Love Hulten Echo Observatory - similar software?

[gojetsgo]

Love Hulten makes beautiful projects, including some great arcades.  Lately I've been intrigued by his Echo Observatory which is an interactive fractal visualizer. 
http://www.lovehulten.com/echoobservatory.html



I would love to make something like this for my own home. Does anyone know of existing software that could be used to make such a thing?  Hulten's device uses custom software, and unfortunately I don't have much programming ability.   Ideally, it could be run off a mini computer like raspberry pi, and be manipulated in real time using whatever input (button presses, dials, etc.), but without a full keyboard and mouse.

[javeryh]

I wish I could help but that is one really nice design.

[gojetsgo]

I wish I could help but that is one really nice design.

Totally. Take a look at all his stuff. Just gorgeous.

This is his originx cabinet. Just beautiful, and can be yours for £2900.

[Mike A]

Overpriced. I see the look he is going for. He executes it well, but it does absolutely nothing for me.

[javeryh]

Overpriced. I see the look he is going for. He executes it well, but it does absolutely nothing for me.

WAY overpriced.  I don't like that wall mounted cab either although it is very nicely done.  The bartop thing caught my eye because of the metal sheet that doubles as a monitor bezel and CP.  I wouldn't want a fractal machine in the house though lol

[gojetsgo]

Sure, overpriced for the DIY crowd, which is basically everyone in this forum.  His machines are all handmade with high quality materials.  There are plenty of affluent folks out there that want a high-end arcade cab like this, and it's pretty clear he's selling enough of them.

But definitely too rich for my blood!

Anyway, I'd definitely want a fractal machine or some other kind of visual synthesizer, as I like the idea of my house being full of oddities like that.

[Mike A]

Yeah. That high quality wood and aluminum. Those high quality keyboard keys? That high quality guitar volume knob?

He probably hasn't sold one at anywhere near the listed price.

[gojetsgo]

Well, I'd say polished walnut and mahogany is a step above the MDF and plywood that a lot of people use... Also, notoriety goes a long way too, and his stuff was featured on the Tonight Show (notably, Jimmy Fallon also seemed to scoff at the high price).

Anyway, rather than debate whether Hulten's stuff is good value, I'm hoping to steer this conversation towards getting some leads on the type of software he uses for the Echo Observatory.

[BadMouth]

Doesn't hold a candle to pixelhugger's build.





http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,13118.0.html

[javeryh]

Doesn't hold a candle to pixelhugger's build.





http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,13118.0.html

Does anything?

[Mike A]

That is nice.

[Pixelhugger]

The woodwork on the Hulten stuff might not be complicated, but I LOVE the 70's modern feel to the rest of it. Absolutely nailed that aesthetic, chunky keycap controls and all. I'd pay good money for it. Not $4000 mind you, but still....

[Ond]

Hmm, this guy does extremely precise joinery and panel fabrication with a fine minimalist finish to his work.  I think it's a sucker price though as others have said.  To answer the question about software you can download free fractal generators just by typing in "Free Fractal Generators".  A more customised approach would be to use a fractal generator asset available for a few dollars in Unity and play with that with various key assignments and algorithms in Unity (free to download and learn).  This assumes some programming knowledge and use of Unity.