Matthew Haber Design

Spark is a powerful, intuitive, reliable and uniquely extensible Isadora-based application for media playback and projection mapping. The proprietary backbone upon which many of my Isadora projects are built, Spark was designed with the needs of live performance in mind but it can also work well for installations and any other project for which cue-stack based playback is desirable.
I use Spark as the basis of many of my Isadora driven live performance projects and I also make it available to other designers and programmers in conjunction with my custom programming services. Spark isn’t, strictly speaking, a single application but rather a programming and UI foundation upon which a programmer can add functionality as needed for a particular project. The features section (below) outlines most of Spark’s standard functionality but what this patch really has to offer is only limited by the power of the computer or computing cluster that it is being run on and the scope of Isadora and Quartz Composer’s functionality. Spark has been specifically designed to make the integration of additional functionality easy and efficient.

Features

• Select between movies, pictures, solid colors, alignment grids, live inputs and Syphon inputs for each layer.

• Number of supported layers is limited only by playback computer performance but 4-6 layers is possible on mid-end models and an unlimited number is available by spreading the processing and output load across multiple client playback computers controlled seamlessly by a single programming and playback interface

• Individual cornerpin and/or bezier warp distortion for each layer

• Individual cornerpin masking for each layer with facilities for multiple masks and support for user provided masks via a mask picture bin or a user image input for each layer to facilitate complex masking geometries

• Synced movie playback across layers

• Cue stack timing and playback functionality should be familiar to anyone who has worked with conventional theatre lighting control boards and is easy to use for inexperienced operators

• Built in output functionality to MadMapper or any other application that supports Syphon input

• Insert section for each layer speeds the process of integrating additional layer functionality

• FX generator allows standard waveforms to be applied to nearly any cue/layer parameter as well as OSC/MIDI/DMX/etc control outputs

• Sync cue stack playback and individual movie playback between multiple computers via a standard network

• Control any playback or any cue/layer parameter via MIDI, OSC or DMX (ArtNet)

• Control any program or device that supports MIDI, OSC or DMX control as part of a cue

• Easy learning curve, no Isadora experience required to program or operate Spark

• Safe mode prevents operator damage to programming back end

• Unlimited cue count

• Playback systems can be securely and easily administered and maintained via a standard internet connection to allow me to remotely assist with installations without risking viruses and other show stopping software interruptions

• Rentals are available of Mac or PC playback computers that have been optimized for use with Spark

Screenshots