[CHOP] Combine/Split Channels?

Beginners
#1

Hi there,

Is there a way to combine independant values into a “stream of values layered” ? And can we do the reciprocal operation to ?

I found the CHOP Combine but it doesn’t seem to do it and I don’t understand how it articulates with Blend one too ?

#2

I don’t understand what you mean with “stream of values layered” - but I recommend to open Help->Operator Snippets and study the available examples for the CHOPs.
Perhaps start with:

  • Shuffle CHOP
  • Join CHOP
  • Fan CHOP
  • Math CHOP
  • Select CHOP
  • Composite CHOP

If you have some spare time on a day it’s a good idea to check out some random node examples in Operator Snippets, it’s an easy way to familiarize yourself with the nodes.

1 Like
#3

I’m sorry for the confusion.

In Max, we can have a flow of individual values.
If we have two flows, we can also group each individual value at each round into a set of 2 values (it is called a “list” and it is a kind of data type in Max).

I was just trying to figure out how to do this in TDn and I think Join and Fan seems to help for that.

About to check all Operators you mentioned (using snippets provided)

Thanks a lot.

#4

Actually, I think my confusion comes from the fact I’m confused with channels.

A channel here seems to be a flow of values.
Generators can generate multiple channels.

If I freeze time, at a particular frame-step, my generators generates (and pop out) for instance 2 values (if it gives 2 channels). Ok.

Everything here is time-wise.

So the combine doesn’t make sense because if I wanted to have two values at each frame turn, I’d “just” need an operator that creates (and/or process) 2 channels, and I’d have my two values, end of story.

Am I right ?

I feel that because I checked Join, Fan, Combine etc and I was expecting something like:

I have a generator generating 1 channel, another one generating 1 channel, I join them and it gives 2 channels… wrong. Join, as far as I understand, take for instance 2 channels, and append a set of values of the first to the other, time-wise… one set after the other etc. With many different ways options to do that.

gosh. this is not reverse back my understanding of Max, but extending it to very different concepts.

#5

Probably best to learn the TD lingo first, that should help getting the correct answers to your questions. In TouchDesigner land we talk about channels and samples in a CHOP.
A single channel consists of any number of samples. (or in your words a “flow of values” I guess)

If you place a Pattern CHOP, it has by default 1 channel with 1000 samples. (middle mouse button click on the Pattern CHOP to see this)
And if you place a Constant CHOP, that has by default 1 channel with 1 sample (it looks as a single value).(again use MMB on the CHOP to see details)

see more info here: https://docs.derivative.ca/CHOP

Combining CHOP data can happen in many different ways, so it’s hard to say which one you are looking for at this moment. If you simply want to combine multiple channels from different CHOPs into one CHOP you can use the Merge CHOP.

#6

Thanks a lot @nettoyeur.
I’m into all docs, and snippets.
I’m sorry if some of my questions are very newbie.

Yes for the “flow of values” meaning. A single channel is a set of samples popped out one at a time, at each frame. This is where I was confused.

The Time Slice (omnipresent) feature also helped me to understand.