Algorithmically controlled immersive installations, projections on skyscrapers generated by social-media APIs, performances mixing images and sounds of audiences in real time—more and more, real-world relationships between media and data are expanding the palette of digital creation.
HQ

Who would have ever thought I'd be writing about how Skype might be a great option as a tool in our industry? Honestly, not me! But it happened. Microsoft added a pretty incredible feature to Skype that changes the game as far as I'm concerned.
Using Skype & NDI for Virtual Productions
User interfaces can be difficult to build. Control panels and extra monitors connected to your computer can drag down your installation performance. Clients can also be incredibly demanding when it comes to how they operate an installation.
The Benefits of Web Frontends for TouchDesigner Developers

We've been having a lot of fun with our new Twitch streams (Wednesdays and Fridays at 2pm Toronto!). We get to build interesting tools, learn new techniques, and work with the audience on their questions.
Twitch Chat in TouchDesigner
In this video, Elburz demonstrates the correct ways to load assets into a project, regardless of their size or resolution, without dropping a single frame. This is done by using some basic Python commands that even someone with no programming background could catch onto.
The Ultimate Movie Loading Guide For TouchDesigner Projects

TouchDesigner is well known for always having new features coming out. It's what it makes it the go-to tool for interactive developers who want support for the latest tools and softwares. nVidia Flex integration has just been added to TouchDesigner and it's an exciting way to do fluid simulations.
Quick Start Guide: nVidia Flex in TouchDesigner
Python in TouchDesigner is a very powerful tool but one that can also be difficult to approach and can introduce performance issues in larger projects. One of our community members asked for tips on this tricky subject overall, when to use Python, and when to avoid it.
Python Optimization and Pro Tips For TouchDesigner

We have a guest post from Tim Franklin this week about his experiences, lessons learned, and tips he picked up while building media server tools in TouchDesigner. Coming from a background of Watchout and similar high end servers, Tim has been trying to rebuild similar workflows in TouchDesigner.
5 Lessons from Building Media Server Tools
In this video, Elburz provides the tools you need to choose the right projector for your project, on a budget you can afford. When looking at projectors for projection mapping, there are a TON of specs to consider, and it can often feel like the "good" projectors are out of your price range.