Document how to create a more interesting VideoFont

[vidi-player.git] / README.md

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 322615a..9d2d858 100644 (file)
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,31 +1,73 @@
-vidi-player creates a video timeline starting from a MIDI file.
+vidi-timeline creates a video timeline starting from a MIDI file.
 
 The video clips are taken from a "VideoFont" in which each sample clip
 corresponds to a note. The samples are arranged following the time and value of
 the notes in the MIDI file.
 
-vidi-player allows to create more easily videos like these:
+vidi-timeline allows to create more easily videos like these:
 
 * Lasse Gjertsen - Hyperactive -  https://youtu.be/o9698TqtY4A
 * Vittorio Saggiomo - Mario Bros Column Chromatography - https://youtu.be/mxi3z2vDV_0
 
 
-Examples of use
-===============
+How to create a VideoFont
+=========================
+
+Synthetic VideoFont
+-------------------
 
 Create a synthetinc VideoFont:
 
-    $ ./create_test_videofont.py videofont
+    $ ./create_test_videofont.py videofont/
+
+
+From a video recording
+----------------------
+
+A VideoFont can also be created by recording a video, and then splitting the
+recording in samples, one sample per note.
+
+For an example of a master VideoFont see
+[keyboard videofont master C4 B5](https://youtu.be/7Btp80LPqRs)
+
+A file like the one above can be analyzed with [Audacity][1] to find the start
+and the  end time of the individual samples:
+
+* use the `Analyze -> Sound Finder...` to find the samples;
+* use the [`Pitch Detect" plugin`][2] to find the pitch of the samples and name
+  them accordingly;
+* maybe add  an interval named "rest" to represent the absence of sound;
+* export the labels track with `File -> Export Labels...`;
+
+[1]: http://www.audacityteam.org/
+[2]: http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Nyquist_Analyze_Plug-ins#Pitch_Detect
+
+An example of such a file prodiced by audacity can be found in the `contrib/`
+directory and it can be used as follows:
+
+    $ youtube-dl -t https://youtu.be/7Btp80LPqRs
+    $ ./contrib/ges-split-samples.py \
+        "keyboard videofont master C4 B5-7Btp80LPqRs.mp4" \
+        "contrib/keyboard videofont master C4 B5-samples.txt" \
+        videofont/ > split.sh
+    $ mkdir videofont/
+    $ sh split.sh && rm split.sh
 
 
+Examples of use
+===============
+
+vidi-timeline.py
+----------------
+
 Play the timeline from a MIDI file using the samples from the VideoFont:
 
-    $ ./vidi-player.py examples/Beyer\ Op.\ 101\ -\ Exercise\ 008.midi videofont
+    $ ./vidi-timeline.py examples/Beyer\ Op.\ 101\ -\ Exercise\ 008.midi videofont/
 
 
 Save the timeline to be edited somewhere else (e.g. in PiTiVi):
 
-    $ ./vidi-player.py examples/Beyer\ Op.\ 101\ -\ Exercise\ 008.midi videofont/ Beyer_008.xges
+    $ ./vidi-timeline.py examples/Beyer\ Op.\ 101\ -\ Exercise\ 008.midi videofont/ Beyer_008.xges
 
 
 Render the timeline to a video file:
@@ -33,6 +75,24 @@ Render the timeline to a video file:
     $ ges-launch-1.0 --load Beyer_008.xges --outputuri Beyer_008.webm --format="video/webm:video/x-vp8:audio/x-vorbis"
 
 
+vidi-player.py
+--------------
+
+Play a midi file in real time (if the CPU and the disk can keep up):
+
+    $ ./vidi-player.py examples/Beyer\ Op.\ 101\ -\ Exercise\ 008.midi videofont/
+
+
+vidi-sampler.py
+---------------
+
+Play samples from the note hit on a midi controller:
+
+    $ xset -r && vkeybd && xset r on &
+    $ ./vidi-sampler.py 'Virtual Keyboard' videofont/
+    $ fg
+
+
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