GETTING STARTED

To find specific topics try browsing the entire list of tutorials.

For those of you who are looking to dive in, check out the example templates or try some of the quick starter tutorials below.

If you aren't sure where to begin with VDMX, we recommend starting with the general app overview tutorials which cover a variety of things possible with VDMX and all kinds of useful workflow tips.

MEDIA FILES, VIDEO GENERATORS, AND LIVE INPUTS

A variety of different media types can be used to provide source images for layers within VDMX. Each source option has its own set of controls for manipulating the playback and output during performance.

The basics:

MOVIE PLAYBACK Your standard video playback controls, time, rate, volume, loop-mode, range, plus some optional quantization settings.

MOVIE PLAYBACK

Your standard video playback controls, time, rate, volume, loop-mode, range, plus some optional quantization settings.

QUARTZ COMPOSER Published inputs from your patches show up as standard UI items like sliders, buttons, color pickers and pop-up menus.

QUARTZ COMPOSER

Published inputs from your patches show up as standard UI items like sliders, buttons, color pickers and pop-up menus.

SYPHON INPUTS Receive image streams from other video applications on your computer using the Syphon protocol such as Jitter and Processing.

SYPHON INPUTS

Receive image streams from other video applications on your computer using  the Syphon protocol such as Jitter and Processing.

LIVE INPUTS & CAMERAS Route multiple live inputs at a time with a whole bunch of options including HDMI capture boxes, webcams, DV and windows from other open applications.

LIVE INPUTS & CAMERAS

Route multiple live inputs at a time with a whole bunch of options including HDMI capture boxes, webcams, DV and windows from other open applications.

BUILT-IN SOURCES CoreImage, text, and other included generators can be directly accessed by layers like other media types.

BUILT-IN SOURCES

CoreImage, text, and other included generators can be directly accessed by layers like other media types.

TRIGGERING CLIPS All of the available source types for layers can be organized onto pages in the media bin where they can be activated as needed.

TRIGGERING CLIPS

All of the available source types for layers can be organized onto pages in the media bin where they can be activated as needed.

There are additional tutorials on working with files and further reading in the manual.

IMAGE PROCESSING AND OUTPUT

Within the 'Workspace Inspector'  is the 'Layers' tab for managing the canvas and its current arrangement of groups and layers. Once a frame of video is generated for a layer it is passed off to the FX and composition stages where it is rendered for output to your monitor outputs, recorded to disk, or sent to another application for further processing.

The basics:

VISUAL FX Each layer can apply a series of real-time CoreImage, Quartz Composer, and FreeFrame / FFGL filters to its source image before composition.

VISUAL FX

Each layer can apply a series of real-time CoreImage, Quartz Composer, and FreeFrame / FFGL filters to its source image before composition.

LAYER COMPOSITION Everything you wanted to know about cropping, size, position, blend modes, transitions, and adjusting opacity of a layer in the main output.

LAYER COMPOSITION

Everything you wanted to know about cropping, size, position, blend modes, transitions, and adjusting opacity of a layer in the main output.

ALPHA CHANNELS & MASKS Using the Layer Mask FX a masking alpha channel can be added to any layer at any point during its FX chain.

ALPHA CHANNELS & MASKS

Using the Layer Mask FX a masking alpha channel can be added to any layer at any point during its FX chain.

FULLSCREEN DISPLAY In the Output Options panel are the controls for switching between Window, Fullscreen and Advanced modes and configuring which connected screens are used.

FULLSCREEN DISPLAY

In the Output Options panel are the controls for switching between Window, Fullscreen and Advanced modes and configuring which connected screens are used.

SYPHON OUTPUT Any number of layers and other available video streams can be sent to other applications using the Syphon Output plugin.

SYPHON OUTPUT

Any number of layers and other available video streams can be sent to other applications using the Syphon Output plugin.

PREVIEW WINDOWS The Preview Window Plugin allows for viewing any video stream in VDMX, including layers before and after FX processing.

PREVIEW WINDOWS

The Preview Window Plugin allows for viewing any video stream in VDMX, including layers before and after FX processing.

RECORDINGTO DISK Video streams and rendered output can be captured to disk using the Movie Recorder plugin.

RECORDING TO DISK

Video streams and rendered output can be captured to disk using the Movie Recorder plugin.

PERSPECTIVE CORRECTION MODE How to adjust for non-perpendicular projection onto surfaces.

PERSPECTIVE CORRECTION MODE

How to adjust for non-perpendicular projection onto surfaces.

CUSTOM QUARTZ COMPOSER FX Getting started with making your QC patches into FX for VDMX in two steps.

CUSTOM QUARTZ COMPOSER FX

Getting started with making your QC patches into FX for VDMX in two steps.

There are more tutorials on layers to check out or see the section on layers in the manual.

CONTROL AND AUTOMATION

A powerful rendering engine is only really useful if you can control it in meaningful ways. Pretty much every parameter in VDMX is connected to one of our standard user interface (UI) objects which can be controlled by all the standard protocols you'd expect as well as our standard suite of plugins.

The basics:

SLIDERS & BUTTONS & MORE All of the real action happens here, in the UI items and data-sources that are controlling the visuals.

SLIDERS & BUTTONS & MORE

All of the real action happens here, in the UI items and data-sources that are controlling the visuals. 

MIDI, OSC AND DMX The big three standard control data protocols in the VJ and lighting worlds. Here's what you need to know about them.

MIDI, OSC AND DMX

The big three standard control data protocols in the VJ and lighting worlds. Here's what you need to know about them.

AUDIO ANALYSIS Converting an audio signal from a microphone or line input into control data.

AUDIO ANALYSIS

Converting an audio signal from a microphone or line input into control data.

CUSTOM UI LAYOUTS The layout of nearly everything in VDMX can be optimized around the options you need to see on screen during a show using control surface plugins.

CUSTOM UI LAYOUTS

The layout of nearly everything in VDMX can be optimized around the options you need to see on screen during a show using control surface plugins.

SECTION PRESETS Changing localized parameters on FX-chains and individual UI items using local presets.

SECTION PRESETS

Changing localized parameters on  FX-chains and individual UI items using local presets.

WORKSPACE PRESETS Use Workspace Presets to save and restore the state of all layers and plugins.

WORKSPACE PRESETS

Use Workspace Presets to save and restore the state of all layers and plugins.

LFOs AND STEP SEQUENCERS Simple plugins for publishing oscillators and value patterns. Each can be quantized or at its own rate.

LFOs AND STEP SEQUENCERS

Simple plugins for publishing oscillators and value patterns. Each can be quantized or at its own rate.

TWO CHANNEL MIXER A simple plugin for creating fades and transitions between layers.

TWO CHANNEL MIXER

A simple plugin for creating fades and transitions between layers.

PROVIDE YOUR OWN DATA Developers who want to provide their own control data can create custom plugins from Quartz Composer patches or send local OSC data.

PROVIDE YOUR OWN DATA

Developers who want to provide their own control data can create custom plugins from Quartz Composer patches or send local OSC data.

Or start with an overview video tutorial on data sources. More useful information can also be found in the manual.