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What is visp?

Visp is short for visual performer. It is an opensource visual performance application built with Adobe® AIR™. Here are a few of its key features and focuses:

  • Built with Adobe® AIR™ using Flex™ and ActionScript 3.
  • Works on both Windows and Mac platforms.
  • Outputs a max resolution of 640×480 to a second screen.
  • Supports MIDI input via a separate Java application (watch the screencast).
  • Emphasis on performing the content rather than managing a complex user interface.
  • Use transitions to more seamlessly move from one piece of content to another.
  • Use up to two filters simultaneously to add post-render effects to your output.
  • Create your own custom content, transitions, and filters with ActionScript 3.
  • Geared toward generative content, not video clip triggering.
  • Source code is licensed under the GNU General Public License v2.
  • Intentionally feature-deprived to impose constraints, allowing you to focus on your content and creativity.

Screenshot of visp’s Main Interface

visp Interface Screenshot

What You’ll Need

In order to run visp, you’ll need to make sure to install Adobe® AIR™. It’s “a cross-operating system runtime that allows web application developers to use their existing web development skills (HTML, Javascript, Adobe Flash®, Adobe Flex™, Ajax) to build and deploy rich Internet applications to the desktop.” If you want to develop your own content — which you’ll undoubtedly want to do since visp only ships with a couple demo renderers (content) — you can either use the development environment of your choosing with the open source Adobe® Flex™ 3 SDK or use Adobe® Flex™ Builder™ 3 (my recommendation).

If you want to take advantage of the MIDI input capabilities, you’ll also need to make sure you’ve got Java 5 running on your system. If you don’t have it, download Java here. Visp makes use of a small opensource Java application which acts as a proxy between your MIDI device and the main visp application. You map your device’s notes and continuous controllers using visp’s built-in MIDI Settings window, as seen below.

Screenshot of visp’s MIDI Settings Interface

visp MIDI Settings Interface Screenshot

Get Started

If you’re ready to get started and you’ve satisfied the necessary requirements, please head to the Download page and grab visp. The latest version of the source is always available on the visp Google Code Project site. Please post all bugs there as well. If you’ve got questions, suggestions, or contributions, please join the visp Mailing List on Google Groups. Lastly, be sure to check out the Tutorials section of this site for step-by-step information on creating your own content and other topics related to visp.

Credit

The TCP server source code that makes up the visp MIDI Proxy application is derived from the work on the flosc (Flash OpenSound Control) project. Big thanks goes out to Ben Chun and the rest of the flosc contributors for their hard work on that project. If they hadn’t released their source code, it would’ve taken me so much longer to get a working version of the visp MIDI Proxy off the ground.