Learning to Program the ETC Video Synthesizer

Kirk Kaiser from www.makeartwithpython.com posted this great tutorial on programming Python on the ETC!

Be sure to check out his full post which features some new modes for the ETC:

Thanks Kirk!

5 Likes

:heart_eyes: Brilliant! Don’t know the first place to start with ETC, this is a godsend!

Great introduction. The Zach Liebermann lecture he quotes is worth to watch too.
I had to adopt his Zach Liebermann Mode immediately:

import pygame
import random
import time
import math

# code adapted by Florian Anwander from Kirk Kaiser
# https://www.makeartwithpython.com/blog/critter-guitari-etc-review-code/
# who adapted it from zach lieberman's talk
# https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmztlO9_Wvo

    
white=(255,255,255)

def setup(screen, etc):
    pass

def draw(screen, etc):
    for i in range(160):
        i=i*4
        
        red= int(127 + 120 * math.sin(i * .01 + time.time()))
        grn= int(127 + 120 * math.sin(i * (.01 + etc.knob4*.01) + time.time()))
        blu= int(127 + 120 * math.sin(i * (.01 + etc.knob4*.02)+ time.time()))
        color = (red,grn,blu)
        colorinv = (255-red,255-grn,255-blu)
        radius_1 = int(60 + 40 * math.sin(i * (.11-(etc.knob2 * .1) )+.0001 + time.time()))
        #increase      ^^   ^^ to get more drastic figures
        radius_2 = int(70 - 30 * math.sin(i * (etc.knob2 * .09)+.0001 + time.time()*5))
        #------------------------------------------------------------set speed here ^
        radius1 = int(etc.knob3 * radius_1)
        radius2 = int(etc.knob3 * radius_2)
        xoffset1 = i
        xpos1 = int((640-i) * math.sin(i * .01 + time.time()*.2) + (640-i) + xoffset1)
        xpos2 = int(1280 // 2 + 100 * math.sin(i * .02 + time.time()* .1))+360
        xpos3 = int(1280 // 2 + 100 * math.sin(i * .02 + time.time()* .2))-360
        #switch between filled circles and not filled by using here  either "<" or ">":
        if 1 < 0.5 :
            pygame.gfxdraw.circle(screen, xpos1, i, radius1, colorinv)
            pygame.gfxdraw.circle(screen, xpos2, i, radius2, color)
            pygame.gfxdraw.circle(screen, xpos3, i, radius2, color)
        else :
            pygame.gfxdraw.filled_circle(screen, xpos1, i, radius1, colorinv)
            pygame.gfxdraw.filled_circle(screen, xpos2, i, radius2, color)
            pygame.gfxdraw.filled_circle(screen, xpos3, i, radius2, color)
    pygame.gfxdraw.circle(screen, xpos1, i, radius1, white )
    pygame.gfxdraw.circle(screen, xpos2, i, radius2, white )
    pygame.gfxdraw.circle(screen, xpos3, i, radius2, white )
1 Like

I have to admit - the existence of your videos definitely factored in to my decision to get an ETC. While I have some very light programming experience, I plan to (hopefully) program my own and actually conceptualize something and maybe even achieve it. Thanks for offering the spark of accessibility.

this looks fun
i have python skills but need a simple tutorial like this to get inspired

2 Likes

Great that these tutorials exist! I still don’t have the slightest idea where to start. I’m familiar with some python syntax. I tried to edit one of the modes on OTC while it was running and upon saving, nothing changed. Using Atom to edit code and ForkLift to access the code files on the organelle from my Mac.

I think this is bc OTC loads all the modes upon startup… can anyone suggest the proper workflow to see the modes while at the same time changing/editing them?

This is how ETC does Wireless Programming with USB-WiFi: ETC Manual

1 Like

classic case of rtfm. thank you!

1 Like