Am I able to do this with PD?

Reply to Am I able to do this with PD? on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:21:12 GMT

MarioG — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:21:12 GMT

Hello, I´m Mario, from Argentina. I accidentally bumped into PD while surfing the web for procedural music.
The thing is, I´m working on a 3D project. Similar to First Person Shooting, but without the shooting. I saw a video in youtube that shows a generative procedural music patch in PD

and it impressed me.
The thing I need is background music that changes with time, and that is also affected by the actions of the user. For example, if the user starts running a lot, the music gets faster... if the user starts a social activity with a character, a new layer of music is added, or the music changes scale, etc.... or a new character arrives and the music changes... etc.
I want to know if there is a simple protocol by which the game can communicate with PD, so the music fits with the action taking place. Also, it would be great that there is a way in which PD can send information TO the game (such as BPM of the music, occurrence of a specific musical passage, etc)

I need insight into how much work is it to make a complex generative music patch with the carachteristics mentioned above (and if it´s possible). It should have a decent aesthetic and cosmetic level, by this I mean it should be able to play decent drumset samples (even better, virtual sinthesizers) for example, and it should include musical variations or arrangements, such as solos, musical structure such as verse, chorus, verse passages. For instance, I want to make it play a blues-sort-of music... Can I? Is PD for me or is there another tool thas is?

Another thing to consider: when it´s finished, the program will be running continously for about 14 to 15 hours. Are there any precedents of PD running a complex patch that long without problems or chrashes?

I will design the carachteristics of the (should I say "program"?) system, but I will most likely hire someone to do the programming, and I want to know which is the likeliness to have a good result using PD, and how much will it cost me (time and money).

I would REALLY appreciate some insight on this, since its a serious project. And also I´m open to offerings for doing the job, but I must mention that the project is at an inicial stage and some changes in the ideas may occur, and the budget is not yet defined.

Thanks for reading,
greets,

Mario

Reply to Am I able to do this with PD? on Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:02:36 GMT

grg — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:02:36 GMT

@MarioG said:

I want to know if there is a simple protocol by which the game can communicate with PD, so the music fits with the action taking place. Also, it would be great that there is a way in which PD can send information TO the game (such as BPM of the music, occurrence of a specific musical passage, etc)

Hi Mario,
read this: http://www.obiwannabe.co.uk/tutorials/gamedev/OSC/oschooks.html
and see if it fits your needs, pd can definetly run stable for hours/days etc, if you can come up with something musically satisfying in pd is up to you

Reply to Am I able to do this with PD? on Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:35:43 GMT

Maelstorm — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:35:43 GMT

The music for Spore is done using Pd to generate music. You might want to look into that a bit.

Reply to Am I able to do this with PD? on Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:06:28 GMT

tcihan — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:06:28 GMT

@Maelstorm said:

The music for Spore is done using Pd to generate music. You might want to look into that a bit.

As far as I know, they developed their own version of Pd though. Yet, it's worth to have a look at for starting.