@hybridlabor-api/aos 4.2.0 → 4.4.0

package/mcps/tdmcp/docs/guide/prompt-cookbook.md

@@ -1,2285 +0,0 @@
----
-description: "Copy-paste prompts for building visuals with tdmcp, the TouchDesigner MCP server — feedback tunnels, audio-reactive, particles, generative art and more."
----
-
-<script setup>
-import { withBase } from "vitepress";
-</script>
-
-# Prompt cookbook
-
-Copy these, change the words, and make them yours. They're grouped by what you
-want to make. After any build, you can always say **"show me a preview"** and then
-nudge it: *"warmer", "slower", "more contrast", "add a glitch".*
-
-::: tip How to phrase it
-Describe the **result and the feeling**, not the nodes. "A slow, hypnotic, deep-blue
-tunnel" works better than naming operators. The AI picks the operators.
-:::
-
-Media on this page is reserved for the visual result or performable surface a
-prompt creates. If a prompt produces a report, config, README or health check, it
-stays text-only instead of showing a decorative command illustration.
-
-## Recipe starters (v0.8.2)
-
-Use these when you want a validated first-party recipe first, then a creative pass.
-They are good workshop and rehearsal prompts because they start from schema-checked
-networks instead of inventing topology from scratch.
-
-> *"Apply `audio_reactive_basic`, use a test tone if the mic is unavailable, then
-> bind the output color to the RMS level and show me the audio Null path."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/recipe-audio-reactive-basic.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A compact audio-in / spectrum / RMS chain with a stable Null CHOP and a TOP output
-ready for `bind_to_channel` or manual expressions.*
-
-> *"Apply `keyframe_animation_basic`, add five readable camera/object keyframes, and
-> expose one Speed control so I can rehearse the move without touching the graph."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/recipe-keyframe-animation-basic.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*The Animation COMP starter gives you declarative motion first: author channels in
-TD's Animation Editor, then drive the rest of the look from the resulting CHOP.*
-
-> *"Apply `pose_skeleton_standalone` with its built-in landmark table, render the
-> joints as glowing dots and bones, then leave notes for swapping in a live pose
-> source later."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/recipe-pose-skeleton-standalone.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A no-camera pose renderer: static landmarks feed a Script SOP skeleton, useful for
-testing a look before the MediaPipe or Kinect source exists.*
-
-> *"Apply `particle_system_basic`, make the emitter drift upward like ash, and expose
-> BirthRate, Lifetime and ForceY as the first controls I should perform."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/recipe-particle-system-basic.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A Particle SOP starter with camera, light, point-sprite material and a stable output
-Null. Plain enough to teach, complete enough to tweak live.*
-
-> *"Apply `feedback_network_basic`, tune the blur and decay into a high-contrast
-> recursive tunnel, and keep the network minimal so I can learn the feedback loop."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/recipe-feedback-network-basic.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*Noise seed, composite feedback, blur, level decay and Null output: the smallest
-performable feedback network that still behaves like a real visual instrument.*
-
-> *"Apply `glsl_shader_basic`, keep the inline plasma shader editable, and expose
-> uTime, uScale, uColorA and uColorB so I can color-match the show."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/recipe-glsl-shader-basic.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A tiny GLSL TOP recipe for shader-first work. It lands as a valid network and keeps
-the actual shader source close enough for teaching or fast remixing.*
-
-> *"Apply `kinetic_text_audio_reactive`, write a giant one-word cue, then wire the
-> brightness expression to the bass analyze channel after import."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/recipe-kinetic-text-audio-reactive.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*Text TOP plus transform / level chain beside a bass analyzer. The recipe keeps the
-manual audio expression explicit instead of hiding it inside invalid schema data.*
-
-> *"Apply `decks_layer_mixer`, make deck A and B clearly different colors, then add a
-> Cross control and per-deck gain notes for the VJ operator."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/recipe-decks-layer-mixer.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*The first-party deck recipe is a small mixer skeleton: two sources, two gains,
-one composite bus and a stable program output.*
-
-> *"Apply `depth_displacement_post`, use the synthetic depth map to warp a ramp, then
-> finish it with blur and level grade so it feels like a real post pass."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/recipe-depth-displacement-post.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A zero-hardware depth/displace/post stack for rehearsing depth looks before a depth
-camera or generated map is available.*
-
-> *"Apply `kinetic_text_path_follow`, put the show title on a circular path, and tell
-> me exactly which expressions I need to bind after import."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/recipe-kinetic-text-path-follow.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A manual-wiring template for path-following type: deterministic sin/cos CHOPs drive
-the motion while the recipe stays schema-valid.*
-
-> *"Apply `optical_flow_particles`, route the camera motion into particle drift, and
-> leave the output ready for a trails feedback pass."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/recipe-optical-flow-particles.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*Live video becomes an optical-flow field, then pushes particles. It is the
-camera-reactive recipe to reach for when body motion should leave visible trails.*
-
-> *"Apply `atemporal_bodytrack_glitch_timeline` to this vertical clip: start clean,
-> let short green glitch moments interrupt like a camera bug, return to normal
-> between filters, then use the red tracker as small points, lines and trails only
-> -- no large circles."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/atemporal-bodytrack-glitch.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:360px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A reusable bug-timeline template: clean footage, atemporal green source jumps,
-normal recovery beats, then a red body-track branch that reads like object tracking
-instead of decorative circles. Keyframe `SceneMode` to perform the edit, then add
-glitch ticks/noise only while a filtered branch is active.*
-
-> *"Apply `mediapipe_face_overlay`, dim the webcam underneath, tint the landmark dots,
-> and make the overlay easy to swap from demo landmarks to the live face adapter."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/recipe-mediapipe-face-overlay.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A face-overlay recipe mirroring the newer face-tracking setup: webcam plate, face
-landmark CHOP, instanced dots, render and composite.*
-
-> *"Apply `scene_timeline_demo`, build three obvious scenes, then expose play, rate
-> and fade controls so I can demonstrate cue timing in one minute."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/recipe-scene-timeline-demo.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A timer-driven three-scene demo that teaches show-clock thinking without requiring
-a full setlist runner.*
-
-> *"Apply `scene_3d_basic`, put a sphere under a camera and light, then bind RotateY
-> to a tempo ramp after import."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/recipe-scene-3d-basic.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*The smallest 3D renderable scene: geometry, camera, light, Render TOP and Null. A
-good base for material, instancing and audio-reactive exercises.*
-
-> *"Apply `video_synth_oscillator`, make a Lissajous oscillator color synth, and keep
-> uFreqX / uFreqY / uColor exposed for live tuning."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/recipe-video-synth-oscillator.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A procedural video-synth starter, no footage required: one GLSL TOP draws a glowing
-oscillator curve with show-safe controls.*
-
-> *"Apply `kinetic_text_standalone`, make the word breathe with an LFO, and keep the
-> post-import bindings documented so a beginner can finish it."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/recipe-kinetic-text-standalone.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A text-only kinetic type recipe for lower-friction title cards, countdowns and
-cue labels when audio reactivity is not needed yet.*
-
-## Generative & abstract
-
-> *"Create a feedback tunnel from noise with blur and displace, add bloom, and
-> show me a preview."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/feedback-tunnel.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A high-contrast feedback network (blur + displace + bloom), tuned as a showpiece
-instead of a plain technical demo.*
-
-> *"Make an evolving reaction-diffusion pattern in greens and blacks, slow and
-> organic."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/reaction-diffusion.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*Reaction-diffusion style GPU patterning with sharper contrast and stage-friendly
-color, not a flat lab simulation.*
-
-> *"Build a flowing noise landscape in 3D with an orbiting camera."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/noise-landscape.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:560px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A noise-displaced 3D terrain.*
-
-> *"Give me a Lorenz strange-attractor visual with glowing particles on black,
-> thickened into a tube and evolving only while the timeline plays."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/strange-attractor.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_strange_attractor` integrates Lorenz / Aizawa / Halvorsen ODEs into a
-rolling Script CHOP buffer, renders the trail as SOP geometry and can tube-thicken
-it for a real 3D orbit path.*
-
-> *"Give me a 1970s analog video-synth look — soft interference patterns and
-> rolling scanlines in electric teal and pink."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/analog-video-synth.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*Procedural lissajous / interference / scanline patterns animated over time with
-frequency and color controls — a self-contained Rutt-Etra-style oscilloscope wash,
-no footage needed.*
-
-> *"Build a raymarched fractal tunnel I can fly through, glowing cyan on black,
-> with a Speed knob."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/raymarched-tunnel.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A signed-distance-field scene rendered entirely in a GLSL TOP — an infinite tunnel
-you fly through, with camera-Speed and color controls. No geometry nodes, all math.*
-
-> *"Build a programmable SDF field from a sphere subtracting a box and a smooth
-> torus union, cyan-to-magenta, with live CameraZ / StepCount / Rotate controls."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/sdf-field-csg-raymarch.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_sdf_field` is the newer CSG raymarcher: compose sphere / box / torus
-primitives with union, intersect, subtract and smooth blend, then perform the field
-through exposed SDF controls instead of editing shader code mid-show.*
-
-> *"Sculpt a soft, morphing metaball blob in 3D that slowly breathes, iridescent
-> surface on a dark stage."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/shader-park-blobs.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A Shader Park-style SDF sculpt (blended spheres and noise) compiled to a GLSL TOP,
-with morph-Speed and surface controls — organic, clay-like volumes that pulse and merge.*
-
-> *"Use these three moodboard images — foggy ocean, oxidized copper and cold
-> cathedral light — and build a matching generative system with post-FX."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/moodboard-to-system-dispatch.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`moodboard_to_system` reads 1–6 images, extracts palette / motion / generator
-intent with the configured LLM (or deterministic fallback), then dispatches a
-matching Layer-1 system plus post-processing.*
-
-> *"Grow an organic branching system from a single stem, moss green on black, and
-> let the growth rate react to the music."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/growth-system-branching.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*An L-system / turtle-growth generator thickened into renderable SOP geometry, with
-controls for generations, branch angle, step length and thickness — useful for vines,
-roots, circuitry and living line-art.*
-
-> *"Package the six canonical generative classics — feedback tunnel, spectrum bars,
-> noise landscape, particle galaxy, reaction-diffusion and webcam glitch — as a
-> portable recipe bundle I can import on another machine."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/generative-classics-pack.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`generative_classics_pack` starts as a read-only contact sheet of available built-in
-recipes, then can write an `import_recipe_bundle`-compatible JSON pack. It is the
-quick "known-good classics" export for workshops, fresh installs and offline rigs.*
-
-> *"Pull me into an endless zooming feedback tunnel of my webcam, trailing and
-> spinning, deep magenta."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/feedback-tunnel-infinite.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A dedicated infinite-zoom feedback loop (zoom + rotate + decay) seeded from any
-source, with Zoom / Spin / Trail knobs — the classic "falling into the screen" tunnel.*
-
-> *"Fill the frame with a real-time ink-and-dye fluid simulation, cyan and magenta,
-> with audio splats on the kick but an auto-LFO when no mic is connected."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/fluid-sim-ink.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_fluid_sim` builds the advection / pressure / vorticity / dye feedback stack
-as GLSL TOPs, exposes viscosity / dissipation / splat controls, and can self-animate
-before you plug in a live source.*
-
-> *"Turn this poster image into thousands of particles that explode on the drop and
-> then spring back into the original image."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/image-particles-burst.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`image_to_particles` samples the source pixels as rest positions and colors, then
-uses a GPU particle loop so the image can dissolve, scatter and re-form musically.*
-
-> *"Sculpt a cathedral of fused spheres and torus rings in pure signed-distance
-> field math, lit from inside with violet, and give me a Camera-Z knob to fly in."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/sdf-csg-cathedral.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A single GLSL TOP raymarches a CSG tree (union / subtract / smooth-blend of sphere,
-box and torus primitives) with live CameraZ, StepCount, Speed, ColorA / ColorB and
-Background controls. A whole 3D architectural form built only out of math — no
-meshes, no UVs, just one shader sculpting space.*
-
-## Artist studies & installations
-
-These prompts are for visual artists first: gallery loops, stage images, camera
-studies, print-like transformations and installation pieces.
-
-> *"Make a murmuration of 4,000 tiny agents that breathe like a flock, with
-> Separation / Alignment / Cohesion knobs I can perform slowly."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/particle-flock-murmuration.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_particle_flock` is the boids surface: a behavioral GPU system where the
-image is not a particle effect pasted on top, but a moving crowd with its own social
-rules. Good for flocking birds, fish schools, crowd fields and ambient gallery motion.*
-
-> *"Build a curl-noise particle galaxy: hundreds of thousands of points orbiting in
-> soft arms, slowly reacting to the room's motion."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/gpu-particle-curl-galaxy.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_gpu_particle_field` is the high-count field for haze, stars, ash, plankton
-and dust. Ask for `reactivity:"motion"` when a camera should energize the drift
-without turning the piece into a literal webcam effect.*
-
-> *"Turn the performer into a black cutout with a cyan/magenta rim, then use that
-> mask to reveal a generative world behind them."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/depth-silhouette-neon-mask.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_depth_silhouette` gives installation artists a clean matte: synthetic
-source for rehearsal, camera/depth source on-site, blur/threshold/invert controls
-for tuning the edge, and an output mask ready for compositing.*
-
-> *"Track four bright blobs from the camera and let each one pull a different
-> color field, like visitors moving lanterns through the projection."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/blob-reactive-installation.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_blob_reactive` turns tracked light spots, hands or objects into channels
-such as `blob0_x`, `blob0_y` and `blob0_size`. Use it for participatory installs
-where bodies control the artwork without a controller in anyone's hand.*
-
-> *"Rotoscope this source into flowing vector lines: freeze a frame, trace the
-> contours, and keep a pulse button so I can capture a new drawing live."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/vector-lines-rotoscope.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_vector_lines` is a bridge between video and drawing: prepare a mask, freeze
-it, trace it through editable SOP geometry, then render or export it. Useful for
-plotter studies, live rotoscope, laser-outline tests and print workflows.*
-
-> *"Make a cellular-automata tapestry, blue and amber, with rules that feel like
-> woven pixels growing across a wall."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/cellular-automata-tapestry.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_generative_art` supports `cellular_automata` as a promptable study. It is
-especially good when the artist wants a living textile, not a camera effect or a
-music visual.*
-
-> *"Fill the floor projection with slime-mold trails: luminous paths search,
-> overlap, fade and leave a wet ink memory."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/slime-trails-ink.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_simulation` with `type:"slime"` gives you decaying trails and search-like
-motion. It sits between reaction-diffusion and fluid sim: less scientific diagram,
-more living trace.*
-
-> *"Generate a restrained harmony palette from one blue-green hue, build a gradient
-> strip, and use it as the color source for the next visual."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/palette-harmony-study.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_palette` is not only utility plumbing: it is an art-direction tool. Use
-harmony rules to define a visual world first, then feed those swatches into grade,
-particles, SDF color, typography or projection mapping.*
-
-> *"Create flowing ribbon strokes from a vector field, like long-exposure ink
-> calligraphy moving across black."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/flow-field-ribbons.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_generative_art` with `flow_field` is the promptable version of line motion:
-good for calligraphic traces, current maps, wind drawings and data-free motion
-studies.*
-
-> *"Make a sculptural relief from a source image: a side-lit surface that rises and
-> falls like a gallery wall piece, not a flat video filter."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/sculptural-relief-gallery.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_depth_displacement` turns brightness or depth into actual 2.5D form with
-lighting and orbitable camera controls. Reach for it when the image should become
-an object.*
-
-## Audio-reactive
-
-> *"Build a radial spectrum that blooms on the bass and throws chromatic sparks on
-> the highs."*
-
-**What you'll get:** an analysis chain (spectrum + level + beat) feeding a visual,
-usually with a *Sensitivity* knob. See the
-[microphone permission note](/guide/troubleshooting#macos-microphone-camera-permission)
-on macOS, or ask for a **test tone** instead of the mic while experimenting.
-
-> *"Build a 3D ball of spikes that stab outward on the bass and shimmer with the
-> highs — preview it on a test beat."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/audio-reactive-3d-spikes.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A rendered 3D geometry whose displacement, scale and rotation are wired to live
-audio bands (bass / mid / treble) with a Sensitivity knob — a spiky, breathing solid
-that dances to the track. Uses a synthetic source so it previews without mic permission.*
-
-> *"Sidechain this layer to the kick so it ducks down and pumps back on every beat,
-> like a compressor."*
-
-*An attack/release envelope follower with gate/duck — sidechain a layer's opacity or
-brightness to the kick so it pumps in time, going beyond a plain Lag smoothing. The
-"sidechain pump" every electronic producer knows, applied to a visual.*
-
-> *"Split this track into pitch-class color, transient flashes and a slow energy
-> structure, then bind each stream to a different part of the look."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/chroma-transient-energy.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*Three newer music-analysis paths: `create_chroma_reactive` exposes 12 pitch-class
-channels, `create_transient_reactive` separates percussion from sustain, and
-`create_energy_structure` detects build / drop / breakdown edges with adaptive
-thresholds.*
-
-> *"Listen to this reference track, fingerprint its tempo / brightness / onset
-> density / dynamics, and choose a matching visual system automatically."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/audio-fingerprint-dispatch.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`audio_fingerprint_to_visual` samples audio, classifies the fingerprint, and
-dispatches a tuned generator such as glitch, kaleidoscope, feedback, GPU particles
-or audio-reactive geometry. Use `dry_run` first when you want to inspect the choice.*
-
-> *"Split my DJ feed into four clean bands, route sub to displacement, mid to
-> color pulse and highs to spark density, then bind the same bands into my GLSL
-> TOP as `uBass`, `uMid` and `uHigh` uniforms."*
-
-*Use `create_band_router` when one audio input needs readable `band0..bandN`
-control channels, then `create_audio_glsl_uniforms` when those channels should
-drive shader uniforms directly. The result is not only "audio reactive"; it is a
-named, inspectable modulation bus that a shader artist can tune without rewriting
-the GLSL every time.*
-
-### MIDI & instruments
-
-> *"Make each note on my MIDI keyboard flash a different colored burst — and let me
-> try it without plugging anything in."*
-
-*Maps incoming MIDI notes to per-note reactive channels (a flash or burst per pitch),
-with a built-in synthetic note source so it previews and you can rehearse the look
-before the gear is connected.*
-
-## Camera & motion reactive
-
-The camera counterpart to audio reactivity — drive a visual from movement or
-brightness in front of your webcam.
-
-> *"Make a visual that reacts to movement in front of my webcam, and preview it."*
-
-> *"Drive the feedback amount from how much motion the camera sees."*
-
-> *"React to the room's brightness — bloom up when the lights come on."*
-
-**What you'll get:** an analysis chain exposing *motion* and *brightness* channels
-plus a *Sensitivity* knob. Like the mic, the live camera triggers the
-[macOS permission popup](/guide/troubleshooting#macos-microphone-camera-permission)
-— or ask for a **synthetic test source** to experiment without a camera.
-
-> *"Analyze motion in this clip as optical flow, smooth it, and use the vector field
-> to drive a liquid displacement warp — use the bundled Mosaic clip if my camera is
-> not ready."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/optical-flow-vector-field.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_optical_flow` builds a stock-TOP motion field from current vs previous
-frames, with Sensitivity / Smoothing / Blur controls. It emits an RG-packed flow TOP
-that can modulate displacement, particles or any TOP-driven motion chain.*
-
-> *"Watch the motion in my camera and push 20,000 glowing particles around with it —
-> paint trails wherever I move."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/optical-flow-particles-trail.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*The CPU optical-flow field (blur / mono / cache / composite-subtract / feedback) is
-wired straight into a GPU particle field as displacement. The result paints visible
-motion trails that follow body movement in real time — no CUDA, no extra hardware.*
-
-### Body tracking (webcam, no extra hardware)
-
-Full-body **pose tracking** from a plain webcam, via the free
-[MediaPipe plugin](https://github.com/torinmb/mediapipe-touchdesigner) (install once
-with `tdmcp install mediapipe-touchdesigner`).
-
-> *"Set up body tracking from my webcam and show me the skeleton."*
-
-> *"Make glowing ribbons track my wrists and shoulders, leaving long neon trails as
-> I move — use a synthetic pose source for the preview if the camera is not ready."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/pose-trails-skeleton.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-> *"Drive the visual's intensity from how much my body is moving."*
-
-**What you'll get:** the MediaPipe engine loaded + an adapter that emits a 33-landmark
-pose CHOP (tx/ty/tz/confidence), then a live skeleton, ribbon trail or
-camera-reactive visual. Keep the TD timeline **playing** (the plugin captures through
-an embedded browser that only runs while playing) and grant camera permission if
-macOS asks. No webcam handy? Ask for a **synthetic** pose source to build and preview
-the look offline.
-
-> *"Render my body tracking as a clean OpenPose-style ControlNet feed: black
-> background, colored limbs, confidence gate, and an NDI sender named
-> controlnet_pose."*
-
-
-*`create_pose_controlnet_driver` turns the same 33-landmark pose CHOP into an
-OpenPose-COCO skeleton TOP with JointRadius, LimbThickness, ConfidenceGate and
-Mirror controls. Keep it internal for local ComfyUI / StreamDiffusion routing, or
-broadcast it through NDI / Syphon-Spout when another machine needs the pose feed.*
-
-### Face, hands & segmentation
-
-> *"Set up MediaPipe face tracking, center the landmarks on the nose tip, and drive
-> a glowing mask and eye highlights from the face CHOP."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/face-tracking-landmarks.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`setup_face_tracking` loads the staged MediaPipe engine and emits a 468-landmark
-CHOP (or 478 with iris), centered on the nose tip, ready for parameter binding or
-data visualization.*
-
-> *"Track both hands in world coordinates, detect open-palm / pinch gestures, and
-> bind the right-hand height to the feedback amount."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/hand-tracking-gestures.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`setup_hand_tracking` reuses the same MediaPipe engine and emits
-`max_hands × 21` samples with tx / ty / tz / confidence / handedness channels.
-Use `coordinate_space:'world'` when gesture depth matters.*
-
-> *"Segment the performer from the webcam, feather the mask by 4 px, publish a
-> clean alpha matte and a pre-keyed person RGBA TOP for compositing."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/segmentation-alpha-matte.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`setup_segmentation` enables the MediaPipe selfie-segmentation path and publishes
-a mask Null TOP plus optional `person_rgba` output, so body mattes can feed keyers,
-silhouettes, particles or background replacement.*
-
-> *"Track my face landmarks and stitch a glowing wireframe mask over my features,
-> with a dim webcam underneath."*
-
-
-*The MediaPipe ENGINE adapter publishes a 468-landmark CHOP (or 478 with iris) and
-the recipe instances dots and lines on every landmark, composited over a
-`levelTOP`-dimmed camera feed with Tint and Dim controls. Real face-mesh overlay,
-zero plugin hunting.*
-
-> *"Use my hand in the camera as an XY pad — pinch to confirm — and map it to the
-> feedback Decay and Hue of the current visual."*
-
-
-*The 21-landmark hand CHOP (world coords) feeds an XY pad whose X/Y come from the
-index-finger tip; thumb-to-index distance gates a confirm event that latches the
-current XY into target parameters. A hand-as-MIDI controller with pinch-to-commit.*
-
-> *"Cut me out of my room with selfie segmentation and put me inside a slow
-> raymarched nebula like I stepped through a portal."*
-
-
-*The selfie-segmentation alpha mask plus a pre-keyed `person_rgba` TOP are
-composited over a raymarch background, so the artist appears to stand inside the
-generated scene with soft real-time matte edges — greenscreen without a greenscreen,
-and the background is a procedural cosmos.*
-
-## Particles & 3D
-
-> *"Build a dense field of instanced 3D blocks that breathe with a noise wave and
-> leave a neon depth trail as the camera orbits."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/scene-3d.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:560px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A denser instanced-geometry scene with depth, color variation and live motion, useful
-as a base for audio, camera or timeline modulation.*
-
-**What you'll get:** a particle or geometry system with live *Drag / Turbulence /
-Gravity / Lifetime* knobs to shape the motion.
-
-> *"Show a polished metallic sphere on a turntable with realistic studio lighting
-> and soft reflections."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/pbr-product-spin.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A physically-based 3D scene (PBR material + environment lighting + Render TOP) with
-roughness/metalness and a spin knob — a believable studio render of a primitive, not
-a flat-shaded toy.*
-
-> *"Make a slowly-drifting point cloud of a sphere, tiny glowing points that twinkle,
-> on deep black."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/point-cloud-drift.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A point-cloud render of a sampled surface (sphere, grid or model) as thousands of GPU
-points with size/jitter and drift controls — the LiDAR/scan look without a scanner or
-PLY file.*
-
-> *"Push my webcam image into 3D relief so bright areas pop toward the camera, lit
-> from the side."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/depth-displacement-relief.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A plane displaced into real 2.5D geometry by a depth/luminance map via a GLSL MAT
-vertex stage, with depth-Amount and lighting — your image becomes a sculpted, side-lit
-terrain you can light and orbit.*
-
-> *"Render a 3D scene with ambient-occlusion shadows and use its depth to push another
-> image into relief — and I don't own a depth camera."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/multipass-depth-no-camera.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:560px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A multi-pass 3D render (Render + SSAO pass) that also emits a synthetic depth output,
-which then feeds depth-displacement or silhouette — contact-shadowed 3D plus a depth
-map manufactured in software, no depth sensor required.*
-
-> *"Add cinematic 3D post passes to this scene: SSAO contact shadows, a little SSR,
-> shallow depth of field and motion blur on fast moves."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/post-passes-3d-cinematic.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:560px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`post_passes_3d` is the dedicated 3D finishing chain for depth/normal/velocity-aware
-looks; `apply_post_processing` redirects SSAO / SSR / DOF / motion-blur requests here
-instead of pretending those passes work on a flat TOP.*
-
-> *"Build a torus POP-style geometry rig with two subdivisions, animated noise
-> displacement and live RotateY / NoiseAmount controls, ready to render."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/pop-geometry-noise-rig.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_pop_geometry` wraps a procedural primitive → transform → optional subdivide
-→ noise → material SOP chain in a complete render rig. Use it when you want an
-editable geometry object, not just a shader pretending to be 3D.*
-
-> *"Build a POP particle storm where 40,000 points are born from a seed cloud,
-> dragged through a texture force field, and leave a bright feedback trail."*
-
-
-*`create_pop_particle_system` builds the rendered POP instrument: point-generator
-seed, particle POP, feedback POP, lookup-texture force branch, optional field
-visualization and an output Render TOP. EmissionRate, Lifetime and FeedbackGain
-stay exposed so the storm can be performed instead of baked.*
-
-> *"Grow a coral-like POP organism: dense outward accretion, noise-biased motion,
-> slow decay, and knobs for growth rate, threshold and feedback."*
-
-
-*`create_pop_growth` is the organic POP preset: dendritic, coral and lichen modes
-with GrowthRate, Decay, Threshold and FeedbackGain controls. Use it when the look
-should feel like accretion, fungus, coral or branching fiber rather than plain
-particles.*
-
-> *"Make a slow-spinning plexus point cloud: 1,000 points, connect only nearby
-> neighbors, fade lines by distance, and leave tiny point sprites on top."*
-
-
-*`create_pop_lines_pointcloud` runs a Neighbor POP over an auto-generated or
-external point cloud, emits deduplicated Script SOP line primitives, then renders
-the web with MaxDistance, MaxNeighbors, MaxLines, Spin and PointSize controls.
-This is the plexus look without hand-writing the neighbor loop.*
-
-> *"Use my segmentation mask as a depth field and scatter 25,000 points around my
-> body, colored by near/far depth and slowly spinning in 3D."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/depth-pop-field-performer.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_depth_pop_field` accepts an existing depth/mask TOP or spins up
-segmentation, then uses lookup-texture POPs, jitter and a displacement proxy to
-turn the mask into a rendered spatial point field. DepthScale, PointSize and Spin
-make the flat camera feed behave like a stage volume.*
-
-> *"Load this .splat scan as a Gaussian Splat scene, bind it to my orbit camera,
-> output 1080p, and expose the asset path and camera reference on the wrapper."*
-
-
-*`create_gaussian_splat_scene` wraps TDGS.tox when it is installed, validates
-`.ply` / `.splat` assets, binds an optional camera and promotes SplatAssetPath,
-CameraRef and OutputRes controls. If TDGS is missing, it fails fast with install
-guidance instead of hanging TouchDesigner.*
-
-> *"Estimate depth from this 2D camera feed, keep the depth map cooking, then use
-> it as the source for a relief/displacement visual."*
-
-
-*`create_depth_from_2d` drops TDDepthAnything when available, wires a source TOP,
-configures model/resolution and returns a live `depth_out` Null TOP with a frame
-cooker. The result can feed `create_depth_pop_field`, displacement, silhouettes or
-any other depth-aware chain without a depth camera.*
-
-> *"Create a slow nebula volume: 24 stacked slices, purple-magenta palette, high
-> density, low turbulence, and live knobs for density and color map."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/volumetric-field-nebula.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_volumetric_field` fakes volume from animated 3D noise, optional
-displacement, a Cache TOP slice stack and Beer-Lambert GLSL accumulation. Density,
-Turbulence and ColorMap controls turn it into a haze, nebula, ember, ice, toxic or
-mono atmosphere.*
-
-> *"Turn this camera feed into an isometric voxel city: brightness drives tower
-> height, source color paints each block, and I get HeightScale and RotateY
-> controls."*
-
-
-*`create_voxel_stack` samples a TOP into instance channels, merges position,
-height, scale and color buses, then instances box geometry through an isometric or
-perspective camera. It turns flat footage into a performable field of cubes rather
-than a pixelated 2D filter.*
-
-> *"Turn this portrait into a stippled point-cloud study: warm dots on black,
-> luminance controls density, slight random jitter, and a slow camera orbit like a
-> print dissolving into space."*
-
-*`create_stipple_pointcloud` converts TOP luminance into POP density and renders
-thousands of tiny points with DotSize, JitterAmount and CameraRotate controls. It
-sits between printmaking and 3D particles: more tactile than a halftone, lighter
-than a full fluid or particle sim.*
-
-## Video & camera
-
-> *"Pipe my webcam through edge detection, an RGB split and a feedback loop for a
-> glitchy look."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/video-glitch.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*The glitch / VHS look — scanlines, RGB split and datamosh (shown on a synthetic
-source rather than a live webcam).*
-
-> *"Take my webcam and make it look like an old, degraded VHS tape."*
-
-> *"Set up two video decks with a big crossfader so I can blend between two clips
-> like a DJ."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/dj-decks-crossfade.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A/B decks blended by a master crossfader (Cross TOP) with per-deck gain; each deck
-pulls a source TOP or a built-in test source — the visual equivalent of a DJ mixer,
-the core of any VJ rig.*
-
-> *"Build a four-deck VJ mixer: camera, loops, generative layer and logo sting, each
-> with gain and FX-send, plus a hard-cut selector for live transitions."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/nchannel-decks-fx-send.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_decks` now has an N-channel mode: 2-8 decks, per-deck gain, per-deck FX
-send, a continuous program mix and a transition-cut bus. Use the old A/B prompt for a
-simple crossfader; use `decks[]` when the rig starts feeling like a real VJ mixer.*
-
-> *"Put waveform, RGB parade and vectorscope next to this camera feed so I can tune
-> the grade before the show opens."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/video-scopes-monitor.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_video_scopes` builds a broadcast-style monitoring surface for a TOP source:
-waveform, parade and vectorscope panels that make color / exposure problems visible
-before they become projector problems.*
-
-> *"Add a luminance histogram scope to this camera feed with 128 bins, log scale and
-> a phosphor-green trace so I can see crushed blacks before the projector does."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/histogram-scope-rgb.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_histogram_scope` turns a TOP into a previewable histogram panel using a
-GLSL bin pass, TOP-to-CHOP normalisation and a rendered trace. It can run from a
-test pattern, file, existing TOP or live device.*
-
-> *"Put a broadcast-style RGB+luma histogram scope on the corner of my output so I
-> can see if I'm crushing blacks."*
-
-
-*A combined RGB + luma variant of `create_histogram_scope` — bars rendered through
-Script SOP + Render TOP into a Null you can overlay on program output. The proper
-engineer's video scope a colorist keeps on a second monitor.*
-
-> *"Turn the camera into an AI mirror with an ethereal water prompt, show the raw
-> camera in the control panel, and send the generated output over Syphon/Spout
-> when it is ready."*
-
-
-*`create_ai_mirror` wraps camera, synthetic or existing TOP input through
-StreamDiffusionTD with Prompt, Negative Prompt, Strength and CFG controls plus an
-optional camera preview. The output can stay internal or go to Syphon-Spout / NDI,
-and a missing StreamDiffusion TOX becomes a friendly warning with the skeleton
-still built.*
-
-> *"Build my live ingest rack: a safe screen-grab source for rehearsal, a folder
-> media bin of loops, and a chroma keyer that can swap between camera and test
-> card before the show."*
-
-*`create_live_source`, `create_media_bin` and `create_keyer` are the practical
-video-input trio: one normalizes live feeds, one scans a folder into switchable
-clips, and one composites keyed footage over a background. Camera, NDI,
-Syphon/Spout and streams remain platform/permission gated, so the prompt should
-ask for warnings and stable `out1` paths before wiring the show mix.*
-
-## Text & titles
-
-> *"Build an alpha-safe lyric hit: flash the word 'DROP' huge on the beat, then
-> make it vanish cleanly between hits over the running visual."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/kinetic-lyrics-flash.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_kinetic_text` in `mode: "flash"` creates a Text TOP, LFO, alpha gate and
-optional composite over an input TOP. The important bit for show visuals: the text
-goes transparent between hits instead of flashing black.*
-
-> *"Make a pulsing lower third for the vocalist: artist name, stage label and a
-> small beat indicator, composited over the program feed."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/kinetic-lower-third-pulse.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*Use `create_text_overlay` for the title-safe layer, then swap to
-`create_kinetic_text` in `mode: "pulse"` when the lower third should breathe with
-the track rather than sit flat.*
-
-> *"Create a setlist ticker along the bottom of the output: current section, next
-> cue, stage side and artist note, looping forever."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/text-crawl-setlist-ticker.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_text_crawl` with `mode: "crawl_horizontal"` is the ticker-tape layer for
-running copy, countdowns, stage manager notes and installation status messages.*
-
-> *"Roll the end credits upward over the final ambient scene, with a slow fade at
-> the top and bottom of the frame."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/text-roll-credits-stage.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*The same `create_text_crawl` tool in `mode: "roll_vertical"` handles multi-line
-credits, artist statements and gallery wall text. Use `\n` to keep each line
-editable.*
-
-> *"Reveal a short manifesto one character at a time before the installation opens:
-> 'NO PREVIEW / NO PANIC / BUILD THE LIGHT / THEN PERFORM IT'."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/typewriter-manifesto-reveal.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_text_crawl` also exposes `mode: "typewriter"` for character reveals. It is
-marked experimental in the tool docs, so use it for rehearsal or generated docs and
-verify the Text TOP expression on the target TouchDesigner build before a show.*
-
-> *"Make my festival name as chunky extruded 3D chrome letters, slowly rotating with
-> a spotlight."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/3d-extruded-title.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_text_3d` builds Text SOP -> Extrude SOP -> material -> Camera/Light/Render
-as a self-contained title scene, with live Spin and Depth controls.*
-
-> *"Turn the word 'NOISE' into SOP geometry, add point noise, and render it like a
-> warped text sculpture instead of a flat card."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/pop-text-noise-sculpture.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_pop_geometry` with `primitive: "text"` and `text_string` makes text part of
-the geometry pipeline. Add `noise_amount` when the title should feel like a living
-object rather than a caption.*
-
-> *"Generate a projector alignment pattern labelled OUTPUT 02 / LEFT so the crew can
-> identify the physical surface from across the room."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/projector-label-test-pattern.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_test_pattern` can draw calibration grids, crosshairs, output numbers and
-labels. It belongs in Text & titles because these labels are the typography that
-keeps an installation understandable during setup.*
-
-> *"Map my MIDI pads to words: KICK, BASS, SNARE, VOX, CLAP and PAD should each
-> flash as their note channel fires."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/midi-note-type-hits.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*Pair `create_midi_note_reactive` with `create_kinetic_text` when typography should
-respond to individual note events instead of a global audio level.*
-
-> *"Put the title 'DEEP FIELD' on a circular path and let the letters orbit around
-> the center before the main scene begins."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/path-title-orbit.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*Apply the `kinetic_text_path_follow` recipe when the title needs to follow a path:
-orbit bugs, circular show logos, moving labels around sculptures and wayfinding
-loops.*
-
-**What you'll get:** a performable typography kit: alpha-safe lyric hits, pulsing
-lower thirds, ticker crawls, rolling credits, typewriter reveals, extruded 3D text,
-noisy text geometry, projector labels, MIDI-triggered words and path-follow titles.
-
-## Live performance & control
-
-> *"Add knobs for feedback, zoom, spin and blur so I can perform this live."*
-
-> *"Animate the spin knob with a slow LFO."*
-
-> *"Make a tempo clock at 128 BPM and sync the movement to the beat."*
-
-> *"Lock the tempo to Ableton Link so it follows whatever's on the network."*
-
-> *"Bridge Ableton Live into TouchDesigner: clips, tracks, transport and device
-> macros as named CHOP channels, with an OSC fallback if TDAbleton is not installed."*
-
-
-*`setup_tdableton` probes for the Palette component first, then falls back to a plain
-OSC In bridge, so the same show patch can rehearse without a perfect studio setup.*
-
-> *"Build a futuristic hand hologram: a transparent cyan cube with violet scanlines
-> floating above my open palm. Start with the synthetic two-hand preview, expose
-> Size, FloatHeight, Glow and PinchScale controls, and make an opposite-hand pinch
-> grow the cube and brighten its glow."*
-
-*`create_hand_hologram` builds the full visual and nests `create_hand_gesture_bus`
-inside it. The bus stabilizes the palm anchor, keeps the active palm locked when
-the control hand enters the frame, and publishes `pinch_power`, `light_gain` and
-`audio_level` so the same tracking can later drive lasers, particles or audio.*
-
-> *"Build a phone gesture controller on port 9982: multitouch X/Y controls for
-> feedback and hue, tilt for camera roll, and shake as a panic-safe flash trigger.
-> Give me the URL and the CHOP channel names before I bind anything."*
-
-*`create_phone_gesture` serves a local phone page from TouchDesigner and publishes
-touch, tilt, gyro and shake channels through a Script CHOP. iOS motion sensors need
-an explicit browser permission tap and often HTTPS, so this belongs in rehearsal
-as a control surface first, then in the show once the channel ranges are watched.*
-
-> *"Turn my webcam hands into a four-channel Ableton Auto Filter controller through
-> TDAbleton, without AbletonMCP. Use MediaPipe hand tracking, build a skeleton
-> overlay with star joints, publish `mapper_send` so `map1` is left pinch, `map2`
-> is right pinch, `map3` is left wrist roll and `map4` is right wrist roll, then
-> diagnose the `TDA_Mapper` routing before I map the four slots in Ableton."*
-
-*`create_hand_ableton_mapper` builds the TouchDesigner side of the performance
-controller and `diagnose_tdableton_mapper` checks the mapper path, input CHOP,
-`Reorder`, bypasses and ranges. The runtime path is TouchDesigner -> TDAbleton
-`TDA_Mapper` -> Ableton mapped Auto Filter or rack macro parameters; AbletonMCP is
-not required.*
-
-> *"Build a Kinect wall harp rehearsal rig in synthetic mode: 16 musical zones
-> across the wall, 128 subtle laser lines, amber pluck flashes, debug hand dots,
-> and exposed calibration, audio decay and reverb controls so I can test the
-> piece before the Kinect is connected."*
-
-*`create_kinect_wall_harp` builds the wall instrument as a TD COMP: projected harp
-lines, depth / mask / hands debug outputs, hand and pluck CHOP buses, plus an
-internal sine/reverb audio chain. Use `source:"synthetic"` or keep
-`fallback_to_synthetic:true` for rehearsal; add a cookbook video only after
-capturing the real `output_top` from TouchDesigner.*
-
-> *"Build a performance control layer for this look: four tempo-locked modulators
-> named breathe, shimmer, wobble and random_hold, an XY pad for blur/hue, and a
-> look bank with ambient, chorus and blackout-safe slots plus an A/B morph knob."*
-
-*`create_modulators`, `create_xy_pad` and `create_look_bank` turn a generated patch
-into an instrument: named CHOP modulation, direct two-axis control and stored looks
-that can snap, quantize or morph. Use it once the visual works and the next problem
-is making the controls repeatable under show pressure.*
-
-> *"Follow the MIDI clock coming from my DJ software."*
-
-> *"Set up two cues — 'intro' and 'drop' — that I can morph between."*
-
-> *"Let me control the main knobs from my phone."*
-
-> *"Map my MIDI controller's first fader to the Sensitivity knob."*
-
-> *"Going live now — turn on perform mode so nothing hitches mid-show."*
-
-
-*`set_perform_mode` now prefers the hardened `POST /api/perform` endpoint and
-returns a typed snapshot showing whether the root store, UI perform mode and project
-perform mode were actually set. It still falls back for older bridges, but the
-show-time path is a real REST call.*
-
-> *"Build me an Ableton-style grid of buttons so I can trigger my saved looks live
-> with one tap each."*
-
-*A grid of cue-trigger buttons (reusing the cue recall/morph engine) — tap a cell to
-jump or morph to a stored scene, openable in Perform mode as a touch surface. An
-Ableton Session-view clip grid for your visuals.*
-
-> *"Make a 16-step beat grid that fires a strobe on the downbeats and an effect on
-> the off-beats, locked to my tempo."*
-
-*A bar/beat step grid that fires a parameter or cue per active step — the
-deterministic, programmable counterpart to the auto-VJ. Toggle steps to compose a
-repeating pattern locked to the clock, like a drum machine for visual events.*
-
-> *"Build a probabilistic sequencer where calm usually drifts to shimmer, shimmer
-> sometimes jumps to a glitch burst, and blackout only happens on rare drops."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/prob-sequencer-markov.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A Markov step sequencer for show states: on each beat it samples the weighted
-transition table, emits `state` and `trigger`, and drives cues or parameters without
-repeating a fixed loop.*
-
-> *"Build a three-scene timeline for a 128 BPM set: intro is a feedback tunnel,
-> drop is an audio-reactive spike ball, breakdown is a cinematic color wash. Make
-> it scrubbable and keep the setlist slot ids."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/scene-timeline-arranger.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A show-master timeline: scenes become blocks on a Timer-CHOP playhead, cue recalls
-land at scene boundaries, and downstream tools can keep setlist slot references
-attached to each scene.*
-
-> *"Scan this folder of loops and make a beat-quantized auto-montage that shuffles
-> clips every bar with a half-second crossfade."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/auto-montage-shuffle.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A self-running media-bin switcher: source clips/stills feed a Switch TOP, a
-bar/beat/interval clock advances the index, and shuffle/random/weighted modes avoid
-the same clip hanging around too long.*
-
-> *"Create a Euclidean sequencer with 5 hits over 16 steps, and bind the hits to a
-> strobe, a glitch burst and the preset-morph amount."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/euclidean-strobe-pattern.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*Bjorklund-style rhythm for visuals — sparse, musical pulses that can fire cue,
-parameter or script callbacks instead of a plain metronome.*
-
-> *"Blend between four stored looks with a single Morph knob, weighted so I can sit
-> halfway between neon cyan and warm amber during the breakdown."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/preset-morph-blend.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A true N-way preset blend: instead of snapping from one cue to another, saved
-parameter states become weights in a morph table you can automate, MIDI-map or drive
-from a scene timeline.*
-
-> *"Record my filter cutoff sweep over four bars, then loop it as an automation
-> lane so I can take my hands off during the drop."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/automation-lane-loop.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_automation_lane` samples a target parameter into a bar-phased buffer, then
-plays it back through a Lookup CHOP. Re-call the same lane in `record` or `loop` mode
-to arm, capture and perform reusable knob moves.*
-
-> *"Record my hand-controller CHOP for eight bars, loop the best take, and scrub it
-> back as a reusable modulation source."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/chop-recorder-replay.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_chop_recorder` turns any CHOP stream (OSC, MIDI, audio feature, pose or
-custom control) into a capture / playback / loop surface, so a live gesture can become
-part of the rig instead of disappearing after rehearsal.*
-
-> *"At bar 32 fire the drop cue, at bar 64 start the auto-montage, and at the end of
-> the track freeze the output until I clear it."*
-
-**What you'll get:** a scheduler primitive built around named timers/segments. Use it
-for small timed callbacks, or put `create_scene_timeline` above it when you want a
-scrubbable song-mode arranger.
-
-> *"Build a phone dashboard with cue buttons for intro/drop/break, two master
-> faders, a live VU strip, and big Blackout / Freeze buttons for panic recovery."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/live-dashboard-panic.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A single live-performance cockpit served from TouchDesigner: cue launch, faders,
-readout and panic controls in one phone/laptop page. Keep it on a trusted network.*
-
-> *"Upgrade the stage dashboard to layout v2: stereo VU, BPM from
-> `/project1/tempo_null`, cue timeline markers from my setlist and a sticky
-> confirm-tap PANIC bar."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/stage-dashboard-v2.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_stage_dashboard` with `layout:"v2"` keeps the original dashboard path
-compatible while adding front-of-house readouts: stereo VU, BPM, FPS / cook overlay,
-cue timeline strip and a safer two-step panic surface.*
-
-> *"Dry-run the AI show director: allow a pre-approved band intro cue, queue a
-> three-second fog request for operator approval, and block a blackout request."*
-
-
-*`tdmcp-agent show-director` is a policy surface, not an unsafe hardware trigger. It
-validates structured show intents, returns allow / approval / block decisions, keeps
-an approval queue and audit log, and marks every action plan as dry-run-only until a
-human/operator path resolves it.*
-
-> *"Before the band walks on, arm the predeclared Soundcraft scene `band_a_intro`
-> through the AI Show Director. Put it in the approval queue, bind the catalog
-> hash, and show the dry-run plan without contacting the mixer."*
-
-*`arm_mixer_scene` is separate from `arm_effect`: only a predeclared catalog
-`scene_id` can enter the approval queue, approval rechecks the current catalog hash,
-and the dry-run adapter returns `hardware_changed:false`. The useful output is the
-operator-reviewed plan and audit state, not a decorative mixer illustration.*
-
-> *"Plan a 20-minute set across my three scenes in dry-run mode first — show me
-> what the AI director will do before it touches anything."*
-
-
-*`create_autopilot` runs each show-directing call through the policy layer in
-dry-run mode and returns the planned action + rationale (which scene, which
-transition, when) so the artist can preview an autonomous set before it touches
-the bridge. Approve, edit or reject before the show runs.*
-
-> *"Give me a front-of-house dashboard with stereo VU meters, live BPM from my
-> tempo detector, FPS overlay, the next-cue strip, and a sticky PANIC bar."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/stage-dashboard-v2.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*The `layout:"v2"` build of `create_stage_dashboard` adds a stereo VU pair, a BPM
-readout fed by a `detect_tempo` Null CHOP, an FPS / cook-time / frame overlay, a
-cue-timeline strip from a `compose_cue_list` pair array, and a confirm-tap PANIC
-bar — without breaking the v1 dashboard byte-for-byte.*
-
-> *"Jump my timeline to the chorus cue, set playback rate to 1.25, and start
-> playing — through the fast REST path, not a Python exec."*
-
-
-*`control_timeline_transport` now prefers the new `POST /api/transport` endpoint
-for play / pause / seek / cue / rate and falls back to `executePythonScript` only
-on older bridges. Transport jumps become a real REST call — fast enough to land on
-a downbeat.*
-
-> *"Lock the show to incoming OSC timecode, follow the timeline frame-for-frame, and
-> jump to named cues if the timecode label says chorus or blackout."*
-
-
-*`sync_timecode` wires MTC / LTC / OSC timecode into a normalized CHOP and can drive
-the TD timeline. Pair it with `control_timeline_transport` for explicit play, pause,
-seek, rate and cue commands.*
-
-> *"Schedule the lobby installation: start the ocean scene every weekday at 09:00,
-> switch to the dusk set at 18:00, and dry-run the schedule first."*
-
-
-*`tdmcp-agent schedule` is the cron-lite companion for unattended installs. It uses
-wall-clock scheduling with timezone handling, can dry-run, and can fire commands,
-cues or setlists.*
-
-> *"Record the next few MCP tool calls as a macro called soundcheck, then replay it
-> on the second machine after the stage network comes online."*
-
-
-*Use `macro_recorder` to capture a portable JSON macro and `run_macro_script` to
-replay it later. The CLI side can also fan out a command to multiple remote agents
-when several TD machines need the same setup.*
-
-> *"Add a kill/dimmer safety chain to the master output with a 2-second fade and
-> a panic Emergency button I can hit from a phone."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/safety-blackout-chain.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_safety_blackout_chain` wraps your program TOP with a Level/dim pass driven
-by a `safety_dim` Null CHOP (0 = lit, 1 = fully black), a Speed-controlled 2-second
-fade, and an exposed `Panic` toggle. Bind `safety_dim` to a phone fader with
-`bind_to_channel`, or wire a hardware "dead-man" button to flip Panic. Works fully
-offline and is safe to install on a `TDMCP_BRIDGE_ALLOW_EXEC=0` bridge.*
-
-> *"Build a timed setlist that cycles through three scenes — intro 30s, drop 60s,
-> outro 45s — with 2-second crossfades and a HUD showing now/next/remaining."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/setlist-runner-hud.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_setlist_runner` lays down a Timer CHOP with one segment per scene plus a
-crossfader bus and a Text TOP HUD reading now/next/remaining seconds. The
-`param_engine` Parameter Execute DAT watches Play/Row/Skip/Prev so you can override
-the schedule live — pause on a scene, skip ahead, or rewind without rewriting the
-timer.*
-
-> *"Wrap my NDI input in a watchdog that auto-switches to a pre-rendered MP4 if
-> the camera drops, with a 250ms crossfade and a sticky-recover toggle."*
-
-
-*`create_show_failover` runs an Info CHOP on the live source and watches the
-`total_cooks` delta — when it stops climbing the watchdog routes a Switch TOP to
-the backup MoviefileIn over a 250ms crossfade. The `sticky_recover` toggle stops it
-ping-ponging back the instant NDI flickers, so the show doesn't strobe on a flaky
-camera.*
-
-> *"Bind my body pose to the visual: when I raise my right hand the kaleidoscope
-> rotates, and when I open my arms the bloom intensity doubles."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/pose-reactive-bindings.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*Chain `setup_body_tracking` (MediaPipe pose source) into `create_pose_reactive` to
-get named CHOP channels per joint plus derived gestures (`right_hand_up`,
-`arms_open`, `lean_left`). Map those to your kaleidoscope rotation and bloom level
-parameters — the pose becomes a controller surface, no MIDI required.*
-
-> *"Build my reactive but use the new transient gate so claps fire a strobe, and
-> duck the bloom on every kick like a sidechain compressor."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/audio-reactive-gate-duck.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_audio_reactive` now takes `transient_gate:true` (+ `transient_threshold`,
-`transient_hold_ms`) and `sidechain_duck:true` (+ `duck_depth`, `duck_release_ms`)
-to add gate and duck modulation channels into the same network. Defaults stay off,
-so existing reactive containers are byte-identical — opt in only when you want the
-new buses.*
-
-> *"Queue my strobe and logo cues when I tap the button, but only fire them on the
-> next 16-bar phrase boundary so the drop lands musically."*
-
-
-*`create_phrase_locked_cue_engine` watches a pending-cue CHOP, queues pulses and
-gates them against a local Beat CHOP phrase clock. The output Null CHOP emits the
-musically quantized trigger, while PhraseLength, Active, Flush and QueueDepth give
-the operator live control over the queue.*
-
-## Output & mapping
-
-> *"Output the final visual to a full-screen window on my second monitor."*
-
-> *"Send this out over NDI so I can use it in OBS."*
-
-> *"Corner-pin this onto a projector and let me drag the corners."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/projection-mapping.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A source warped through a corner-pin keystone — drag the four corners to line it
-up with a wall, screen or object.*
-
-> *"Record the output to a movie file for 30 seconds."*
-
-> *"Inspect the GPU and connected displays, then tell me which output plan is safe
-> for this projector rig."*
-
-> *"Bridge this TOP over shared memory to the Unreal machine, and receive a CHOP
-> control stream back from the lighting process."*
-
-> *"Build a DMX fixture pipeline for eight RGBW bars over Art-Net universe 1, with
-> dimmer, color and strobe channels exposed."*
-
-*`create_dmx_fixture_pipeline` lays out fixture profiles, DMX slot padding and a
-DMX Out CHOP for Art-Net or sACN. It should surface overlaps, over-512 warnings and
-the exact channel names before anything goes live; fixture output is hardware, so
-the cookbook keeps this as a verified routing/control report rather than a fake
-lighting preview.*
-
-> *"Create a starter `TDMCP_*` config file for this show laptop, but leave secrets
-> commented out and refuse to overwrite the existing file unless I pass force."*
-
-
-*`tdmcp-agent config init` prints or writes the complete `.env` surface the server reads,
-with bridge/LLM secrets commented for manual entry. It is a small tool, but it makes
-touring-machine setup repeatable instead of tribal knowledge.*
-
-> *"Set up a two-projector rehearsal for the AI-Controlled Party — one wall for the
-> main visual, one for the lyrics — and synchronise them on the same cue list."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/ai-party-two-projector-rehearsal.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_multi_output` wires two `outTOP`s to two physical displays via
-`setup_output`, sharing a single `compose_cue_list` clock so the lyric overlay
-flips in lockstep with scene changes. Mirrors the two-wall ensaio rig the
-AI-Controlled Party uses for offline rehearsals.*
-
-> *"Build an interactive projection mapping rig for a webcam and projector:
-> motion wakes up cyan particles, magenta cards drift around the wall, and I can
-> switch between final, camera, motion, blob and calibration views."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/interactive-projection-motion-dots.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_interactive_projection_mapping` builds the rehearsal rig around a
-camera/synthetic/existing TOP source, frame-difference motion field, blob-mask
-branch, corner-pin projection output and a debug switch. Sensitivity, TrailDecay,
-BlobThreshold and ProjectionBrightness stay exposed for calibration in the room.*
-
-> *"Send my final TOP out as NDI named stage_program, keep it inactive until I
-> approve, and also make a Syphon/Spout sender for the local capture machine."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/external-io-ndi-syphon-return.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_external_io` now includes `ndi_out` and `syphon_spout_out` beside OSC,
-MIDI, DMX, Art-Net and streaming modes. It connects the TOP source, sets the
-sender/source names and leaves Active off unless the prompt explicitly asks to
-start sending.*
-
-> *"Build a three-projector facade mapping skeleton with horizontal edge blends,
-> per-projector brightness, a preview canvas, and smoothstep blend curves."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/facade-mapping-edge-blend.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_facade_mapping` fans a source TOP into 1-8 projector branches, crops each
-slice with overlap, applies blend ramps / corner-pin branches, creates
-per-projector Null outputs and exposes brightness plus blend-width/curve controls.
-It is the setup skeleton before the real projector alignment pass.*
-
-> *"Prepare hardware-free fulldome tests for this generated glitch feed: make a
-> fisheye dome master with horizon Rotation and FOV controls, then build a true
-> cube-map test scene so I can compare the higher-fidelity path."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/dome-output-glitch.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/cubemap-dome-master.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*Use `create_dome_output` for a 2D equirectangular/panoramic source and
-`create_cubemap_dome` when you have, or want to generate, a real cube-map source.
-Both produce a square dome master, but final geometry, FOV and seam behavior must
-be tuned against the actual dome or simulator, so the useful output is the mapped
-TOP path plus controls, not a generic planetarium illustration.*
-
-**What you'll get:** stage-prep tools for displays, GPU capability, DMX / Art-Net,
-shared-memory IPC and multi-agent fanout. These are infrastructure surfaces, so the
-useful output is usually a verified routing report rather than a pretty preview.
-
-## Fixing & understanding
-
-> *"Something looks broken — check the network for errors and fix them."*
-
-> *"The output is black — look at it and tell me why."* (combines the preview,
-> topology and node errors to diagnose)
-
-> *"Take an inline preview of `/project1/out1`: give me a 256 px thumbnail, cook
-> metadata, changed parameters and any parent errors in one structured answer."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/inline-preview-snapshot.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`get_inline_preview` is the compact inspection pass for agents: one call returns
-a bounded thumbnail, resolution / pixel-format / cook stats, changed parameters
-and a parent error sweep without juggling separate preview and error tools.*
-
-> *"Explain what this network is doing, step by step."*
-
-> *"Read parameter modes for every important node under `/project1/hero` in one
-> batch, then tell me which parameters are expressions, binds or exported channels."*
-
-
-*The `POST /api/param_modes/batch` bridge path lets agents inspect expression,
-bind, export and constant modes for many nodes in one round-trip. It replaces the
-old N-way exec loop when you need to understand why a rig is reacting, stuck or
-overridden.*
-
-> *"This is running slow — find the bottleneck and optimize it."*
-
-> *"Score this build on palette, motion, complexity, errors and performance, then
-> suggest the smallest changes that would improve it."*
-
-
-*`score_build` is read-only and returns a 0–100 rubric with deterministic
-suggestions. `enhance_build` can preview or apply a small allowlisted improvement
-loop, then rescore so you can see whether the intervention helped.*
-
-> *"Extract the five dominant colors from `/project1/look/out1` and use them as
-> swatches for the next palette and grade."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/palette-extraction-swatches.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`extract_palette` captures a TOP preview and runs deterministic k-means on the
-pixels. It is read-only, so it is safe to use for critique loops, palette hand-offs
-and "make the next look match this one" prompts.*
-
-> *"Ask the vision copilot what dominates this TOP, whether the subject is readable
-> from the back of the room, and which one change would improve it."*
-
-
-*`copilot_vision` sends a rendered TOP plus your question to the configured
-multimodal LLM. It complements deterministic tools like `caption_top` and
-`score_build` when you want an art-direction answer, not only measurements.*
-
-> *"I know I want `create_audio_reactive`, but I only said 'microphone neon bars' —
-> infer the missing required arguments from the schema and show me the proposed call."*
-
-
-*`elicit_missing_args` uses the registered tool schema plus chat context to propose
-only the missing fields. It is read-only and useful for agents that should ask fewer
-manual follow-up questions without inventing unsupported parameters.*
-
-> *"Profile cook cost for 60 frames and rank the nodes most likely to cause a frame
-> drop."*
-
-> *"Audit this project — what's unused, what file paths are broken, which COMPs are
-> orphaned?"*
-
-> *"Tidy up the layout so I can read it."*
-
-> *"Swap this `noiseTOP` into a `rampTOP`, keep the name and wires, preserve any
-> matching parameters, and report what could not be carried across."*
-
-
-*`swap_operator` is the careful version of "replace this node": it snapshots wires
-and parameters, recreates the operator type in place, reconnects what it can and
-returns dropped parameters/failures explicitly.*
-
-> *"Box up the audio chain with an annotation and label it, then list what's inside."*
-
-> *"Try to repair this broken render chain — but if the error count goes up, roll
-> back every change you made."*
-
-
-*`repair_network` now snapshots `(par.path, par.mode)` and `(op.path, op.bypass,
-op.display)` before each step. If `errors_after >= errors_before` and it isn't a
-dry run, every applied step is reversed and the report carries a `rolled_back:
-true` flag — a self-undoing repair pass, the safety net every artist wanted from
-"AI, fix it".*
-
-> *"Run an auto-repair loop on `/project1` — three passes max, stop if errors
-> stop going down, and roll back any pass that makes things worse."*
-
-
-*`auto_repair_loop` is the "fix everything" verb: it drives `repair_network` in
-iterations, scores `errors_before`/`errors_after` per pass, halts on a no-progress
-plateau, and inherits the same rollback safety. One call instead of a manual
-repair/check/repeat loop.*
-
-> *"Before touching this show patch, sample `/project1/out1` on an 8x8 grid and
-> tell me if it is alive, roughly what colors are present, and whether a full
-> screenshot is worth taking."*
-
-*`get_preview` with `sample_grid` returns an RGBA sample grid plus per-channel
-min/max/mean stats as JSON instead of encoding an image. Use it as the cheap
-"is this TOP alive?" check before spending context on a full preview or critique.*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/cookbook-ops-sample-grid-source.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*Captured from the live
-`/project1/cookbook_ops_demo/sample_grid_halftone_source/out1` TOP that was
-sampled with `sample_grid:8`. The clip shows the TouchDesigner output being
-sampled; the actual tool response is the RGBA grid and stats JSON.*
-
-> *"Pulse the reset on `/project1/trails/feedback1`, wait 12 frames, then collect
-> the preview so I can see the burst after the feedback loop catches up."*
-
-*`get_preview` now accepts `pre_pulses` and `delay_frames`: pulse one or more
-parameters in the same frame, defer the capture, then collect it later by `job_id`.
-This is for transient looks that are invisible if you snapshot one frame too early.*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/cookbook-ops-preview-burst.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*Captured from the live `/project1/cookbook_ops_demo/preview_burst/out1` TOP after
-pulsing `/project1/cookbook_ops_demo/preview_burst/feedback1` `reset` and delaying
-12 frames through tdmcp. This clip is the TouchDesigner result, not an illustrative
-prompt mockup.*
-
-> *"Before setting the input device on `/project1/live_in/moviefilein1`, read its
-> menu values and show me the exact machine names I can set without TouchDesigner
-> silently choosing the first item."*
-
-*`get_parameter_menu` live-fetches `menuNames`, `menuLabels` and the current menu
-value from the running TouchDesigner build. Ask for it before setting Menu /
-StrMenu parameters; if raw exec is disabled, the fallback is clearly marked as a
-stale bundled catalog.*
-
-> *"Read rows 500-560 of `/project1/show/state_table`, include the header and the
-> first five rows, and tell me whether any cue state looks wrong."*
-
-*`get_dat_content` reads Text and Table DATs in pages: `offset`, `limit`,
-`include_header` and `preview_rows` keep a huge cue table from flooding the model.
-The result includes row counts, truncation state and the exact row window read.*
-
-> *"After you build the hero look, focus the Network Editor on the new output,
-> control panel and final composite so I can inspect the exact nodes without
-> hunting."*
-
-*`focus_network_editor` is a UI-only follow move: it pans/zooms TouchDesigner's
-Network Editor to frame the selected operators and changes nothing in the graph.
-It is the handoff step after a generated build, not a visual effect.*
-
-> *"Tidy `/project1/hero` recursively, but keep every shader DAT docked next to
-> the node it belongs to."*
-
-*`arrange_network` keeps the left-to-right data-flow cleanup, and `include_docked`
-now moves docked GLSL / callback DATs by the same delta as their owner node. Use it
-when generated networks are readable only if their helper DATs travel with them.*
-
-> *"Disable `/project1/hero/old_grade` for rehearsal, but do not delete it — I want
-> to re-enable it if the director misses that look."*
-
-*`delete_td_node` with `mode:"bypass"` flips the operator bypass flag instead of
-destroying the node. It is the reversible middle ground between leaving a broken
-operator in the chain and permanently deleting show work.*
-
-> *"Rebuild this small post chain from the saved spec with auto-layout on, so
-> reruns do not leave nodes stacked and the wires read left-to-right."*
-
-*`rebuild_network` with `auto_layout:true` computes positions from the spec's input
-graph and overrides stale manual coordinates before creating the nodes. It is useful
-for recipe/spec round-trips where a correct network still needs a readable TD
-layout.*
-
-> *"Pull the dominant colours out of my hero clip and use them to seed a matching
-> colour grade for the rest of the show."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/palette-extract-and-grade.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`extract_palette` samples the TOP's preview via `get_preview` and runs
-deterministic k-means on the decoded RGB pixels, returning weighted hex swatches
-that feed directly into `create_color_grade` lift / gamma / gain targets. The AI
-brings the rest of the show into the same palette as your hero clip — no eyedropper.*
-
-## Reusable looks & show handoff
-
-Use these when a look is working and you want to perform it again, teach it, take
-it to another room or turn it into a physical output.
-
-> *"Make this hero look tour-ready: expose Speed, Palette, Glow and Reset controls,
-> add clear labels, save it as a portable `.tox`, and include a preview image so I
-> can recognize it before I open TouchDesigner."*
-
-
-*The packaging tools are useful when they serve the artist: a portable `.tox`,
-visible controls, simple notes and a thumbnail of the actual output. The result is a
-visual instrument you can drop into a show, not a developer handoff exercise.*
-
-> *"Turn `/project1/hero_look` into a workshop starter: keep the visual network,
-> capture the controls I should explain, and make it easy to apply in a blank
-> project next week."*
-
-
-*`scaffold_recipe_from_network` can turn a finished TD subtree into an apply-able
-recipe. Framed for artists, the point is repeatable teaching and rehearsal: rebuild
-the look from a clean project, then adjust the exposed controls in front of people.*
-
-> *"Make me a one-page map of this patch: final-output thumbnail, the three controls
-> I should touch live, and a simple left-to-right diagram of how signal becomes
-> image."*
-
-
-*Generated patch notes are only useful here when they read like a studio map: what
-the look is, which controls matter, what feeds the output and what the current
-preview looks like.*
-
-> *"Save this look with three variants — slow ambient, high-energy chorus and
-> blackout-safe — then tag the favorite so I can find it fast during the next
-> rehearsal."*
-
-
-*Vault tagging, variants and version notes help artists keep a live library sane:
-the question becomes "which look do I trust for this cue?", not "which file did I
-export last month?"*
-
-> *"Build a bass smoothing control chain named `bass_energy`, `bass_peak` and
-> `bass_gate`, then show me where to bind brightness, blur and pulse on the
-> current visual."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/audio-reactive-gate-duck.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*Layer-2 chain builders are artist-facing when they produce clean modulation
-sources with readable names. You get stable channels to perform with, while the
-underlying CHOP details stay editable when you want to learn them.*
-
-> *"Export this generative line sculpture as SVG polylines for my AxiDraw, matching
-> the preview scale and orientation so the plot feels like the screen version."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/sop-to-svg-plotter.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`export_sop_to_svg` reads SOP primitives and writes plotter-ready vectors. It is
-the bridge from live generative motion to pen plotters, lasers and print.*
-
-## Shader & material authoring
-
-> *"Create a GLSL material for this sphere: iridescent oil-slick bands, a soft rim
-> light and a `uTime` uniform I can drive from the timeline."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/glsl-material-iridescent.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_glsl_material` scaffolds the GLSL MAT plus companion Text DATs, wires the
-pixel/vertex shader sources, and warns about TouchDesigner GLSL footguns such as
-missing `fragColor`, F1/F2 preamble collisions and undeclared `uTime`.*
-
-> *"Import this Shadertoy sketch, wire the iChannels with placeholders if needed,
-> expose Speed and Mouse controls, and preview the translated GLSL TOP."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/import-shadertoy-nebula.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`import_shadertoy` maps `iTime`, `iResolution`, `iMouse` and `iChannelN` into
-TouchDesigner-friendly uniforms / TOP inputs. Paste `raw_source` when you want the
-whole import to stay offline.*
-
-> *"Import this ISF shader, generate a clean custom-parameter page from its INPUTS,
-> and keep the GLSL editable in TouchDesigner."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/import-isf-plasma-controls.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`import_isf_shader` parses the ISF JSON header and turns float / color / bool /
-event / long inputs into TouchDesigner controls, so shader-library sketches become
-performable networks instead of pasted code blobs.*
-
-> *"Turn this GLSL TOP sketch into a material on the 3D logo, expose Color, Speed
-> and Fresnel, then render a preview."*
-
-**What you'll get:** a shader-authoring pass that keeps the code editable in DATs
-while making the important uniforms performable as TouchDesigner controls.
-
-## Signature effects & looks
-
-> *"Fold my webcam into a slowly-rotating six-fold kaleidoscope, deep jewel tones,
-> and show me a preview."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/kaleidoscope-webcam.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A live polar-fold GLSL mirror turns any source into a symmetric mandala; exposes
-Segments and a rotation/Speed knob. Pointed at the webcam it makes the room bloom
-into kaleidoscopic petals.*
-
-> *"Make my video look like a corrupted file that smears and melts on every hard
-> cut — heavy datamosh."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/datamosh-pixel-melt.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A feedback-driven pixel-displacement smear that bleeds motion vectors across frames,
-with Amount/Decay controls — the classic "broken codec" bloom-and-melt look on a
-default test source (swap in your clip).*
-
-> *"Turn this into warm, amber-tinted halftone dots like a vintage newspaper print,
-> and preview it."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/halftone-amber-print.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A GLSL halftone screen converts the image into a grid of ink dots whose size tracks
-brightness; exposes Dot scale / Angle / tint. Amber tint plus paper-white background
-gives a retro-print feel.*
-
-> *"Make this source look like a Game Boy fever dream: 4-color ordered dither,
-> crunchy pixels, animated threshold and live Mix control."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/dither-gameboy-poster.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_dither` builds ordered Bayer / checker / noise / error-diffusion dither
-with mono, duotone or RGB quantization. It is a look, not just a utility filter.*
-
-> *"Generate a stained-glass Voronoi field with animated seeds, thick dark lead
-> lines and palette controls for Color A / Color B."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/jfa-voronoi-stained-glass.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_jfa_voronoi` uses a Jump-Flooding pass chain (seed init, halving passes,
-color pass) to make animated mosaic / stained-glass cells with live seed and edge
-controls.*
-
-> *"Warp this footage with a flowing liquid distortion that ripples like heat haze
-> over the whole frame."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/displacement-warp-liquid.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*Drives a Displace TOP from an animated noise field so the source ripples and flows,
-with Amount/Speed controls — that premium "liquid morph" / heat-haze warp over any clip.*
-
-> *"Turn this live camera feed into flowing ink lines, like a music-video frame
-> drawn with edge tangent flow and animated charcoal."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/flow-abstraction-ink-lines.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_flow_abstraction` builds the ETF / FDoG painterly path: coherent line flow
-instead of simple Sobel edges, useful for comic, ink and etched-camera looks.*
-
-> *"Give this shot a Kuwahara oil-paint filter, then let me switch between oil,
-> pencil and watercolor modes during the set."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/npr-kuwahara-paint.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_npr_filter` exposes the non-photoreal look as a controllable component;
-`apply_post_processing` also understands `npr_oil`, `npr_pencil` and
-`npr_watercolor` for quick one-off chains.*
-
-> *"Give this a moody teal-and-orange cinematic grade — crush the blacks a touch and
-> lift the highlights."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/cinematic-color-grade.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A lift/gamma/gain + saturation/hue grade (with optional LUT) on any source, exposing
-the wheels as knobs — the Hollywood teal/orange look as a finishing layer, the thing
-people buy plugins for.*
-
-> *"Give this camera a proper three-wheel grade: cool shadows, warm highlights, a
-> small black offset and live Lift/Gamma/Gain channel controls."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/color-wheels-lift-gamma-gain.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_color_wheels` builds the classic colorist surface: three tinted Level TOPs
-for shadows/midtones/highlights, master black offset and saturation. Use it when
-simple color-grade sliders are not expressive enough.*
-
-> *"Apply this .cube LUT to the camera feed, show me a before/after split, and fall
-> back to GLSL if OCIO is not available."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/lut-film-grade.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`apply_lut` chooses the best available route: OCIO when present, image lookup for
-preview LUTs, or a parsed `.cube` GLSL fallback when the machine is bare.*
-
-> *"When I move this slider, glitch-cut from the first clip to the second with a burst
-> of digital noise."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/transition-glitch-cut.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*An A→B transition over a single 0–1 Progress knob with selectable styles (dissolve /
-luma_wipe / slide / zoom / glitch_cut) — drag the fader to wipe between two sources
-mid-show.*
-
-> *"Render my camera as glowing phosphor ASCII, source-colored in the bright areas,
-> with a Mix knob so I can fade back to the original."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/ascii-phosphor-camera.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_ascii_render` downsamples a source into cells, builds a Text TOP glyph
-atlas and renders a GLSL character grid. Mono, source-color and two-color modes
-cover terminal phosphor, posterized camera and duotone stage looks.*
-
-> *"Make a vertical slit-scan of the dancer: each row should be a different moment
-> in time, 120 frames deep, flowing upward like time ribbons."*
-
-
-*`create_slit_scan` records the source into a Cache TOP ring buffer and samples it
-in GLSL so each row or column pulls from a different past frame. The Depth control
-sets how much time is stretched across the output.*
-
-> *"Give this generated glitch feed a time echo: recursive ghost trails in echo
-> mode for the verse, then a time-displace melt driven by a vertical ramp for the
-> breakdown."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/time-echo-glitch.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_time_echo` is the broader time-effects container: `echo` for recursive
-feedback trails, `slit_scan` for row/column time slices and `time_displace` for
-per-pixel frame offsets driven by a ramp or noise TOP. Ask for fixed resolution and
-warnings because cache/time-machine operator names vary across TD builds.*
-
-> *"Generate liquid chrome blobs on a black studio background, blue-tinted metal,
-> slow movement, and a Speed control for the Y2K logo moment."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/chrome-blobs-y2k.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_chrome_blobs` turns animated noise into blurred, thresholded metaballs and
-shades them with a GLSL fake environment-map chrome pass. Metal tints and
-background presets make it useful as a logo bumper, not just a texture test.*
-
-> *"Create a Gray-Scott reaction-diffusion look with coral colors, maze-like
-> spots, and live Feed/Kill/Diffusion controls for slow biological morphing."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/reaction-diffusion-coral-maze.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_reaction_diffusion` starts from the shipped Gray-Scott recipe, patches the
-GLSL uniforms for Feed/Kill/Diffusion A/B, optionally applies a LUT ramp, and
-exposes the chemical parameters as performance controls.*
-
-> *"Pixel-sort this live feed into vertical rain streaks: sort by luminance above
-> the threshold, descending, 96 iterations, with Mix at 0.8."*
-
-
-*`create_pixel_sort` uses an odd-even GLSL sorting loop with Feedback TOP, Switch
-TOP and threshold mask. Axis, SortBy, Direction, Threshold, Iterations and Mix stay
-live so the Asendorf smear can be tuned instead of pasted once.*
-
-## Mixing & layering
-
-> *"Stack four layers with blend modes and opacity, each with mute and solo, so I can
-> mix a look on the fly."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/layer-stack-mute-solo.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*An N-layer compositor with per-layer blend mode + opacity + mute/solo and a generated
-control strip — a Photoshop / After-Effects-style layer stack you can perform, a mixing
-desk for visuals.*
-
-> *"Build me a four-deck rig with per-deck FX sends into a shared return bus and a
-> hard-cut switch I can blend back in."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/nchan-decks-fx-bus.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_decks` in `decks[]` mode builds 2–8 deck rigs with per-deck gain,
-per-deck FX-send branches into an additive bus/return, a running Cross TOP program
-mix, and a Switch TOP hard-cut blended back into program through `cut_mix`. A
-proper four-deck VJ console with sends, returns and a hard-cut on a slider.*
-
-## Data-driven visuals
-
-Reactivity beyond sound — drive visuals from a live web feed, a spreadsheet or a table.
-
-> *"Pull the live BTC price from a web API and drive the visual's color and speed from
-> how fast it's moving."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/live-data-btc-feed.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*One tool pulls a live JSON/web feed into CHOP channels; a second maps those channels
-onto a visual's parameters with per-mapping range remap — the data counterpart to audio
-reactivity. Your visuals react to a live internet data feed (price, weather, anything).*
-
-> *"Prototype a WebSocket-driven visual dashboard from this event stream, but run it
-> in dry-run / experimental mode first and report any bridge errors before wiring it
-> into the show."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/data-source-http-ws-hotfix.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_data_source_http_ws` is the HTTP/WebSocket bridge for turning JSON selectors
-into CHOP channels. The v0.7.0 public cut includes the HTTP-poll hotfix, so prompts
-can ask for status, selectors, channel names and warnings as part of the build
-report.*
-
-> *"Turn this spreadsheet of monthly sales into animated 3D bars that grow in, with
-> value labels."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/table-3d-bars.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A data-driven visualization network (bars or graph from a table) with a Scale knob and
-animated entrance — a real-time, performable infographic rather than a static chart.*
-
-> *"Clone this little card design once per row of my table, each labeled with that
-> row's name."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/replicator-table-cards.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A Replicator COMP that clones a template COMP per Table-DAT row, parameterizing each
-clone from its row — data-driven instancing of whole sub-networks, not just geometry,
-the way motion designers fake "100 of these."*
-
-> *"Build an offline Ollama LLM chain inside TouchDesigner: prompt DAT in, response
-> DAT out, Send button exposed, and JSON mode ready for cue notes."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/llm-chain-stage-notes.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*`create_llm_chain` creates a stock webclientDAT-based LLM wrapper for Ollama,
-OpenAI, Anthropic or a custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Prompt and Response DATs,
-a status channel and provider/model/temperature/max-token controls stay inside TD,
-while API keys are read from environment variables and never surfaced through Node.*
-
-## Rehearsal checks & artist feedback
-
-Use these when you want tdmcp to test the work like an artist would: can I see it,
-can I perform it, does it react, and is it safe to keep rehearsing?
-
-> *"Before rehearsal, open my main output, take a quick preview snapshot, and tell
-> me if it is black, low-res, frozen or showing errors."*
-
-
-*`get_inline_preview` turns "is it alive?" into one check: thumbnail, resolution,
-pixel format, cook metadata and recent errors. The answer should be visual and
-plain-language first.*
-
-> *"Watch the bass analyze CHOP for five seconds and tell me the real min/max so I
-> can set the visual range before the DJ arrives."*
-
-
-*`watch_node` is useful when it reads a signal the way a performer needs it: actual
-range, spikes, quiet moments and whether the channel is stable enough to bind to a
-look.*
-
-> *"Check the `club` venue profile without showing secrets: is TouchDesigner
-> reachable, is the bridge on the expected port, and what should I fix before
-> doors?"*
-
-
-*Venue/profile checks belong in the cookbook only when they answer a show question:
-which room am I set up for, is the live bridge reachable, and what concrete action
-keeps rehearsal moving?*
-
-> *"Read the compact map of `/project1/hero` and explain the visible controls in
-> plain language: what changes color, motion, intensity and reset?"*
-
-
-*`compact_graph_digest` summarizes a network without drowning the artist in nodes:
-counts, wires and key parameters become a short map of what the look can do.*
-
-> *"During soundcheck, listen for beat and onset events for ten seconds and tell me
-> whether the cue stream is steady enough to drive cuts; do not trigger anything on
-> stage."*
-
-
-*Bridge event watching can stay read-only: use it to prove that tempo, beat or
-gesture events are arriving before you map them to visible changes.*
-
-> *"Teach me enough TouchDesigner to safely tweak this patch: show the operator path
-> I should open, the one parameter to try first, and a fallback if it breaks."*
-
-
-*Learning resources and cheatsheets are artist-facing when they reduce fear in the
-patch: one operator, one safe parameter, one way back.*
-
-> *"Look at the current output and critique it like a motion designer: palette,
-> contrast, rhythm, legibility and one concrete next tweak."*
-
-
-*The local copilot should close the loop from generated network to visible result:
-describe what is on screen, name the weakest artistic choice, then propose a small
-change the artist can approve.*
-
-## Offline TD knowledge & recipe drafting
-
-Use these when you want the agent to read embedded TouchDesigner knowledge before it
-creates nodes. The tools in this section are read-only and work without a live TD
-bridge; any live cook or projector check stays **UNVERIFIED-pending-td** until you
-run the draft against a connected TouchDesigner instance.
-
-> *"Before choosing the blur stage, search embedded TOP operators in
-> TouchDesigner 2023 with parameter search turned on. Show me which operators
-> expose edge, radius or feedback-related controls, and do not create nodes yet."*
-
-```bash
-tdmcp-agent operators \
-  --params '{"query":"edge radius feedback blur","category":"TOP","version":"2023","parameter_search":true,"limit":8}'
-```
-
-*Expanded `search_operators` can filter by category, TouchDesigner version and
-parameter metadata before the agent mutates a project. Use it when the question is
-"which operator actually exposes the control I need?", not just "what is this op
-called?".*
-
-> *"I am migrating a 2022 feedback patch to 2024 and want a camera-safe trails
-> chain. Plan the TD version migration first, then suggest a TOP chain and
-> validate it before drafting a recipe."*
-
-```bash
-tdmcp-agent versions migration-plan \
-  --params '{"from_version":"2022","to_version":"2024","query":"TOP feedback camera trails"}'
-tdmcp-agent operators suggest-chain \
-  --params '{"goal":"camera-safe feedback trails","family":"TOP","max_steps":5}'
-tdmcp-agent operators validate-chain \
-  --params '{"chain":["Video Device In TOP","Feedback TOP","Transform TOP","Level TOP","Null TOP"],"family":"TOP"}'
-tdmcp-agent recipes draft-chain \
-  --params '{"chain":["Video Device In TOP","Feedback TOP","Transform TOP","Level TOP","Null TOP"],"id":"camera_feedback_trails_draft","tags":["draft","feedback","migration"]}'
-```
-
-*This is a version-aware preflight: release notes and compatibility records shape
-the chain suggestion, `validate_operator_chain` checks the operator adjacency, and
-the recipe draft remains offline until a later `apply_recipe` + live TD cook pass.*
-
-> *"Open the embedded GLSL technique pack, inspect a reaction-diffusion technique
-> with setup notes and code, then draft a schema-valid recipe from it in
-> non-strict mode. Leave applying it for a live TD pass later."*
-
-```bash
-tdmcp-agent techniques get \
-  --params '{"category":"glsl","technique_id":"reaction_diffusion_gs","include_code":true,"include_setup":true}'
-tdmcp-agent techniques draft-recipe \
-  --params '{"category":"glsl","technique_id":"reaction_diffusion_gs","id":"reaction_diffusion_gs_technique_draft","strict":false}'
-```
-
-*`get_technique_detail` and `draft_recipe_from_technique` turn embedded
-TouchDesigner technique packs into `RecipeSchema` candidates without claiming that
-the network has cooked. Preserve warnings and next-tool hints, then verify the
-draft against TouchDesigner before it becomes a show recipe.*
-
-> *"Find the embedded tutorial for writing a GLSL TOP, try a conservative tutorial
-> draft in non-strict triage mode, and show me why it is or is not safe before
-> applying anything."*
-
-```bash
-tdmcp-agent tutorials get \
-  --params '{"name":"write_a_glsl_top","include_content":true}'
-tdmcp-agent tutorials draft-recipe \
-  --params '{"name":"write_a_glsl_top","strict":false,"max_steps":5}'
-```
-
-*`get_tutorial` retrieves the structured tutorial text and code blocks; the
-`draft_recipe_from_tutorial` tool validates the extracted chain with documented
-connection checks. For the bundled `write_a_glsl_top` tutorial, this is expected
-to stay non-draftable because the prose/TOC chain includes undocumented adjacent
-links such as `GLSL TOP -> GLSL Multi TOP`; the report should include
-`undocumented_connection`, omit `apply_recipe`, and leave the TD graph untouched.*
-
-> *"Before creating a feedback post chain, compare the operator docs for Blur TOP
-> and Level TOP, validate `Noise TOP -> Blur TOP -> Level TOP -> Null TOP`, then
-> draft a recipe from that chain without touching the project."*
-
-```bash
-tdmcp-agent operators compare-docs \
-  --params '{"operator_a":"Blur TOP","operator_b":"Level TOP"}'
-tdmcp-agent operators validate-chain \
-  --params '{"chain":["Noise TOP","Blur TOP","Level TOP","Null TOP"],"family":"TOP"}'
-tdmcp-agent recipes draft-chain \
-  --params '{"chain":["Noise TOP","Blur TOP","Level TOP","Null TOP"],"id":"feedback_post_draft","tags":["draft","feedback"]}'
-```
-
-*This is the safe "read, compare, validate, draft" loop: the agent can explain the
-operator tradeoffs and hand you a schema-valid recipe draft while the actual
-TouchDesigner graph remains unchanged.*
-
-> *"Search embedded tutorials for CHOP workflows, copy one tutorial id from the
-> results, try `draft_recipe_from_tutorial` in non-strict mode, and if it is not
-> draftable, explain why. Use any extracted operators as input to
-> `validate_operator_chain`, and only draft a recipe when the cleaned chain has no
-> errors. Treat `apply_recipe` as a later handoff, not part of this run."*
-
-```bash
-tdmcp-agent tutorials get \
-  --params '{"query":"CHOP","include_content":true,"limit":3}'
-tdmcp-agent tutorials draft-recipe \
-  --params '{"name":"anatomy_of_a_chop","strict":false,"max_steps":5}'
-```
-
-*This is the useful failure mode: a tutorial can still teach the agent what to
-inspect or validate even when it cannot become a safe recipe automatically.
-`draft_recipe_from_tutorial` takes a tutorial id or exact display name, not a
-free-text search query, so substitute the id you chose from the previous result.*
-
-## Creative library (Creative RAG)
-
-The creative repertoire is an opt-in local index of open-licensed reference
-artworks. The CLI is `tdmcp creative-rag <sync|index|search>`; both
-`tdmcp://creative/cards/{id}` and `tdmcp://creative/search{?q,k,license,type,tags}`
-are read-only MCP resources. RAG supplies source artworks, palettes, motion
-language and tool affordances; the actual TouchDesigner build still happens through
-normal tdmcp tools.
-
-> *"Use Creative RAG to find the CC0 Cleveland card `The Biglin Brothers Turning
-> the Stake`. Use the painting itself as source material: stretch the waterline
-> into horizontal motion trails, edge-detect the oars and bodies, and turn it into
-> a rowing-motion visual with a cool stage grade."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/creative-rag-rowing-motion-remix.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*A RAG artwork becomes input material, not a result row: the card's CC0 image is
-remixed into a new kinetic trails piece using the painting's water, oar rhythm and
-silhouette structure as the visual score.*
-
-> *"Search Creative RAG for the CC0 portrait card `Nathaniel Hurd`. Build a new
-> live mask look from it: pull a warm palette from the portrait, pixelize the face
-> into block cells, add edge outlines, and make a subtle double-exposure drift for
-> a performance backdrop."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/creative-rag-portrait-mask-remix.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*The retrieved portrait drives the look: color, lighting and face structure become
-a new mask/mosaic system that could be recreated with `create_palette`,
-`create_pixel_sort` and post-processing passes.*
-
-> *"Open the Creative RAG `Composition` card for Wassily Kandinsky. Use its
-> hard-edged geometry, primary triad palette and `create_generative_art` /
-> `create_color_grade` affordances to build a fresh geometric TD system, not a
-> copy of the painting."*
-
-<video :src="withBase('/examples/creative-rag-kandinsky-remix.mp4')" autoplay loop muted playsinline style="width:100%;max-width:480px;border-radius:8px;display:block"></video>
-
-*The card hands over palette and visual language; the result is a new procedural
-composition with animated grid, circles and color planes, keeping the original as
-repertoire context rather than something the RAG executes directly.*
-
-### Search and license filters
-
-The creative repertoire is an opt-in local index of open-licensed reference
-artworks. The CLI is `tdmcp creative-rag <sync|index|search>`; both
-`tdmcp://creative/cards/{id}` and `tdmcp://creative/search{?q,k,license,type,tags}`
-are read-only MCP resources. The default license allowlist (`TDMCP_RAG_LICENSE_ALLOWLIST`,
-default `CC0,PublicDomain`) only gates **binary downloads** at `sync` time —
-`search` still surfaces every card in the index, so pass `--license` explicitly
-when you need a hard guarantee on what you reuse.
-
-> *"Search the creative library for kinetic monochrome references — high motion,
-> black and white, geometric. Restrict to CC0 + public domain so I can reuse
-> anything that comes back."*
-
-```bash
-tdmcp creative-rag search "kinetic monochrome geometric" \
-  --license CC0,PublicDomain --k 5 --json
-```
-
-```json
-[
-  {
-    "id": "a1b2c3d4...",
-    "score": 0.78,
-    "title": "Composition with Black Lines",
-    "sourceUrl": "https://www.artic.edu/...",
-    "license": "PublicDomain",
-    "type": "artwork",
-    "tags": ["geometric", "monochrome", "motion-study"]
-  },
-  {
-    "id": "e5f6a7b8...",
-    "score": 0.74,
-    "title": "Rhythm of a Russian Dance",
-    "sourceUrl": "https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/...",
-    "license": "CC0",
-    "type": "artwork",
-    "tags": ["kinetic", "dance", "geometry"]
-  }
-]
-```
-
-*Use `--json` when you need ids for the next step. The human table is intentionally
-shorter and prints score, title, type/license and source URL; the structured payload
-adds `id`, `tags` and other card fields for agents or scripts.*
-
-> *"Show me only CC0-licensed architectural artworks from the creative
-> library."*
-
-```bash
-tdmcp creative-rag search "architecture facade" \
-  --license CC0 --type artwork --tags architecture --k 5 --json
-```
-
-```json
-[
-  {
-    "id": "3f4d5e6a...",
-    "score": 0.81,
-    "title": "Facade Study, Rietveld Schroder House",
-    "sourceUrl": "https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/...",
-    "license": "CC0",
-    "type": "artwork",
-    "tags": ["architecture", "de-stijl", "geometric"]
-  },
-  {
-    "id": "c7d8e9f0...",
-    "score": 0.77,
-    "title": "Steel Frame, Construction Series",
-    "sourceUrl": "https://www.clevelandart.org/...",
-    "license": "CC0",
-    "type": "artwork",
-    "tags": ["architecture", "structure", "grid"]
-  }
-]
-```
-
-*`--license CC0` narrows beyond the default allowlist (drops PublicDomain) so
-the result is strictly CC0. `--type` accepts the CLI enum
-(`project|artist|artwork|technique|cue_reference`); use `--tags` (CSV) for finer
-filters like `architecture`, `geometric`, `sculpture`. All filters stack.*
-
-> *"Open card `3f4d5e6a…` from the creative library and summarize the artist's
-> intent so I can build a TD scene from it."*
-
-The MCP client fetches `tdmcp://creative/cards/3f4d5e6a…` (where `id =
-sha256(sourceUrl)`) and gets back the full card as JSON:
-
-```json
-{
-  "id": "3f4d5e6a...",
-  "schemaVersion": 1,
-  "type": "artwork",
-  "title": "Facade Study, Rietveld Schroder House",
-  "sourceUrl": "https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/...",
-  "sourceName": "rijksmuseum",
-  "license": "CC0",
-  "body": "Frontal study of a De Stijl facade with rigid planes and window-grid rhythm.",
-  "tags": ["architecture", "de-stijl", "geometric", "primary-colors"],
-  "palette": ["#E63946", "#F1FAEE", "#1D3557", "#FFD166"],
-  "visualLanguage": "rigid orthogonal grid, flat planes",
-  "tdmcpAffordances": ["create_glsl_shader", "create_grid_layout"],
-  "contentHash": "sha256:..."
-}
-```
-
-*The real card shape is flat: `body`, `palette` and `visualLanguage` are top-level
-optional fields, `type` must be one of the Creative RAG enum values, and
-`tdmcpAffordances` is a `string[]` of suggested tool names (see
-`src/creativeRag/schema.ts`). Read the card, distill the artist's intent in prose,
-then hand the affordances + palette to whichever Layer 1 tool fits — for example,
-"use this palette and grid `visualLanguage` to build a kinetic monochrome GLSL
-scene". The cookbook stops here; the actual build is whichever Layer 1 tool the
-affordances point at.*
-
-## Project library (Project RAG)
-
-The **project repertoire** is the developer-side cousin of Creative RAG: an
-opt-in local index of open-licensed TouchDesigner *projects, components and
-snippets* — `.toe`/`.tox` files and shader excerpts pulled from curated GitHub
-sources — so the agent can ground an effect in **real working code** before
-writing any new node. The CLI is `tdmcp project-rag <sync|index|search>`;
-`tdmcp://project/cards/{id}`, `tdmcp://project/search{?q,k,license,type,operator,tags}`
-and the new `tdmcp://project/sources` are read-only MCP resources. The
-`project_rag_context` MCP prompt and the `project_rag_search` copilot tool
-expose the same index to LLM clients — both are gated by
-`TDMCP_RAG_ENABLED=1 && TDMCP_PROJECT_RAG_ENABLED=1`.
-
-### When to use Project RAG vs Creative RAG
-
-Two RAGs, two questions. Creative RAG answers *"what should this look like?"*
-— it surfaces artworks, palettes and visual language. Project RAG answers
-*"how is this actually built in TD?"* — it surfaces working `.toe`/`.tox`
-networks and operator wiring you can read or adapt. Mixing them is the point.
-
-> *"I want to build a hand-tracking feedback piece. First run the
-> `project_rag_context` prompt with `query: 'hand tracking mediapipe feedback'`
-> so I can see how real TD projects wire it; then pick the most permissive
-> one and adapt the operator chain into a new network."*
-
-```text
-tdmcp://project/search?q=hand+tracking+mediapipe+feedback&k=5
-→
-0.823  MediaPipe Hand Pose Demo [project] — MIT — tdmcp://project/cards/abc123…
-0.781  Real-time Hand Tracker [project] — CC-BY-4.0 — tdmcp://project/cards/def456…
-0.704  Feedback Optical Flow Hands [snippet] — Apache-2.0 — tdmcp://project/cards/789abc…
-```
-
-*The prompt returns titles, licenses and `tdmcp://project/cards/{id}` URIs —
-not opaque embeddings. Inspect each card via `read_resource` to see the full
-operator list and the path to the binary you can open in TD. Use Creative
-RAG for **palette/mood**; use Project RAG for **the TD wiring that makes it
-move**.*
-
-### Finding real examples before coding an effect
-
-When the model wants to *generate* a new effect, the safest first step is
-**search before synthesis** — find what already exists, in code, under a
-license you can reuse.
-
-> *"I'm about to build an audio-reactive trails network. Before you create any
-> ops, run `tdmcp project-rag search 'audio reactive trails feedback'
-> --license CC0,MIT,Apache-2.0 --k 5` and quote the top three cards
-> (title + license + URI). Open the most permissive one via
-> `tdmcp://project/cards/{id}` and tell me which operators it uses. Then we
-> decide whether to copy, adapt, or build fresh."*
-
-```bash
-tdmcp project-rag search "audio reactive trails feedback" \
-  --license CC0,MIT,Apache-2.0 --k 5
-```
-
-*The CLI mirrors `tdmcp creative-rag search` — same flag layout, same
-license-gated reuse story. The difference is that the cards here point to
-runnable TD networks instead of static artworks, and `--operator AudioSpectrumCHOP`
-narrows further to cards that actually wire a given op. When sparse results
-come back on the creative side, the CLI also prints a stderr tip suggesting
-`tdmcp project-rag search "<q>"` as a cross-link, so the agent can pivot
-between the two libraries without losing the query.*
-
-> *"Tonight I need a quick fog-organism look. List configured Project RAG
-> sources first via `tdmcp://project/sources` — I want to know which are
-> ready vs planned before searching, so I don't chase cards that aren't
-> indexed yet."*
-
-```json
-[
-  { "name": "github-repo", "displayName": "GitHub seed repos", "status": "ready" },
-  { "name": "github-topic", "displayName": "GitHub topic scanner", "status": "ready" },
-  { "name": "matthewragan", "displayName": "Matthew Ragan", "status": "planned" }
-]
-```
-
-*`tdmcp://project/sources` is the honest map of what's indexed locally. A
-`status: "planned"` source means the adapter exists but isn't wired into your
-current sync — useful context when search results look thinner than you
-expected. Pair it with the `project_rag_context` prompt to let the agent
-reason about coverage before it commits to a build path.*
-
-### Opting into the Interactive & Immersive HQ manual (non-commercial)
-
-A whole TouchDesigner manual is available as searchable `tutorial` cards — but
-it ships **off by default** because its license is **CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0**
-(non-commercial, share-alike, attribution required). Turn it on only for
-personal/learning use:
-
-```bash
-export TDMCP_PROJECT_RAG_IIHQ=1
-tdmcp project-rag sync --source iihq
-tdmcp project-rag search "optimize a slow CHOP network" --type tutorial --k 3
-```
-
-> *"Enable the IIHQ tutorial source and find chapters that explain GLSL TOPs.
-> Quote each card's license and remind me of the reuse terms before I copy
-> anything into a commercial show."*
-
-*Every IIHQ card is hard-stamped `CC-BY-NC-SA · non-commercial` and carries
-rights notes telling you to attribute **The Interactive & Immersive HQ**, keep
-it non-commercial, and share alike. Only the manual's **text** is indexed — no
-`.tox`/`.toe`/example binaries are ever downloaded (the license policy denies
-CC-BY-NC-SA binaries outright). If you're building for a paid gig, treat these
-cards as background reading, not as assets to ship.*
-
-## Working from your own notes (Obsidian vault)
-
-If you keep an [Obsidian vault](/reference/tools#obsidian-vault) wired up:
-
-> *"Build tonight's set from my 'Friday' setlist note."*
-
-> *"Generate a visual from my 'deep ocean' moodboard."*
-
-> *"Save this look as a recipe in my vault, run auto-tagging, and log it to my show
-> diary."*
-
-> *"Remember that my show style avoids flat rainbow gradients, prefers cold fog,
-> amber edge lights and slow camera drift, then use that memory for the next look."*
-
-> *"Find previous work in my vault similar to 'submerged cathedral, blue haze,
-> slow strobes' and use the closest one as a starting point."*
-
-> *"Lint my recipe library before the show and tell me which notes have missing
-> assets, duplicate ids or unknown operators."*
-
-**What you'll get:** a local, git-friendly show library. `scaffold_vault` creates the
-starter folders, including `Memory/style.md`; save tools can opt into deterministic
-auto-tags; `recall_similar_work` searches your own past looks; and
-`lint_recipe_library` catches bad notes before they reach the projector.