_1024_GL_BezierSurface QCplugin
Xmas time comes this year with a nasty storm of QCplugins, here’s is _1024_GL_BezierSurface, a 4×4 control points smooth surface, that should allow any visualist to project onto curved surfaces, such a cyclos. The plug definitely needs some more polishing, but should do the job anyway.
The texture is currently rotated and flipped, so adding an Image Texturing Properties patch to your input image will trick the plugin. If you’re annoyed by the nasty aliasing at the edges, I would recommend compositing a 1pixel black border to the input image. Still looking for an elegant solution.
EDIT: just added a 1.02 version that fixes a nasty bug, and also adds a SoftRec CIkernel for sweet anti-aliased borders, as pointed by GT in the comments. Sorry to all early downloaders.
10.5/10.6, sample file included, download from the box.
Merry Xmas !
1024 Architecture Blog / MadMapper, Video Mapping, Quartz Composer plugins, whatever ... 
December 17, 2010 at 18:00
There is a CI kernel example that Apple made called Soft Clip that is fairly nice for providing a fake anti-alias, and it’s not too pricey. One has to place the renderer in Over blend.
I think I’ve uploaded it @ kineme before… it’s probably buried in the 10.5 Developer folder somewhere.
December 17, 2010 at 18:03
Nope, it was called SoftRect… my apologies.
December 17, 2010 at 18:16
thanks for the tip GT !
December 17, 2010 at 18:32
I just added the SoftRec to the included example patch. thanks again.
December 18, 2010 at 09:41
This is amazingly useful. Thank you. I have immediate use of this for an upcoming gig. Perfect timing.
December 18, 2010 at 11:32
oooo, yess, yess, yess
thanks
and mary xmass you too :)
December 28, 2010 at 19:53
Really awesome work..I’ve been waiting for something like this. I hope you don’t mind, but I posted an expanded version of your patch over on my page..it gives vdmx access to all 16 control points…now if only I could tackle point storage..but that is where being a legitimate programmer would come in handy..I’ll just have to wait patiently for MapMapper, haha
Here is the link to the expanded comp: http://blairneal.com/blog/1024-bezier-warp-expanded-qc-comp-for-vdmx/
December 28, 2010 at 20:37
Great !
For point storage, you could use a structure and save it to disk with Kineme Structure tools.
December 28, 2010 at 20:57
Ah..I had been looking at structure tools..but a closer look showed me that Kineme’s File Tools actually has the writing to disk option. It would be the ugliest QC patch ever with a 32 input and output structure in addition to the bezier warp..but that certainly would help…I imagine I’d just bring the structure back in and read it into the interaction offsets..very interesting…
December 30, 2010 at 05:12
Thanks for making this plugin – I look forward to trying it out!
I’m having trouble installing it for use in VDMX – where should “_1024_GL_BezierSurface.plugin” go?
December 30, 2010 at 15:34
in library/graphics/quartz composer plugins/
January 1, 2011 at 04:34
thanks. it appears in VDMX’s “Video FX Palatte” but still won’t open in a layer’s FX chain.
i put “_1024_GL_BezierSurface.plugin” in library/graphics/quartz composer plugins/
and i put “_1024_GL_BezierSurface_00.qtz” in Applications/VDMX5_b7.5.8/qcFX
is this all correct?
January 1, 2011 at 21:22
don’t know about the vdmx procedure.
check here
http://blairneal.com/blog/1024-bezier-warp-expanded-qc-comp-for-vdmx/
January 2, 2011 at 06:07
thanks for your help. i’ll post on the vdmx forum instead.
January 22, 2011 at 02:21
Have tried updating to latest SDK for 10.5 {Version 3.1 (63.2)} but still get the error:
: Patch with name “QCMouseInteraction” is missing
Which then leads to a laundry list of broken inputs from macro patch about cannot create connection blah, blah, blah.
Is there a plugin I am missing and should add to my repository or is the interaction for 10.6 only?
January 22, 2011 at 11:41
interaction is 10.6 only
September 9, 2011 at 19:36
if interaction is 10.6 only should the patch still work but need values entered by hand rather than dragging pins with the mouse, or will it not work at all?
you say there’s a 10.5 sample file though there’s only one qz file in the dl and it doesn’t seem to work at all on 10.5, is that correct?
September 11, 2011 at 19:37
maybe all the coordinates are set to 0 ?
should work on 10.5
September 11, 2011 at 21:46
i just get an error that ‘QCMouseInteraction’ patch is missing – that makes sense if interaction is 10.6 only, but it seems to lead to loads of errors on opeing and i get an almost empty composition opening up.
January 26, 2011 at 15:40
So this is really a useful patch! But I tried dropping a Syphon server on the patch and then the image area goes all white. Does anybody know how to solve this?
January 26, 2011 at 16:35
try the syphon forum
March 11, 2011 at 13:57
Where can i dowload it???????
April 6, 2011 at 15:45
Would it be possible for you to make a non-bezier version of this such that it removes the curvature? basically a polygon surface distortion editor – straight lines only?
May 25, 2011 at 11:10
How does this handle aspect ratios? I’d like to use the patch to warp a 1920×1080 video but it seems to crop it down to 4×4, is there a way of keeping the entire image and have it fill the frame?
July 29, 2011 at 19:23
mmm… it should work. the full image is displayed in a surface @ratio 1:1
Then you should move the points accordingly.
Eventually you can place everythin in a 3d transformation patch and correct the ratio manually if you don’t want to hassle move all the points manually. I just checked, it works without any issues.
Btw, no cropping happens in the plugin.
Send me a QTZ file if you run into problems.
October 6, 2011 at 00:33
Is there a way the instruction on the output window can be removed?
October 6, 2011 at 12:05
… delete the patch named “instructions” …
October 6, 2011 at 17:05
I cant find the patch named “instructions”
Am new to this can u be a little more specif where and how to delete it.. thanks
October 6, 2011 at 17:13
Got it Got it.. Thank U
January 1, 2012 at 23:58
I also get the list of error and then then in vdmx the four handle points function but the image does not show I am running os x 10.6.8 and Quartz composer 4.0
January 2, 2012 at 11:08
does the example file run in QC4.0 on your system ?
(note that you can have up to 16 control points in total)
January 2, 2012 at 13:29
when I load it in QC the viewer just shows four pink squares at the the corners. I can move them but the rest of the screen is black so no visible effect. I noticed the image out on the Image Texturing properties is not connected to anything, could that be the problem? Can’t figure where it would go to though.
January 2, 2012 at 15:34
it means you didnt install it properly.
January 11, 2012 at 04:57
got it now thanks- great work!
October 29, 2012 at 12:31
I’m having an issue with this as i can only see the text at the bottom and a black screen but no checker box. I am running it on QC 4.6, any ideas?