Math CHOP

The Math CHOP is the workhorse for scaling, converting, and combining numerical data streams.

Core Functions

The Math CHOP’s parameter window is divided into three main operational tabs conceptually:

1. OP (Combine CHOPs)

Combines channels from MULTIPLE connected Input CHOPs.

• Add: Adds the values of chan1 from Input A and chan1 from Input B.
• Multiply: Multiplies the inputs.

2. Combine (Combine Channels)

Combines multiple channels WITHIN a SINGLE CHOP.

• Example: You have a CHOP with chan1, chan2, and chan3. Setting this to Add will output a single channel containing the sum of all three.
• Useful for checking if any condition is met (using Maximum) or if all conditions are met (using Minimum) across several boolean channels.

3. Range (Scaling Values)

The most frequently used feature. Maps the input value range to a new output value range.

• From Range: The expected minimum and maximum of the incoming data (e.g., -1 to 1 from an LFO).
• To Range: The desired output range (e.g., 0 to 255 for color, or 0 to 360 for rotation).
• Limit: Often used in conjunction with Range. You can clamp the output so it never exceeds the To Range, even if the From Range is exceeded.

Common Use Case: Normalizing Data

If you receive MIDI velocity data from 0 to 127, you almost always want to pass it through a Math CHOP to scale it from 0 to 1 so it can cleanly drive transparency or scaling parameters elsewhere.

---

(y-) Next Page: Noise - CHOP and TOP

---

(y) Return to CHOPs | (y) Return to The Operators | (y) Return to TouchDesigner | (y) Return to Home