Book Image

Multimedia Programming Using Max/MSP and TouchDesigner

By : Patrik Lechner
Book Image

Multimedia Programming Using Max/MSP and TouchDesigner

By: Patrik Lechner

Overview of this book

Max 6 and TouchDesigner are both high-level visual programming languages based on the metaphor of connecting computational objects with patch cords. This guide will teach you how to design and build high-quality audio-visual systems in Max 6 and TouchDesigner, giving you competence in both designing and using these real-time systems. In the first few chapters, you will learn the basics of designing tools to generate audio-visual experiences through easy-to-follow instructions aimed at beginners and intermediate. Then, we combine tools such as Gen, Jitter, and TouchDesigner to work along with Max 6 to create 2D and 3D visualizations, this book provides you with tutorials based on creating generative art synchronized to audio. By the end of the book, you will be able to design and structure highly interactive, real-time systems.
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
Multimedia Programming Using Max/MSP and TouchDesigner
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Creating our Hello World program


So let's start up Max, close the splash screen if you haven't got rid of it already, and make a new patch (command/Ctrl + N). You will see something like what's shown in the following screenshot; without the objects, the cords, the message box, and the sidebar might not be open or it might be in another mode. You don't need to open the sidebar for now, but if you like it, press the button with the number 11 in the following screenshot. We can have the Max window in a separate window. Either way, free floating or in the side bar, open it and I highly recommend that you remember the shortcut for it, which is command/Ctrl + M. Now, we have everything set up to write the obligatory Hello World program:

So this is our Hello World program. How was this created? What do we see here?

Dissection and construction

First of all, we see three objects here. A [button], a [message], and a [print] object (and of course, a comment object that reads click here!). So we can create...