Tools for Digital Makers

Authoring/Making Toolkits (for hardware and software)

  • Arduino – Open-source electronics prototyping platform.
  • Cinder – Free and open source library for professional-quality creative coding in C++.
  • D3.JS (Data Driven Documents) & reference – javascript-based data visualization library
  • Animate CC – Adobe’s standard for creating interactive, web-based animations.
  • Grasshopper – Visual programming language for generative modeling in Rhino.
  • Max/MSP/Jitter – A visual programming language for music and multimedia.
  • openFrameworks  – An open source, cross-platform C++ toolkit for creative coding.
  • ofxAddons – An extensive set of community-contributed extensions to openFrameworks
  • Processing – An electronic sketchbook for developing ideas in Java.
  • Processing.js – Sister project of Processing, designed for the web using Javascript.
  • p5.js & reference – similar to Processing, fully implemented in Javascript (versus Processing.js)
  • Pure Data – A real-time graphical programming environment for audiovisual processing.
  • Quartz Composer – A node-based visual programming language for rendering graphics in OSX.
  • SuperCollider – A programming language for realtime audio synthesis and algorithmic composition.
  • Touch Designer – visual programming environment
  • Unity3D – popular game development engine – used to create 2d/3d interactive media projects, and VR
  • VVVV – A graphical programming environment for large media environments.

Text Narrative Development Toolkits

  • Twine – open-source tool for telling interactive stories.

VR Development Toolkits

  • Wanda VR – simple development/authoring environment for creating interactive VR video

Tutorials

  • Code Academy – online coding tutorials, for a variety of programming languages, technologies and platforms.