EffecTV: an old-school real-time video effect processor.
SpiralTV
Description
I admit that 'SpiralTV' is a misnomer; it doesn't actually spiral. What it does do is segment the screen image into a series of concentric circles, each of which is slightly out of phase (timewise) from its neighbors. Or to put it more simply, it really messes with changing (i.e. Moving) objects onscreen!
Control
I've put in several ways to tweak SpiralTV parameters:
| Key | Result |
|---|---|
| <Space> | The internal phase table index will rotate among 8 settings. The 'waves' that are seen onscreen will change their shape and/or nature. |
| A | Toggle animation (i.e. The automatic movement of the effect center) on or off (default OFF). |
| 0 ('zero')* | Reset most parameter settings; return the effect center to the geometric center of the image. |
| 1 ('one')* | Place the effect center at the geometric center of the upper left quadrant of the image. |
| 2* | Place the effect center at the geometric center of the upper right quadrant of the image. |
| 3* | Place the effect center at the geometric center of the lower left quadrant of the image. |
| 4* | Place the effect center at the geometric center of the lower right quadrant of the image. |
| <Insert>* | Increase the distance between steps that the effect center makes when animation is activated. |
| <Delete>* | Decrease the distance between steps that the effect center makes when animation is activated. |
| <Home>* | Increase the number of image frames to wait between each step (when animation is activated). |
| <End>* | Decrease the number of image frames to wait between each step (when animation is activated). |
| <Page up>* | Increase the number of bits to shift each depthtable value to the right. It's a crude method of 'flattening' the waves. |
| <Page down>* | Decrease the number of bits to shift each depthtable value to the right. |
All keys marked with an asterisk (*) stand a chance of being changed in the near future.
SpiralTV also accepts mouse input:
| Mouse Button | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 (left) | Move the effect center to the current location of the mouse pointer. |
| Any other | Toggle the mouse pointer's visibility. The pointer is normally not visible when over the EffecTV window, but in the case of SpiralTV, a visible pointer is needed so the user can see where they're clicking. |
Currently, drags and double-clicks are meaningless to SpiralTV.
How to play
SpiralTV is very sensitive to the refresh rate and resolution of a video source.
If you have a TV-tuner (as opposed to a dedicated webcam):
- Watch a newscast, or something similar with lots of 'talking heads'. (CNN is especially good for this.) Center the effect upon one of these heads, or just below it. They will take on a certain gelatinous consistency. Or place it to the left or right of them; each eye will blink individually. Eerie.
- Watch sports games. Hockey is good; basketball can be as well. If you catch a golfer teeing off at the right angle (heads on), the club will appear to wrap all the way around the golfer before the head finally snaps back around to hit the ball.
Author
Sam Mertens