TouchDesigner is a node-based visual programming platform widely used for real-time generative graphics, interactive installations, projection mapping, and live visual experiences. Get inspired by the many examples on
YouTube.
This experiment explores how TouchDesigner could also function as a
visual prototyping environment for MSX and retro-computing graphics algorithms.
Different input sources can be used — images, video, webcam streams, music/MIDI, or scripts that generate procedural motion such as fluid, lava, or ocean-like patterns. The resulting visuals can then be processed through custom encoders that reproduce the graphical constraints of MSX screens, allowing you to preview in real time how the content could appear on actual MSX hardware.
By combining TouchDesigner with openMSX, the workflow can extend beyond visual prototyping. Both environments can be controlled from an AI-assisted development environment, making it possible to generate, convert, port, and test visual content rapidly across the modern real-time pipeline and the emulated MSX system.
The result is a bridge between contemporary generative media tools and retro-computing constraints: a fast, visual way to experiment with algorithms before translating them into native MSX implementations.