Digital Tools

One of the biggest problems of getting into Actionscript with the new open source Framework "Flex" from Adobe is, to make instant use of Actionscript 3 to generate and modify things. Many people will convert from old Flash, Processing or whatever scripting facilities to Flex, because the Flash Player 9, that goes along with Actionscript is really enhanced. And Flex from Adobe offers an open source SDK, where you can develop cool applications straightaway for free.

Instant fun for beginners.

When you start to get this done, Adobe only will throw Flex-examples at you. Or examples and tutorials with Actionscript, that are far too advanced for the beginners "Hello World" level. I also searched forums: most people want to get done quickly and start out coding with Actionscript without all this things in mind, but don't get support. That's why I prepared three files, that let you start immediately with coding pleasure.

The first file is a template, that show two ways to get sprites, that were generated with Actionscript directly on the screen. It shows two techniques, that are not obvious, especially not for beginners. Don't mind the details. Just start your projects and feel free to use my files to build upon.

The other file is more strapped down version of the above. It provides you just with an empty Flex canvas, a stub for the Actionscript and a timer to control and animate things that should appear on the screen. If you download and compile the file, not much happens. Just an empty canvas. But you can easily build scripted animations with it, also with Flex-elements, like text-boxes that jump around or buttons with bouncing width etc.

The third is at the Olympus of simplicity. I create some rotating objects on the screen, that are derived from a custom class I wrote, that extends the Sprite class.

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This is a patch to enables the sending of MIDI-controller data from the Korg Electribe ES-1 to maxMSP.

Some technical details:

The ES-1 only sends MIDI note values on the MIDI-out port. The controllers are only sent by so called NPRN-Data. Usual audio-applications can't handle this kind of data hidden in the MIDI-stream. MaxMSP allows to handle every kind of incoming data, so I figured out to convert the controller values into the max format. The single sample-channels 1 till 7B changes the controller values of the knobs. All in all you can control over 68 controller values in addition to the ordinary MIDI note data with that patch! Using the patch is pure fun, because the Electribe ES-1 it is still one of the best hardware controller interfaces available.

To use it, simply copy the content of the .txt-file into the copy-buffer and select in maxMSP "open from clipboard". Done, that's all. Download here.

If you port this patch to pure data or vvvv, leave a comment and we will link to your place or host your patch at this place. Use this patch for a performance? (It doesn't have to be necessarily a music performance...) Then please feedback and post a comment here.

What is Smoove?
Smoove is a free open-source pixel, tile and sprite-editor for the Sony PSP programmed in Lua.
You can read, write and edit .PNG-Files.

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