Audiovisual Toolchains

What we don't do in this course:

Introduction to SuperCollider (or PureData, or Max) GUIs, Computer Vision, and Interfaces as there is another course on Audiovisual Interaction in the summer semester

• Introduction to SuperCollider (or PureData, or Max)

• GUIs for interaction and Interfaces as there is another course on Audiovisual Interaction in the summer semester

• Computer vision or image analysis

What we want to do:

• Learn how visual an audio tools can work together with a focus on the visual side.

• Follow generative approaches towards audiovisual design

• Learn fundamentals of audiovisual aesthetics

Requirements for production tools

• Generative and algorithmic design / compositon

• advanced/professional features in the auditive as well as in the visual field

• interaction between materials from the visual and auditive domain

Software available for audiovisual design

A growing field of software exists for developing visual or sonic art, each with a varying emphasis on different aspects of development of audiovisual systems:

• openFrameworks (C++) →http://openframeworks.cc

• Cinder (C++) → https://libcinder.org/

• Processing → https://processing.org/

• Touchdesigner (modular/patching) →https://derivative.ca

• Quartz Composer (modular/patching) → Quartz

• Isadora → https://troikatronix.com

• VVVV (modular/patching) → https://vvvv.org/

• MAX (modular/patching, commercial) → https://cycling74.com/products/max/

• Pure Data (modular/patching) → https://puredata.info/

• Unity (game engine) → https://unity.com

• Unreal engine (game engine) → https://www.unrealengine.com/

• https://cables.gl

Most of the software is mainly focussed on either visual or auditive production (and providing the functionality of other field as an "addon")

Toolchain SC-P5

• All tools are specialized in their field

• All tools are established (libraries, documentation, tutorials, …)

• Available on major operating systems

• SuperCollider and Processing are open source / TouchDesigner basic version free to learn

• Bottom-up low-level approach of programming: both tools provide means to produce and manipulate material on fundamental parameters

• Lean development possible, less overhead than game engines