Hi,

I’d just like to introduce myself since I’ve posted in a couple topics, but haven’t said “hi” yet. My name is Seth and I am from Vista, California. I first learned about multitouch after someone showed me Jeff Han’s video about a montha go (I know I’m out of the loop hehe). This was right after I learned about the reactable and reactivision software. Before knowing about FTIR and this forum, my goal was to make something like a reactable, but now I’d like to combine both the reactable software and fiducials markers with an FTIR multitouch screen.

I am a student at UCSD (University of Southern California) and I am hoping to do this as my senior project which is coming up in Fall. I recently learned PD under Miller Puckette (the creater) since he teaches at UCSD. So, I may be using this for either sound aspects or also the visual feedback. After looking at vvvv, I think may be a better way to go since it seems like this may be more limitless. Plus, the interface is much like PD/Max.

My name is Seth and I’m a senior college student at UCSD (University of south California San Diego).

I hope to get building my table within the next couple of weeks. If you’ve read this whole thing, I consider you very patient =)

So how does PD (Pure Data) work exactly? And how do you see it working with an FTIR setup?

Pure Data is really better (in my opinion) for realtime sound composition, design, etc. There are externals libraries that go with PD, like GEM, that allows for real-time video and graphic processing. It’s a free open-source program. If you’ve heard of Max/Msp or Jitter, PD is really the sister program to these (only PD is free and created by the same person).

Here’s a PD patch article where someone made a blob tracking patch http://createdigitalmotion.com/2007/01/18/open-source-motion-tracking-with-multiblob-for-gridflowpd/. One could take this blob information and either use the information for creating sounds in PD, or creating visuals with the blob information or even doing both simultaneously. Touchlib won’t work with PD (at least I don’t think it does). So if you have an FTIR table, and use the blob-tracking patch it will pick up the blobs just as touchlib or vvvv would. PD is just like these other programs basically. It’s just another language that does the same thing.

If you’re familiar with the reactivision software which uses TUIO and OSC messages, there is a patch that works with PD and lets you use fiducials markers (x/y location, and ID number) to do almost anything you desire. There’s a forum here http://reactivsion.s4.bizhat.com/reactivsion.html that just started that is dealing with reactivision and most people are using PD for both sound and visual feedback.

I haven’t really touched the visual side of PD as I am a music technology major and really use PD for sound. I will most likley try learning vvvv or flash actionscript to do the visual side of things.

I hope this all makes sense. I can try explaining more/better if anyone has more questions.

welcome, yeah i read that first url a couple of months ago, interesting to see that people get into alternatives, in the end we should be able to make a nice benchmark on the best software combinations

thanks gravano. =) I wouldn’t really recommend PD for visual. I just mentioned it since it is an alternative for anyone already familiar with GEM and PD. Those working on reactable and the reactivision software are starting to move away from PD and towards processing or vvvv for the visual element since those languages specialize in visual design. Since I will also be using some sound elements, I will be using PD for the sound part, but I think vvvv or flash will be better for the visual elements.

I just noticed a couple people have tried combining ftir multitouch with reactivision fiduical markers. It’s good to see maybe I can get some help eventually if needed =) I’ll be completely new to vvvv and learning from scratch. Scarry!

Hello

my opinion is iddle

vvvv and flash work fine

view my work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwhahPdZLow

Hi Oswaldo are you using fiducials (attached to the cups) and reactivision? Does your table also do multitouch (blob tracking)? If so, I’m wondering how to separate the blob tracking from picking up the large fiducials as big blobs.

Very nice job on the table. I’m going to try to learn some vvvv, I’m hoping it’s not too hard =)

well, first thing that pops up in my head is that you take care that your fiducials don’t create blobs....which shouldn’t be that hard

nice work oswaldo, have you shared your scripts?

Ok, I don’t have a table yet, so I was assuming that anything that touches the table will set off FTIR. Am I wrong, and ordinary objects (fiducials blocks) won’t be enough to set off the FTIR?

yes you were wrong, if you use normal paper for example it doesnt set off the ftir. Example acrylic paper finger -> no ftir
so if you would just print the patterns on normal paper and put them under the glasses it shouldnt set off ftir

Hello I am not using fiducials now (if thought to future)
my table is mutitouch with blob tracking

vvvv is not difficult alone you should understand as to connect the nodes and to modify the pach, and to know that you want to obtain

thank you for their flatteries
Oswaldo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxKXOsatTtE

gravano, that’s so funny now that you mentioned it. I don’t know why I thought anything would set it off when I know a compliant surface shouldn’t set it off. I guess I didn’t put two and two together.

And your welcome Oswaldo. You have a lot of great videos!

can you share a sample of your patch oswaldo?