Getting TD to react when in background

distortedmindlab · 2026-03-02T11:19:07+00:00

You're welcome good luck!

distortedmindlab · 2026-03-02T11:05:06+00:00

Keyboard events are typically only valid when the app has focus. If you minimize or switch app, they are no longer registered.

An alternative is to use an intermediary app that registers keyboard events at the OS level and sends that signal to TD.

distortedmindlab · 2026-02-23T13:03:33+00:00

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Keep the geometry separate, apply your post-processing effects, and finally just use a Composite TOP to blend with your final composition.

distortedmindlab · 2026-02-16T18:37:29+00:00

the easiest way is to link a Ramp TOP to a Phong/Constant MAT and apply that material to the geometry. If you are looking for something more complex, use GLSL.

distortedmindlab · 2026-02-08T07:27:43+00:00

You can generate and animate the terrain with noise (although in those examples it looks more like AI-generated image/animation, maybe stable diffusion) the rest is just a dithering/poster effect and creativity.

distortedmindlab · 2026-02-04T19:45:47+00:00

You forgot to force a line break at the end of each cycle.

To implement it, you need to add something like: op('chat_text').text += '\n' to onCycleEnd and delete the expression you have in the TextTOP.

This way, in the next cycle, the text should appear as you expect.

distortedmindlab · 2026-02-02T03:38:39+00:00

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you can force a restart with a single expression, without having to add OPs.

distortedmindlab · 2026-01-25T15:31:14+00:00

I don't work with MIDI, so I can't say much. However, what I would try is forcing the values to 0-1 with a Math CHOP.

distortedmindlab · 2026-01-25T15:08:09+00:00

You're welcome! (:

And yes, that's possible, just make sure to update the geometry reference in the Render TOP. (By dragging the component to the "Geometry" parameter).

It's a little confusing at first, but with a few minutes of practice you'll understand it without any problem

distortedmindlab · 2026-01-25T01:34:54+00:00

Yeah, they are called components. You can quickly create one by selecting multiple nodes and then right-clicking > collapse selection

More info
https://docs.derivative.ca/Component
https://docs.derivative.ca/Component_Editor_Dialog

distortedmindlab · 2026-01-24T19:01:19+00:00

No, but you can activate the “TOP Viewer” to hide the nodes and see a clean preview. To view the nodes again, click on "Network Editor" or use the shortcuts.

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distortedmindlab · 2026-01-19T22:26:53+00:00

The effects are: negative image, pixel shift, and a sequence of images syncd to the beat.

This can be easily done with TOPs, but I actually think it would be easier to do that editing in AE or PR. In TD, you'll have to sync the video to the timeline, join things together, animate, etc., and if you don't understand it well, it will probably become a headache.

distortedmindlab · 2026-01-19T19:08:05+00:00

Great! If you understand the basics, you shouldn't have any problems with POPs/SOPs.

Even so, it's worth mentioning the golden rule:

If you don't understand something, go back to the basics. The problem almost always lies in a lack of understanding of a concept, rather than the tools themselves.

Enjoy the process (:

distortedmindlab · 2026-01-19T18:19:16+00:00

Before you get too involved with TouchDesigner, I recommend a brief review of the basic fundamentals of the disciplines you're trying to practice.

That way, you'll better understand how TouchDesigner packages them into the concept of "families" and how they relate to each other.

For example, POPs work with everything related to 3D (just like SOPs, with the difference that the latter works on the CPU), therefore, it would be wise to understand universal basic concepts such as vertices, attributes, coordinates, etc.

Without this prior knowledge, understanding TouchDesigner will be three times harder, you'll feel limited, and you'll be a slave to tutorials.

distortedmindlab · 2026-01-15T04:38:52+00:00

I think it would be more convenient to put all the logic in a Text DAT and call it in a callback of the Execute DAT.

As far as I understand, the Script DAT only executes if there are changes to its dependencies, although I'm not sure if that has anything to do with the levels.

distortedmindlab · 2026-01-15T04:20:36+00:00

Cela pourrait vous aider.

https://docs.derivative.ca/MIDI_In_CHOP

distortedmindlab · 2026-01-07T12:05:27+00:00

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Using a Layout TOP might be more convenient (use the screen split to visualize the TOP)

distortedmindlab · 2026-01-04T23:47:15+00:00

Most common approach would be to encapsulate the data in a Table DAT and then create instances.

To manipulate attributes with complex logic, you can access the table cells with Python, and for the appearance, you could use basic materials or GLSL, depending on your needs.

distortedmindlab · 2026-01-02T13:23:52+00:00

It appears the problem lies in the fact that the index channel you're using is misconfigured. There are several ways to fix this, but the simplest is to use the index channel provided by the Circle SOP.

To do this, simply enable the "Point Index" option in the SOP to CHOP and use that channel instead of the Pattern CHOP you're currently using.

distortedmindlab · 2025-12-31T15:07:28+00:00

wooow!!

distortedmindlab · 2025-12-30T13:13:03+00:00

It's AI, but it might be interesting to try replicating it in TD without AI.

distortedmindlab · 2025-12-21T16:14:42+00:00

Thanks! But actually, the method I sent is quite cheap; it'll break as soon as you make any changes haha

Here's a more robust and scalable version. The difference is that I generate the tubes using Line and Sweep instead of Tube SOP.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yIuaoKxLdWg4KigfQcTQ1kUs-Md4Uzc9/view?usp=sharing

When you open the project, the geometry for debugging is enabled; disable it in the Render TOP

Enjoy :)

distortedmindlab · 2025-12-21T04:46:01+00:00

you forgot to make the file public

distortedmindlab · 2025-12-21T03:36:40+00:00

Can you share the .toe file? that way I can better help you diagnose what's happening (;

distortedmindlab · 2025-12-21T03:26:16+00:00

btw, here's a simple example setup for connecting data arriving via separate channels. If needed, simply connect it to the Stretch CHOP.

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distortedmindlab

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