After retiring from teaching in 2014, I migrated into interactive book production, using Apple’s iBooks Author. Making the graphics and movies for the book, I started concentrating on producing nice-looking images, pushing the limits of my computer saving or crashing. The Joint Mathematics Meetings in Atlanta was my first show as an artist. I actually had two pieces accepted but I didn’t scroll enough on the gallery site and only brought one canvas. I’ve included the other work here because I can.
“A Fine Mesh We’re In” by Dan Bach, 2016
A central curve (not shown) has tangent, normal, and binormal directions at each point, making a local {T, N, B} frame. Using a trigonometric combination of the N and B vectors, we describe a toroidal mesh of curves with hues of green, yellow, and orange. Spheres of varying colors and sizes are placed along an equatorial helix and some try to escape their bonds.
“Growing Parallel Normal Curves” by Dan Bach, 2016
The starting red curve has a center of curvature at each of its points. The colored parallel curves go toward that center in increasing amounts. Some groups of curves are rotated, some are reduced in number, but all originate from the same ball-shaped bundle at the top, appropriately used as the dansmath.com logo.
Now I have figured out how to allow you, the viewer, to view my 3D viewable models in a Google Cardboard viewer!
Here's an example, but the general idea is that if you stick "/embed?cardboard=1" (without the quotes) after the model URL you will get a stereo viewable image for your Google Cardboard-compatible viewer.
Tap the image on your phone and put it in a Google Cardboard viewer.
I have one that I put together for under $8 (half of which was shipping). The Vel-cro was stronger than the Cardboard's cardboard, and it tore but still works, and the images look awesome.
I have now ordered a View-Master VR Viewer, usually $29.99, I got one for $21 (post-Xmas discount) and it should arrive in a couple of days. I'll let you know how that goes.
After 18 years on the web, the last 16 of them at dansmath.com, I have finally achieved a major goal: to create 3D math art in mathematica, and upload it to my site where anyone can view, appreciate it, spin it around, and say, "Now that's math!"
During this month I have been uploading several of my models to sketchfab.com, and just today I began embedding them here. Hope you like it/them!
One of my 3D models on Sketchfab, completely rotatable. Click image to go to my local models page.
Please feel free to follow me on Twitter, leave comments here or at my sketchfab page, and tell others about your experience! Happy mathing!
