{"id":6300,"date":"2026-11-06T20:26:49","date_gmt":"2026-11-07T01:26:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dems.asc.ohio-state.edu\/?p=6300"},"modified":"2026-11-06T20:26:49","modified_gmt":"2026-11-07T01:26:49","slug":"neon-mirage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dems.asc.ohio-state.edu\/?p=6300","title":{"rendered":"Neon Mirage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For this project, I created an interactive video synthesizer in TouchDesigner called <em>Neon Mirage<\/em>. My inspiration came from kaleidoscope toys and neon lights. I wanted to create a digital kaleidoscope with patterns, colors, and movements that could constantly change. This was my first time using a MIDI controller to control visuals in real time. I found it very interesting and also learned some new skills through this experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Technical Setup and Visual Design<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I mainly used GLSL shaders and TOP operators in TouchDesigner to create the visuals. The main kaleidoscope is made of symmetrical patterns and flowing neon lines. I also created a separate layer of geometric fragments to make the patterns look more like moving pieces of glass. Another important part of my project is the particle system. The particles move in a spiral and spread outward, creating a glowing effect. I used feedback to give them light trails and make their movements feel smoother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the interaction, I used a Korg nanoKONTROL2 MIDI controller. Different faders control rotation speed, liquid distortion, fragment movement, fragment density, particle effects, and colors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The color control includes five different palettes: pink and cyan, yellow and orange, green and blue, silver and white, and black and gold. I wanted the colors to change gradually instead of suddenly switching between presets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"pressure project3\" width=\"590\" height=\"443\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/M-SME3LiCbQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Design Process and Challenges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think that besides making the controls fun to use, finding a balance between visual complexity and clarity was also an important part of this project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At first, I mainly focused on adding more patterns, colors, and effects because I thought they would make the kaleidoscope more interesting. However, when I combined too many effects, the screen became very crowded. The neon lines and glass fragments sometimes overlapped too much, making it difficult to see their individual shapes. I realized that adding more visual elements does not always make the final work better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I also had problems with blurry particles and changing the original square composition into a widescreen format. During the process, I spent a lot of time adjusting shaders, testing MIDI controls, and comparing different visual effects. I tried to keep the details I liked while improving the parts that might distract the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Performance and Reflection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unlike creating a finished animation, using a video synthesizer requires me to constantly make adjustments based on the music while the visuals are running. I found this process very interesting. I needed to think about when to change the colors, when to add more particles, and when to keep the visuals simple. I also found that controlling several faders at the same time was not easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Designing a visual instrument is different from creating a beautiful image. I needed to consider not only how the visuals looked, but also whether I could easily control these effects during a live performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"pressure project3 final\" width=\"590\" height=\"443\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GXTgT4ZQPsg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For this project, I created an interactive video synthesizer in TouchDesigner called Neon Mirage. My inspiration came from kaleidoscope toys and neon lights. I wanted to create a digital kaleidoscope with patterns, colors, and movements that could constantly change. This was my first time using a MIDI controller to control visuals in real time. I [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":137,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dems.asc.ohio-state.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dems.asc.ohio-state.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dems.asc.ohio-state.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dems.asc.ohio-state.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/137"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dems.asc.ohio-state.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6300"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dems.asc.ohio-state.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6300\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6301,"href":"https:\/\/dems.asc.ohio-state.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6300\/revisions\/6301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dems.asc.ohio-state.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dems.asc.ohio-state.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dems.asc.ohio-state.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}