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TouchDesigner

Here you'll find a collection of various tutorials and examples of what my work with TouchDesigner has looked like. In the spirit of full disclosure, I'm constantly learning new techniques and approaches when it comes to programming with TouchDesigner, and programming in general. What does that mean? Well, it means that some of these resources are better than others. These materials also cover a wide berth of material, and don't always remain in singular operator's domain - I rarely only talk about TOPs or CHOPs because problem solving often involves how those different methods connect. In general, these tutorials are also mostly text based though there are an increasing number that are now video. On the page for any given video tutorial you should see a list of core concepts in the lecture / example so you have a sense of what you're likely to hear me talk about.

How to Use this Resource​

How to best use this page probably largely depends a lot on who you are. Are you brand new to TouchDesigner and looking for something that will help you from the ground up? Or are you someone who has been tinkering for a bit, and just needs some inspiration. Maybe you're already feeling accomplished, but want a push in the right direction. What you bring with you might well help you decide where to start. It's difficult for me to know exactly how to help, but here are some general ideas to get you started.

Brand New to TouchDesigner​

If you're brand new to the TouchDesigner environment, welcome!

There's lots to cover, but don't worry there's plenty of time. First things first, it's often useful to make sure that you're up and running with all the tools you need. First you'll want to make sure you're using hardware that meets all of the minimum specs for Touch. Head over to the wiki and make sure you're all set up with a machine that will work, and with a key to get started - non-commercial is just fine.

This is also a great time to make sure that you've got the latest drivers for your video card. While you're at it, a good spruce up and some computer spring cleaning are always a great thing to do. Make sure you've got some dedicated space for your projects, as well as some assets to play around with.

At some point you'll start working with other people, and for that github or bitbucket are great tools for working with git. What's git you say? Take a look here to get a sense of what git is all about:

You're also going to want a good dedicated text editor. My personal favorite is Sublime, but you might find that Notepad++ or Microsoft Visual Code is right for you.

Now we're ready to dive in. If this is your first time using Touch, I'd recommend starting with the Yale Workshop Videos. There are a lot of things covered in this series, but it should help you get up and running the fastest.

After you've done a quick overview, check out AME 394. This course was originally offered to undergraduates at ASU's Arts Media and Engineering School to a class of students studying Digital Culture. In this class nearly every student was new to TouchDesigner. As such this course is a ground up start that gives you a basic sense of how to work in Touch. In hindsight there are a few things I'd do differently now, but it's still a good starting place if you're new to Touch. These tutorials come straight out of a class that was taught in person (I would also record the lectures the night before - that way I got to practice, and had a resource for students if we went too fast in class).

After AME 394, it's worth reading though the Python in TouchDesigner tutorials. Thinking about how to use Python in Touch creates all new sorts of opportunities, and while it might feel a little boring at the git go, it'll make a huge difference for you in the long run. You don't have to do these all at once, but it will help to do them in order.

Next look at THP 494. This course was offered through the School of Film, Dance, and Theatre at ASU. Largely focused on new media forms for live performance, this series looks at the practicalities of making art for performance - and largely at making art with data or noise. These build on one another, but you don't necessarily have to go in order (the exception being the ones that are a part of a series).

The world is your Oyster. From here you might start looking through the category of in depth concepts. These largely focus on a question or problem, and then look at a possible solution. There's no right order for those, and they really come down to what's interesting to you.

Your ToDo List​

  • Check your specs
  • Make sure you've got a license key - Non-Commercial keys are free
  • Update your drivers
  • Join github or bitbucket
  • Download a dedicated text editor
  • Work your way through a class or two:
  • AME 394
  • Python in TouchDesigner
  • THP 494
  • Explore

The Tinkerer​

Knowing where to get started is always hard. If you've already been doing some tinkering in Touch, it probably doesn't make a lot of sense to start with AME 394. Chances are that you already know a good bit of what you'll find in there. You're welcome to get started there, but it might feel too slow to get started. THP 494 might be just right though. This is a great place to do a little more fun exploring and get some ideas cooking.

Next you might want to look over using Python in Touch. You've probably done this a bit already, but looking more closely or giving yourself a Python intensive might be a great next step. Using python opens up a whole new area of opportunity, so if you've been hesitant to beef up on your Python this might be the time.

If you're not using git yet, that's okay… but it's probably time to start. There are a growing number of examples up on the web, and to really dig in git is going to help a ton.

Let's be honest, that all might be good and well… but you might just be looking to explore. That's okay. If that's where you are, head over to github and download the forum examples that are there: td_fb_forum_examples. Once you've downloaded and extracted the contents of this repository look at the example_explorer.toe. Here you'll find over 100 tox files that you can browse through for various examples and inspiration. Not all of them contain read me files, but many do. Just about all of these come out of actual conversations on the Facebook help group, or from the TouchDesigner forums.

Or you might start looking through the category of in depth concepts. These largely focus on a question or problem, and then look at a possible solution. There's no right order for those, and they really come down to what's interesting to you.

Your ToDo List​

  • Work your way through a class or two:
    • THP 494
    • Python in TouchDesigner
  • Explore

Looking for the Right Direction​

You're a hard one. You don't know what you need, but you know what you don't. Hmmm. Well, first things first, start with the example explorer. Head over to github and download the forum examples that are there: td_fb_forum_examples. Once you've downloaded and extracted the contents of this repository look at the example_explorer.toe. Here you'll find over 100 tox files that you can browse through for various examples and inspiration. Not all of them contain read me files, but many do. Just about all of these come out of actual conversations on the Facebook help group, or from the TouchDesigner forums.

If that doesn't do it for you, you might look at the in depth categories.

Maybe you're looking to level up by building whole applications. That's great. You might start by looking at the long-form post about Building a Calibration UI. "But I don't need to build a calibration UI…." okay, that's good. Chances are, however, that there might be something in there that relates to what you're after. Or not. Skim it and see if anything in there speaks to you. If you're really coming up empty handed, use the contact me link at the top of the page. I'm usually pretty busy these days, but try to at least respond to emails within a week.

Your ToDo List​

  • Explorer
  • Browse through the in depth concepts