4kb PC intro by ponk (code) + glafouk (music) released at Evoke 2018
... with which you'll bake 4k demos for the Cookie Demoparty or other demoparties!
This framework originates from iq with some parts from wsmind, halcy, and maybe others.
Requirements:
- Windows only.
- Crinkler as linker.
- Node.js for the toolchain.
- Synthclipse as IDE.
- Visual Studio for the C++ compiler.
Recommended:
- 4klang or Oidos as synthesizer.
- 7-Zip to zip the demo.
- Ffmpeg to capture the demo into a video.
- NASM as ASM compiler, needed by the synthesizers.
Fork the repository on GitHub.
Clone your repository on your computer. I'll call XXX this directory's path.
Open a VS x86 tools prompt and execute:
cd XXX
npm install --production
The demo settings are stored in demo\config.yml for shared settings, and in demo\config.local.yml for the settings specific to your computer. The latter file is ignored by git.
By default, tools are searched on the PATH. You can explicit them in demo\config.local.yml, for instance:
paths:
7z: C:\\Program Files\\7-Zip\\7z.exe
crinkler: path\\to\\crinkler.exe
oidos: path\\to\\oidos
The demo template uses Oidos as synthesizer. If you don't want to use it, set demo:audioTool as none in demo\config.yml.
In the VS x86 tools prompt, execute:
npm run build
After a few seconds, the build should be successful, and running dist\template.exe should display spinning balls. Quit by pressing escape.
If 7-Zip is installed and the path to 7z is available, the demo is zipped, together with the contents of dist\static.
Open Synthclipse. You are prompted to choose a workspace. This is where Synthclipse will store metadata about your projects within the IDE. If you have no particular needs, keeping the default value is fine.
Create a new Synthclipse project. Type in a title for your demo. Uncheck the default location, and choose XXX\demo. Click on Finish.
You're good to go. Take a cookie and start developping your demo.
Before releasing, check the demo's name in config.yml, update static\file_id.diz, and add some other files in static if needed.
In Synthclipse, edit shader.stoy. This is your demo.
Click on the Play button to compile the shader.
In order to automatically build when a file changes, execute in a VS x86 tools prompt:
npm run watch
Whenever you save any fle in the project, a build is triggered in the background, and a notification displays the final size in bytes. Clicking on this notification will run the demo.
In Synthclipse, uniforms' values can be controlled thanks to comment annotations. Have a look at the available controls.
The framework embraces this feature and allows you to set values, which become constant values during the building process. For instance in the template project, BPM is adjustable through a uniform, but its value is hardcoded in the actual embedded shader.
Save the controls' values into a preset. By default, the framework will compile the values from the preset named Default.
The shader shall contain the line // begin. During the build process, the contents before the line is removed, and replaced by a generated block defining uniforms and consts as set in config.yml.
The framework supports the following tools. none is a fallback tool which plays no music.
Modular synthesizer by Dominik 'Gopher' Ries and Paul 'pOWL' Kraus of Alcatraz. It comes in two flavors: 4klang and 8klang, the latter is more powerful but takes more space.
Within the VST, record and export the song into the demo directory. This will generate 4klang.h and 4klang.inc files.
Give the path to 4klang or 8klang sources, in config.local.yml as paths:4klang or paths:8klang. There shall be a file 4klang.asm inside.
Additive synthesizer by Aske Simon 'Blueberry' Christensen. Follow the Pouet thread for precompiled releases.
Oidos converts the Renoise song into an assembly code. Python 2 is required for that. If python is not available in the PATH, give the path to it in config.local.yml as paths:python2.
Give the path to Oidos sources in config.local.yml as paths:oidos. There shall be directories convert and player inside.
By default, the recording is done at 60 FPS at 1920x1080, including the audio from music.wav. Customize in config.yml.
Execute in a VS x86 tools prompt:
npm run capture
The demo is built with the special capture settings, then runs while saving each frame on disk, and finally these frames are merged into a video in the dist directory.
Configure Synthclipse to compile the shader on save.
Use the beat time to be synchronized with the music, cf. beat in the template demo.
Have a look at build\shader.glsl and build\shader.min.glsl to understand how the shader is rewritten during the build process.
Add your own uniforms computed on CPU side.
Configure your antivirus to ignore XXX, because the demos may be recognized as viruses.
capture: used for the capture only.audioFilename: the rendered music in demo which plays with the captured demo. Defaultmusic.wav. Set tonullto disable audio.fps: default60.height: default1080.width: default1920.
cl:args: array of cli arguments.
crinkler:args: array of cli arguments.
demo:audioFilename: needed for some synthesizers.- Oidos: default
music.xrns.
- Oidos: default
audioTool:4klang,8klang,none,oidos. Defaultnone.closeWhenFinished: defaultfalse.name: used for the dist file names.resolution: used to force a resolution for dev purpose.heightscalewidth
paths: by default, applications are searched in the PATH.4klang: path to source directory, if using4klang.7z: recommended to zip the build.8klang: path to source directory, if using8klang.crinklerffmpeg: for the capture.nasmoidos: path to source directory, if usingoidos.python2: if usingoidos.
shader:constantsPreset: name of the preset used to transform uniforms to constants. DefaultDefault.filename: defaultshader.stoy.globals: map type -> array of strings.time: used to provide the beat time. Set tonullto disable. Automatically disabled if the beat const is not used.beatConstant: const name receiving the beat time. Defaultbeat.bpmUniform: uniform name in Synthclipse stating the BPM. DefaultBPM.
uniforms: array of strings.timeis always prepended to the list.;