Interactive Visual Music Sequencer Design Document

By Ian Baker

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Table of Contents
1. Design History This is a change listing quickly describing each major version and changes 2. Section 1 - Game Overview 2.1. Game Concept 2.2. Feature Set 2.3. Target Audience 2.4. Application Flow 2.5. Look and Feel 2.6. Project Scope 3. Section 2 - Gameplay and Mechanics 3.1. Gameplay 3.1.1.Game Progression 3.1.2.Objectives What are the objectives of the game? 3.1.3.Play Flow How does the game flow for the game player 3.2. Mechanics What are the rules to the game, both implicit and explicit. This is the model of the universe that the game works under. Think of it as a simulation of a world, how do all the pieces interact? This actually can be a very large section. 3.2.1.Objects 3.2.1.1. Picking Up Objects 3.2.1.2. Moving Objects 3.2.2.Actions 3.2.2.1. Switches and Buttons 3.2.2.2. Picking Up, Carrying and Dropping 3.2.2.3. Talking 3.2.2.4. Reading 3.3. Screen Flow 3.3.1.Screen Flow Chart A graphical description of how each screen is related to every other 3.3.2.Screen Descriptions What is the purpose of each screen? 3.3.2.1. Main Menu Screen 3.3.2.2. Options Screen 3.3.2.3. Etc. 3.4. Game Options What are the options and how do they affect game play and mechanics? 3.5. Saving 4. Section 3 - Interface 4.1. Visual System 4.1.1.HUD - What controls 4.1.2.Menus 4.1.3.Rendering System 4.1.4.Camera 4.1.5.Lighting Models 4.2. Control System How does the game player control the game? What are the specific commands? 4.3. Audio 4.4. Music 4.5. Sound Effects 4.6. Help System

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5. Section 4 Technical This may be abbreviated with most in the Technical Bible. 5.1. Target Hardware 5.2. Development hardware and software 5.3. Development procedures and standards 5.4. Game Engine 5.5. Network 5.6. Scripting Language 5.7. etc. 6. Section 5 Game Art - This may be abbreviated with most of the content in an Art Bible. 6.1. Concept Art 6.2. Style Guides 6.3. Characters 6.4. Environments 6.5. Equipment 6.6. Cut scenes 6.7. Miscellaneous 7. Section 6 - Secondary Software 7.1. Editor 7.2. Installer 7.3. Update software 8. Appendices 8.1. Asset List 8.1.1.Art 8.1.1.1. Model and Texture List 8.1.1.2. Animation List 8.1.1.3. Effects List 8.1.1.4. Interface Art List 8.1.1.5. Cut scene List 8.1.2.Sound 8.1.2.1. Environmental Sounds 8.1.2.2. Weapon Sounds 8.1.2.3. Interface Sounds 8.1.3.Music 8.1.3.1. Ambient 8.1.3.2. Action 8.1.3.3. Victory 8.1.3.4. Defeat 8.1.4.Voice 8.1.4.1. Actor #1 lines 8.1.4.2. Actor #2 lines 8.1.4.3. Etc.

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Design History
Ian Baker - 7/26/12 Added Overview Section and filled in concept and Feature set Ian Baker - 7/27/12 Target audience defined and Scope filled in Ian Baker - 7/30/12 Look & Feel, Flow, and Scope filled out. Ian Baker - 8/4/12 Added Gameplay and Mechanics section and filled out Gameplay Ian Baker 8/6/12 Added Screen Flow picture.

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Overview
Concept
Sound Sketch is an application the blends both visual and auditory elements to create a unique composition. At its heart it is an Interactive Visual Music Sequencer. A music sequencer is an application or device that allows its user to record, edit and play back music. Music sequencers as a whole generally do the same thing. What sets Sound Sketch away from the others is in the way you create a recording. A piece is created through a visual composition, you draw your recording. Sound sketch is both a simplistic paint program and sequencer all in one.

Feature Set
When using Sound Sketch you will be in one of 3 modes, Sketch Mode, Sequence Mode, and Play Mode. Each mode is going to be design to fulfill a distinct purpose. Sketch Mode will be the first mode and the main mode by default. It will allow you to draw shapes, move them and change their colors which will in turn affect the note that each shape plays. This mode focuses more on the visual side. Sequence mode will allow the player to arrange and order the auditory portion of their composition. They can choose the order the notes play, how frequently the play and if they are part of a group or not. This modes primary focus is to play with the audio aspects of Sound Sketch Play Mode is the final step in you composition process. In this mode you will be able to listen to what youve created. It will have standard music sequencer commands, Play, Pause, and numerous other commands. The process of creating shapes in Sound Sketch will also create a playground for music theory. Changing the size, shape, and color of an object will all directly affect the sound it creates.

Target Audience
The target audience for this project covers a broad range of people. The program will be a sandbox, thus being easily accessible by the general public. The concept is also simple, shapes that make sound, once again making it accessible to the general public. More specifically these aspects make one of the target audiences the internet gamer. It's a fun program that lets the user jump into a session on a whim and leave without any second thoughts or regrets. Aside from being fun to experiment and play with, it also provides a nice starting point in to the world of music with things like scales, and time signatures. This makes another target audience musicians, and artists.

Application Flow

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In theory the user should be able to flow seamlessly between the 3 separate modes of the game. This application will be played on a tablet of sorts making your hand the primary controllers. Depending on the players dominant hand either left or right, a hub with all the current commands for your currently select mode will be displayed on the either the left or right side of the screen. This hub will also have buttons the give the player to swap to the other 2 modes very quickly. As an example of game play the application would flow as follows. The game will start up and the user is present with a title/splash screen. After a moment a screen will appear with 3 choices, new composition, Load Composition, and Options. Lets assume the player chooses New Composition. The player is now in Sketch mode with a blank canvas. They can choose to fill the canvas with whatever shapes they would like. If they want to edit the audio they switch to Sequence Mode, and if they want to test their composition they switch to Play Mode. At any point in time they should be able to save there composition and pick it back up right where they left it.

Look and Feel

The goal is to have a fun experimental playground that the user can jump in and out of with ease. The applications look should be professional, but fun. The UI and look should be made of simple vector shapes that look polished and entertaining. Since the program itself can be used to make images, I want the art style of the game to be akin to something you could create in the application. Vibrant high contrast colors that invite a fun and playful atmosphere should be used to fill the players menus and visuals.

Scope
A prototype will be created with Processing. The prototype should, as a base, be able to draw basic shapes, change the color of these shapes, and create a sound based on the color size and type of shape. Ideally, a mobile app will be created for tablets and smartphones based on the feedback received form the prototype and how it works. As the project currently has only one person working on it, as a result the idea is to keep the scope small a feasible. A solid working prototype that provides a very sturdy foundation and proof of concept is the first and main goal of this project. If the team grows the project may as well.

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Gameplay and Mechanics

Gameplay
Gameplay as dictated before is broken up into 3 Modes, Sketch, Sequence, and play. Each mode has specific gameplay and Mechanics. Sketch Mode In sketch mode the player is placing objects and creating an image of whatever they want. The base of everything you will be drawing will be done through ellipses, 3-point triangles, and 2 point rectangles. The player can reselect any of their placed objects and change the color, size, position, or delete it altogether. Multiple objects can also be selected and grouped to create a more complex object. Sketch Mode is step 1 of the composition process and creates a base that can be manipulate and edited at later times. Its can simply be used as a drawing program, but each object will be assigned a musical note based on shape color and size. The respective note for an object can be heard once anytime it is selected, edited or moved. These assigned notes play a much larger role in Sequence and Play mode. Sequence Mode Sequence mode allows you to edit the speed and order in which the notes assigned to objects are played. Here you have the ability to take a bunch of random notes and create something auditory entertaining. The user can select notes individually and move them up or down in the play order. They can also add pauses in between notes, as well as group notes to play at the same time. The user has full control to move all of the notes around in whatever order they desire. Play Mode Play mode allows the user to see everything they have created in action. It will play the notes in the sequence you have set up, with your picture filling the entire screen. In play mode, the user as basic play control commands. They can pause the composition, rewind it, skip ahead, replay it and resume whenever they want. Play mode will also feature all social media integration if it is implemented. In example, post your composition to Facebook, share with friends and family, and saving it to your personal device.

Mechanics

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Screen Flow

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Options Saving Compositions

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9. Section 2 - Gameplay and Mechanics 9.1. Gameplay 9.1.1.Game Progression 9.1.2.Objectives What are the objectives of the game? 9.1.3.Play Flow How does the game flow for the game player 9.2. Mechanics What are the rules to the game, both implicit and explicit. This is the model of the universe that the game works under. Think of it as a simulation of a world, how do all the pieces interact? This actually can be a very large section. 9.2.1.Objects 9.2.1.1. Picking Up Objects 9.2.1.2. Moving Objects 9.2.2.Actions 9.2.2.1. Switches and Buttons 9.2.2.2. Picking Up, Carrying and Dropping 9.2.2.3. Talking 9.2.2.4. Reading 9.3. Screen Flow 9.3.1.Screen Flow Chart A graphical description of how each screen is related to every other 9.3.2.Screen Descriptions What is the purpose of each screen? 9.3.2.1. Main Menu Screen 9.3.2.2. Options Screen 9.3.2.3. Etc. 9.4. Game Options What are the options and how do they affect game play and mechanics? 9.5. Saving

Interface

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