In order for the pages of a book to have the correct order, a bit of mathematics is required. To print the “signatures” (sheets) of a book correctly, software that you have to pay for is usually necessary – alternatively, I provide a script that does exactly that.
It processes a PDF and generates a new PDF from it, which can then be printed directly using double-sided duplex printing (four pages per sheet – two on the front, two on the back). You can simply specify how many sheets you want to bind per signature, and the script prepares everything accordingly.
It also has a “Manga” mode to prepare books that are read “back to front” (according to Western standards) for printing, and includes parameters to trim page margins.
Smart Furigana
The character 一日 can be read as “いちにち” (“the whole day”), or as ついたち (“the first day of the month”). Depending on the context, the readings of some Kanji differ.
Furigana are a Japanese reading aid. They are Hiragana characters that are written next to or above a Kanji in Japanese writing to indicate its pronunciation.
Conventional Furigana software does not recognize the holistic meaning or context of a text, and is therefore sometimes unable to provide the Furigana in the way a Japanese reader would actually read the text.
However, with AI, this is now possible, which is why I programmed this software. “Smart-Furi” analyzes the text for context, tone, etc., to add the appropriate readings as Furigana to the text – so that one does not learn the readings of the characters incorrectly, but as if a Japanese person were reading the text aloud.
Interface for UNESCOs Lists of "Intangible Cultural Heritage"
The UNESCO project “Intangible Cultural Heritage” (ICH) offers an impressive collection of intangible cultural heritage as well as a register of best protection measures. These can be found on the UNESCO website in English, French, and Spanish, beautifully describing the individual cultural peculiarities of the nations of the world.
As a friend of online ethnology, I have set up a new interface in the form of an interactive world map (JavaScript, OpenStreetMap & GeoJSON). By clicking on a country, you gain insight into the culture of that country as registered by UNESCO (UNESCO Open Access Database). Using the ChatGPT API and Python, I translated the entire database into the 10 most spoken languages in the world. Additionally, I improved/enlarged all images from the database with Topaz AI.
By clicking on the cube, a random entry is displayed. Discover the world!
Note: Not suitable for mobile view
Sources:
UNESCO Open Access Database: Metadata, descriptions, and images from the UNESCO ICH database were used for this project.
OpenStreetMap: The map representation is based on tiles from OpenStreetMap.
GeoJSON World Map: The vector data for the country outlines comes from the open-source GeoJSON project.
IPAPI (ipapi.co): Automatic location determination is done via the API service ipapi.co.
Topaz AI: The images from the UNESCO database were upscaled using Topaz AI.
ChatGPT (OpenAI): The translations of the UNESCO data into 10 languages were created using ChatGPT.
This project is an experimental, non-commercial portfolio project and is for demonstration purposes only. All content (images, texts, titles) is the property of UNESCO. The translations were created using AI (ChatGPT). The map tiles come from OpenStreetMap. There is no connection to UNESCO, OpenStreetMap, or other organizations. The complete UNESCO metadata is available for download in English.
AI-Translate
WordPress plugin to automatically translate pages, posts, and custom type posts as well as their titles and custom fields. The translations are stored in the metadata of the posts. Depending on the selected language, the frontend displays the language under the same URL / post ID. In the Gutenberg editor, there is a small dropdown menu that allows you to switch between languages to make individual changes, and in the backend, unlike with Polylang, there is no confusing duplication of content. The translation is done via ChatGPT, which allows for context-specific translation – by specifying what the tone should be, e.g., polite or informal, and what the focus should be, such as project presentation, marketing, etc., better translations can be obtained.
The code for selecting and processing content is available in a git repository.
Jōyō-Kanji
The 2136 Kanji that are learned in elementary and middle school in Japan, which enable one to read most Japanese texts, along with their translations in German.
The meaning of a word often varies depending on the context. Many terms only arise when multiple Kanji are combined – that’s why the term “you” is not found here, for example. It is composed of 貴 (valuable, noble, precious) and 方 (person).
The question of how to comprehensively categorize a language has proven to be very interesting. The categorization by “school year” is a time-honored Japanese method – but the desire for finer granularity was present to make learning easier.
The Kanji list as a JSON file, the Python codes to create them, as well as the chosen categories can be found below in the git repository.
Colorful, abstract textures created through deliberately induced errors in digital image representation.
In 10/2015, I joined the Facebook group of the Glitch Artist Collective as well as their subgroup Glitch//Request, where photos of people (mostly selfies) are altered by glitch artists. The lively exchange here inspired me to create glitch art myself. Since then, I have been programming and implementing fragment shaders and controllers in Processing for the artificial generation of image errors (glitches). I use these to create entirely new abstract images (not for image editing). Original images serve as data sources. The results of this over-alteration have their own character.
The software unit “Manglr”, a creation of my own with which I generate the images, functions like a compositor for 2D shaders. (Link to workspace). By drag & drop, I insert an image or video file and then determine which shaders with which parameters should alter this image. This selection can also be made automatically/randomly. The parameters of the shaders can also change slowly over time. The shaders are then animated. I observe this autopilot mode or manually edit the controllers until I like a composition. Then I save images. The resolution is variable. I set the longer side to a maximum of 20,000 pixels, which corresponds to about 1.70m at 300 DPI print sharpness. Depending on the shader, this may take a bit more computing time. Smaller images (up to 20 centimeters) can be generated in real-time (24 frames per second or more). For some of the images, pixel aesthetics are good, allowing for the scaling of low-resolution images to large sizes. A selection process follows, in which I feel into all saved images once again and separate the wheat from the chaff.
Bloominas
Aesthetic similarities between the vulva and the flower have emerged from nature. It is a complex mathematical formula that allowed me to describe and fuse the visual similarities of these two subjects. Image generation with artificial intelligence, such as Stable Diffusion, is known for such fusions. The contrast between the logic, but also the urgency of my tool, the ambivalence of the possibilities it offers, and the beauty of the subject intrigued me. Additionally, the mystification of the female genitalia is meant to protect its intimacy and honor it.
The 50 images shown here represent a completed series. They were created between December 2023 and February 2024.
Lightframes
Calming images that glow outward and want to be stroked.
The frame is made of satin acrylic glass with a thickness of 5mm. Below it is an LED strip with warm white light, controlled by an Arduino, programmed to make the lights appear fluid. The colors are randomly chosen from a handpicked set from transition to transition, so that the animation never repeats. The centerpiece is made of layered wood with aluminum foil in the middle, which detects changes in its magnetic field. This alters the brightness of the object.
Image Restoration
If there are old images that have lost quality over time, they can be restored or improved using modern technologies with minimal effort. Scratches, folds, or dirt are largely corrected manually, and missing image information can be regenerated with artificial intelligence. It is also possible to increase the resolution, colorize, or expand the image crop. Please contact me if needed.
Mars is stupid
“Mars is stupid” – A reading on Mars of Skip Mantleton’s “Mars is stupid” (1974), read by the speech robot Brian. He reads the paragraphs of the book in random order, resulting in 5,443449391×10⁹² different scenarios, each with a reading time of about 13 minutes.
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