Using the OSCQuery Helper tool with Processing

In our introduction tutorial for working with Processing and VDMX we examined how to manually configure sending OSC messages from VDMX interface items to control properties of a Processing sketch running in the background. For this follow up lesson we will look at how the OSCQuery Helper tool can be used to publish the OSC address space for a sketch so that they can be remotely accessed by other software like VDMX or the OSCQuery Browser tool.

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The OSCQuery Client Plugin

The OSCQuery protocol makes it easy for software that supports OSC to access each others parameters for remote control, without a lengthy setup process. Within VDMX there are a few ways to take advantage of this and in this tutorial we will focus on using the OSCQuery Client plugin which can be used to browse the address space of a server and add UI controls that are automatically configured to send to it.

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Using OSCQuery In The Control Surface Plugin

The Control Surface is one of the most widely versatile plugins in VDMX, making it possible to create sets of custom interface elements that can be used to control nearly any aspect of your workspace or send MIDI / OSC / DMX to other systems. The Control Surface plugin also has the ability to publish its list of parameters over a local area network using the OSCQuery protocol so that other software can remotely browse and control almost any aspect of your VDMX project.

In this video tutorial we'll be looking at the basics of using OSCQuery protocol from within the Control Surface, and three ways that those parameters can be accessed from software running on other devices: using our free OSCQuery Browser utility, another copy of VDMX and a web browser running on an iPhone.

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Using the Built-In VDMX OSCQuery Browser

The OSCQuery protocol makes it easy for software that supports OSC to access each others parameters for remote control, without a lengthy setup process. Within VDMX there are a few ways to take advantage of this and in this tutorial we will focus on using the built-in OSCQuery Browser window which can be used to browse the address space of a server, send OSC messages and add OSC sending elements to our workspace.

The built-in OSCQuery Browser Window can be opened from the Window menu or by using the cmd+5 keyboard shortcut. From this panel you can access, browse and search the namespaces of other applications. For each of the listed OSC address destinations at the remote server you can:

  • Use the provided interface control to quickly send test data.

  • Dragged the listed item on to UI elements in VDMX (such as sliders, buttons, and color wheels – this also works with the list of variables in the Cue List plugin inspector) to automatically configure OSC sending to the remote hosts.

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Introduction to Connecting VDMX and Processing with Syphon and OSC

While VDMX offers many ways to extend its capabilities with code by Quartz Composer, Vuo and writing your own custom interactive GLSL shaders, there are times when you may need to use a video generator, image processor, or data controller that for whatever reason require using another most extensive programming toolkit for some aspect of your live performance.

One of the most popular creative coding languages being used today is known as Processing, a free, open-source development environment with an extensive community of artists and technologists around the world. You can look online to find hundreds of examples and they provided wonderful educational materials to help you get started with learning how to write code to make art.

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Introduction to The Timecode Plugin

When designing preplanned shows and working alongside other software, one of the common tasks is keeping the timing of everything in sync. Within VDMX there are two main ways of working with time – the Clock plugin which is used for working in measures and beats and the Timecode plugin which counts in SMPTE time.

In this set of tutorials we'll cover the basics of using the Timecode plugin which publishes several data sources in VDMX, and is capable of both receiving and sending SMPTE timecode in a variety of formats.

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Connecting VDMX and Unity3D by Syphon

While mainly designed for cross platform game development many Mac VJs take advantage of the Unity3D engine for the purposes for creating 3D worlds and other real-time generated graphics for use in visual performance. By connecting these environments to other VJ applications like VDMX over Syphon and OSC we can control these worlds and mix, process and output the virtual camera signals from a scene like any other live media source.

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Manually Setting a MIDI, OSC or DMX Address for a Slider or Button

While the Hardware Learn Mode and detect methods are often the fastest way for a VJ to connect sliders, buttons and other elements from a physical controller to their corresponding UI items in VDMX, sometimes it can always be useful to manually enter in these addresses. You may need to do this if some item on the controller sends multiple MIDI values at the same time, or when attempting to set up a project working from a spec sheet when the device isn't actually plugged in.

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Connecting the x-OSC wireless I/O board to VDMX

For this guest tutorial we are joined by Will Reardon, a motion designer and artist, currently developing video art objects. Currently Will is using VDMX and the x-OSC I/O board to create a device similar to his previous ‘Compendium’ with added interactive functionality.

We'll start by making a basic test connection between the software and hardware over WiFi, then begin to add a series of sliders and knobs to VDMX that receive values from the I/O board analog inputs.

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Applying Math Expressions to Slider Receivers

Using control data from other applications, external hardware, and internal providers like LFOs or Audio Analysis is a major component of VDMX- every UI element is capable of being controlled via MIDI/OSC/DMX/other data sources. The procedure for doing so is consistent across all UI items- you add a receiver (which receives data from things) to the UI element you're working with using the UI Inspector.

Typically the range of numbers being received can be automatically translated by VDMX to cover the local minimum and maximum envelopes of a slider UI item. However in some situations you may want to override the default number mapping behavior by using the settings in the sub-inspector panel for receivers. In this tutorial we'll look at some of the common cases you may run into and how to handle them.

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Enabling hardware “Echo” mode for quick MIDI and OSC talkback with VDMX

Along with being able to receive real-time control values from MIDI and OSC based instruments, VDMX provides the ability to send the local state of interface items such as sliders and buttons back out to hardware controllers whose interfaces can update dynamically.

To make the setup of two way talkback with devices that support this kind of workflow faster to setup, each UI item in VDMX that is receiving from a MIDI or OSC source can be set to “echo” it's state back to the connected hardware controller.

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Syncing the playback of multiple movies in VDMX over a network using OSC

One of the data-sources available within VDMX for controlling playback, FX, and composition parameters, is the current playhead position of each movie playing on a layer. Like an LFO or audio analysis value, you can assign this to any slider, button, or other UI item by using the UI Inspector or from the right-click contextual menu.

In this tutorial the movie “normalized time” parameter (time as a percentage, ranged 0.0 to 1.0) will specifically be used to synchronize the playback of multiple movie files – this can be a useful technique for working with batches of clips that have the same duration, and high-end projects that involve powering more displays or projectors than can be connected a single Mac.

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Using Max/MSP/Jitter as an external FX send and data-source provider for VDMX

​Eventually when creating live visuals, particularly for a high profile event or tour, you may find the need to add to your setup some kind of very specialized custom image processing, source generator, or information feed that really sets the show apart with its own unique style or effect.

For this set of video tutorials we'll be taking a look at how to use one of our favorite languages, Cycling74's Max/MSP/Jitter which has been around for over 20 years as the tool of choice for creative coders experimenting with music and visuals.​

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Guest Tutorial: 4 ways to sync VDMX and Ableton Live with Mattijs Kneppers and Studio Rewind

Over the last few years artist / programmer Mattijs Kneppers ​has been developing “Livegrabber,” a set of plugins that can be used to easily sync Ableton Live with other applications by echoing out actions in Live over the OSC protocol. For the release of the newest version of the plugins, we're joined by Mattijs and Studio Rewind for a demonstration of how to use the Livegrabber plugins with VDMX.

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Setting 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.

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