Installation
Each work lists a minimum hardware specification in the documentation. Some works require more computing power and more powerful graphic cards than others. In addition to the computer to run the software, it's highly recommending to have a wireless USB mouse and keyboard to make it easy to access the computer while it is installed. The mouse and keyboard can be brought within range of the computer and used to change settings and to manually stop and start the software as needed.
The software can be manually started by double-clicking on its icon. Press the 'Esc' key to quit the software. The computer needs to be configured to avoid pop-up messages and alerts. It's also highly recommended to schedule the computer to start up and shut down each day and to launch the software when the computer starts. The instructions for these settings are defined below.
These OS X instructions were adapted from an excellent list from Jan Vantomme (@vormplus)
Unless otherwise noted in the documentation, each work has a specific pixel resolution. Open the Displays options in System Preferences and ensure the pixel resolution is the same as defined for the work.
Open Desktop & Screen Saver in System Preferences. In the Desktop settings, select Solid Colors from the Apple folder and select "Solid Gray Pro Ultra Dark". In the Screen Saver settings, set the screen save to "Start After: Never" in the lower-left corner. These settings ensure a clean desktop and avoid a screen saver interrupting the work.
Open Energy Saver in System Preferences. Set the "Computer Sleep" and "Display Sleep" options to "Never" for both the Battery and Power Adapter power options.
It's recommending to have the computer shut down each night and start up each morning to give the computer a rest. Select the times based on the desired schedule for the work to be "on" or "off". To implement the schedule, open Energy Saver in System Preferences and click on the "Schedule..." button in the lower-right corner. Define the "Start up or wake" time and click on the pull-down to select "Shut Down" to set the time the computer will power down.
Open Users & Groups in System Preferences. Enter the Login Items and remove anything in the list by selecting it and then clicking on the "minus" button below. After the list is empty, add the software to the list by clicking on the "plus" button, navigating to the software and selecting it, then clicking on "Add". Restart the computer to make sure it works.
Open Users & Groups in System Preferences. Click on "Login Items" in the left column. If all of the options are grayed out, click the lock in the lower-left corner to make changes possible. (The password is needed to make this change.) Change the "Automatic Login" pulldown option to the User account on the computer that has access to the software.
Unless otherwise noted in the documentation, turn the Wi-Fi off. Open Network in System Preferences and click on the "Turn Wi-Fi Off" button.
Unless otherwise noted in the documentation, turn the Bluetooth off. Open Bluetooth in System Preferences and click on the "Turn Bluetooth off" button. Additionally, click on the Advanced button and make sure the three advanced options are all turned off. Make sure the check boxes are off for "Open Bluetooth Setup Assistant at startup if no keyboard is detected", "Open Bluetooth Setup Assistant at startup if no mouse or trackpad is detected", and "Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer".
Disable Dashboard because it can use computer resources. Open the Terminal and type:
defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean YES
To enable it again, open the Terminal the type:
defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean NO
Disable Spotlight because it can use computer resources. Open the Terminal and type:
sudo mdutil -a -i off
To enable it again, open the Terminal the type:
sudo mdutil -a -i on
This is only needed for works that have an audio component that utilizes SuperCollider. This is referenced in the documentation for each work.
Install SuperCollider from http://supercollider.github.io/download.html
- Open SuperCollider
- Click File → Open startup file
- Open the “SuperCollider_[WorkTitle].txt” file for the application
- Paste all text from “SuperCollider_[WorkTitle].txt” in the startup file, then save
Be sure to add both the application and SuperCollider in the “Open Software at Start Up” instructions.
Some works require Soundflower to route the sound correctly. This is referenced in the documentation for each work.
Install Soundflower from http://soundflower.en.softonic.com/mac/download#downloading
- Open the Sound window in System Preferences and set Soundflower (2 channel) as input and output
- Make sure the Built-in Output volume of the computer is set to 0
If sound is not running, check the SuperCollider window. If you see this error:
input and output sample rates do not match. 44100 != 48000
could not initialize audio.
ERROR: server failed to start
Open Audio MIDI settings and make sure both Soundflower and Built-in Output are set to 48000.0 Hz.
To change the volume, do not use the computer’s built-in output volume. Instead, open the SuperCollider file and find the line of code that reads:
s.volume.volume=10;
Change the value of 10 to a higher or lower number depending on whether you want the piece to be louder or quieter. After entering a number, highlight only this line and press command+enter.
