Canvas object: touch size parameter

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Phil999
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Canvas object: touch size parameter

Post by Phil999 » 11 Jan 2018 18:55

Image

Many of you have probably seen pictures of a Buchla 222e multidimensional kinesthetic input controller, or seen a real one. Or even own one. Myself I decided to go a different path, especially after the release of the KMI QuNeo controller, but the thought of using a tablet to emulate the functionality of a 222e is still an interesting option. Even more in 2018 where older tablets are rather cheap to get, so that one could dedicate such a tablet for this one particular purpose only. Adding a cut-out cardboard or plastic overlay on top of the tablet could enhance tactility and "blind" controlling of parameters. Another advancement was the Canvas object in Lemur which enables us to create any shape and form, not only rectangles.

Well there's nothing that can stop us from creating such a 222e-like surface for Lemur, including the overlay, but there is one thing that is missing and at the same time technically possible: the size of the touched area. If we had a Canvas parameter for touch size, such a controller would be much more expressive. There are a couple of iOS apps that make use of this. Garageband, Orphion, some piano apps.

It would be a great advancement for the Lemur software. Also for traditional keyboard layouts and general use. The developers (Liine) might also consider to introduce this new feature as an in-app-purchase, to cover development cost. Personally I would gladly pay $20 for this.
Formant+Eurorack, PPG wave 2.2, Korg MS-20, etc., EWI 4000s, QuNeo, etc., Mixbus32c, u-he, MadronaLabs, Samplemodeling, NI, etc., iPad2/4/Pro

midikinetics
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Re: Canvas object: touch size parameter

Post by midikinetics » 14 Jan 2018 17:17

Never seen that before. Neat.
Unfortunately impossible: UIKit (iOS's UI Framework) doesn't provide this data.
We get touchesBegan, touchesMoved, touchesCancelled, etc., but no touchSize. The touch handler returns a point, not a rect :-(
Not 100% sure about Android, but I believe it's the same-- just a point.
You could use 2 fingers to simulate and calculate distance.
MOH

Phil999
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Re: Canvas object: touch size parameter

Post by Phil999 » 15 Jan 2018 03:01

thank you for that info. Do you have an idea how these other apps, Orphion, Garageband, create touch size or a kind of velocity sensitivity?
Formant+Eurorack, PPG wave 2.2, Korg MS-20, etc., EWI 4000s, QuNeo, etc., Mixbus32c, u-he, MadronaLabs, Samplemodeling, NI, etc., iPad2/4/Pro

midikinetics
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Re: Canvas object: touch size parameter

Post by midikinetics » 15 Jan 2018 06:00

Hm, after further investigation looks like I am wrong!
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/886 ... ize-in-ios

Well, color me purple. Had no idea about that property.
Neat stuff. Comment retracted.

MOH

Phil999
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Re: Canvas object: touch size parameter

Post by Phil999 » 18 Jan 2018 08:04

thanks midikinetics, that looks like useful info for the Liine team. Meanwhile I've been experimenting a bit with Jay's svg-to-jzml converter (http://d-spacestudios.com/svg2jzml.html). Both the svg and the jzml still need some work, but the first result gives some idea how it could look like. In the attachment you find the svg and the jzml file.

Image
Attachments
222e.zip
(28.46KiB)Downloaded 1017 times
Formant+Eurorack, PPG wave 2.2, Korg MS-20, etc., EWI 4000s, QuNeo, etc., Mixbus32c, u-he, MadronaLabs, Samplemodeling, NI, etc., iPad2/4/Pro

hydrogen
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Re: Canvas object: touch size parameter

Post by hydrogen » 20 May 2019 21:50

This feature would be beyond.

Phil999
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Re: Canvas object: touch size parameter

Post by Phil999 » 26 May 2020 18:57

I think it would be possible. Meanwhile, there has been the release of the Sensel Morph controller, which I bought. It serves all purposes I need.
Formant+Eurorack, PPG wave 2.2, Korg MS-20, etc., EWI 4000s, QuNeo, etc., Mixbus32c, u-he, MadronaLabs, Samplemodeling, NI, etc., iPad2/4/Pro

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