NTCCRT: A concurrent constraint framework for real-time interaction (extended version)

TL;DR

This paper introduces Ntccrt, a real-time interpreter for the ntcc calculus, enabling synchronized concurrency management in multimedia systems like Pure Data and Max/MSP, demonstrated through machine improvisation and signal processing models.

Contribution

The paper presents Ntccrt, a novel real-time interpreter for ntcc calculus, facilitating synchronized concurrent processes in multimedia interaction systems.

Findings

Successfully integrated Ntccrt with Pd for real-time multimedia applications

Demonstrated synchronization of processes based on multiple criteria

Enabled complex concurrent interactions in multimedia systems

Abstract

Writing multimedia interaction systems is not easy. Their concurrent processes usually access shared resources in a non-deterministic order, often leading to unpredictable behavior. Using Pure Data (Pd) and Max/MSP is possible to program concurrency, however, it is difficult to synchronize processes based on multiple criteria. Process calculi such as the Non-deterministic Timed Concurrent Constraint (ntcc) calculus, overcome that problem by representing multiple criteria as constraints. We propose using our framework Ntccrt to manage concurrency in Pd and Max. Ntccrt is a real-time capable inter- preter for ntcc. Using Ntccrt externals (binary plugins) in Pd we ran models for machine improvisation and signal processing.