Trigger Once!

| 6. April 2023

Have you ever wanted to send a trigger and then block all the other triggers? I.E: Just Trigger Once!

 

Ever wanted to receive a trigger from an Arduino (or similar) and then stop all other triggers for X amount of time? Or decide to open the gate again manually? Well, this is for you.

 

I do a lot of install work and interactive stuff which means I want something to trigger and then block and ignore all the incoming triggers until X amount of time, or when a video/audio file finishes and then automatically open the gate again.

 

If this rings a bell with you? Then this actor is for you.

 

1) “Trigger” only sends a “Trigger out” once – and will ignore everything else forever.

2) Click “Reset” to manually open the gate. This could be connected to a sensor, keyboard watcher, MIDI controller to anything.

3) If you choose a “Reset Time” the first trigger will “Trigger out” and then wait until the X amount of seconds you decided.

4) The “Gate Reset” is a visual aid to show you how long is left in % until the gate re-opens.

 

Enjoy!

Auto-Launch Isadora and Enable Serial Ports Workflow for macOS

| 4. July 2022

This Auto-Launch Isadora and Enable Serial Ports Workflow for macOS will allow you to set up an Apple computer so that, whenever you turn it on, it automatically logs in, launches Isadora, and triggers the “Enables Serial Ports” menu command. Once you understand the process, with a little bit of Googling for the correct bits of AppleScript, you’ll be able to automate all sorts of things on startup for macOS-based Isadora art installations.

The download includes an Automator workflow, a detailed readme document, and an AppleScript file (in case you want to edit or adapt the script yourself).

Note: If you are on Windows, you can trigger hotkeys for menu items in Isadora by using Andy Carluccio’s AutoHotkey Launcher Actor: https://troikatronix.com/add-ons/autohotkey-launcher-actor/

ZoomOSC User Actors & Template File

| 29. June 2022

User Actors and a template file for working with Liminal Entertainment Technologies’ software ZoomOSC. These User Actors and this Isadora template file aim to make it as easy as possible to get up and running with ZoomOSC. If you’ve already set up OSC communication between Isadora and ZoomOSC by changing the required settings in ZoomOSC, then this file is plug-and-play (meaning it should work immediately without any adjustments or setup on the Isadora side).

Changelog v10 (2021-12-14):

  1. Added a Scene called “Example Functions” that outlines some basic functions that can be performed with the User Actors.
  2. Added a Scene called “Chat Commands” that outlines how to create chat commands.
  3. There are two new User Actors in the User Actors folder: “Chat Command” and “Chat Command Settings”.
  4. Moved the “Liminal 48 Zoom Selector” to its own Isadora file.

Changelog v8 (2021-12-1):

  1. Note: If you already have the User Actors in your Global User Actors Folder, trash your current version of the “Chat Parser” and “Chatbot Response” User Actors and get the new ones from this download.
  2. Simplified the setup by combining the four necessary setup User Actors into a new User Actor “ZoomOSC Setup”. (If you want to use this User Actor in other files, you’ll need to put it into your Global User Actor Folder.)
  3. Updated the instructions slightly in the “Show Template” Scene.
  4. Added a new example Scene “Marco Polo Chatbot”.
  5. Fixed a parsing bug in the Chat Parser User Actor.
  6. Fixed a parsing bug in the Chatbot Response User Actor.
  7. Added a description of the 3-Value Comparator inside the User Actor and the “Javascript (User Actors)” Scene.
  8. Added explanations on how to do custom settings for OSC Channels, UDP Addresses, and Ports in the “Setup (User Actors)” Scene (scroll down).

Changelog v7 (2021-11-15):

  1. Added a “ZoomOSC Setup” Scene + Screenshot of ZoomOSC Settings
  2. Added an example chat-parsing Scene
  3. Added all User Actors in a folder

Smooth Random

| 18. March 2022

This Small little actor fades between random values

I have used this in multiple projects to animate objects.

 

The output can be curved.

The rate input is the time it takes to go from 0 to 100 (or from the min to the max)

When the distance between the values is smaller the speed is lowered.

 

When an object is connected, this makes sure the object is moving at a constant speed.

AutoHotKey Launcher Actor

| 17. March 2022

We love Isadora for its diverse set of input and output control actors, among other amazing features. While there is a robust implementation of actors to control Isadora Actors with mouse and keyboard input, there is currently not an easy way to send keystrokes and mouse movements into other applications on the computer. This can be a challenge for interacting with software that does not have a remote control API, such as Google Earth, as was noted in a recent forum post.

 

On macOS, a workaround for this problem has been to combine QLab / Osculator with Isadora to trigger Apple Scripts, which can simulate input to other programs running on the mac. Unfortunately, Windows users did not have an obvious workaround…until now!

 

Introducing an AutoHotKey Actor for Windows!

 

AutoHotKey (AHK) is a popular development framework for creating automation with keyboard and mouse inputs. From simple keyboard shortcuts to complex mouse-scanning and dynamic logic, AutoHotKey opens up the world of input automation in countless ways. There are many robust and freely available AHK scripts for automating all sorts of programs and processes, and now the AHK Actor brings these powerful scripts to Isadora!

 

The AutoHotKey Launcher Actor is an Isadora SDK Actor I created (with @mark ‘s support and guidance!) that allows you to trigger an AHK script from within Isadora. It takes an absolute path to your .ahk file, as well as any CLI parameters your script will process, and of course a trigger to run the .ahk script with those parameters applied. To use the actor, you must be on Windows 10 and have AutoHotKey installed.

 

To test the actor, place it in your patch. By default, AutoHotKey will install WindowSpy.ahk, a helper program for observing screen behavior, in the location:

C:\Program Files\AutoHotkey\WindowSpy.ahk

 

So, enter this path into the AHK Script Absolute Path input, and then click the trigger for Run. You can leave the AHK Parameters input blank. When you trigger the actor, WindowSpy should launch, and if it does, you are good to go! Otherwise, confirm that WindowSpy.ahk is located at that path, and verify that you have properly installed AutoHotKey.

 

AHK Parameters is an input that takes CLI arguments to use when running a .ahk file. Check the documentation of your .ahk scripts for usage. All CLI arguments should be entered as a single text input. An example AHK file with CLI parameters is my Google Earth Pro Controller, for which my Actor inputs could be:

 

1) C:\\Users\\Andy Carluccio\\Documents\\AHK\\GoogleEarthControl.ahk

2) -location “University of Virginia”

 

which, when run, would cause my Google Earth to spin over to the college. On the GitHub for the script, other CLI arguments are provided, which can be combined into a long text you place in the actor input.

 

I hope that this actor opens up new worlds of automation for you and your projects! Please provide feedback, but know that this is something I am working on in my free time without company resources, and my availability to update it with new features is extremely limited. Thanks again @mark for giving us a wonderful sandbox to play in!

DX – Advanced Envelope Scrubber

| 19. January 2022

The Advanced Envelope Scrubber actor provides a powerful ‘timeline’ tool that handles the display of numerous child scenes over time.

It is a sort of framework for working with sequences of scenes. The child scenes are run from a Parents’ position (as %), making it is very easy to link the controls to either Video or Audio playback. Originally designed to allow child scenes to be sequenced to a Parent scene playing a long audio file.

The attached ZIP file contains both the User Actor and an example file that plays through two groups of scenes. Each Parent scene has a timer that provides a value ranging 0-100 much like the position output of a Movie Player.
(My Timecode tools provide User Actors which make it easy to integrate with the use of Timecode in the Movie Player)

Features:

  • Attack, Sustain and Release values
  • Visual graphing of the envelope for easier editing
  • Curves can be assigned for each segment of the envelope
  • Child scenes can use the Parents scene intensity for crossfades
  • Works well with Layering Mode ‘Ungrouped’ for advanced video compositing

Requirements:

  • Part of the graphing feature uses the Grapher addon, but the basic graph and visualization of the envelope work without it.

 

 

DX – JS – Grid Positions – example

| 15. December 2021

Create an list of X Y position coordinates that create a grid using Javascript.

In this example patch I use some Javascript to split the Isadora stage into a centered grid. I have used this in a number of my own projects, so I thought I would share this now.

The project requires the JSON parser plugin: https://troikatronix.com/add-ons/json-parser-json-bundler/

It isn’t used heavily, and you could remove it from the project pretty easily. For now I have it included.

 

I have created 3 sample scenes all using the same grid factors 1x2x3 = 6, so we have these possible layouts: 2×3 , 3×2 , 1×6 and 6×1.

You could adjust these samples scenes to use: 1x2x2x3 = 12 producing six layouts or what ever other combination you like. More factors and possibilities mean more X,Y connections.

The sample scenes are:

  • Hexagons are drawn to the stage in alternating pattern grids each with some random settings and animation.
  • Text Blocks (listing the XY values for each) much like the Hexagons but using an optimized reader approach for text animation
  • Line Grid creating a colored grid of animated vertical and horizontal lines which draw the grid divisions

The included images show a few layouts of each sample scene.

RTMP Streamer

| 12. October 2021

Now you can easily access live online streaming directly from Isadora. The new RTMP Streamer actor allows you to stream video and audio to services like YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and more. Advanced options allow you to take control of your audio-video quality making the RTMP streamer actor perfect for integration into a variety of broadcast pipelines. In just minutes you can go live reaching a global audience.

Be sure to read the knowledge base article for details on connecting to Youtube, Facebook, and Twitch. https://support.troikatronix.com/support/solutions/articles/13000089992-using-the-rtmp-streamer-actor/

Or get started in minutes with this quick-start video: https://youtu.be/NzQMHWGaW-4

Minimum System Requirements: macOS Mojave or Windows 10

The RTMP Streamer Actor is compatible with macOS Mojave and later or Windows 10. It will not run appear in Isadora if you are running macOS High Sierra or earlier. The macOS version of this plugin has been compiled to run natively on both Intel-based and Apple silicon (ARM/M1) based computers.

Minimum Isadora version: 3.1

This plugin works in Isadora 3.1 or later. It will not show up in earlier versions of Isadora.

Leap Motion Watcher

| 11. October 2021

Leap Motion Watcher for Isadora 3.1 or Later

(Please read below regarding about installing the Leap Motion drivers, and how to run this plugin on an Apple Silicon based Mac.)

The Leap Motion Watcher measures the movement of your hands above a Leap Motion controller. This actor reports the position of your hands in three dimensions (x/y/z), the the rotation of the hands (roll, pitch, and yaw), and, when two hands are visible to the controller, the angle and distance between the hands. In addition, on macOS only, certain gestures (swipe, circle) can also be recognized.

Prior to Isadora 3.1, the Leap Motion Watcher plugin was included with the Isadora application. Since the makers of the Leap Motion controller have no plans to offer an Apple silicon (ARM/M1) version of the Leap Motion SDK, we moved this actor out of the main Isadora application and are offering it here as a separate add-on.

Install the Leap Motion Drivers First!

You need to install the Leap Motion drivers for macOS or Windows before using this plugin. At the time of this writing these drivers were located on this page of the Ultraleap website. If that link doesn’t work, try searching for: download leap motion hand tracking to find the page with these drivers.

Using This Add-On on Apple Silicon Based Macs

If want to run this plugin on an Apple Silicon (ARM/M1) based Mac, you’ll have to enable Intel emulation (Rosetta) mode on the Isadora application after installing the Leap Motion drivers.

Using This Add-on on Intel Macs and Windows Computers

If you are using this plugin on an Intel based Mac or on a Windows computer, just install the drivers and start using the actor.