Processing for Android: Create Mobile, Sensor-aware, and XR Applications Using Processing

by Andrïs Colubri

Overview

Learn how to use the Processing programming language and environment to create Android applications with ease. This book covers the basics of the Processing language, allowing users to effectively program interactive graphics in 2D, 3D, and Extended Reality (XR). It also details the application of these techniques to different types of Android devices (smartphones, tablets, wearables, and smartwatches). 

This updated edition walks you through the entire process of creating an app, from the initial idea to release of the final app via the Google Play App Store. Over the course of the book, you’ll learn to write engaging apps driven by user interaction and sensor data. A comprehensive series of hands-on projects, ranging from simple sketches to more complex projects involving shaders, VR, and AR will give you the firsthand experience you need to begin developing your own projects.

And once you have your Processing projects completed, you’ll be able to upload them to the Google Play store to be shared with the world!

What You Will Learn

• Write apps and live wallpapers for smartphones and tablets
• Design and implement interactive watch faces
• Create Extended Reality (VR/AR) experiences
• Incorporate GLSL shaders into your Processing apps
• Integrate Processing sketches into larger apps and Android Studio
• Learn how to write your own libraries to share with the community
• Export projects as completed apps ready to distribute through Google Play Store

Who This Book Is For

Artists, designers, students, researchers, and hobbyists who are not necessarily Android experts, but are looking to write mobile apps that make creative use of interactive graphics, sensor data, and extended reality. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781484295854
Publisher:	Apress
Publication date:	09/30/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	74 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Andrés Colubri is a core member of the Processing project, and the main developer of the OpenGL renderer, the video library, and Processing for Android. He originally studied Physics and Mathematics in Argentina and later did an MFA at the UCLA Design Media Arts program. He uses Processing as the main tool to bridge his interests in computer graphics, data visualization, and biomedical research. He is currently an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

​Introduction
Part I: First steps with Processing for AndroidThis section will guide you through the initial setup of Processing for Android, a quick introduction to the basics of the Processing language, and all the steps required uploading a simple app created with Processing to the Google Play Store.
Chapter 1: Installing the Android Mode1) The Processing Development Environment2) Installing the Android Mode with the Contributions Manager3) Interface of the Android Mode4) Devices and emulators
Chapter 2: The Processing Language1) A digital sketchbook for artists and designers2) The setup/draw structure of a Processing sketch3) Drawing with code4) Responding to user input from the touchscreen5) Creating an interactive sketch for mobile devices
Chapter 3: From Sketch to App Store1) Sketching and debugging2) Adjusting for device resolution3) Creating icons4) Exporting the sketch as a signed package 
Part II: Drawing&InteractionThe chapters in this section delve into the different functions available to draw shapes, images, and text; and how to handle user input through the touchscreen. It includes a complete project to create an Android live wallpaper with graphics responding to user input. 
Chapter 4: Drawing Shapes, Images, and Text1) Creating and loading shapes2) Transformation and movement1) Loading and rendering images2) Loading fonts and rendering text 3) Off-screen rendering
Chapter 5: Touchscreen Interaction1) Touch events in Android2) Capturing single- and multi-touch from Processing3) Designing interaction around touch-based input
Chapter 6: Live Wallpapers1) Ideas for live wallpapers2) Interaction and visual design3) Using libraries in Processing for Android4) Accessing the Android SDK from Processing5) Uploading the completed wallpaper to the Play Store
Part III: SensorsAndroid devices are equipped with multiple sensors that allow measuring movement, geographical location, and environmental conditions in real time. Accessing this information from Processing opens up endless possibilities for creative applications.
Chapter 7: Reading Sensor Data1) Types of sensors2) Creating a sensor manager3) Setting permissions to access sensor data
Chapter 8: Driving Graphics and Sound with Sensor Data1) Counting steps with the accelerometer2) Controlling animation with the gyroscope3) Implementing a compass with the magnetic sensor
Chapter 9:  Geolocation1) Accessing location services from Processing2) Displaying the current location on a map3) Sending location data between devices4) Storing and representing paths
Part IV: Wearables and watch facesWearables are a whole new category of Android devices that became very popular in the past few years, particularly in the form of fitness bands and smartwatches. Processing for Android lets you run your sketches on these devices and take advantage of their multiple affordances.
Chapter 10: Wearable Devices1) Android wear and wearable devices2) Smartwatches and their unique capabilities3) Adapting Processing sketches to run on smartwatches4) Special considerations when creating watch faces
Chapter 11: Visualizing Time1) Time API in Processing2) Representing time visually3) Sketching watch faces for time display4) Refining a visual concept and preparing for distribution
Chapter 12: Visualizing Physical Activity1) Pedometer and heart rate sensors2) Visualizing activity in real-time3) Storing activity data for later use
Part V: 3D and ShadersInteractive 3D scenes are an important part of creating visualizations and immersive experiences on mobile devices, especially with the recent rise in popularity of Virtual Reality. The programming of 3D scenes adds further complexity to the code sketching, but Processing provides a simplified 3D API to help with this task, while also giving access to advanced programming techniques such as GLSL shaders. 
Chapter 13: 3D in Processing1) Coordinates in 3D space2) Positioning and moving the camera 3) Creating 3D primitives4) Applying geometric transformations5) Creating arbitrary shapes in 3D6) Loading OBJ shapes
Chapter 14: Lighting and Texturing1) Texture images and coordinates2) Using an off-screen buffer as a texture3) Lighting in a 3D scene 4) Combining lights with textures
Chapter 15: GLSL Shaders1) How Processing renders a scene behind the scenes2) The shader stages in the graphics pipeline3) Geometry shaders and vertex manipulation4) Fragment shaders and texturing
Part VI: Extended Reality: VR and AR
Chapter 16: Basics of VR1) Google VR SDK2) VR in Processing3) VR interaction and selection4) Movement in VR
Chapter 17: Basics of AR1) The ARCore SDK in Android2) Drawing trackables3) Using anchors4) Hitting trackables
Chapter 19: Interactive Experiences in XR1) Creating successful XR experience2) Implementing UIs in VR and AR3) Handling movement and interaction4) Packaging an XR application
Part VII Appendixes
Appendix A: Integration with Android StudioThis appendix shows how to use the Android core library in Processing in larger apps developed with Android Studio.
Appendix B: Processing libraries for AndroidProcessing can be extended with libraries written by members of the community and adding new functionality. This chapter goes over some of the libraries available for Processing for Android.
Appendix C: How to create your own libraryThis appendix goes through the steps required to create a new Processing library for the Android mode, using Android SDK