garageCube

[anomad]

. i say, you should stay !

. in *whatever* equipment you use, you'll eventually find its limits... then it's up to you to exceed your limits

. the module system built into modul8 leaves the application open to limitless possibilities for creative expression (beyond layers and effects and triggering video clips to the beat)

. for instance, i was messing around w/a Nintendo Wii-mote to MIDI application and created a prototype 4 player Jeopardy style game through modul8 (where the first person to buzz in gets to answer a question on screen). i would have no idea how to implement that in any other environment!

. with the OSC module, my vj partner (who is playing music videos) can wirelessly transmit the artist and song name to me and modul8 can display that information on my screen. i then take the band name and have modul8 load images from a folder based on the band name and do a slide show! furthermore, we use a USB->MultiPlex convertor (to control stage lighting) and I can get those messages and tint my output to the color of the lighting around us

. the basic effects can seem repetitive after a while, but there's always the option to do something different with them...

. now, if they'd just implement the ability to receive data from certain MIDI devices, i'd be set !

-james
(a nomad. )

[gmint]

@ anomad

Wow! It sounds like you're doing some really impressive things! Would you mind elaborating on a couple of things?

1) Your wireless song name/artist hookup - I've thought that this would be cool for some time. Can you give a few more details?

2) Your stage lighting setup - Are you talking DMX here? If so, again, some details?

Thanks in advance!

[anomad]

@ gmint

. sure !

. 1- we use a custom vj application written in max/msp to play music videos and have filenames that are artist - song - BPM - KEY - he sends the data via OSC and I modified the OSC module to listen for his data (it's nice b/c we can share just between our computers). i parse the data and then send it to a layer w/the text module running. i also set the global BPM - but i'm still working out the kinks on getting it synched w/the song.

. the next logical step for this would be to run and ad-hoc network w/an apache webserver on my laptop and allow the crowd w/their iPhones and blackberries to send text messages to the 'big screen' during the show.

. 2- yes DMX. again, my partner wrote a max/msp application to control two multi-color LED lights and once again sends OSC data to me based on the light color the lamps in our rack cases are displaying... from there it's a simple convert of 'BLUE' to '(0,0,1)' and set the out of the composition with that hue.

. here's a shot of me (and modul8) at our monthly gig.. http://www.spikedigital.com/gallery/v/e ... 7.jpg.html

. i'm still discovering new things to do. i'm finishing a plugin that takes a png with a filename that are the coordinates of a perspective transform, like 0_246835,0_639241,0_778481,0_639241,0_246835,0_310127,0_778481,0_310127.png - so, the module selects that image of a drive in movie theater name w/coordinates and puts a perspective tile on a second layer so the real time video is alway 'projected' correctly. i have 8 images that do this and am looking to use video for the next revision ( i got this idead from deepvisual's youtube videos)

. hope that helps!

[gmint]

@anomad

Very interesting with the Custom VJ application! I've always thought that it would be cool to have my DJ program (Traktor) be able to send this type of info to M8. Unfortunately, I think it would be hard to get that kind of info out of Traktor. Maybe in the future. However, it's cool to hear that you're doing it!

As far as the Texting thing. I know there are some apps out there, and I'm sure it can be done with Modul8, but it's just never been something that I've really been into. Personal preference I guess, but as a DJ, I want people to dance, not text! In any case, I think you would definitely have a market out there for that type of module if you were so inclined.

On the DMX deal, I've really got to look into Max/MSP. It's one of those things that I have a passing familiarity with, but I've never taken the time to really look into it and learn it. I'm sure if I did, I could figure out some pretty cool stuff to do with it. However, I'm especially interested in your DMX hookup because I've been looking for a Mac based DMX program for years (I know there's LanBox, but that has never really done it for me). I wonder if it would be hard to do what I need in Max?

Also, I'm intrigued by your PNG module. What I would like to do (that's remotely related, I guess) is find a way to do a slide show module where I can basically download my digital camera, preview the pics, and do a really quick slide show. The thing is, it would have to be pretty quick since I would normally be doing this on the same machine that I'm DJing on (so maybe 1-2 minutes) to run a digital sign. I guess I need to add "learn Python" to my list of things to do...

In any case, I appreciate your input! It's really interesting to hear what people are doing with Modul8. Pretty off topic though!

Oh and here's a link in return for your link: http://www.midwestdjs.com/dj-photos/gallery/show/155
You can't see a ton of the video screens, but you get the idea...

[gmint]

I should have given you this pic link instead:

http://www.midwestdjs.com/dj-photos/gallery/show/158

Video screens aren't washed out by the camera flash so much...

[stuart]

things I would love from your list.

2. A global 3D distort - when the projector is hanging in an angle

6. Import of layers (with all settings) from other projects

I have been using M8 since the beta. I love it. Still, my sets could be so much more flexible if I had a layer library. That would F'in rule. Better still, a layer set library. Each layer set is a fairly fixed composition for me. If I had the ability to select from the hundred or so that I have created over the years that I still use in performance on my whim it would be so fabulous.

How about a locked thread in the forums that just has development updates?

[ilan]

You mean like a peep show?

[sigmasix]

maybe this is the kind of thing that should appear in the blog, not only festival reviews or users work, but also some "hey, we're working hard, you see?"

[vanakaru]

maybe this is the kind of thing that should appear in the blog, not only festival reviews or users work, but also some "hey, we're working hard, you see?"

Yes! It would be nice to know where we are at.

[Lo]

particularly that we can read "we will include this future in the Modul8 3" since a year. For exemple for the division of the sound input in various frequences. I realy thinked that the next realise shoud be available since a long time.
Moreover, most of the m8's concurents have recently passed to a new version suporting full HD out, and up to five video-in (thing wich is regularly asked in the forum)

For its interface, its workflow and creative possibilities, and the module technology, modul8 is my favourite videomix software.
But technically it runs one step behind others ones and the user's would like to know what the garagecube's team is working at


(sorry for my bad english )

[deepvisual]

but...

and its a big but...

the competition - make really cool software that's unreliable.
I'm sure garagecube could release lots of cool things that don't work properly tomorrow if they wanted to be like the competition.
I'd rather wait.

[Vibber]

I guess for me the bottom line is: I don't mind waiting if I know what I'm waiting for. Right now we don't have that information...

[vanakaru]

I have spent much effort to find apps that can do the stuff I need.
The first on my list is Modul8. For my brain it is the most understandable one and will allow complete 85% of my ideas.
VDMX with QC is the next one, but for some reason it is huge computer power hog.
Isadora looks interesting, but may be too expensive for just few projects.
For interactive camera stuff I do not see anything better than EyesWeb, unless I want to learn c++, Python, whatever.
MaxMsp, Processing, VVVV, PD I will never have time to master myself.

[Lo]

I guess for me the bottom line is: I don't mind waiting if I know what I'm waiting for. Right now we don't have that information...

You've just expressed something that I was thinking

[vanakaru]

You mean like a peep show?

You make it sound ironic but yes I would like to know what and is when planned as well.