Input Signals & Simulation

Overview:

Many input types are easily captured in TouchDesigner. The Mouse In CHOP, the Joystick CHOP, the Keyboard In CHOP and the MIDI In CHOP are easy ways to capture data directly from input devices and see their values in the CHOP viewers.

Sometimes, we don’t have the exact input devices that will be used for an installation, exhibit, or activation. In those situations it can often be important to have recorded data, or some form of simulated data to work with. One of the most common simulated data types is just noise from the Noise CHOP. While this isn’t useful in all scenarios, it can be helpful when you need some data that is constantly animated without needing any direct input. 

Network communication is common in TouchDesigner projects – for example a sensor, or control surface may be sending data via the OSC protocol, and if you don’t have that device on hand you can still simulate that streaming data by using CHOPs that generate data along with a simple set of OSC In and OSC Out CHOPs.

In some cases you may have pre-recorded data and you want to play it back. This example shows how we can use a Timer CHOP along with a Lookup CHOP to playback a recorded data set from a Kinect CHOP.

• CHOPs – Derivative Wiki
• Mouse In CHOP – Derivative Wiki
• Joystick CHOP – Derivative Wiki
• Noise CHOP – Derivative Wiki
• Lookup CHOP – Derivative Wiki
• Null CHOP – Derivative Wiki