TouchDesigner is a highly complex video and user interaction design software tool. It is used in live visuals at music festivals and to create interactive displays at events like CES. It allows for reactivity between audio software like Ableton Live and live video. Finally, TouchDesigner is used extensively for generative video coding applications.

It’s extremely versatile software, so much so that there is no one way to learn it, which can often be overwhelming for beginners. Luckily, there are simple ways to get started so that you can make engaging, generative, and interactive visuals during your first class exploring TD. We will learn the very basics: how to move around in Touch Designer, what the different types of modules are, how it handles 2D vs 3D information, and how to really easily animate projects with noise. I will provide a list of YouTube and Patreon channels for further learning after the class.
This will be a high-level presentation covering intro concepts.

Recommended: Bring a laptop so you can code alongside the presentation. Download the latest version of Touch Designer here (https://derivative.ca/download) and test it on your computer. TouchDesigner is free for non-commercial use. If you do not have a laptop, don’t worry, you can still attend the presentation and ask questions. We will have a few computers on-site with TD that are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Recommended Resources: Newnome Beauton PPPANNIKK https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=touch+designer https://www.youtube.com/@acrylicode https://www.youtube.com/@elekktronaut https://www.youtube.com/@TheInteractiveImmersiveHQ

Instructor: Sawyer Sweet

Suday, April 20th, 2025
3:00 pm - 5:30 pm
@ 1256 Lloyd Center
2nd Floor, near Dicepool

$10-20 sliding scale
(tickets required to attend, no one turned away for lack of funds, email info@synthlibraryportland.org for low-cost or no-cost tickets)