VJ Software using Processing

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Sensbellum

in General Discussion • Other • 4 months ago

I am looking into a new language for making a vj program. A piece of software than can mix in separate channels of video, receive user input, add effects, and then output, etc.

I am using Quartz Composer now to make my video mixing programs. I was told it wouldn't work that good but I use it all the time to mix 3 video, live feed, and output to syphon at 60fps. Yet now, Quartz faces deprecation.

I know Processing can do all of these features individually, but, as video mixing is usually hardware intensive, is this the best environment to develop such a program? Is this language suitable for such a piece of software? I looked around and did not find any examples of someone using Processing to make such a program. I like the wide array of libraries and great documentation/community support plus being able to package and distribute is huge! Quartz fails at this miserably.

My other idea is to write it in something like Cinder or OpenFrameworks if Java is not meant to handle these kinds of interactions and computation.

Replies(2)

marzzzel

Re: VJ Software using Processing

4 months ago

There is tons of conventional VJ software, but i guess you're looking for a generative VJ software. I'm planning on writing something similar, I've actually started and it is definitely possible to do that with Processing.

I got similar thoughts like you, if I should switch to OF for such an application, but I suppose it's all just a question of implementation. Especially with the newest GLSL shader support in Processing, it's possible. At the moment I'm developing the core architecture, and from what I can tell now, it's looking good.

I'm not sure what you requirements are, but for example there is a syphon library, so it shouldnt be too hard to integrate generative visuals into another conventional VJ program: https://forum.processing.org/topic/syphon-integration-with-processing

Well, and there is praxis, which i've never really managed to behave in the way I wanted it to. Might be worth a try though: https://code.google.com/p/praxis/

If you're thinking about loading a lot of static video from your hard drive and mix it with Processing it could get a little hairy, though.

Sensbellum

Re: VJ Software using Processing

4 months ago

Tons out there, none of it does what I want, and most are a cluster of ill designed GUI's.

I think I may make some modules with Processing to start integrating small parts.

With my solution I aim to integrate generative, live input (video/audio), and conventional video mixing (like video loops at 16x9 etc).

I of course need that syphon implementation too!

Praxis looks pretty cool, seems similar to Quartz. However, I feel that I'd like to go in a different direction.

I guess I just want to get in with the right language to develop with. I'd be really bummed if I made the program and it all ran really really slow or wasn't as functional as I dreamt it on paper because java couldn't do it fast enough or there was not enough specificity in the code to achieve what I wanted.

I'll most likely get good with typed code (coming fresh from Quartz Composer node based programming) in Processing and then switch over to OpenFrameworks or Cinder.

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