Re: [microsound] Pure Data Applications

[David Powers <cyborgk@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 8/15/07, Igor Medeiros <igormpc@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> if someone who really works with pd gets a stand alone app, sooner or later
> will customize it to fit his/her needs...
> i prefer not think in "application" - a better word is "patch"...
>
> anyway, try bastardvj for a good vj patch - if you prefer 3d sees pmpd & Gem
> help.
> igor

I strongly disagree with this line of thinking. Applications are only
code, PD just exposes the code in a different way. The ability to work
with code visually should not impede application-building. It just
seems that the PD community has not been as motivated as the Max/MSP
community to build standalone applications, for whatever reason.

I will not that I personally find that rapid prototyping sometimes
inhibits application building, because ideas are realized very quickly
without enough planning, leading to tangled spaghetti and patches that
are not modularized in the most optimum way. The question of where and
how to modularize, is itself rather essential.

Anyway, lack of app building isn't so surprising, since there is a
lack of information available on how, exactly, one should go about
designing a "real", user-friendly application in a dataflow
environment. At least I'm unaware of such information, if it exists.
Frank Barknecht has done a lot though to implement design concepts in
his patches and tutorials, which is at least a starting point.

I wonder: could principles of Extreme Programming be applied to
dataflow? Ruthless refactoring could really benefit an environment
that allows for such quick prototyping.

Anyway netPD might be something along the lines of what this person is
interested in, I haven't used it but it seems to offer a nice modular
environment with synths and sequencers already built for the user.

I keep meaning to do some application development, but unfortunately
this always gets put off due to other demands, both musical and work
related.

Hopefully soon that will change...

~David

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