Free & Open Source Software @ MAGIC

FOSS @ MAGIC

FOSS@MAGIC is the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) program at the RIT MAGIC Center. Founded in 2009, it is an initiative created to help develop and support FOSS efforts at RIT. A leader in academia for open source education, the program has created the first ever minor in Free and Open Source Software in the country and supports students with finding co-ops and jobs in the industry. The initiative is active and engaged with the open source community at large, helping bring in renowned speakers and regional conferences to the RIT community while supporting local efforts in the Rochester area. Today, it continues to expand education in FOSS and foster collaborations with other universities and initiatives.

Get Involved

Join our IRC Channel #rit-foss on irc.freenode.net, or on Telegram at https://telegram.me/fossrit. There are also FOSS Office Hours every Wednesday from 4-6pm in room 2500 in GCCIS. Come meet other students and faculty involved with FOSS efforts at RIT!

Be sure to sign up for our Mailing List to keep updated with events, news, and community discussions.

Dan, the FOSS@MAGIC Research Associate & Community Liaison, has open hours every Monday & Tuesday in the MAGIC Lab from 2-4pm.

Want to take the extra step? Look into our FOSS minor and FOSS-related classes.

FOSS @ MAGIC Projects

Hack Election Night

Every year, FOSS@MAGIC hosts an evening where you can watch the national and regional election results arrive in real time while you hack the night away on current projects or propose new civic hacking projects with new friends!

With 9 projectors, you will be able to watch the election night unfold in a way you’ve never imagined-enjoying the celebration of our 200 + year experiment in Democracy with the RIT community.

We will be holding our 7th Election Night Hackathon this year on November 7th, 2017.

For a taste of what goes on, read one of our previous event recap.

AngleGators

Abstract: A python game for the XO laptops to teach angle measurements

Links and References:

Git Repo

ZeroQuest

Abstract: Python 2.7 game developed using Pygame for the XO

Links and References:

Git Repo

LZR

Abstract: LZR is currently a collection of backend libraries and binaries which can form the bones of laser show GUIs, or creative applications.

Links and References:

LearnIt

Abstract: A basic platform that allows you to host your own courses or tutorials.

Links and References:

Git Repo

PyCut

Abstract: PyCut is a pizza-making puzzle game made for the IGME-582 final project at the Rochester Institute of Technology. This game teaches basic units of measure to children inspired by the Pizza Pass minigame of Logical Journey of the Zoombinis

Links and References:

Key Research Personnel at RIT

Stephen Jacobs

Professor, School of Interactive Games & Media, GCCIS
Visiting Scholar, National Center for the History of Electronic Games

IGDA Open Source & Free Culture Special Interest Group

Professor Stephen Jacobs, faculty lead of RIT’s FOSS@MAGIC initiative, is the organizer for this year’s Open Source in the Game Industry Roundtable (Presented by the IGDA and partnership with GDC). The roundtable event will be held at the Game Developers Conference 2018 in San Francisco on Wednesday, 21 March from 5-6PM in the Moscone Center’s South Hall, Street Level – Room 104.

The Roundtable

The growth in open source across digital industries has resulted in products that are better, faster, cheaper, and more secure. In VR and AR, players like Oculus and Valve have their own open technologies on GitHub and/or are adding OSVR plugins. Engines like Amazon Lumberyard, Crytek’s Cryengine and numerous indie efforts like Godot Engine’s Godot are also Open to varying degrees.

For this roundtable we will look at the state of “Open” in our industry and look at ways to promote it.

IGDA Free and Open Source Software Special Interest Group

The goal of the SIG is to promote the creation and/or use of open content, technologies, and engines in the creation of games, VR and AR. We also hope to be an information source about the different licenses around engine, VR and AR technologies and the ways their licenses are open and restricted.

For more information contact Stephen Jacobs at: sj@magic.rit.edu.