[00101001]

Ok, here is my first attempt at an iTunes plugin... i dub thee: SparkBlot!!! (Took me 3 hours, 2.5 to learn the API, 15 minutes to program it, and another 15 minutes of epilectic seizures because the first version was too flashy)

No, its not really flashy, or swooshy, or colorful, but I think I've made some improvements over the default iTunes visualizer.

1. It's faster... like, a lot faster, 'cause less individual pixel smooshing going on (ive got a 350 g4, and it runs FAST
2. I think (MY OPINION), it gives life to the music better. iTunes is kinda funky and spazmatic, only on rare occasions can you actually follow a beat using the visualizer.

So, if you have 30 seconds to spare, try it out and tell me what you think... http://homepage.mac.com/lorenb/sparkblot.dmg.gz
USE IT IN FULLSCREEN, (ITS A LOT BETTER, i promise)

I've got a whole slew of other ideas waiting to be programmed, including a 3d one, ill get around to it next week.

ill release the source too, if anyone is interested...

[LordJavac]

Where do you get information about programming plugins for iTunes. Also do they mention non-visualizer plugins (like decoders/encoders)?

[[APi]TheMan]

Originally posted by 00101001:
<STRONG>Ok, here is my first attempt at an iTunes plugin... i dub thee: SparkBlot!!! (Took me 3 hours, 2.5 to learn the API, 15 minutes to program it, and another 15 minutes of epilectic seizures because the first version was too flashy)</STRONG>

lol That's impressive, man, I'll make sure to try it when I get home... if I can remember to, that is. I'm glad we have people supporting iTunes and its plugins.

[00101001]

Originally posted by LordJavac:
<STRONG>Where do you get information about programming plugins for iTunes. Also do they mention non-visualizer plugins (like decoders/encoders)?</STRONG>

Check out: http://developer.apple.com/sdk/

...and nope, didn't see anything on encoders/decoders

[tie]

Is there a good article out there which describes how to use the Fourier transforms of the audio? I would like to, for example, reliably pick out the beat of of a song, hopefully including the bars, adjusting for syncopation, etc.

I haven't seen any plugins which do this, perhaps because the analysis can't be done frame-by-frame but must compare frames. If the analysis is too expensive to be done real-time, I've thought that it could be done once offline, then the plugin could read in the data with the track name.

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Screenshot please.

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Also, is it possible to composite two plugins? That is, write a plugin which loads another plugin and uses it as a background?

[ 01-23-2002: Message edited by: tie ]

[00101001]

Don't know anything about Fourier transforms.. but that would be an AWESOME feature for something like this.
Check out the updated plugin here:
(press "w" to switch between modes)
http://homepage.mac.com/lorenb/sb21.dmg.gz





No... there not very "pretty" right now, but it's a first attempt by me -- plus im trying to program it to actually reflect the music (by analysing discrete frequencies instead of displaying them all ala iTunes default visualizer)

I'm working on some new stuff too, but ill post it when ive got something good

[ettorep]

Originally posted by 00101001:
ill release the source too, if anyone is interested...

I'm trying to get into iTunes visualizers too, I would be very interested in seeing the source code...

[Angus_D]

Originally posted by LordJavac:
Also do they mention non-visualizer plugins (like decoders/encoders)?

AFAIK there's no way of injecting an encoder into iTunes, but you can add to the stuff it can decode by writing a QuickTime Component type thingummy.

[00101001]

wow, that was a long time ago

I just released vTunes4 -- finally got around to making a nice 3D one.
http://lorenb.com/software/vtunes/

Email me at [email protected] if you want the vTunes3 source.

[djohnson]

Ok that was really cool! Nice job!

Originally posted by 00101001:
wow, that was a long time ago

I just released vTunes4 -- finally got around to making a nice 3D one.
http://lorenb.com/software/vtunes/

Email me at [email protected] if you want the vTunes3 source.

Wow, looks great!