A universal TouchDesigner project template with pre-wired input/output buses reduces per-project configuration and enables flexible device swapping

Bertrand De Becque describes building a ‘universal template’ — a TouchDesigner base file pre-configured with input buses (webcam, MIDI controller, microphone, smartphone, joystick, Raspberry Pi) and output buses (screen, projector, HTC VIVE, fisheye dome, 360 video, DMX, audio) that can be switched in a few clicks per project. The template establishes clearly defined network zones where collaborators know where to intervene. The key insight: most project-to-project variation is in which physical devices are used and how pixels are retransmitted; the signal-processing core can be standardised. This mirrors software engineering’s separation of I/O configuration from business logic.

Examples

Opening the template, selecting ‘MIDI controller + projector’ in a dropdown, and immediately having a working signal chain. A collaborator joins the project and knows which component they should modify without navigating the full network.

Assessment

Design the input and output bus structure for a universal template that covers the four most common deployment contexts you expect to work in. Explain which buses should be switchable and which should be fixed.