Blog6 - TouchDesigner Learning & Output

Experience

This week, I have been learning Touch Designer software, a type of visual programming that uses nodes for programming. It is mainly used for real-time interaction. These interactions can be caused by sounds, movements or other environmental factors. My goal was to explore how I could incorporate noise input into my art installation and use it to generate real-time visual output projected onto the sculpture. I spent a significant amount of time familiarising myself with the software interface and began to test the basic transitions from sound to vision.

Figure1

Programming Touch Designer: Creating Noisy Shapes

Reflection in Action

My goal was to make the interaction between sound and visual display as seamless and immersive as possible. My idea was to engage the audience by having their voices (or the sounds around them) influence the patterns projected on the installation. I guess that incorporating this level of interaction would increase audience engagement and create a more visceral experience of the effects of noise pollution. However, I soon realised that learning new software such as Touch Designer was complex and time consuming. I also felt frustration, especially when certain visuals did not match the audio input. I felt that the time spent learning the software may have slowed down the rest of the project, but I also recognised the importance of mastering this skill to the success of the project.

Theory

This experience deepened my understanding of the technical requirements of creating an interactive art installation. I learned that interactive elements require not only a clear concept, but also a deep understanding of the techniques used to realise them. In future projects, this experience will help me assess the feasibility of incorporating complex digital tools such as the Touch Designer. It also reminded me that technical challenges are an inherent part of innovative design work, and that finding the balance between creativity and functionality is critical.

Preparation

Next time, I'll assign more time to learning new software, especially for the interactive parts of the project. To improve, I might look for tutorials or online forums to see what others are experiencing similar problems with Touch Designer. Looking ahead, I would also explore integrating other interaction possibilities such as light or motion sensors to create more experiences. Additionally, I would consider testing smaller portions of interactions before applying them to the entire prototype to ensure that each element works smoothly.

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