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101
- RH dialog called the parameters dialog
Operators
- TOPS: Texture operators — images and pixel data
- CHOPS: channel operator: manipulate channels or sequences of numbers
- SOPS: Surface operators — polygons, spheres, etc. (models?)
- MATS: Material operators — shaders that you might apply to SOPS or other surfaces
- DATS: Data operators — hold strings, XML, Tables, etc.
- COMPS: components — have networks inside of them. Also UI components
Specific Operators
Output
chopto
DATtrail
chopinfo
DAT shows the names of the parameters
COMPS
- Container has panel. Add UI elements and connect with top/bottom connectors
- drag onto
Panel
CHOP to see info about all the UI elements - after connecting UI elements under
Children
tab choose how to align
- Text outputs text
- Window shows output of an operator in a separate window. This would be how to show the final product?
- click and drag operator to show in window into
Window Operator
parameter
TOPS
- moviefilein: use
Cue Point
to scrub thru a video- R-click to save image
- hsvadj is hue and saturation
- over: put input 1 over input 2
- composite: basic compositing (difference, screen, pinlight, subtract, etc.) with unlimited inputs. Has preview grid
- in the
palette
menu choosetools
→blend modes
to see all the compositing possible.- in its parameter menu choose
pulse
to get a browser help page on this component (why pulse?)
fixed layer
: where we get the resolution and aspect ratio
- matte: composites 1 input over another then create a matte effect using the 3rd input as the matte
- you can use
matte
to switch between 2 images if you change thematte channel
in the parameters dialog toluminance
- use
extend left
andextend right
to choose how the image pattern repeats in the matte channel
- tile: kaleidoscope effect
- transform: rotate, scale, repeat, etc.
- layout: layout multiple inputs into rows, columns, or grids
- switch: switch (or blend) between inputs
- select: reference a TOP from any other location:
- drag the TOP you wish to reference into the
TOP
parameter in the parameter window ofswitch
- it's sort of like a “send” and “receive” for Pd and that's all it does?
* threshold: highlight areas (white vs alpha) that are beyond a certain brightness
- Blur:
preshrink
reduces the resolution before the blur is applied - LumaLevel: increase brightness of bright areas in image
- Feedback: set the target TOP by dragging the target top onto the feedback operator to create the reference
- moviefileout: create a movie, optionally with audio (using Movie Audio CHOP perhaps) and save the movie to a file
CHOPS
CHOPS can be single sample or multi sample
Select
: filter for a specific output. Example: look for DONE channel name coming out oftimer
chop.Audio Movie
: plays audio of a movie file- drag
moviefilein
TOP onto this CHOP to get the audio of a specific movie - to actually get a movie with audio then connect
moviefilein
TOP tomoviefileout
TOP then dragAudio Movie
CHOP ontomoviefileout
TOP
LFO
: send sine, cosine, square, pulse, etc.Trigger
: sort of like a fully adjustable ADSR- turn
time slice
in the parameter window off to see the envelope
Count
: incrementFilter
: smooth the dataLag
: much like filter but has an accell/decel featureFan
: split from a single channel to multiple channels
multi sample
Pattern
: Sine, Cosine, etc.- can accept another input multisample which can be combined with the pattern (see
Combine Channels
in theChannel
tab of the parameter window) - note the “extend region left” and “extend region right”
Trim
: cut or extend the multisampleAudioosc
: you can set the sample rate to match the sample size of a pattern CHOP or similar CHOPConstant
: make it multisample in theChannel
tabShuffle
: sequence or split multisample or single sample CHOPS together- example: split a multisample CHOP with 10 points into a single sample CHOP with 10 channels by choosing
split all samples
as the method in the parameter window
SOPS
Copy
: Make a copy of the first input at the each of the vertices of the 2nd inputSweep
: sweep the first input along the vertices of the 2nd input like a “paper fan”- has
skin
andtwist
feature
Convert
: convert object to polygonFacet
: low poly look (?)
DATS
Text
: type in “hello world” for exampleMerge
: combine multiple DAT tablesSort
: sort tableChop To
: drag and drop TOP into this DAT to have the data interpreted as a table
Connections
- Wires: connections between the same family
- Links: references between operators of different or the same families
- Top and Bottom Connectors: for components to show hierarchy
Keyboard Shortcuts
- A: Toggle operator viewer active
- I: Zoom into component
- CTRL L-CLICK: Add multiple operators at the same time
Creating References
Chop to TOP
- Make Chop viewer active
- Click on TOP to get parameter window
- Get parameter you wish to change to show in parameter window
- Using LMB Drag Chop (with viewer active) into the parameter in the parameter window
- Choose
CHOP Reference
in the context menu - alternatively, with the CHOP viewer window active, drag the CHOP op directly onto the TOP op and choose the parameter to map to in the pop menu.
- With this alternative method the reference is not Python code and therefore may not be as adaptable in some situations?
DAT to DAT or DAT to TOP
- Click on DAT or TOP you wish to connect to to get parameter window
- Get DAT parameter to show in parameter window
- Using LMB Drag DAT into the DAT parameter in the parameter window. Does not need viewer active.
TOP to TOP
- click and drag one top onto another. Active window not necessary
Tips and Tricks
- To see output of CHOP (single or multi value) R-click on output of CHOP and choose a
chopto
DAT to see as a table- optionally use the
trail
CHOP to see the history of values
- Collapsing a network: select all ops in the network, R-click and choose “collapse selected”
File
→Export Movie
to save a video. Suggestion: turnrealtime
off to avoid glitches- default files are in
Program Files
→Derivative
→TouchDesignerVERSION
→Samples
→Map
Chop Execute DAT
- it works best to R click on CHOP output and choose
CHOP execute
- Alternatively you can type the name of the CHOP operator in the CHOPS parameter in the
CHOP execute
DAT parameter window - If you drag the CHOP with viewer active into the the CHOPS parameter in the DAT parameter window it will choose not just the CHOP operator but also the channel and you may not want the channel
- To write to an operator from
CHOP execute
reference it withop('NAME_OF_OPERATOR').par.NAME_OF_PARAMETER
- get the name of the parameter by clicking on the
+
to the left of the parameter in the parameter window. Example: Text parameter in text component is calledtext
Composting Operations
- Screen: add two images together without producing values above white
Sending and Receiving Video
- NDI: video over IP. Can be used for local video sharing
NDI
DAT shows in a table all courses and streams availableNDI out
TOP sends an NDI streamNDI in
TOP receives NDI stream. Fill in the source name parameter
- Syphon (MacOS)/Spout (Windows): in and out TOPS share textures and images via shared memory on the same machine
- Video Stream Out: stream content over local network or internet. Send to YouTube or Twitch for example. Might be an easy way to send to VLC as well?
Built-in Variables
me.time.frame
: frame # sent by timeline at a given moment
Units
i
: index or sample