Just opened this repository: https://github.com/GModal/pd2jack

pd2jack is a shell application for running Pure Data patches as minimalist JACK clients, using LibPd. I.E., the patches run "headless" and without a GUI. However, parameters can be passed to the patch from the cmd line.

Up to 16 audio ports and/or 16 MIDI ports can be opened per instance. Ports are defined at startup with cmd arguments, not by the Pd patch.

Example invocation, with three parameters passed to the patch:

pd2jack -p ./pd/rev_ctrl.pd -n MyPatch -s -v 1 -a 2:2 -m 1:0 '1 90' '2 99' '3 0.7'

Currently the code only compiles in Linux (I'm sure the Makefile won't work elsewhere), but I'll try to update that over time.

Great ! Just of curiosity : is the pd~ object supported ?

@jyg said:

Great ! Just of curiosity : is the pd~ object supported ?

Good question! I haven't tested it, so I don't know. There's a multi-instance build option for LibPd which I'm not using. That has it's own mini-API in the library and isn't directly invoked by any Pd patch code.

But LibPd is Pure Data, with some small caveats. If Pure Data can launch a sub-process, there's a good chance LibPd can as well...

The pd2jack project now has an official release, v0.1.0 (!)

Issues:
- MIDI Sysex msgs larger than 512 are not sent correctly, and will probably send garbage.
- MIDI RT Song Position & Song Select are not implemented (from the encapsulated patch -> output - they should input correctly).

https://github.com/GModal/pd2jack

Thanks!!
DG

@jyg said:

Great ! Just of curiosity : is the pd~ object supported ?

Nearing a more complete release, I ran a test with the pd~ obj, and (for now) the answer is no. I'm getting the error:

error: pd~: can't stat /pdsched.so
pd~ startup failed

It's likely that functionality lies with LibPd's "multiple instance support." I did try early on to enable that, but there's clearly more to it than simply enabling it (seg fault). So stay tuned, it's something I'd like to run down...

Edit:
Enabling multiple instance support does work now. Progress. Still fails looking for a dynamic library (the other "extras" work without expecting an .so file, and the [pd~] code does build object files.) Hmmm.

Edit 2:
Err, or not. Multiple instance still causing seg faults. To do.

A new release for pd2jack today (v0.1.6):

https://github.com/GModal/pd2jack

• This version has improved MIDI support (all RT message supported). Nearly all of the MIDI code was rewritten (and simplified).
• LibPd is now a submodule, and the build process streamlined.
• A Linux binary (zipped w/docs & Pd examples) is available with the release (Building from source is still recommended).

Thanks!

Another new release for pd2jack (v0.1.9):

https://github.com/GModal/pd2jack

New with v0.1.9, enabling interactive mode (-i) interprets a "live stream" of parameter pairs (in the console), which are passed on as "param" messages to the Pd patch. These work like the startup "parameter pairs," except for:

• No quotes are required
• Passed in real time during run
• Each pair is terminated with a newline

A stream of pairs might look something like this:

1 89
1 88
1 87
1 86
3 2180
3 2200
3 2221
3 2241
3 2261
4 19

NOTE: this has some cool implications -- a separate GUI application can act as a front-end, and "pipe" data into pd2jack.

So ANY GUI api could be used...just convert any input to parameter pairs and print them to the console. This isn't a crazy as it sounds -- two applications connected with a pipe are separate processes, and if the numeric char strings aren't actually printed to the console (the are not, with pipe), the CPU load is pretty small.

Here's a example of how it's invoked:

./revUI | pd2jack -i -p rev_i.pd

(where revUI is the GUI, and pd2jack is running the "rev_i.pd" patch in interactive mode.)

Simple video demo:

There are other options for IPC with Pd (netsend, netreceive & some custom objects) and piping the console might feel like a hack, but it is simple and quick. An additional method (sockets?) might be added to pd2jack in the future...(yeah, I'm thinking maybe a plugin interface).

It's also been suggested this mode might be useful for people with disabilities. I've also successfully piped the output of pd2jack to a speech synthesis module, sending text via Pure Data's [print] object, as well as any info output in "verbose" mode. Of course, that could probably be done in a normal "headless" Pure Data.

Interactive Mode Special Commands (w/ "@" prefix)

Interactive mode also includes a set of special cmds, for controlling some internal operations. Each of these cmds is preceeded with an "at" symbol (@), to differentiate the cmds from the parameter stream. Here's a list:

• @openPatch <name> : load a different patch into the LibPd space (closes current patch first).
• @closePatch : closes the current patch
• @reopenPatch : reopens the last valid patch (patch can be closed or already open)
• @im_sleepTime <int> : sleep time (ms, 5-500) between data fetches for interactive mode.

Invoking "@reopenPatch" on an already open patch will reload the patch.

I expect more cmds will be added in the future.