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Ralph Project 2004

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Report

The progress reports.

This page holds the progress reports of Ralph Project.

+ 21st June 2004

Ralph project mid report
Shigeto Wada

As placing the objective of this project to create music application software that can be capable to provide several styles of audio sample playback system, Alejandro and Shigeto chose Max/MSP (a computer language designated for music) as its development language.

In the early stage of development, Alejandro proposed few requirements in its practical usages, which are:

1. Information feedback system for tempo and beat (click track) in animation.

2. UI design based on work flow.

3. UI design based on maximum ease of use.

4. GUI compatibility to commercially available major music software.

5. Terminology compatibility to commercially available major music software.

6. Integrated major music technology, such as, MIDI.

7. Robust design for an organised execution of programme (panic function).

Based on those requirements, Shigeto presented some example ideas and Max/MSP written programmes (Max patch), which are:

1. Any available parameters can be assigned dynamically and in real-time.

2. Traditional score signature based GUI for intuitive click track editing.

3. Customisable animation patch shows similar to conductor's baton movement.

4. Several design diagram of visual representation of the software.

5. Terminology in this software environment.

6. Sample patches shows integrated utility functions, such as, drag and drop audio file load, auto duplication of backup files for safe editing, custom visual representation for manipulation of parameter and so on.

According to confirmation and discussion, those requirements, ideas, and UI structural design were roughly determined. Shigeto has been examining technical applicability/validity against those ideas in Max/MSP environment.

There are objects that provide database function, such as, coll. There are few objects, which could enable simple GUI operation, such as, umenu, in Max/MSP environment. More, Max/MSP provides various powerful tools to integrate various technologies available for music activity. However, Shigeto pointed several disadvantage in Max/MSP based application development:

- The design inconsistency of data structure causes difficulty in sufficient/smooth data integration between those objects.

- The database function provides poor tool to manage complex data structure enables kind-to-human software UI design.

- The design philosophy of fixed and static data management of Max/MSP produce significant inflexibility in realisation of dynamic assignment and archive of parameter given by user.

To avoid expected data management difficulty, Shigeto proposed to create an external object that provides powerful database function. He stressed that necessity of powerful data management function is considered as one of the most essential tools by large number of artists, however it was not available in Max/MSP standard tool set. Though it is a time consuming procedure, Alejandro agreed with the necessity and benefit of the idea.

According to this decision making process, Shigeto started development of a database function library. The design concepts are:

1. Object oriented data structure with flexible data capability.

2. Dynamic allocation of memory.

3. Hierarchical organisation of data (multi dimensional data management system).

4. Data compatibility in wide range of applications (XML based data save/load)

5. Cross platform development (ANSI C based library development)

Max/MSP integration layer has been in development at the same time. Currently, he works with UI layer of the external object and data save/load function in XML.

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