manvsbigmachine.com / wax


			Wax7™ Version 7 of our genetic imaging platform is currently under development and is planned to be released to beta-force before a final product release in Q2'09. Wax7 represents over five years of proprietary development and research into computational evolution and human-computer interaction. Major platform changes, including a uniting of the Evolver and Workstation front-ends into a single work environment, will make the software much more convenient for everyday applications such as texture-map design and image processing. At the platform level we expect up to 400-800% increases in performance and finer control over more accurate genetics.



	Overview Evolution is a powerful tool for development and solution discovery in organic nature. We've harnessed the power of selective evolution in a workstation class software environment for interactive image and texture design. Wax is based on our symbolic programming language, WaxSL™, which is able to mathematically define any pattern and color combination imaginable. Because WaxSL is based on a recursive symbolic algebra, Wax is able to mutate and combine WaxSL symbolc-expressions genetically. With you acting as the aesthetic selector, or judge, a fully operable evolutionary environment is realized - populated by two- or three-diemsional textures. You can evolve images freely, with no specific goal, or towards a specific image that you have in mind.

	The evolutionary art concept is an interactive collaboration between human and machine which results in a stunning array of complex visual forms. The process is very interesting from the human standpoint: it appears that the computer is doing the artistic work while the artist is merely judging the products - in a sense training the computer to paint good pictures. The whole process could be looked at as not the evolution of individual images, but rather the evolution of the computer's ability to generate art. As the instructor, the artist judges the computer's work and tries to head it in the right direction using a communication protocol somewhat like 'I like this one, why don't you try to do more images like this one' and 'These two are really interesting, why don't you try to apply the techniques you used in each of these two images to a new image.' - mdl, creator and lead developer

	You can approach Wax as an experienced mathematician or scientist with a solid understanding of symbolic algebra, as a graphic designer looking for a creative and completely intuitive way to generate new textures, or as an artist interested in the wholly unique, beautiful, and mind bending visual forms that genetic evolution can generate with your guidance.

	Mathematics WaxSL is a completely self contained symbolic algebra, genetic genotype descriptor, volumetric rendering and image processing interface all rolled up into one easy to understand language. WaxSL is based on LISP syntax and features nested lists as its primary interface. Just as a computer programming language is defined by its compiler, WaxSL is defined by its renderer. The renderer takes any WaxSL symbolic expression and outputs a one-, two-, three-, or four-dimensional texture in any color space. Because the entire texture is represented by one symbolic expression, textures can be rendered in any resolution, on demand. You can use WaxSL directly to build procedural textures for almost any graphic rendering application.

	Design You can't program worth your grandma's wash bucket? Don't worry about it. Wax is an application with interactivity down to its core. You don't ever even have to see a WaxSL symbolic-expression if you don't want to. We've spent a lot of time developing our genetics software so that you can use the power of evolution to help you develop the textures you're looking for. Wax uses the power of WaxSL under the hood to define volumetric texture spaces and then genetically mutates and combines these expression under your control. You guide the software and watch the textures you need evolve in real-time right before your eyes.

	Aesthetics The Wax process is essentially an interactive collaboration between a computer and a user. Together they journey through a virtually infinite texture-space using the power of evolution to continually refine the state of their visual texture populations. The textures and images that result from this process are often out of this world. With experience gained over time, users can become more comfortable with this process and develop their own stylistic techniques. Not only do they develop their own personal aesthetic expressionism, they evolve it. This is a very personal and private process that exists only between the artist and the machine. It's a process of discovery.

	Open Architecture Wax is a programmable software environment hosting several plug-in and add-on interfaces. Using standard .NETlanguage such as C# or VB developers and power users can customize functionality to suit their specific needs.

	Stay tuned!

Support computer science: acm.org | computer.org