TouchDesigner is a visual development platform that equips you with the tools you need to create omnimedial realtime projects and novel user experiences. Whether you’re creating interactive media systems, architectural projections, live music visuals, or simply rapid-prototyping your latest creative impulse, TouchDesigner is a great platform to do all of the above and more.
TouchDesigner Education at The NODE Institute
From the Community for the Community
Our education program was created with two goals in mind:
A) At a time when there were very few resources available,
to bring courses from some of the most advanced users to the community.
B) To help community contributors make a living by doing what they love –
sharing their knowledge.
While the landscape of TouchDesigner education has evolved—for better and for worse—we remain committed to supporting the community and welcoming new talent into the world of visual programming.
Although we strongly believe in the benefits of online education, we also recognize that nothing can replace in-person encounters. That’s why a significant part of our work is dedicated to creating community events and in-person workshops, often in collaboration with international festivals.
We believe that we all benefit from sharing knowledge and supporting one another, and the past decade has proven this time and again.
So when you learn TouchDesigner, remember that you are not alone.
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Sequencing Shows and Installations
Stefan KrausRecordingProfessional ModuleWinter 2023/24TouchDesigner -
Data Sonification
Bileam TschepeProfessional ModuleSummer 2023TouchDesigner -
Advanced Audio Reactivity
Bileam TschepeProfessional ModuleSummer 2023TouchDesigner -
Connect with web technologies
Wieland HilkerProfessional ModuleSummer 2023PythonTouchDesigner -
Sequencing Shows and Installations
Stefan KrausProfessional ModuleSummer 2023TouchDesigner -
Advanced GLSL Shader Programming 1+2
Josef PelzProfessional ModuleSummer 2023GLSLTouchDesigner -
Do it in TOPs
Aurelian LonusProfessional ModuleSummer 2023TouchDesigner -
Introduction to Visual Programming with TouchDesigner
Stefan KrausTouchDesigner -
Notch and Touch – a love affair
Carlos SerranoNotchTouchDesigner -
Tame the Flame – with Presets
Stefan KrausTouchDesigner -
NDI Video Switcher in TouchDesigner
Stefan KrausTouchDesigner
What is TouchDesigner?
TouchDesigner is a professional-grade visual development platform that enables creative technologists, visual artists, and designers to build real-time interactive systems, immersive environments, and audiovisual experiences with a high degree of precision and flexibility. Its node-based workflow is both powerful and accessible, allowing you to design everything from generative visuals and projection mappings to complex data-driven installations and live performances. With integrated support for GPU-accelerated processing, real-time 3D rendering, and seamless audio-visual workflows, TouchDesigner has become a central tool in contemporary media art and creative production. It supports both individual creators and collaborative studio environments, making it suitable for projects of any scale.
While TouchDesigner is often more approachable than lower-level programming frameworks, it still requires a solid understanding of real-time systems and structured workflows. This investment quickly pays off: once mastered, the platform offers extensive creative freedom. You can build custom tools, integrate sensors and external data sources, and develop robust, performance-ready applications. Combined with its ability to interface with other software and hardware ecosystems, TouchDesigner is an ideal choice for creating interactive installations, live visuals, and scalable media systems.
Adopted by leading creative studios, artists, and production teams worldwide, TouchDesigner scales seamlessly from quick prototypes to complex, high-end productions. Its real-time architecture and tight integration of visuals, audio, and data workflows enable both individuals and teams to develop ambitious projects efficiently. From live performances to large-scale installations, TouchDesigner offers the flexibility and performance needed to explore ideas that go beyond the limits of many other visual development tool.
Getting started with TouchDesigner
1. Check Website and Documentation
Start with browsing the Website and especially the Showcase Section, to understand what wide range of applications use TouchDesigner for.
Notice also Derivatives Getting Started Guide that lists all kind of resources.
Make sure to register a user and take a look at the forum – the best place to find answers to your questions from a friendly and open community.
2. Download and Install
Start by downloading the latest stable build of TouchDesigner for Mac or PC and installing it on your computer. The free version—while it comes with a few limitations—is perfectly sufficient for learning.
If you want to upgrade to a paid license, remember that you can save 200$ when you have been learning with our courses.
3. Explore different Learning Paths
Derivative provides free beginner and intermediate online courses, and there is a growing number of learning resources of varying quality and price. Excellent free options coexist with expensive, low-quality offerings, making it difficult to know whom to trust. We provide the highest-quality resources by working exclusively with passionate instructors who are respected across the community.
This self paced online course, created by Stefan Kraus, one of our founders has been the starting point fof many TouchDesignuers and was one of the first courses we have ever released.
History of TouchDesigner
The company behind TouchDesigner, Derivative was founded in 2000 by Greg Hermanovic, Rob Bairos and Jarrett Smith in Canada. TouchDesigner’s deep roots are in the PRISMS software product developed at Omnibus Computer Graphics in Toronto, Los Angeles and New York in 1984 to 1987. When Omnibus collapsed due to higher than anticipated costs of purchasing and maintaining its competitors, coupled with an even higher level of expectations instilled in its shareholders, PRISMS was purchased from the Omnibus liquidators by Kim Davidson and Greg Hermanovic, forming the inception of Side Effects Software.
Side Effects developed and licensed PRISMS to end-users for 11 years until 1998, and PRISMS was used in over 200 feature films, culminating in its first Academy Award in 1998. Meanwhile Houdini emerged in 1995 as Side Effects Software’s next-generation product, serving the visual effects market to this day. In 2002, Side Effects Software received its second Academy Award for the innovations within Houdini, with another 300+ features films made with Houdini to date.
Greg Hermanovic spun-off Derivative in 2000, starting from the then-current Houdini 4.1. Derivative embarked on a mission to make a real-time 2D and 3D interactive animation product, suitable for authoring any form of interactive art/media/visualization.
Derivative’s first generation of its product TouchDesigner spanned from TouchDesigner 007 to 017 during 2002 to 2007. In 2008 Derivative released its next-gen TouchDesigner 077 in beta form, which was a rewrite of its previous incarnations, incorporating fully procedural OpenGL compositing and rendering system using the GPU, a new user interface and more. Today’s TouchDesigner 099 is the latest evolution of that next-gen platform.