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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Field for MacOS X

A couple of sources mentioned Field, today.  It's mostly an interactive art development environment.  And it's mostly python and java.  But it seems to really be about "improvisational coding" if that makes sense.  You know, like when you're playing with some fun code and you keep frotzing knobs and tweaking codes and tuning multipliers ... except that Field purports to keep running your code live while you play, rather than interrupting your groove to hit "compile and run" after every single change.

The IDE itself has the sort of futuristic look you'd expect from Media Lab freaks.  And it interconnects will all sorts of sweet stuff.  As a nod to the pioneers, it supports any Processing library you might like to borrow.  It uses Apple's Core Image framework, so output is all OpenGL (or PDF) and pretty.  It connects to Max/MSP if you desire, and supports OpenSound Control for getting audio, instruments and gestures in and out of your creations.  As a bonus, it understands the new OpenCL bits in Snow Leopard.  (It even juliennes!)

I've been trying to find time to really pay attention to my Processing books, but now I'm torn.  Perhaps I'll skim them for information theory, and give Field some of my practice.

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