readme.md

⚠️ NOTICE: This repository has been archived. See iil-dev for a single development environment, and Intelligent-Instruments-Lab/repositories for the individual projects.

Tölvera

• Tölva = computer, from tala (number) + völva (prophetess)
• Vera = being
• Tölvera = number being

Part of the Agential Scores project https://iil.is/research/agential-scores

Demo videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8bdQleKUA1vNez5gw-pfQB21Q1-vHn3x

'Beings'

For now, the verur (beings) are under their own namespace:

tolvera
    vera
        boids
        physarum
        etc

So you can do for example:

>>> import tolvera as tol
[Taichi] version 1.2.2, llvm 10.0.0, commit 608e4b57, osx, python 3.10.5
>>> tol.vera.Boids
<class 'tolvera.vera._boids.Boids'>

See individual source files for code credits.

Install

Like all packages in this repository, this one shares a conda environment with the rest of iil-python-tools:

git clone git@github.com:Intelligent-Instruments-Lab/iil-python-tools.git
cd iil-python-tools
conda env create -f environment.yml
conda activate iil-python-tools
pip install -e tolvera

If on macOS, you should install the Vulkan graphics environment in order to use Taichi locally: https://vulkan.lunarg.com/sdk/home.

Usage

See ./examples/tolvera/

CLI

Running the module directly can display examples:

python -m tolvera help # list of possible examples
python -m tolvera boids # display the Boids example

Live coding

Live coding can be achieved via:

• Sardine
• Via custom OSC protocols connecting to your live coding tool of choice.
• jurigged

via Sardine

Updated 7 May 2023

import taichi as ti
import tolvera as tol

ti.init(arch=ti.vulkan)
x,y,n,species,evaporate,fps=1920,1080,16384,20,0.9,120
particles = tol.Particles(x,y,n,species)
pixels = tol.Pixels(x,y, evaporate=evaporate, fps=fps)

@swim
def gui_loop(p=0.5, i=0):
    pixels.diffuse()
    particles(pixels)
    pixels.render()
    again(gui_loop, p=1/64, i=i+1)

@swim
def control_loop(p=4, i=0):
    pixels.evaporate[None] = P('0.99 0.1', i)
    particles.wall_margin[None] = P('100 0', i)
    again(control_loop, p=1/2, i=i+1)

silence()

#### via OSC

TidalCycles live coding over OSC example:

• Setup a gui_loop using Sardine as above, or using iipyper, or other event loop of choice.
• Create a Tidal OSCTarget for your needs. See examples/tolvera/tidal/Lenia.hs for an example.
• Create OSC handlers in Python via Sardine/iipyper/etc. See examples/tolvera/lenia_iipyper_tidal.py or examples/tolvera/lenia_sardine.py.

via jurigged

• In the module source file, create a function that will be called inside while window.running, for example:

def main():
    ti.init(arch=ti.vulkan)
    resx = 1920
    resy = 1080
    n = 8192
    boids = Boids(resx, resy, n)
    window = ti.ui.Window("Boids", (resx, resy))
    canvas = window.get_canvas()
    while window.running:
        boids.update()
        update(boids)
        canvas.set_image(boids.world.to_numpy().astype(np.uint8))
        window.show()

def update(b):
    b.max_speed[None] = 10.0

Now when the file is modified and saved, whatever is inside update() will be updated.

OSC in/out

See Sardine and iipyper examples.

Roadmap

Completely exploratory at the moment. Collaborations/contributions welcome.

In no particular order...

• Standardise vera fields and param update methods
• Standardise OSC in/out
• Explore and compare performance between sardine, sc3 and iipyper
• Add world-level features/functions such as membranes
• Enable separate vera to interact and move between membranes
• Saving/loading world states
• Direct manipulation of the world/vera
• See if compilation via Nuitka is possible
• Test on SBCs like Jetson Nano, Raspberry Pi, etc
• Explore TidalCycles Vortex integration
• Explore taichi.js x Svelte version