Emergent Feedback - Generative branching in TouchDesigner

I've always been obsessed with patterns in nature. Tiny interactions that through simple rules create incredible complexity. Generative art gives us a way to build these kinds of systems inside a computational space. I often think of them as little ecosystems, somewhat predictable, but never entirely under our control. The interesting thing is that when you

tweak a rule, change a starting position, or introduce a new variable, something new emerges. Sometimes it's beautiful, and sometimes it's surprising. The thing about nature is it grows, it reproduces, it evolves. The systems we create, however, are often limited by a fixed number of particles and behaviors. To create truly organic structures, we need to start

thinking about particles as tiny organisms, entities that can spawn children, pass on information, and influence future generations. In environments like P5GS, that's relatively straightforward. In Touch Designer, things get a little more complicated. Instead of working with individual objects, we're working with attributes flowing through a network. Growth and behavior are typically controlled through feedback loops. And

funny things can happen when we start injecting new information into those. And by funny things, I mean crashes. In this video, I'm going to show you a highly experimental technique that I use to build complex evolving systems from simple rules using the standard Touch Designer operators. We'll explore how particles can split, branch, reproduce,

and merge back into a simulation without bringing the whole thing crashing down. Now, I'm going to be honest. This technique pushes right up against what Touch Designer can comfortably do. You're going to experience crashes. I'm going to experience crashes. Along the way, I'll be sharing some of the tips, tricks, and workarounds I've developed