Demoscene (Underground Real-Time Art) was born in the computer underground, and demos are the product of extreme programming and self-expression (see for example http://youtu.be/UmS6LtNwMcE). Many demoscene productions are inspired by real science, which is presented in very creative ways – visuals synchronised with the music to achieve maximum awesomeness, but also sending strong message to the viewer. Come and listen to stories about connecting design, art and science together, and also about some coding tricks.

1. design + art + science,
and demoscene
Tomasz Bednarz (aka Warlock)
27th February 2015 @ QUT

2. about me
• born in Poland, generation x
• nickname/handle: warlock
• groups: amnesty, absence, defame
• coder (assembler x86)
• swapper
• designer
• organised demoscene parties
• Delirium 1996
• Gravity 1997 and 1998
• General Probe 1998
• game developer
• computational research scientist

3. what do you know about demoscene?

4. everything starts with a pixel

5. demoscene
demoscene was born in the computer
underground, and demos are the product of
extreme programming and self-expression

7. in europe everybody c++

8. second reality by future crew 1993
click

9. demo
• real-time procedural visualisations (not
pre-rendered animations!)
• executable
• limited in size
• 256b, 512b, 1k, 4k, 64k, floppy+
• platforms
• atari, c64, amiga, pc, web
• process
• group gathering
• music before demo
• demo before music
• code tricks to achieve impossible
Revolt by Amnesty, 1996
click

10. demoscene party
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9veAl8LZDo <— Intel Outside 2

11. competitions
• only new productions
• no commercial or stolen material (your
own graphics, music and code)
• categories
• demo como
• intro compo (4k, 64k)
• four-channel music comp
• multi-channel music compo
• animation
• pixel graphics
• crazy-demo compo
https://github.com/tomaszbednarz/farmer4k

12. pouet.net

13. some old-school tools (PC)
• Fasttracker2
• Autodesk Animator
• Autodesk 3D Studio
• Lightwave
• Turbo Assembler
• Watcom C/C++
• Volcov Commander
• Pov-Ray
• Turbo/Borland Pascal
• Photoshop

14. do you remember hercules?

15. voodka by absence 1996
• team work: 2 coders, musician, 2 pixel
artists
• music done in Fastracker2
• graphics done in Autodesk Animator in
mode 13h (320x200x256)
• 3D models in Autodesk 3D Studio, and
Volkov Commander
• code done in pure assembler, protected
mode EOS v3.02
• energy drink used: carrot juice
• linking and design took ~1 week
• total executable size ~800kb
https://github.com/tomaszbednarz/demoscene-absence-voodka
click

16. how big is 4k
The house stood on a slight rise just on the edge of the village. It stood on its own and looked over a broad spread of West Country farmland. Not a remarkable house
(4122 characters)

17. elevated
• platform: windows
• type: PC 4k
• Release: Breakpoint 2009
• Ranked 1st
click

18. Still-minus 2 >> Intrinsic Gravity / Visit nvScene 2015
for Under Construction 2014
Credits
pixtur >> design / programming
hoffman >> soundtrack
made with tooll2 developed by cynic, pirx, and pixtur
uses directx, .net4.0, bass, newtonsoft json, sharpdx
Comments
Since I spent all my colors for our last nvScene release I wanted to play around with 2d-black-white
op-art again. Something like a remake of "Beta" without being bound to a single artist. Obviously I
used quite a bit of references, esp. Andy Gilmore, Sergi Delgado, Armin Hofmann, and many
others.
Hope to see you all at nvScene 2015!
demoscene invitations
click

19. zines
• demoscene magazines delivered on
floppy disks, spread by groups’
swappers
• articles from demosceners on
various topics
• reviews of productions
• code tricks
• even sexy stories
• adverts of groups, people
• izwiestja #2 released as a joke
• budyn released after merger of
amnesty and adrar design
1995
1996
1996 1997

20. nie! by amnesty 1998
• team work at camping side
• music done with Fasttracker2
• graphics in hi-color 16-bit
• 3d models in 3D Studio
• Code in assembly but called from
Watcom C/C++ 10.0
• Linking and design took ~4 days
• Other technologies:
• video compressor
• flares click

21. timeless mercury
revision 2014
click

22. asd spin
assembly 2011
click

23. Amiga Amiga Amiga
• released in 1987
• motorola 68000 CPU, 7.16Mhz
• memory 512 kB 150ns
• 4x 8-bit channel PCM at max 28
kHz with 6-bit volume in stereo

24. Nexus7 by Andromeda
The Party 1994
Rink a Dink by Lemon
Revision 2013
click
click

25. conclusions

26. demoscene = four hats
art science
design engineering

27. stanford bunny

28. demoscene and science

30. thank you