Pure Data - Getting started

eine deutsche Version dieser Seite gibt es hier: Pure Data - wo finde ich Hilfe?

Pure Data or short Pd may look frightening at first. The user interface shines by beeing blank and empty. How to get started? Which are the available objects and how do they work? This list here wants to give some hints on the most valuable fakts and links to get you started.

1. The best installer is the „Pd-extended“ Package by Hans-Cristoph Steiner. All kinds of extensions are (externals) are already in it. For Linux, Mac OS X und M$ Windows. Ubuntu users also have the choice to prefer the mighty Puredyne PPA. If you want to use Pd in combination with other audio software you should look into Jack. Windows user should install ASIO4All to get a better latency. If you prefer it pure you can also install Pd vanilla instead - without any extras. If you are the curageous type you can try Beta versions or even a nightly auto-build.
2. A basic start will give you the Flossmanual Pure Data. It covers almost all topics from installation, configuration to more complex programming techniques.
3. The official manual for Pd can be accessed by a web browser locally through the menue Help → HTML. It is written by Pd's author Miller-Puckette and in English. Be warned: the manual can be a bit technical, but some of the important stuff is only to be found there. The manual is the reference for any other third party help.
4. Examples. In the same menu you'll find the example patches if you click on “Browser”. The examples you'll find in the folder “Audio Examples” have the same chapter numbers than the book The Theory and Technique of Electronic Music ISBN 981-270077-3 by Miller Puckette online HTML or PDF, you may look at those patches parallel to reading the book. For beginners it might have a steep learning curve but you can stop any time and come back there later. Following Help → Browser → Manuals you'll also find some tutorials better suited for beginners: Intro, Sound, Visual und Networking
5. Context menu → Help: If you rightclick on any object → Help you'll open the Help-Patch for this object where the function is explained. With rightclick-Help on the background of the patching window you'll get a lst of available objects.
6. puredata.org is the official website for Pure Data. You'll find here up to date information, online-help, more weblinks, downloads, FAQ and more.
7. You love video tutorials? Then search for videos . YouTube Playlist, Pure Data vimeo group
8. Die Workshopdateien mit Patches von Max Neupert und Frank Barknecht mit deutschen Kommentaren erhält man hier: Media:Pd workshop.zip. Die Pd/Gem Patches zur Bewegungserkennung gibt es hier: Bewegungsmelder.
9. Andy Farnell ist Autor des Buchs Designing Sound ISBN 0-262-01441-6
10. Das Buch Loadbang von Johannes Kreidler: http://www.pd-tutorial.com ISBN 978-3-936000-57-3
11. Hilfe zu Gem. Unter http://gem.iem.at kann man sich die aktuelle Dokumentation und Tutorials, Help-pPatches zu der Grafikbibliothek Gem herunterladen. Die sind aber bei der Pd-extended-Version von H-C Steiner schon dabei.
12. Weitere Tutorials für Gem im Netz: http://www.ekran.org/pd/
13. Spezielle fragen: Wenn man beispielsweise wissen möchte wie man PD auf seinem iPod oder PDA installiert: schon mal Google gefragt? suche nach "pure data"+pda führen meist zu Antworten.
14. Wenn noch Fragen offen sind lohnt es sich die Pd Mailingliste zu abonnieren. Dort kann jeder Fragen an die Pd User- und Entwicklercommunity stellen, die meist freundlich beantwortet werden. Allerdings sollte man sich darauf einstellen ca. 15 E-Mails pro Tag zu erhalten. Alternativ gibt es auch ein Web-Forum zu Pure Data

Giving back

If you feel gratitude that you were able to use Pure Data for your work free of charge and for the help of the developers and the community you have different ways to give back:

1. spread the word
2. edit the Pdpedia its a wiki just like this one here, so you'll feel comfortable editing
3. upload and share your work and patches, so others can learn
4. help beginners
5. if you have programming skills write abstractions, externals or even get into the core Pd development