On Wed, 20 Jun 2001, Álvaro Castro wrote:

Hi all!!

My name is Álvaro and I'm new to this list and PD. As a newbie, my questions maybe sound a little bit stupid, but please, you will help me a lot if you answer them:

1. Is Pd a programming language? When I open some pd

files I see just linked squares. Maybe it has more behind that squares?

hello Alvaro, if you are familiar with electronic music you can see pd like a modular synthesizer - the squares being the modules (like oscillators, filters, loudspeakers etc). These modules can be connected together by chords - for example you can link an oscillator to a filter and then link the filter to the output of the soundcard to hear the result. There are number boxes which act like dials to control the modules etc.

2. What about externals? Is that what you have to make

with C++ or any language?

You can use externals to expand the possibilties of Pd - GEM for example is a set of externals (a library) which gives you the possibility of editing and displaying 3-dimensional computer graphics (it is an OpenGl Interface).

3. Can I have a good sound and 3d control with just

that squared objects in PD and GEM without programming any external?

You don't need to write externals yourself unless you want to so something VERY specific.

4. What are TK, TCL and wish83?

These are graphical libraries which are internally used by pd - you don't need to do anything with them unless you have problems installing pd (on linux).

To get you started, see the pd manual at http://crca.ucsd.edu/~msp/Pd_documentation/index.htm, dhe Frequently Asked Questions at http://pure-data.org and the GEM manual at http://www.danks.org

Thank you for your time! I appreciate your answers very much!

Álvaro Castro.

P.S. As you see my problem is that to learn PD and GEM I need to learn a programming language like C++ or OpenGL I don't have time to learn them, because I have my university studies.

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