For VJs and other visual performers, one of the biggest parts of the job is creating your own original materials for your shows. If you like the workflow of compositing layers, applying effects, and automating values found in VDMX, the interface of Apple Motion offers a similar approach for creating visuals with the intention of exporting as movie files, at an affordable price.
Last month we introduced ISF for Motion, a new plug-in that makes it possible to use the same GLSL shaders supported in VDMX as generators and effects inside of Motion and FCP X. This includes our 200+ standard set of assets, as well as all of the creations shared on https://www.interactiveshaderformat.com/
In this tutorial we will take a look at using these ISF generators and effects in Motion to create short video loops to use in VDMX or other VJ software.
Before beginning, make sure to install both Apple Motion and ISF for Motion from the Mac App Store.
Read MoreWhen writing GLSL shaders that run as generators or are used as image filters, one of the most fun parts of the process is playing with different control functions to animate all of the various variables that you've created in the composition. Using the ISF specification, GLSL shaders can publish their uniform variables so that host applications can provide user interface controls that can be connected to MIDI, OSC, DMX or other data-sources for automation.
In this tutorial we will look at adapting an existing GLSL shader into ISF, publishing some of its variables as uniforms, and loading the composition into VDMX where we will animate its properties using a variety of different plugins and MIDI input.
Read MoreAn ISF, or “Interactive Shader Format” file is a GLSL fragment shader (.fs) that includes a small blob of information that describes any input controls that the host application (such as slider, button, and color picker controls in VDMX) should provide for the user when the FX is loaded for use, as well as other meta-data including the authorship, category and a description.
In this two part tutorial we'll cover the basics of applying ISF based FX to layers in VDMX and how to install new example ISF files you may download from the Internet, followed by a quick introduction to creating your own image processing GLSL fragment shaders.
Read MoreAn ISF, or “Interactive Shader Format” file is a GLSL fragment shader that includes a small blob of information that describes any input controls that the host application (such as slider, button, and color picker controls in VDMX) should provide for the user when the generator is loaded for use, as well as other meta-data including the authorship, category and description.
In this two part tutorial we'll cover the basics of using ISF generators within VDMX as sources for layers and how to install new example ISF files you may download from the Internet, followed by a quick introduction to creating your own GLSL fragment shaders.
Read MoreEventually when creating live visuals, particularly for a high profile event or tour, you may find the need to add to your setup some kind of very specialized custom image processing, source generator, or information feed that really sets the show apart with its own unique style or effect.
For this set of video tutorials we'll be taking a look at how to use one of our favorite languages, Cycling74's Max/MSP/Jitter which has been around for over 20 years as the tool of choice for creative coders experimenting with music and visuals.
Read MoreTo get the best performance out of using the Hap codec within VDMX we also recently added another new feature making it possible to use GLSL shaders to perform composition between layers. While the standard 'OpenGL- Add' and 'OpenGL- Over' modes are the absolute fastest when it comes to rendering, when more complex composition modes such as 'Difference' or 'Multiply' are needed shaders are the best alternative when playing back movie files, particularly when you're not using CoreImage or Quartz Composer based FX on the layer.
In this two part tutorial we'll look first at the basics of adding new 3rd party shaders to the assets folder, and then move on to the intermediate level step of creating new custom blend modes.
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