TouchEngine

The TouchEngine node allows the integration of TouchDesigner projects directly into a Screenberry pipeline using the TouchEngine API . Video streams obtained from TouchEngine can be used as a texture or as a composition layer. Incoming data streams can be used to provide Screenberry with information like tracking coordinates, object properties, DMX values, touch events, and any other real-time data.

Note: TouchDesigner version 2020.28110 or newer is required. We recommend using the latest official release.

Note: TouchEngine requires an installed version of TouchDesigner along with any paid license. When TouchEngine is run, it automatically locates the TouchDesigner application on the user’s system suitable for use.

Note: It is not required to run TouchDesigner for TouchEngine to work.

To make a TouchDesigner project available for integration:

1. In the TouchDesigner project, create the needed In and Out operators of the required types.
2. Save the project as a component (.tox file).

To integrate the TouchDesigner project into Screenberry:

1. Add the TouchEngine node to the Node Graph.
2. In the node’s Settings panel, select and load the .tox file.
3. After the file loads, Screenberry automatically discovers its exposed inputs, outputs, and custom parameters and creates the corresponding node parameters.
4. Connect the resulting input and output pins to the required nodes.

Currently, TOP, CHOP, and DAT input and output operators are supported by the TouchEngine API:

• TOP — an operator family that creates, composites, and modifies images, and reads/writes images and movies to/from files and the network. TOPs run on the graphics card’s GPU.
• CHOP — an operator family which operates on Channels (a series of numbers) that are used for animation, audio, mathematics, simulation, logic, UI construction, and many other applications.
• DAT — an operator family that manipulates text strings: multi-line text or tables. Multi-line text is often a command script but can be any multi-line text. Tables are rows and columns of cells, each containing a text string.

The automatically discovered input and output parameters provide corresponding pins on the TouchEngine node. Connect these pins to other nodes to exchange the exposed data.