to our server.
it's okay if you don't have final or polished content.
just add whatever you have so we can collectively respond to it.

thank you.

UPDATE #2

Here's the scoop, ladies and gents:

At our last meeting (Feb. 15) we discussed the logistics of using the InDesign template that Deric so kindly set up for us last week. We set up a dropbox on the server (called "arch400_DROPBOX") where you will be able to drop your page designs. Here are the revised set of instructions:

1. find a Mac
2. open FINDER and hit "apple + k"
3. choose "caed1.calpoly.edu"
4. login. Username: "(see e-mail)" Password: "(see e-mail)"
5. select "archpub"
6. search for the folder entitled "01_InDesign"

Tammy (CAD lab wizard) said that it is best to download the file from the server to your desktop, work on it there, and then when finished, put it back on the server to prevent file corruption:

7. open "01_Publication_A.indd"
8. go to "File," then "Save As..."
9. save to your desktop as something you'll remember
10. keep the file open
11. delete its contents (while saving the format)
12. save again

You now have your own version of an empty template. This is what you will use to design your pages, which you will then drop in the dropbox on the server, which I (Justin), Deric, Gabe, and anyone else who wants to contribute will be editing and formatting.

Every time you design a page or series of pages, please save them in the following format:

(mmddyy)_(username) ---> (ex. "021507_jtreinha")

Then, you can drop them in the dropbox:

13. design your pages
14. PACKAGE THE FILE (Go to "File," then "Package...")
15. save a copy, or two (or five)
16. log onto the server (if you are not already connected)
17. drop your file (including the package folder) in "arch400_DROPBOX"

So, instead of accessing the master file, merely drop your pages into the dropbox, and you can be on your way. If you have any further questions, feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail.

Thanks, and happy designing!
Justin

cs

whitney brought up a good point. the indesign file is saved as a cs document [so beware all you cs2 users].... i just fooled around a bit looking if i can saveas a cs document from cs2 but no luck.....does anyone know?

UPDATE

So we got our own section of the ARCH server! password and everything, so we can feel confident now that others can't erase our work. so check your email to learn how to connect to our server...[there's a password so i don't want to post it here...]

Let's get started!

Alright so here’s the deal. I created a folder on the architecture server* for our publication. To get there, please do the following:

1. find a Mac
2. open FINDER and hit “apple + k”
3. choose “caed1.calpoly.edu”
4. select “shared”
5. login using your my.calpoly username and password
6. search for the folder entitled “00_Arch_400.” [it’s highlighted in bright green].


Ok I’m in the folder! Now what do I do???
The folder is subdivided into three folders
1. 01_InDesign
a. this folder contains three identical files, “01_Publication_A,” 02_Publication_B,” and “03_Publication_C.” Every time you modify one of the files, please “SaveAs” over the two files as well. We will have three identical files [in the event of a corrupted file or InDesign crashing etc…]
2. 02_Linked files
a. this is where you put all of the images that you’ll “Place” from InDesign. Please make all of your files TIFFs and preferably 300 dpi. Please label and organize all of these images!!!
3. 03_Word docs
a. please include all of the text documents here…in it’s original state. This prevents, as Karen pointed out, any information from being lost in the InDesign file.


A few more notes on InDesign…
1. I created four layers: image, text, graphics, and comments. Please try to keep these in tact.
2. The margins and bleed marks: the red guides are for full bleed. Please extend all images to this border but keep in mind that it will be chopped off at the document bounds [the black border]. doesn’t make sense? I know, but just do it! It’s a lulu press thing… The purple margin within the document bounds is for the text. Please make sure all text does not extend pass this border.
3. That’s it! Go!!! Just put it out there! And feel free to make comments on each others’ work [make sure its in the “comments” layer].

If you have any questions feel free to ask me.
Deric_

*I just emailed Tammy [mac lab tech] about getting our own server for security reasons. I’ll keep you updated….

A MIDTERM (breakfast) REVIEW

Working Net

Over the past few days, I have taken the topics we have established and discussed on the white-board in room 106 and placed them in this ad hoc networking program. I have also taken the liberty to add in "self-organization" as a concept. I think it is pertinent to note that over the past few weeks we have been casually (and perhaps unknowingly) mixing topics with concepts. There is nothing necessarily wrong with that, but it should also be observed that concepts have the potential to incorporate multiple topics while topics are singular entities.

As the next step in deciding where we intend to go, I think we need to begin focusing on which concepts can best unite the topics we have already established. The reason I added "self-organization" while composing this network was because I realized in making connections that the concept of self-organization was one that is shared by many of the topics. For instance, nomadism describes the movement of people that is purely self-organized based on availability of resources, climate, etc. (i.e. there is no pre-determined structure as to where a nomad will travel).

Similarly, things like "architecture w/o architects" and "the community 'onion'" also share a sense of self-organization. That is to say, if there are no architects, then there is no structure being imposed and the architecture being produced is a product of the self-organization of the society from which it comes. Also, the "community 'onion'" does not develop based on some pre-conceived model--instead it is the product of the relationships between people, cultures, social classes, etc.

Even further, something like graffiti art is still a product of self-organization--while an artist may have a plan as to where he will paint, he is also reacting to other artists, his relationship with society, availability and desirability of art placement, etc.--even graffiti art is a product of self-organization. It is for this reason (along with all the others I've discussed here and those shown in the diagram above, which is click-able, by the way) that I think self-organization seems to be the natural direction in which we should be traveling--heck, even the diagram itself is a product of self-organization.

Also, with specific regard to the diagram above: I'm on a 30-day trial for the program I used to create it. I think it is certainly a feasible model to use for our midterm review on Thursday, and may serve to aid us further in developing a more solidly defined model of a publication. It is also entirely interactive and intuitive, so new ideas and connections can be made with ease. I would be interested to hear any feedback you might have about these ideas. I think the recognition of these relationships will allow us to develop a strong conceptual model that will later manifest itself in publication form.

Last, don't forget that the grant proposal for our group is due on February 9th (this Friday!) so please make a point to scroll down a couple posts and respond to the "$ Extramural Funding: A Proposal $" post. The more feedback we can get prior to submitting, the stronger our submittal will be.

I hope you all are having a great weekend, and I look forward to seeing you on Thursday.

--Justin


atman | 4:28 pm | 020607

I'm responding to mr. v's comment here because I figured some of you may also have similar questions / concerns:

"please define "self organization" -- the term as you are using it is nebulous. in addition, isn't arguing "self orginization" as an organizational tool or central concept somewhat circular?"

Self-organization is essentially this: "a process in which the internal organization of a system, normally an open system, increases in complexity without being guided or managed by an outside source. Self-organizing systems typically (though not always) display emergent properties." where an "open system" is defined to be "a system whose boundaries are permeable to energy and mass" and "emergent properties" simply refers to the development of complex organized systems. [definitions from Wikipedia]

Regarding the second part of your question, I don't think that arguing self-organization as an organizational tool or a central concept is circular for a couple of reasons:

First, unlike various religious arguments or other theoretical conjectures, self-organization has been empirically proven to be a naturally-occurring phenomenon and is widely accepted within a varied number of scientific communities including physics, thermodynamics, chemistry, and biology, among others.

Second, to make use of self-organization as an organizational tool or a central concept is not an attempt to prove the existence of self-organization, as it has already been proven--rather, I see it as an observation that self-organization has not only affected how we have come to develop our current set of topics, but is also prevalent within the topics themselves. We could certainly use a more structured, hierarchical system to describe how self-organization is apparent in the topics we have chosen, but in many ways I see that as a needless diversion from our subject matter, especially if it is a conscious one. Rather, I think the use of a self-organizational approach can help enhance the understanding of how the concept of self-organization has informed our collection of topics, how those topics are connected to others, and how self-organization can be found within the topics themselves.