For my first post, I thought I’d post a couple of short videos that I made earlier this year. The inspiration was the following sequence of pictures I put in my book illustrating what I call the “double torus clothesline trick.”
It seemed like everyone I showed it to had trouble following the sequence of pictures.
Then I saw David Pogue’s video about the iStopMotion software for making stop motion videos using a webcam. In a flash I realized that I could make a claymation video of the trick!
Here was my first attempt at creating a claymation movie.
Next, I made an animation of the clothesline trick. I think it turned out pretty well.
Other readers
I love the clothesline trick! I agree that the pictures can be difficult (though not impossible) to follow, but the claymation is awesome. And really, when is claymation not awesome?
By: Batman on September 11, 2008
at 9:23 pm
I greatly enjoyed your book but this figure needs to be revised! I googled “double torus clothesline” and came upon this most excellent claymation. Now I get it. Thanks.
By: Howard on March 9, 2009
at 11:54 pm
Thanks for the kind words about the book!
I struggled and struggled with that sequence of pictures. I’m still not sure how I should have drawn it so that it was more clear what was happening. Steps 5 to 6 is where everyone gets confused.
It is funny to read the comments on the YouTube site. Some viewers think I cheated somehow.
By: Dave Richeson on March 10, 2009
at 12:11 am
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By: Truco de magia topológica on April 11, 2009
at 1:42 am
[...] claymation videos (posted over on Division by Zero) by Dave Richeson are absolutely [...]
By: Teaching College Math » Blog Archive » Claymation Topology on April 17, 2009
at 9:48 am