My 10 favorite Processing-libraries
So called “libraries” extend the functionality of the software-development-enviroment Processing. Please handle those extensions with care: If you are a beginner, i would recommend you to question each extra piece of software you add to your sketch, because the base functionality of Processing is already very rich and hard to understand. Libraries sometimes have their edges and debugging can be extremely hard. If you seriously wanna learn programming with Processing, do not overwhelm yourself! Use only those libraries you really need. No more and no less. Ok, let’s go!
Video-Export
Export videos from your Processing-sketches easily. The setup is simple, the results are brilliant. Many options, great examples. I can’t imagine a life without this lib. Note: It requires FFMPEG, a software that can convert any video-format into another. If you use a mac, you can install FFMPEG with homebrew.
Ani
A brilliant tool to animate parameters of any Processing-sketch. Even complex sequences are possible. It enables you to create fine-graded motion-graphics.
GifAnimation
Export animated Gifs with Processing. Super simple to use. The only problem is, that it’s currently not maintained. But you can install a working version from the Processing-libraries-dialogue.
ControlP5
CP5 is a versatile UI-library that lets you create complex UI-elements like buttons, sliders and knob. Easy to use and very helpful.
Tramontana
My newest exploration. Tramontana gives us access to sensors. I will use it in the future to control my sketches through the sensors of my phone to fake AR- and VR-enviroments. Stay tuned!
OscP5
Another possibility to control a sketch with an UI. But in this case the UI is an external application like TouchOSC that runs on a separate device (just like an tablet or a phone). I use this library very often, because it simplifies the design-process of a sketch with many parameters.
Geomerative
This library gives you access to the vertex-points of any vector-graphic or text. It comes with many possibilities to recalculate the shapes. Don’t get confused by the horrible documentation. The examples in the library-folder are pretty good!
Queasycam
Imagine your sketch as a gigantic three-dimensional space you can navigate through: Queasycam is an intuitive tool to control the camera in Processing as we know it from first-person-shooters: With the keys “W”, “A”, “S”, “D”, the arrows and the mouse. Slick!
Ok, that’s it. Which are your favorite Processing-libraries? Join the discussion in this facebook-group. Any important additions? Drop me a line!
Enjoying the content?
I put a lot of love and effort into developing content on Creative Coding. Since 2018, I have published 209 interviews, case studies, and tutorials, along with over 272 lessons in 17 online courses – and there's more to come! If you'd like to support my work and help keep this platform evolving, please consider supporting me on Patreon. Thank you very much!
Related
I am really excited to announce that I’ve finally released my brand new course Building Tools today! I just added […]
Two thousand and twenty-four. At the “Barceloneta” metro station, a few hundred meters from the beach, stands an old dot-matrix […]
Sometimes it is so difficult to display the potencial of Creative Coding, since it mostly happens in the digital realm, […]
In this conversation Daniel and I discussed a broad range of topics, from the role of AI in Creative Coding to the beauty of Object Oriented Programming.
“Think Different” If you are as old as me, you probably remember the iconic advertisement of Apple with the bold […]
In an age of increasing digital consumption, Hannah, a recent visual communication graduate, explored “Permacomputing”—a sustainable approach to technology inspired […]
Click here to login or connect!To view this content, you must be a member of Tim's Patreon at €7 or […]
Limitations have always been playing a major role in my creative work; I was only able to develop my best […]
In this interview, Copenhagen-based creative director Tameem Sankari shares his journey into Creative Coding, combining Processing, Blender, and Adobe CC. […]
In this post I’d like to introduce you to Sam Griffith, a talented graphic designer based in Detroit, to discuss […]
The next edition of the DEMO Festival is already approaching and I am currently developing a brand new talk for […]
20 = 1 21 = 222 = 323 = 824 = 1625 = 3226 = 6427 = 128 … »In […]
This is a call for coding designers. It aims to serve as a proposal and a provocation for creative work […]
Hi! In this post I’ll collect case studies and direct links to tools that people have built with p5.js and […]
Your 128kb journey starts here! This is a template you can use to start developing your idea within the 128kb […]
In 2022, I spontaneously posted a story on Instagram: If anyone out there is also in Rotterdam, I’d love to […]
One day in early 2024 I started to experiment with a new idea. I wrote down a set of rules […]
During OFFF Festival here in Barcelona, many interesting people come around! This interview with Talia Cotton came about almost by […]
Lena: This 10-minute visualiser for A. G. Cooks album teaser featuring my python archive generator, is one of my favourite […]
Hi Anna! It was super nice to meet you at the PCD CPH, I really liked your talk in which […]
When I held Martin Lorenz’s new book in my hands and turned it onto its back, I was a little […]
Hey folks, I hope you are doing great! You may have already read one or two of my essays that […]
Instagram, Twitter, TikTok… All the main platforms that technically have the required features to connect emerging communies for Creative Coding […]
In my teaching at universities and in workshops, I have met many very enthusiastic and highly talented people who have […]
One of the first exercises I assign to my students in my seminars is called “Random Compositions”. Basically, it’s quite […]
I’ve been travelling a lot in the last few months. Still, it was only during a short stay in Copenhagen […]
For me, it’s by far the most inspiring project of the last few years: “Symphony in Acid”, a collaboration between […]
Please note: This is a interim state of this interview, I am currently working on the edit. Stay tuned! How […]