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-- Tutorial for the Edge Visualization Program |
Using G-Force with Edge
There are 3 setup procedures you must follow to use the Edge Visualization Program with G-Force software.
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A. Copy and paste the folders (called Edge Basic) that came with the piano score into the correct sub folders inside G-Force
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B. Re-set the Audio Source in G-Force to make sure it can hear the microphone on the piano or the line-output from your synthesizer
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C. Learn two keyboard commands to Start and Stop the Edge Visualization Program.
1.
Figure A
The G-Force software will respond to music using a variety of software players, such as WinAmp, Real Player, Windows Media Player for PC users, and J. River Media and Media Monkey for Mac users.
However, there is a StandAlone player that comes with the Platinum version of G-Force, and this is the player for use with the Edge Visualization Program.
After installing the G-Force software on your computer and booting the G-Force StandAlone program, your computer’s monitor will look something like Figure A. The floating menu structure at the top is called the ToolBar, and the rectangle containing the images below is called the Screen.
2.
Figure B
Exit the G-Force program and locate the G-Force file folder on your computer.
Typical installation on a PC will place the program on the C drive, inside the Program Files folder and inside the SoundSpectrum folder. The path for PC users would be C:/Program Files/SoundSpectrum/G-Force. Figure B shows the location of the G-Force folder in Windows 7.
For Mac OS, the path is home/Library/Application Support/SoundSpectrum/G-Force/.
Please note: If you're running Windows, G-Force requires QuickTime to play movie files, so you must install QuickTime on your computer in order to use the Edge Visualization Program. If QuickTime is not already installed on your computer, simply Google "QuickTime" and follow the instructions for a normal download and installation. Simply install QuickTime in its default location on your computer.
3.
Figure C
Open the G-Force Folder on your computer to reveal the sub folders inside the main G-Force folder. The structure will appear as in Figure C.
4.
Figure D
A folder titled Edge Basic is included with the piano score for Edge, and this folder contains all the files necessary to use the Edge Visualization Program on your computer.
Within the Edge Basic folder are several sub folders containing the graphic images (called WaveShapes), the color pallets (called ColorMaps), the trail effects (called FlowFields), still and movie files (called Sprites) and the timing cues (called Scripts).
Each of these Edge Basic sub folders needs to be copied and pasted into the appropriate sub folders inside the G-Force folder on your computer.
For example, the sub folder titled Edge Wave Shapes --located inside Edge Basic folder -- is to be placed inside (not at the same level, but inside) the G-Force folder titled WaveShapes, as shown in Figure D.
It is not necessary to extract and paste the individual Edge Wave Shape .txt files into the G-Force WaveShapes folder. G-Force will find these .txt files automatically, even though they are nested inside the Edge Wave Shape folder. Just put the entire Edge Wave Shape folder inside the G-Force WaveShape folder.
Figure D shows the location of the of the Edge Wave Shape folder inside the G-Force WaveShape folder using a PC with Windows 7.
5.
Figure E
Proceed in like manner to place each of the Edge Basic sub folders inside the appropriate G-Force sub folder
For example, the Edge Basic sub folder titled Edge Color Maps is to be placed inside the G-Force folder titled ColorMaps, as shown in Figure E.
6.
Figure F
The sub folder titled Edge Flow Fields is to be placed inside the G-Force folder titled FlowFields, as shown in Figure F
7.
Figure G
The sub folder titled Edge Sprites is to be placed inside the G-Force folder titled Sprites, as shown in Figure G.
8.
Figure H
The sub folder titled Edge Scripts is to be placed inside the G-Force folder titled Scripts, as shown in Figure H.
9.
Figure I
Inside the G-Force Sprites Folder is a file titled (Default.txt). Open this file using a text editing program such as WordPad or NotePad for PC users, or TextEdit for Mac users.
If you are a Mac user, be careful to open and save these files in .txt format when you use TextEdit, as its default format is .rft, which won't work in this situation.
Please note: Do not open/save these files with a word processing program such as Word or WordPerfect for PC, or iWork and Pages for Mac, because word processing programs add hidden commands and will corrupt the file.
Once the (Default.txt) program is opened on your computer, it will look something like Figure I.
10.
Figure J
Scroll down until you find to the text that discusses Pen values. (See Figure J) You may need to add one line of code at this point.
In a normal, first-time installation, there is no code for the value of EPen included in the text file. If you do not find the line EPen=”.5”, add that line of code as shown in Figure J.
Yes, there is a period before the ".5", so the value is really 0.5, and you can use either 0.5 or just .5
The quotation marks are needed. There are no spaces between the letters or numbers, and there is no period at the end of this line of code.
EPen has a default value of “1” when it is not expressly written as code in this file, but the Edge Visualization Program was constructed with a value of “.5”. To make the Edge Visualization Program work as designed, you need to add/change the EPen line to read EPen=”.5”
Please note: There is no period at the end of this line of code. The quotation marks are necessary. There is no space between any of the letters, numbers or symbols.
11.
Figure K
Scroll down until you find the area of in the (Default.txt) file that discusses Flag. You will need to change the value for Flag for this Edge Visualization Program to perform as intended.
Change the line to read Flag=16391 as shown in Figure K
Please note: There is no period at the end of this line of code. There are no spaces between any letter, number or symbol. There are no quotation marks in this line of code.
So, no matter what the initial value of Flag may have been after installation, whether it was Flag=4, or Flag=12, or Flag=408, or whatever, change that value to read Flag=16391
This Flag number controls the way G-Force handles the blending of Sprite images and it can be changed to many different settings. The Edge Visualization Program was constructed using the 16391 setting.
Be careful not to cause any other changes or insert any extra spaces or line returns in this (Default.txt) file.
Now save the (Default.txt) file as a .txt file and close/exit the file and the text editing program.
Microphone Installation
12.
Figure A
The images created by G-Force respond to sounds that can originate from a variety of sources, e.g. a software player such as Windows Media Player, Real Player or J. River Media.
However, when using this visualization program, you want to have the visuals respond to a microphone on your piano or a line-output from your synthesizer, and you need to re-set the default parameters for the Sound Source in G-Force.
Install a microphone in your computer. If you use an USB microphone, it should self-install (Plug 'n Play). Follow the normal installation instructions that came with your microphone.
If you plugged a microphone into your sound card, it may not automatically install correctly. You may need to make some changes to your computer. You can verify that the microphone is correctly installed in your computer by using programs built into your operating system.
If you are a PC user, use the Sound Control Panel (Start/Control Panel/Sound) to verify that the microphone is correctly installed. There will be "test" programs in the Sound program to verify that the microphone is working correctly.
Mac computers are usually better at installing peripheral devices correctly. As long as you can verify that the microphone is correctly installed on your computer, G-Force should be able to find that source.
If you have trouble, there are FAQ files and a forum on the G=Force website for further assistance.
Yes, you can use the microphone built into a webcam to stimulate the G-Force visuals. Just make sure that the webcam is correctly installed on your computer and G-Force should be able to sense its audio component as a source.
Once a microphone is correctly installed on your computer, re-boot the G-Force program so that the ToolBar menu and the Screen area are visible, as shown in Figure A.
13.
Figure L
To select the correct Sound Source, click on the small area shown in Figure L at the bottom of the ToolBar to open a drop-down menu.
14.
Figure M
Click on the third “stripe” of gray titled “Visualization Preferences” to open another drop-down menu, as shown in Figure M.
15.
Figure N
At the right-hand side of the menu is another drop-down menu titled “Audio Source,” shown in Figure N
G-Force comes with some sound sources built into the software program, and you will find them listed in this drop-down menu. The built-in sound sources are titled “Sound Generator (Fluid),” “Sound Generator (High Energy),” and “Sound Generator (Chill).” None of these three Sound Generators should be selected as your sound source.
Instead, you should look for the sound source into which your microphone is plugged or with which it is associated. If you used an USB microphone, you should see the name of that USB microphone listed. If you used a webcam, you should see the name of that webcam listed.
It can sometimes be difficult to identify the correct audio source, because the name you see may be the name of the software driver rather than the name of the actual product. And if you plugged a microphone into a sound card, you may see the name of the sound card or the name of the software driver for that sound card, but not the name of the microphone. And if you plugged that microphone into a separate sound card, you will have to identify the Line Input name for the sound card.
For example, I have a separate sound card installed in my computer called an “Audiophile 2496." My microphone is plugged into an external pre-amp, and that pre-amp is plugged into the line-input of the Audiophile sound card. None of these names appear as a source in the ToolBar's "Audio Source" menu. However, the manufacturer's name of the sound card (M-Audio) does appear in the source list, as does the Monitor Input and the series name for that Audiophile card, which is their Delta series. Therefore, the correct sound source for my microphone is the name of the sound card, i.e. “Monitor M-Audio Delta.”
I then have to access the software driver that controls that sound card to make sure the line input is active and correctly balanced. Since that microphone feeds the external pre-amp, which feeds the sound card's line-input, the word "microphone" will not appear.
If you are using an USB microphone, that USB microphone should appear in this drop-down menu. If you are using the microphone in a webcam, the name of the webcam or the software driver should appear in the drop down menu. It's usually when you use a microphone plugged into a separate sound card, or plugged into the sound card that comes on your computer's motherboard, that this issue becomes rather tricky.
If you plugged your microphone into the motherboard of your computer, the name of the software driver for that part of the motherboard may be listed in the drop down menu. That software driver's name becomes the correct input for your microphone source.
Select the proper sound source for your computer and then close the ToolBar sub-menu.
16.
Figure P
With the ToolBar and Screen area visible on your monitor, exit the G-Force program, and then reboot the program again.
Each time you boot the G-Force program, a different combination of image elements are randomly selected for display in the Screen area. To test the microphone, play a few notes on the piano or tap on the microphone and see if the images on the Screen respond. You may need to adjust the input volume control located on the ToolBar.
There is a separate “volume” control on the ToolBar menu shown in Figure P. This control must be set to the proper level to achieve the best reaction of the visual images to the sound from your piano.
The images in G-Force respond to the volume of the piano. A loud note will produce a pronounced effect, while a soft note will produce a more subtle effect. You want to set the Volume control on the ToolBar to a mid range so that soft notes produce a subtle effect. Normally, a setting at mid point will suffice. You can experiment with the placement of the microphone to achieve the most uniform response from the G-Force program.
If you are using a synthesizer instead of an acoustic piano, you can take the Line-Out of your synthesizer and plug that into the Line-In of your sound card -- assuming you have a Line In on our sound card -- and thusly bypass the need for a microphone. However, if you try to plug the Line Out of your synthesizer into the Microphone input of our sound card, you will overload the sound card and cause distortion.
In its present configuration, G-Force will not accept Midi as an input sound source.
Notes on Microphone Selection
17.
Some USB microphones and most web-cam microphones have a feature called “automatic gain control” which adjusts the microphone volume to compensate for loud verses soft sounds. This gain or level of amplification is constantly changing, increasing the input volume when there are soft sounds and reducing the input volume when there are loud sounds. This “automatic gain control” feature should be eliminated if possible. The “automatic gain control” feature is designed to assist in the recording of speech, not music.
G-Force will respond more consistently if this “automatic gain control” feature is defeated.
The “automatic gain control” feature can produce “hum” when there is no signal present. In music, silence, in the form of rests,is a significant part of the composition, and the sudden appearance of “hum” can cause an unintended reaction in the visual elements. This is just another reason to defeat the “automatic gain control” feature in your microphone software... if possible.
While G-Force does respond to the different frequencies of sounds --in addition to responding to the volume or amplitude of sounds -- the use of an expensive professional microphone verses a cheaper consumer microphone will not make significant difference with G-Force. Of course, it is always better to error on the professional side, but the Edge Visualization Program was constructed to allow for this “quality” latitude.
Adjusting the Frame Rate
18.
Figure Q
At the right-hand side of the ToolBar menu, under the blue volume control slider referenced earlier, is a second blue slider which controls the frame rate of the G-Force engine. Move this blue slider to the far left as shown in Figure Q,. This sets the frame rate to its slowest value and puts less stress on the CPU in your computer. The Edge Visualization Program was produced with this low frame rate value.
Starting / Stopping A Visualization Script
19.
Figure A
To start the Edge Script, which controls the selection and timing of the custom images, boot the G-Force program as shown in Figure A.
Click anywhere on the G-Force Screen area to make sure it is selected or active. In other words, if you happen to click on the ToolBar menu, the Screen area is not active and will not respond to keyboard commands. You need to click on the Screen area to make it active and receptive to keyboard commands.
Starting the Script
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If you are using a PC, simultaneously press the Control key and the E key. This will start the Edge Visualization Program as shown in Figure O.
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If you are using a Mac, simultaneously press the Command and the E key. This will start the Edge Visualization Program, as shown in Figure O.
Stopping the Script
Figure O
To stop the Edge Visualization Program at any time and to reset the script back to the beginning, and to get to a blank, black screen, simultaneously press the Control Key and the 0 (zero) key if you are using a PC. If you are using a Mac, simultaneously press the Command key and the 0 (zero) key.
Please Note: It is necessary to press the Ctrl+0 / Command+0 (zero) keys twice to completely clear the memory in your computer before restarting the Edge Visualization Program. Pressing the Ctrl+0 / Command+0 (zero) keys twice re-sets the screen to a solid black, clears the script you have presently running in memory, and runs a short test movie in the background to prepare the G-Force program for running other movie files contained in the Edge Visualization Program.
Please Note: We have found it is necessary to wait just a few seconds after pressing the Ctrl+0 / Command+0 (zero) key twice before re-starting the Edge script again. Pressing the Ctrl+0 / Command+0 command twice allows the “clearing” commands to wipe the memory clean and run the test movie in the background. So, before you restart the Edge Visualization Program with Ctrl+E / Command+E, wait just a few seconds after the final Ctrl+0 / Command+0 command. Two seconds is usually enough.
Synchronizing The Start of Your Performance with the Edge Visualization Script
20.
Figure O-1
The Edge Visualization Program was constructed with a short, title introduction. Barely visible at the top right corner of the screen is a countdown which starts at 4 and counts to 0. See Figure O-1
At the count of 0, the title fades to black.
The performer should wait another 2 seconds before starting the piano piece. In other words, there are two extra seconds after 0 (zero) to shift your gaze from the countdown to the piano score.
So, assuming you have already hit the CNTRL+0 (zero) command twice and have waited an extra 2 seconds for the memory to clear, you hit the CNTRL+E command, watch the title appear and watch the upper right corner of the screen for the 4 second count down. When the countdown reaches 0 and the title fades to black, wait another 2 seconds before starting the piano piece. This sequence of events is built into the CNTRL+E script.
If you want to eliminate the 6 seconds of title information, use the CNTRLF keys to start another version of the Edge Visualization Script. This version eliminates the title and the 4 second countdown. However, you should still wait another 2 seconds after the CNTRL+F before beginning to play. This gives you two seconds to move your hands from a computer keyboard to your piano keyboard.
Here’s the Sequence of Events in Short Form
| 1. | Click anywhere in the G-Force Screen area to make it active | |
| 2. | Press Ctrl+0 (zero) / Cmd+0 (zero) twice to clear the screen |
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| 3. | Wait -- at least a few seconds. Take all the time you need. |
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| 4. | Press Ctrl+E / Cmd+E |
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| 5. | >Watch the 4-second countdown in the upper right corner of the screen |
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| 6. | When the countdown reaches 0, wait another 2 seconds, then start playing. |
Performance Notes
No two performances will be exactly the same. Just as no two performances of any piece of piano music will sound exactly the same, no two performances with the visuals will appear exactly the same. There are always slight differences caused by variations in tempo, volume, pauses, rubato, accents, volume, etc. that cause changes in the visuals.
Only after the piano piece is learned and practiced at the intended tempo will the visuals begin to reflect the video demo. The visuals will always respond no matter what tempi or adjustments are made by the pianist, but they will not respond as intended by the composer until a consistent tempo is achieved, as with the performance of any piano piece.
It goes without saying that the piano piece should be learned before trying to perform it with the visualization script. While you can certainly play the piano piece at a slower tempo, and the visuals will certainly respond, they will not respond as intended.
Different pianists have their own preferences for tempo, rubato and phrasing with any piano piece. The same applies to Edge. After learning the piano part, the pianist may feel the visuals should be adjusted to their new tempi. It is possible to adjust the timing of the visual script to better coordinate the performance of the visuals to the new piano tempi. These timing adjustments can be made by the user, or we can make them for the individual pianist.
If you want to experiment with making the timing adjustments yourself, open the Edge visualization script with a text editor, such as NotePad, WordPad or TextEdit. Do not use a word processing program. Using the text editor, change the timing values. These values are indicated in minutes and seconds. For example, 1:25 would be one minute and 25 seconds. 0:17 would be 17 seconds. All timing marks are taken from the start (0:00) of the script. Adjusting these values will cause the visuals to respond at different times and thereby accommodate different tempi.
However, adjusting these marks can become a complicated process. Once the performer arrives at their new, preferred tempi, they can send an MP3 recording of their performance to us and we will make the timing adjustments in the Edge visualization script for you. We will then email you the new script.
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Piano Implications. Includes Edge and 5 other scores for Piano.
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