This document summarizes the schedule and content for a two-day Spacebrew workshop being held at NYU ITP and led by Brett Renfer. Day one will include introductions, an overview of Spacebrew basics and setup, exercises using Spacebrew libraries in Processing and JavaScript, and an assignment. Day two will include demos of assignments, documentation, and questions. Spacebrew is a service and toolkit that makes it easy to connect interactive things by routing data between applications using a client-server model over websockets. Custom data types and running one's own server are also discussed.

1. Spacebrew
2/1/14 + 2/2/14
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

2. Schedule
Today
• Now-10:30: - Quick Introductions
• 10:30-12:00 - Introduction to Spacebrew
• 12-12:30 - Lunch break
• 12:30-2:00 - Spacebrew exercise
• 2:00-3:00 - Advanced Spacebrew
• 3:00-5:00 - Assignment: Brainstorm, jam session
!
Tomorrow
• 12:00-12:45 - Demos
• 12:45-1:45 - Documentation
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

3. Spacebrew Basics
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

4. Setup Time
Software Basics
• Processing
• Arduino
• a Text Editor
• openFrameworks
Spacebrew
https://github.com/Spacebrew/
•
•
•
•
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer
spacebrew
spacebrewP5
ofxSpacebrew
• ofxLibwebsockets
spacebrew.js

5. Obligatory hype video!
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

6. Spacebrew…
•
is a service and toolkit for
choreographing interactive spaces
!
•
makes it easy to connect interactive
things to one another
!
•
was developed to support prototypingdriven design efforts
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

7. Client-Server Model
client
app
client
app
client
app
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer
client
app
Each client can feature one or
more publishers and subscribers.
The server can be hosted online
or run on a local network (more
on that later).

8. Client-Server Model
client
app
client
app
client
app
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer
client
app
Clients communicate with the
server via WebSockets. All data
is formatted as JSON

9. Client-Server Model
The server routes all publishers
and subscribers. Routes can be
edited via a switchboard-like
interface
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

10. = true or false
= 0-1023
= “some text”
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer
Data Types
Three standard types allow for
quick and easy routing.
Custom types are also supported

11. = true or false
= 0-1023
= “some text”
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer
Data Types
Each publishers and subscribers
announces its type, allowing for
automatic routing between
different apps

12. Libraries
JS
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer
Spacebrew aims to be
implementation agnostic.
We want to use the right tools
at the right time!

13. Why?
•
We’ve used a lot of “glue” languages/
toolkits in the past, but there wasn’t one
that was truly cross-platform/cross-toolkit.
•
Wanted to build a toolkit with a low floor
and a high ceiling: easy for speed
prototypes, advanced enough to handle
commercial applications.
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

14. Using Spacebrew
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

15. Spacebrew Libraries
Each Spacebrew library:
• Connects to a Spacebrew server via WebSockets
• Has an API to declare its publisher(s) and
subscriber(s)
• Receives messages from Spacebrew and dispatches
events accordingly
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

16. Spacebrew Libraries
Connecting to Spacebrew in each Library
• Create a Spacebrew Object
• Tell your object the IP or hostname of the
Spacebrew server
• Declare any publishers and subscribers
• Connect
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

17. Spacebrew + Processing
•
spacebrewP5 is a Spacebrew-supported library
•
install the library at
~/Documents/Processing/libraries
(make the folder if it doesn’t exist!)
•
restart Processing if it was open
•
open the spacebrew_base example to get started!
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

18. Spacebrew + Javascript
•
spacebrew.js is a stand-alone script that can run in any
browser that supports WebSockets
•
this includes: Chrome (OS X, Windows, Android, iOS),
Safari (OS X, iOS), Firefox, Opera, IE 10
•
open the spacebrew slider example in your text editor
•
open http://bit.ly/sbslide on your smartphone
•
also try http://bit.ly/sbaccel
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

19. Spacebrew + openFrameworks
•
ofxSpacebrew connects to Spacebrew via
ofxLibwebsockets
•
once you have both installed, you can create
ofxSpacebrew projects via the OF project generator
•
let’s look at example_button
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

20. Spacebrew + Arduino
•
Two routes:
•
the easy road: use Processing + Serial
•
the road less travelled: Spacebrew Arduino lib
http://github.com/labatrockwell/spacebrew-arduino-library
•
•
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer
requires Arduino Ethernet shield
notoriously difficult to debug!

21. Thinking About Apps
•
We try to silo apps whenever possible
• Create specialized apps that are easy to re-use
• Allows for multiple languages for each need
• Quickly and easily move between machines/
networks when necessary
• Allows for easy prototypes in the future!
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

22. Questions?
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

23. Lunch O’Clock
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

24. Zip! Zap! Zow!
Everybody stand up!
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

25. Exercise
Zip! Zap! Zow! 2.0
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

26. ZZZ2.0
•
use any library you wish
!
•
create an app that has one publisher and one
subscriber, both of which are range type
•
Your app must change states when it receives a
range.
•
Your app must have a trigger to send out its value!
(e.g. mouse click, key press, sensor read)
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

27. Custom Types
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

28. Custom Types
•
Spacebrew supports arbitrary type names and data
(anything that reads as valid JSON will work)
!
•
Similar to built-in types, you can only route to
matching names (e.g. we might know that “float”
could probably route to “int”, but to Spacebrew
they’re wholly different)
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

29. Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

30. Example: Ultrabook Tree
•
Each input station sent a custom “bloom” object:
• Which image (id)
• Number of laptops
• Radius
• Relative position (x,y)
• Velocity
• Rotation
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

31. Quick Brainstorm
•
What are some scenarios you might use
custom types for?
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

32. Custom Type Demo
•
JSON in spacebrew.js, ofxSpacebrew, and
spacebrewP5
!
•
Why JSON?
• It’s a simple way to send arbitrary objects
• Spacebrew uses it, so all libs have some
sort of JSON library included (if there
isn’t one built in)
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

33. You Got Served
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

34. Running Your Own Server
•
Why?
•
sandbox.spacebrew.cc is on the slowest AWS tier
!
•
Running over the internet introduces some level
of latency
!
•
Running a local server OR a remote server allows
a level of control: only people you choose can
route/reroute, break your routes, etc
!
•
Allows you to customize the server code if
you choose!
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

35. Running Your Own Server
•
How?
!
•
Setup! Only needs to be done once
•
Download and install nodejs: www.nodejs.org
!
•
Install node dependencies:
!
•
•
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer
npm install ws
npm install forever-monitor

36. Running Your Own Server
•
How?
!
•
Run! What you’ll do every time:
•
In terminal, cd to the spacebrew directory
!
•
Run: node node_server_forever.js
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

37. Running Your Own Server
•
How?
!
•
If you want to set up your own remote server, we
recommend this tutorial (by fellow ITPers!):
https://vimeo.com/60001410
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

38. Persistence
•
Another advantage of running your own server is you
can use the persistent admin
!
•
The persistent admin is a separate service that
lets you edit, save, load, and persist routes
!
•
It allows you to specify specific app routings:
coolApp -> coolPub to lameApp -> lameSub
!
•
It also allows for powerful wild card routings:
.* -> coolPub to .* -> lameSub
!
•
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer
This routes any app that publishes “coolPub” to
any other app that subscribes to “lameSub”

39. Persistence
•
You can run the persistent admin from the spacebrew
directory:
node node_persistent_admin.js
!
•
From the command line, you can list, add, remove, load,
and save routes:
!
•
list: ls
•
add: add client1Name,pub,client2Name,sub
• use .* to create a wildcard
•
remove: remove [index]
• you can find an index after add or by listing
•
save / load (just that!)
• load is called on start automatically
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

40. Admin
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

41. The Admin API
•
You don’t just have to use our web interface!
!
•
Javascript, openFrameworks and Cinder (Processing
soon) support the Admin API
!
•
The Admin API subscribes to Spacebrew similar to a
client, firing events each time a client connects/
disconnects or changes its pub/sub map
!
•
It allows you to view, edit, and add any and all
routes in real time!
!
•
This allows for apps like the Admin Randomizer
from the Zip! Zap! Zow! exercise
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

42. The Admin API
•
Try it out: http://bit.ly/sbslider-admin
•
Let’s look at the Admin API in Javascript
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

43. Jam Session
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer

44. Assignment
•
For tomorrow:
•
option A:
• brainstorm an interaction scenario that would
require (at least) 3 separate input/output
stations
• create a prototype using spacebrew!
•
option B:
• build a prototype that physicalizes spacebrew
routes (and uses the admin API)
• demonstrate it routing/re-routing with the built
in examples
Spacebrew Workshop - NYU ITP - Brett Renfer