showstack / software / touchdesigner
TouchDesigner
Node-based visual development environment for real-time generative content, interactive installations and custom control surfaces. Frequently deployed as the content engine behind a show rather than as a cue playback tool.
Protocols it speaks
| Protocol | Direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| art-net | bidirectional | |
| sacn | bidirectional | |
| dmx512 | bidirectional | |
| osc | bidirectional | |
| ndi | bidirectional |
What to watch for
The free Non-Commercial licence caps image resolution at 1280x1280 and locks out Shared Memory, C++ and SDI operators. A project prototyped on it will not scale to a real output without paying.
Projection calibration, optical tracking, motion capture input and multi-process sync are Pro-tier only, so a Commercial licence is not enough for a mapped or tracked show.
Non-Commercial keys are tied to the machine and cannot be moved. Only Commercial and higher licences transfer between computers, which matters when a show laptop dies.
Typical use
- Generative and reactive content driven by live data or sensors
- Custom operator interfaces and bespoke control glue
- Projection content and LED processing pipelines
- Prototyping interactive installations
Sources
- TouchDesigner Products — licence tiers and limits — Derivative primary
- Derivative — TouchDesigner — Derivative primary
Understand the mechanism
Something wrong, or missing?
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