TouchDesigner organises every node into six operator families named by data type: TOPs, CHOPs, SOPs, MATs, DATs, COMPs

In TouchDesigner every node is an operator belonging to one of six families, each named for the kind of data it works with. TOPs (Texture Operators) process 2D images/video on the GPU; CHOPs (Channel Operators) carry time-series numeric channels such as audio, motion and sensor values; SOPs (Surface Operators) build and deform 3D geometry; MATs (Material Operators) shade surfaces; DATs (Data Operators) hold tables and text; COMPs (Component Operators) are containers that hold sub-networks and UI. Learning the families is the first mental model a beginner needs: identifying which family a task belongs to tells you which operators to reach for and how signal flows through a network. The families are the backbone the whole course is organised around, before moving into concrete builds.

Examples

Faced with ‘read and analyse an audio signal’ you work in CHOPs; ‘draw and warp a texture on screen’ is TOPs; ‘load a CSV of values’ is DATs. Recognising the family is the first step before wiring any specific patch.

Assessment

Name the six TouchDesigner operator families and the data type each is named for. Given a task (e.g. ‘deform a 3D mesh’, ‘look up a value in a table’, ‘process live video’), state which family’s operators you would use.