A big part of using VDMX is taking advantage of the ability to automate any of the standard interface controls (sliders, buttons, color pickers, pop-up menus) which are used to control everything including things like the opacity of a layer, the volume or rate of a movie, the intensity of a blurring FX being applied, or even the settings of any of the automation plugins themselves.
For this quick reference tutorial we'll look at all of the available data-sources that VDMX publishes internally for automating controls. These can all be used on their own, or together, and in some cases you may have multiple providers of each type.
Read MoreAmong the real-time video generator and FX formats is an open source plugin type called FreeFrame and the newer GPU based FFGL format which uses the graphics card for faster image processing. In this tutorial we'll look at how to install these 3rd party FreeFrame plugins to use with VDMX.
Read MoreFor part two of our video fundamental series we'll be looking more in depth at the four main types of video sources that you'll encounter in the world of VJing and video production.
Read MoreIn this guest tutorial we're joined by the Rockwell Group's LAB division who work as an interactive design team within a larger architecture firm where they focus on projects that blend physical and virtual spaces.
For a recent projection mapping installation in NYC, one of the techniques used by the LAB was to apply a real-time video FX on to a specific portion of one of the pre-rendered movies so that part of the image was left unprocessed in the main output while another section was color shifted to match the lighting effects in the room. Today we'll show you how that was accomplished.
Read MoreFor this technique video tutorial we'll be looking at how to use VDMX to create a multi-camera video sampler setup with the ability to record movie clips from a live feed to be immediately remixed and saved for later editing. As movie clips are sampled they will be automatically added to the bin page where they can be triggered for output making this simple example useful either on its own, or added on to an existing project.
Read MoreSince the first introduction of our new blog almost a year ago the number of topics covered has grown to include a wide variety of subjects that at this point you could almost write an entire class on VJing and live video techniques from our tutorials.
With this in mind, rather than trying to teach how to use VDMX to new potential users, we've started to put together a new “Introduction to Video Fundamentals” curriculum that focuses on the basic knowledge needed to get started. While these ideas are usually demonstrated with VDMX, a lot of the underlying techniques are generally translatable to other software and hardware for video and lighting production.
In part two of this series (stay tuned) we'll start to look at some more advanced topics for putting all of this together along case studies and tips from the pros in the field.
Read MoreFor this guest tutorial we're joined by recipient.cc who give us a behind the scenes look at the techniques used in their recent projection mapping on the Pirelli Tower in Milan for Adidas Boost taken from pre-production to design to the final implementation.
Read MoreFor today's guest post we're joined by eatyourwork who first introduced us to the possibilities of using OhmRGB Slim alongside of VDMX in a blog post a couple of years ago. Since then we've made a few basic templates for new video performers to get started with a simple VJ video mixer setup with the Ohm, but in this video tutorial Simas shows off the extent to which you can customize your layout and MIDI mapping when making your own video performance rig.
Read MoreFor this guest tutorial we're joined by Gabe Shaughnessy of Lumenal Code for an in depth look at how to create a well executed one off event video event that involves substantial preproduction from storyboarding, to animation and fabrication, and final live performance:
“Red Bull Mural is a project that pairs an athlete with an artist in a unique collaboration. Red Bull asked New Creatures to create a psychedelic, immersive experience for pro golfer Rickie Fowler in Washington, DC’s historic Uline Arena. New Creatures asked Lumenal Code to provide a story, artwork, and animations, and then to create the interactive projection mapped targets and operate them during the event. ”
Read MoreIntroduction aux Plugins LFO et Sequencer à pas, Recevoir un Time Code MIDI SMPTE (MTC) dans VDMX, et Création de Presets Espace de travail
Read MoreWhen getting a new MIDI controller to use with VDMX, or other VJ / music making software, one of the most exciting aspects is finding out the best way to map the sliders and buttons to various controls that you want to use during performance, and along with that coming up with new ways that you can configure your software video generators and FX to get the most out of the layout of your instrument.
In this set of technique tutorials we'll be looking at three new example VDMX setups we've come up with for the Livid Base that take advantage of the controller in a few different ways including its multi-color LEDs and pressure sensitive pads.
Read MoreIn this tutorial we'll be looking a closer look at using automatic BPM detection for syncing up the timing of visual events with music by recreating the core parts of the Waveclock Demo template that is included with VDMX.
The approach we'll take is to create a virtual video instrument in the form of a Quartz Composer composition and animate its interface controls with Step Sequencer and LFO plugins. Presets for patterns in each plugin can then be saved and switched to match the energy level of the music while VJing during a live set.
Read MoreBy enabling the “Waveclock” beat tracking feature in the VDMX Clock plugin, the music from a microphone or line input can be analyzed to automatically handle the adjustment of the BPM and measure position to ensure that the timing of changes in your video are perfectly in sync with the bands and DJs that you are working with.
Read MoreAlong 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.
Read MoreOne of the most useful sets of open source FX plugins for Quartz Composer are the v002 collection maintained by Vade and Bangnoise, which are now included as an optional separate package along with VDMX. Included are the v002 optimized fast blurs, “film” image filters, analog / digital glitch, and the Rutt-Etra analog video synthesizer emulator, along with QC based FX ready to use in VDMX or your own QC compositions.
Read MoreFor this guest tutorial we are joined by Alejandro Crawford, the visualist for MGMT (among other bands), in which he'll show us one part of the setup he uses for creating his live visuals by connecting a scene rendered in the powerful 3D gaming engine Unity to VDMX using the Syphon to pass video back and forth between the two different programs.
Read MoreOne 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.
Read MoreWhile MIDI devices and OSC enabled applications tend to be most commonly used instruments by VJs when getting away from the computer during a live visual performance, another extremely powerful controller that can be paired with VDMX is the WiiMote game pad which can be connected to a Mac wirelessly over Bluetooth.
The basic configuration only takes a few moments to set up and then we can begin to put together a sample project that is designed to get the most out of the possibilities of the combining accelerometers with game style buttons for performing live visuals.
Read MoreIt kind of goes without saying that these days, posting your work online is a great way to promote yourself as a VJ or creative coder, and to make new contacts for future collaborations. Along with a studio or live mix of your visual work, including some of the original resources that were used during the making of your process for other people to learn from is another way to make your mark on the community.
For this technique tutorial we'll be looking at recording a demo reel that shows off the different ways that your generative compositions can be used in a live setting by using different sets of control data to drive its parameters, such as time based LFOs, MIDI / OSC control, and audio analysis data-source providers. Once we've finished creating the sample movie, we'll also walk through how to share the files using the videopong.net website where they can be hosted, downloaded and remixed by other video artists for free.
Read MoreFor this quick technique tutorial we've made two basic Quartz Composer compositions using the “Detection” object that can be loaded into VDMX to perform basic face capture and replacement FX that can be connected in a variety of ways. You can also use these example patches as starting points for your own patches that perform more complex behaviors like tracking multiple faces within a single frame or publishing additional control information.
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