CT1 - NEWSFLASH: DL NOW AVAIL


Channel Three Classic, also called Channel Three 1, is the first program made by the Channel Three team that has actually been used by various VJ teams to give VJ performances. This visual instrument or graphics synthesizer uses a dual-monitor setup. One monitor (SVGA) shows the interface, the other (3Dfx) shows the output. By for example projecting the 3Dfx output onto a screen, you can please your audience with your realtime animations.

After two years of development Channel Three Classic has grown to be a powerful tool for creating realtime graphics. From "high-tech" flights through morphing tunnels, metaballs, weird texture-effects, 3D object shows, morphing 3D objects to more "mood-affecting low-tech" designlines, beatflashes, stroboscopes or on-the-beat zooming textures; Channel Three Classic gives you the power to interact with these realtime effects, in realtime.

The beat-synchronizer gives the extra ability to time your visuals to the beat of the music very quickly. Synchronizing to the BPM and the timestamp takes only two taps on a button. Virtually every effect written for Channel Three Classic reacts to this music-beat function. Also, you can change the texture of any effect in realtime. All it takes is a single mouse-click. The interface is easy and intuitive, as you might be able to see here:


The interface is divided into two simular parts. These two parts are called "channels". In each channel you can create a combination of effects. This consists out of one fullscreen effect and several non-fullscreen effects (in time also, meaning for example a stroboscope in this case is not a fullscreen effect). These two combinations of effects can then be crossfaded into the final output using the crossfader-bar.


A limited edition release has just become available outside the inner circle - requires a 3dfx card for dedicated visuals output.  Download for: PC
CT2


The new Channel Three system, CT2, is a new VJ server currently in development.
It will feature:

• full network support
• module effects ("plug-in")
• multi-platform (currently Linux, Win95, Win98, WinNT, Irix)
• multi-renderdevices (Direct3D, Glide, OpenGL)
• multiple instances of the interface and the output devices
• a highly-improved interface

So how does it work?
The three basic components of the new Channel Three system; the server, the interface and the output device, can be combined in any way you want. You might use a single system to run all three components, the output device in a window as well as the interface or perhaps the interface on a single monitor and the output device on another, or, you might use a network of computers (may be different platforms per computer) to let two or three people use the interface at once and to have maybe 2 or 3 or 9 output devices all displaying the "effect space" in a different way.
There is an extra component called an 'input device' which gives extra input to the system. This may be an automatic beat-command (timing the images to the actual music automatically) or commands to change the interface or maybe to start a new effect. The structure of the input device is very open. Applications of the input-device might be:

• FFT analysis to trigger/time effects to the music;
• MIDI interfacing (use MIDI-pads to turn actual Channel Three knobs);
• audience interaction (trigger effects on audience actions);
• other-program interface (connect the Channel Three system to other applications);
• use other input-devices like joystick etc.

Example:
Once the server-program is started, we can start other components like the interface. Let's assume we start the interface once; the interface-program connects to the server. This can be on one single non-network system, or it can be via a network (also internet). The interface alters the state of the Channel Three system. For example if you turn a knob, the state of the knob changes in the entire system. The server synchronises this with other instances of components. For example if you would start the interface twice, as you can, turning a knob on one instance effects into turning the knob on the other instance of the interface.


With the server and the interface running, we want output! In Channel Three Classic, all was done on one computer. This meant in order to get full-screen output, we needed two (video-) output-signals in one computer. Now we can also use a network, so any other computer can be 100% devoted to being the output device.

The output-device renders all active effects, creates and renders a "3D effect-world" of it. All the CPU-intensive work is done by the output-device.
You can adjust the view-frustrum of each output-device. With this you can make any configuration of monitors to view your effect-world in any way. Make a 4x4 grid of monitors to create one bigger screen; make a cube of monitors in which the audience can see the effect-world from any side, make two renderings for a HMD to get a true 3D image; it's all possible.

The banker-program is to configure the system before using it. You can tell the system which effect-modules you want to use, which textures, which 3D objects, which movies etc.

Effects currently under development for CT2 are:

• Animated procedural texture (play a movie converted from mpeg or fli as a texture)
• Plasma procedural texture(s)
• Recursive procedural texture(s)
• 3D world flights in realtime (change the camera in realtime etc.)
• 3D object viewers
• 3D object creator(s) (nurbs, curved surfaces, spiked balls etc.)
• many transitions (like crossfading, scrolling, stretching, zooming)
• post-effects (flashing, stroboscoop, adjusting rgb, beatzooming/rotating etc.)
• ..too much to mention..

As of late December 1999, CT2 is currently unavailable for downloading or sales. Please visit www.channelthree.net at a later date for more details.