[PD] internet collaboration graphics

[matthew shanley]

hi list,

i'm starting up a new project involving internet collaboration on live 
performances of music and video. i have a concept in mind that might 
work with this, and i'd like to hear if people who know more about these 
sorts of things think it might be feasible and if i should spend time 
learning enough to be able to pull it off.

the project i'm imagining would work with a patch that each end of the 
collaboration had an identical copy of (as well as any samples or 
anything). no when you are performing with the patch, a change you make 
to a variable will be changed at your end, and also sent (via osc or 
something) to the other end and change the same variable there. if 
effect this would be two people in remote locations controlling the same 
interface at the same time.

now, the idea i've been toying with involves how to make it more 
apparent what your cohort on the other end is doing. i would want to 
make it so that whenever he altered a value, the slider/checkbox/etc on 
your end would not only change to his value, but also change to a 
certain color (or maybe a canvas object behind the control object would 
change color) and then slowly fade back to the normal color over time. i 
imagine this to be a little like the "track changes" feature on your 
favorite word processor, but with the added bonus that you could get an 
idea of the timeline of his fiddlings as well.

so to people with experience in the graphical programming behind Pd: is 
this something that might be feasible? should i spend time learning the 
necessary background to make it happen, or is it something that just 
can't be done with the way things are now and i shouldn't even waste my 
time? thanks for any advice you can give me, and sorry for the length.


matt