DIFFERENT STROKES
=================

by Mark Zadel, 2006

http://www.music.mcgill.ca/~zadel/

zadel@music.mcgill.ca

(current version modified to compile+run on Ubuntu 14.04)

## Overview

Different Strokes is a software system for performing music on a
computer.  It aims to allow a performer to create much of his or
her performance sequences on-stage instead of relying on prepared
control material.

The program resembles a freehand drawing application.  The drawn
strokes create animated figures whose motion is mapped to sample
playback.  The musician performs by assembling networks of
strokes live, generating audio patterns.


## Documentation

Some documentation about the program is available at the main
program site: http://www.music.mcgill.ca/~zadel/

Currently, there's a conference article and a Master's thesis
available.


## Compiling and Running the Application

The application was written and tested on Mac OSX 10.3.9 using
GNU Make and g++ 3.3.  It probably won't work out of the box on
other setups, but the code could probably be made to compile on
other unix platforms with some amount of effort.

To build the application, just unpack the source files and run
make in the source directory.  The application has to be run in
the terminal (for the time being) like so:

    % ./ds


## Specifying Samples

You can point the application at your samples using the
dssamples.txt file.  It should reside in the same directory as
the application binary.  It contains sample filenames, one file
per line.  Filenames can be specified with paths relative to the
source directory, or with absolute paths.  You may specify up to
eight samples in the dssamples.txt file.


## Keystrokes

The keyboard commands are

  - 0: switch to silent stroke mode
  - 1: switch to sample stroke 1 mode
  - 2: switch to sample stroke 2 mode
  - 3: switch to sample stroke 3 mode
  - 4: switch to sample stroke 4 mode
  - 5: switch to sample stroke 5 mode
  - 6: switch to sample stroke 6 mode
  - 7: switch to sample stroke 7 mode
  - 8: switch to sample stroke 8 mode
  - r: switch to removal mode (to erase strokes)

Sample stroke 1 is the sample that was listed first in the
dssamples.txt file.  Sample stroke 2 is the second one, and so
on.


## Watch Out For...

  - Feedback loops -- you'll know when you trigger one.  The
    whole interface locks up and gets unresponsive.  Go to the
    terminal window where it's running and hit ctrl-c.  You just
    have to avoid the sorts of shapes that trigger this feedback
    for the moment.
  - Clipping -- the audio doesn't do any compressing or anything,
    so dense sets of samples clip easily.  Use quietish, not-so
    dense samples.
  - Moving the window -- don't move or resize the window when
    there are any strokes on the screen.  It'll cause the
    application to close.  Maximize the window before you start
    working.

These are all temporary problems that will be corrected in future
revisions of the application.


## Questions / Comments / Feedback

Please send these to zadel@music.mcgill.ca.