Since it was started about a year ago the iLoveQC website has become one of the top resources and community sites for Quartz Composer developers and Mac VJs using the node based language. If you haven't already taken the time to check out the site, they've got some great interviews with artists, tutorials to get started, FX for download and even Final Cut Pro plugins for non-realtime video production. For this guest tutorial we're joined by iLoveQC founder Graham Robinson, also known as Shakinda who has been part of the in the VJ community for quite some time and is an all around QC guru.
Read MoreMulti-display video mixing with VDMX on a Retina MacBook Pro
Along with being able to work with more layers at higher resolutions, faster computers and more powerful graphics cards make it possible to output to multiple projectors or monitors from a single machine. In particular, the new 15" Retina Macbook Pro features a combination of a fast SSD hard drive along with two Thunderbolt and one HDMI port making it possible for a VJ to power 2 or 3 different HD displays from a single Mac laptop.
In this video tutorial we'll walk through the basic steps of preparing VDMX projects with a double-wide and triple-wide design to output with separate source layers for each display.
Read MorePassing DMX Universes into Quartz Composer from VDMX
Along with being able to directly control any UI item in VDMX, such as sliders and buttons, with the value from a DMX channel, when using Quartz Composer compositions it is possible to pass in an entire DMX universe (512 channels) of data all at once as a list of DMX values (ranged 0-255). Once inside the patch, the control information can be parsed programmatically to control real-time visuals or virtual lighting elements inside the patch, or to pass back value into VDMX by published outputs as control data.
Read MoreMaking Custom Quartz Composer Text Players for VDMX
Text layers are similar to other video generators in VDMX, with a few additional UI items for working with strings of words and letters. Behind the scenes, special Quartz Composer compositions are used to render the text as video and it's easy to create your own.
Read MoreCreating Video Feedback Loops on a Mac with VDMX
One of the most powerful techniques used to create real-time visuals and computer graphics going back to the early days of video is the use of feedback loops - the method of taking the current output and using it as a source frame in part of the next rendered frame. This incredibly useful process is particularly useful for Mac VJs and other graphic artists looking to find a unique look or style for their visuals, and is easily simulated within VDMX by using layer groups.
Read MoreTwo Channel Video Mixer template for Livid OhmRGB Slim
The OhmRGB is a hardware MIDI controller from Livid Instruments for DJs and VJs with a nice mix of faders, knobs and buttons for triggering clips or FX. It's an especially useful controller to use with VDMX because it has a versatile layout which can be adapted for a variety of different setups ranging from simple DJ style two channel video mixers to advanced multiple layer compositions.
Read MoreVJ Spain Guest Tutorial Part 3 - Usando Quartz Composer en VDMX
Today we are once again joined by guest poster Marcos Prack with part three of his series of Spanish video tutorials for a lesson on using Quartz Composer iterators and using compositions inside of VDMX: "En este tutorial os muestro como crear una composición en Quartz Composer y publicar parámetros que controlaremos luego en VDMX."
Read MoreAuto loading media from a Dropbox folder to VDMX.
In this video tutorial we'll look at using the popular file sharing service 'Dropbox' to transfer images from an iPhone to a Mac, and then have those images automatically loaded into VDMX where they can be triggered and remixed. This same basic idea can be used with any folder on disk, whether the media files are manually moved, copied over a network, or downloaded over the Internet.
Read MoreUsing VDMX as a 2 Channel DMX Controlled Video Mixer
Building off the previous introduction tutorial on setting up VDMX to trigger movies like a DMX media server, here we will demonstrate how to make a simple two channel video mixer template on your Mac that can be controlled from any ArtNet capable lighting console or software.
Read MoreUsing the *spark d-fuser with VDMX with Toby Harris
For this guest tutorial we're joined by Toby Harris, creator of the *spark d-fuser DVI video mixer which is now available for retail purchase for the first time ever. More about the history of the development of the mixer can be found in our blog post on Toby's collaboration with D-Fuse.
Read MoreVJ Spain Guest Tutorial 2: El plugin Step Sequencer + Ableton Live
nce again in the lead up to his VJ Spain workshop later this month we are joined by guest poster Marcos Prack with another Spanish language tutorial: "Segundo tutorial de VDMX, esta vez os cuento una forma de utilizar el plugin Step Sequencer, que es usarlo para disparar los clips del Media Bin a través de diferentes presets. Todo esto utilizando Ableton Live que a través de notas MIDI activa Presets, FX y dispara los clips."
Read MoreUsing Waveclock to send MIDI clock to VDMX
VJ Spain Guest Tutorial: El plugin Control Surface
his special Spanish language guest tutorial on using the 'Control Surface' plugin comes from Marcos Prack of VJ Spain who joins us with a preview of his upcoming 4 day workshop on using VDMX and Quartz Composer in Madrid this April.
More information about the course can be found on the VJ Spain website: http://vjspain.com/blog/2013/03/20/workshop-quartz-composer-vdmx-integracion-y-flujo-de-trabajo/
Read MoreConverting a single DMX channel to a range of MIDI notes to trigger movies in CoGe
In this tutorial a DMX channel will be received over ArtNet in VDMX where it will be converted into a range of MIDI notes that will be then sent to CoGe to trigger movie files.
Read MoreSetting up Media Bin Sync with TouchOSC
One of the first and most popular apps on iOS for remotely controlling the visuals running on your Mac is TouchOSC from Hexler which allows for customizing which controls are accessible from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, and configure their layout. In this tutorial we look at the 'Sync UI' option in the Media Bin for updating the display of buttons and button grids in TouchOSC as movies are triggered in VDMX.
Read MoreThe Quartz Composer Interaction object and VDMX Preview Windows
One of the newer features added to Quartz Composer is a new 'Interaction' object which allows for mouse clicks in the QC Viewer, as well as Preview Window plugins within VDMX, to be detected when billboard and sprites are clicked, making it possible to control patches in a variety of ways not possible with standard input splitters.
For this tutorial we'll first create a basic Quartz Composer composition that makes use of the 'Interaction' object and then import it into VDMX where it can be manipulated directly from a Preview Window plugin.
Read MoreReceiving MIDI SMPTE Time Code (MTC) in VDMX
MIDI Time Code (MTC) is a specification for sending SMPTE values from a master playback application such as QLab or Apple Logic to keep the play time of other real-time music and visuals software in sync over MIDI. While MTC has a few drawbacks it can be very useful when setting up live performances where VDMX is being used alongside audio software that can send it.
In this tutorial we'll look at how to receive MTC in VDMX in two ways: First, the classic example of syncing the time position of a QuickTime movie to the incoming timecode. In the second case instead of a traditional movie, a simple Quartz Composer patch will receive the MTC and render a real-time animated read out of the values in standard SMPTE format.
Read MoreMaking and Installing GLSL Composition Modes for VDMX
To get the best performance out of using the Hap codec within VDMX we also recently added another new feature making it possible to use GLSL shaders to perform composition between layers. While the standard 'OpenGL- Add' and 'OpenGL- Over' modes are the absolute fastest when it comes to rendering, when more complex composition modes such as 'Difference' or 'Multiply' are needed shaders are the best alternative when playing back movie files, particularly when you're not using CoreImage or Quartz Composer based FX on the layer.
In this two part tutorial we'll look first at the basics of adding new 3rd party shaders to the assets folder, and then move on to the intermediate level step of creating new custom blend modes.
Read MoreVDMX into Millumin via Syphon
In honor of being the first third party developer to support the new Hap codec family natively, today we're joined by by Phillipe Chaurand who writes Millumin, an awesome piece of real-time visual software with a focus on theater, dance, and mapping installations.
Along with Hap, Millumin also shares support for Syphon, which allows for making layers in VDMX directly available as inputs to Millumin. In this quick video tutorial Phillipe explains how to set up this connection between the two applications.
Read MoreExporting Motion projects as Hap Alpha movies to use with VDMX
While VDMX itself is an application for creating real-time visuals, eventually most VJs and other visual artists have some use for other types of video software such as non-linear editors (iMovie, FCP, Premiere) or motion graphics generators (Motion, After Effects) to create pre-made footage to use during performance.
In this tutorial we look at exporting movies from Apple Motion to use in VDMX and including the alpha channel by using the 'Hap Alpha' codec. The same basic idea can be used with other motion graphics software such as Adobe After Effects.
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