Thanks for alerting me to the existence of Max, Catherine. I guessed these "software-Fimo" languages must exist and be popular somewhere: in fact I tried selling one around 20 years ago in the educational market (called APLomb). That was a 100-flowers time in the UK, with all sorts of software experiments... until the Thatcher educational reforms stopped all productive innovation in its tracks and made sure teachers never went the extra mile unless they were paid overtime.
I'm glad you were taught something sensible like Max at school. In my day the mix'n'match software offered with Lego and schools/hobby robotics was nonsense like FORTH and LOGO, when it was clear ever since the 1970s that visual dataflow was the way to go for people who didn't want to turn into programmers. A cursory glance suggests Max is what GarageBand (or Director) might look like if you allowed proliferation of 3rd-party add-ons. I'll have to explore it. If only for the add-ons. Ian On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 12:01 PM, Catherine Lathwell <[email protected]> wrote: > HI guys, > > I haven't used Max since school (2003) where we learned how to control > various external devices (camera, monitor, etc). I can't say much about how > its doing since, but thought you might be interested if you don't know about > it already: > >> *Max* is a visual >> programming<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_programming>language for >> music <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music> and >> multimedia<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimedia>developed and maintained >> by San >> Francisco <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco>-based software >> company Cycling '74 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycling_%2774>. During >> its 20-year history, it has been widely used by composers, performers, >> software designers, researchers, and artists for creating innovative >> recordings, performances, and installations. >> >> The *Max* program itself is highly modular, with most routines existing in >> the form of shared libraries <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_library>. >> An API >> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_Programming_Interface>allows >> third-party development of new routines (called "external objects"). >> As a result, Max has a large userbase of programmers not affiliated with >> Cycling '74 who enhance the software with commercial and non-commercial >> extensions <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extension_%28computing%29> to the >> program. Because of its >> extensible<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensibility>design and graphical >> interface <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_interface> (which in a novel >> way represents the program >> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_program>structure and the >> GUI <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_user_interface> as presented >> to the user simultaneously), Max is widely regarded as[*weasel >> words<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Avoid_weasel_words> >> *] the lingua franca <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingua_franca> for >> developing interactive music performance software. >> > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_%28software%29 > > Catherine > > On Sun, May 9, 2010 at 11:53 PM, Ian Clark <[email protected]>wrote: > >> I've recently discovered there's a whole art form dedicated to dolls >> (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agalmatophilia) -- like the ones >> you can get for a mere 6000 bucks from http://www.realdoll.com/ . >> Combining both technologies (with a Wi-Fi-enabled Arduino selling >> itself on eBay embedded in the silicone head of a realdoll?) and hey >> presto! -- the world's first android gold-digger. >> >> Ian >> >> >> On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 3:58 AM, Joey K Tuttle <[email protected]> wrote: >> > An interesting article about Art&Technology - >> > >> > http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/magazine/09FOB-Consumed-t.html >> > >> > describing the work "A Tool to Deceive and Slaughter" which attempts >> > to sell itself on eBay... Computer uses are getting more and more >> > creative. >> > >> > >> > At 03:05 +0100 2010/05/10, Ian Clark wrote: >> >>Devon, >> >> >> >>I'll happily write up my experience with the use of J and put it on >> >>the wiki. To get into Arduino, start with this portal: >> >>http://arduino.cc/ . Also MAKE: magazine >> >>http://www.makezine.com/magazine/ --just about every other gizmo has >> >>an Arduino duct-taped to it. >> >> >> >>I doubt I'll be able to add much to the use of the Arduino in general. >> >>There's a load of freeware and documentation, also a forum. But it >> >>would be nice to see J somewhere on this extensive list, which shows >> >>all our main competitors: >> >>http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Main/InterfacingWithSoftware >> >>Your museum curator can't really say there isn't much published >> >>experience with it. But he's certainly opened an interesting market >> >>for an aspiring Arduino jock: consultant engineer for art exhibitions >> >>and museum displays. >> >> >> >>As for altering the artist's code, I guess that falls into the same >> >>ethical category as restoring the pigments in Old Masters. I wouldn't >> >>consider the code part of the artwork, but supporting technology. A >> >>grey area though, which could do with some published interface >> >>standards, if not software products, so artists could benefit from a >> >>code version of Cryla or Fimo. >> >> >> >>Ian >> >> >> >> >> >>On Sun, May 9, 2010 at 11:31 PM, Devon McCormick <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >>> Ian - I'd be interested in what you find out about the Arduino. I >> heard a >> >>> talk on it at BarCamp NYC a couple of weeks ago. The talk was about >> its use >> >>> in artworks and the complications this raises for art curators with >> regard >> >>> to maintaining the work because they often lack the technical >> expertise to >> >>> work with a micro-controller. There are also issues about maintaining >> the >> >>> integrity of a piece - whether a curator has the right to potentially >> alter >> >>> a work by changing its programming. >> >>> >> >>> Please keep us informed. >> >>> >> >>> Thanks, >> >>> >> >>> Devon >> >>> >> >>> On Sun, May 9, 2010 at 3:48 PM, Ian Clark <[email protected] >> >wrote: >> >>> >> >>>> I'm currently playing with the Arduino microcontroller much beloved >> of >> >>>> hobbyists and gadgeteers: http://arduino.cc/ >> >>>> >> >>>> Pleased with what I can make it do so far, which is program it (in >> C), >> >>>> but not communicate through my Mac with its running program. >> >>>> >> >>>> It has a USB port which supports a simple TTY interface via which >> >>>> commands can be sent and data retrieved. >> >>>> >> >>>> Does anyone have any experience of communicating with it using J? >> >>>> >> >>>> Ian >> >>>> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >>>> For information about J forums see >> http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm >> >>>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> -- >> >>> Devon McCormick, CFA >> >>> ^me^ at acm. >> >>> org is my >> >>> preferred e-mail >> >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >>> For information about J forums see >> http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm >> >>> >> >>---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >>For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm >> > >> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm >> > >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm >> > > > > -- > Catherine Lathwell > http://www.aprogramminglanguage.com > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
