Touch Designer example: perform modes

In this example we will dive into connecting monitors for performances. We start of from 4 cases:

• Case 1. With one projector (only an output is displayed)
• Case 2. With two projectors and the same dimensions of projectors (an interface and an output are displayed)
• Case 3. With two projectors and different dimensions of projectors (an interface and an output are displayed)
• Case 4 takes the last case and applies it to a previous example of this course: including two parrameter windows to use the Switch and Levels to alter our output.

The original tutorial that tackles this subject can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBmTkOCovus

Projectors are like extra monitors on your computer. The order and settings of extra monitors are set in the settings panel of the computer you are working on. The content for extra monitors can be arranged in Touch Designer by creating “performance windows” with different dimensions and outputs. Those performance windows are usually at the top of your network and can be set to be show with or without a border.

The start setup is the default top level of a Touchdesigner project. The default perform window can be assigned content by dragging an operator on it and indicate it as “PARM: Window Operator”. 

Case 1. With one projector (only one output displayed)

The width and height of this window is set to 1280 on 720. 

Inside this container is a simple movie file in with the default image. In the parrameters of the perfomr window we set the option “Borders” to inactive. Dragging this operator on the perform window and pressing F1 will show the window on the main monitor. To get back to your Touch Designer network click “escape”

Case 2. With two projectors and the same dimensions of projectors (an interface and an output are displayed)

The width and height of this window is set to 2560 on 720. 

Inside this container (named case2) we have 2 seperate containers that show the movie file in from case 1 and a second container that we have set a backrgound color for. Both of these containers get a value for the “Align order” (underneath the Layout tab) to indicate which one will be shown first and last.

The children settings fro these 2 containers is set to “Left to right”. Dragging this operator (case2) on the perform window and pressing F1 will show the window on the main monitor. The settings “Justify horizontal” should be set to “Left” to get the first screen to our computer screen and the second one to the connected projector.

Case 3. With two projectors and different dimensions of projectors (an interface and an output are displayed)

In this case we will add a new performance window that can have different dimensions then our default “perform” window. Set the default one to the dimensions of your computer monitor and addapt the second window to the dimensions of your projector.

We will use the same containers from case 2: the containerUI is displayed in the default one and the ouptut is send to a second one that we will have to create first. Be sure to indicate the reference to the monitor in the parrameter widow of the newly created window (according to the settings panel from the computer you are working on) and change the settings to remove the border. 

Case 4 takes the last case and applies it to a previous example of this course: including two parrameter windows to use the Switch and Levels to alter our output.

Copy the operator from the previous case and open the network that you want to use in your projection. Copy the complete network into containerUI1 and set the display of containerScreen1 to the output of your network.

Go back to containerUI1 and add two “parrameter” comps into the network: one with the switch as a reference and one for the levels. These will be displayed as an interface on your main computer screen.