Meeting Mr. Kid Pix (2019) [video](youtube.com)
youtube.com
Meeting Mr. Kid Pix (2019) [video]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csalhuSixQU
17 comments
One of the first computer programs I was ever exposed to.
This was installed on every school computer growing up. My first go at content creation!
Thank you for making this. Kid Pix was the beginning of my design journey 30 years—wild. Would love to see a new version for the iPad.
There is one on the iPad my daughter was playing with it last week. Think it’s an up front purchase of ~$20
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This was fun. A lot of those setups reminded me of computers in my youth :)
Is this the same MAC app: kid pix delux 3D? That is really great software. Only pity is it is not compatible with new MAC OS versions, hope it could get some upgrade.
I had the privilege of seeing Jeffrey do multiple live performances of his software (demoed @ 9:20) at different Internet Archive events while he was the artist in residence.
Each time, I got the delightful feeling that I was witnessing something special (and, of course, very weird in a good way). The performance is legitimately "live" in that he's creating new images from scratch, and it seems clear that he's able to build up this rich imagery from what seem like a handful of solid composable building blocks in his software.
I always found those performances inspiring in a similar way to how I feel the times I have visited DynamicLand. A wonderful blend of the physical medium and alternative ways of thinking about computers that produce such an interesting result, making me glad people like this exist in the world.
Each time, I got the delightful feeling that I was witnessing something special (and, of course, very weird in a good way). The performance is legitimately "live" in that he's creating new images from scratch, and it seems clear that he's able to build up this rich imagery from what seem like a handful of solid composable building blocks in his software.
I always found those performances inspiring in a similar way to how I feel the times I have visited DynamicLand. A wonderful blend of the physical medium and alternative ways of thinking about computers that produce such an interesting result, making me glad people like this exist in the world.
I can still hear the sound effect for the “delete everything bomb”.
Not to mention the undo button. "Oh no!"
Can anybody recommend a good spiritual successor to KidPix? I have a four year old and would love to give her something like this to play with (perhaps on an iPad). There are sooo many drawing apps targeted at kids and it's hard to know if any of them are any good.
I actually want KidPix as it was back then, for my kids to use today. On an iPad. Like https://jspaint.app/ but ... I mean, KidPix kinda figured out all the details in such a good way the I don't see a need to have successors. Maybe it's nostalgia.
Here is the "paint or no" software if someone wants to try it.
https://nopaint.art/
HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23546706
https://nopaint.art/
HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23546706
Love every thing in the video, love Kid Pix, love Jeffrey's works, they all inspired my a lot, and nice to meet you Prof. Craig!
Some takeaways from Kid Pix, on game design:
1) no "no fun zone" - a 3 year old accidentally hit the menu button and don't know how to go back? then at least the menu screen should be fun!
2) every button press and input should trigger some instant audio and visual treatment
3) everything inside a game, should be a game (like every tool in kid pix is a game on its own)
Some takeaways from Kid Pix, on game design:
1) no "no fun zone" - a 3 year old accidentally hit the menu button and don't know how to go back? then at least the menu screen should be fun!
2) every button press and input should trigger some instant audio and visual treatment
3) everything inside a game, should be a game (like every tool in kid pix is a game on its own)
Craig was my professor at UofO, teaching his Digital Arts class in 1986. Eternally thankful to him for allowing me access to a range of wonderful machines, including Dec, SGI and Sun, for graphics programming.