Purpose

Timeline Source is the clock that drives a whole Cito music patch. It emits timeline state, the shared beat and bar position every Compose and instrument node follows. It carries transport, tempo, meter, looping, and groove so the entire patch moves together from one place. It can run on its own internal clock or follow an external source.

TouchDesigner Use

Place Timeline Source first, set the Bpm and time signature, and route the out timeline into the timeline inputs of nodes such as Progression, Pattern, Groove, Step, and Timeline Beat. Use Playing to start and stop transport, and set a loop with Loopactive and the loop beat range.

Inputs And Outputs

• No inputs. Timeline Source generates the clock.
• Output 0: out emits the timeline state for the whole patch to follow.

Main Controls

• Playing: transport run and stop.
• Sourcemode: clock source. internal or one of the external follow modes for beat clock, timecode, host-driven, or audio-follower input.
• Metermode: metered for a fixed meter or free.
• Bpm: tempo.
• Timesignum and Timesigden: time signature numerator and denominator.
• Stepsperbar: step grid resolution per bar.
• Loopactive, Loopstartbeat, Loopendbeat: loop a beat range of the timeline.
• Sectionid: a section marker carried in the timeline state.
• Grooveswing, Groovepush, Groovepull, Quantizestrength: groove and timing feel.
• Externalbeat and Externalseconds: feed position when following an external source.

Notes

• Wire one Timeline Source into every timeline-aware node so the whole patch shares a clock.
• Use the external source modes to lock the patch to an outside clock or host transport.
• The groove controls shape feel without changing the underlying tempo.

Parameters

This operator does not expose user parameters in the extracted schema.

Catalog metadata

Roles

• source
• generator

Tags

None listed.

Search groups

• timeline
• control