PyDrop !!!WIP!!!

A Milkdrop-style audio visualization application for desktop, built with Python, Pygame, and GLSL shaders. Features 252 presets across 25 themed categories with real-time system audio capture and visualization.

Features

• 252+ Visualization Presets organized into 25 themed categories
• Real-time audio visualization using GLSL fragment shaders
• Audio-reactive parameters (amplitude, frequency bands: bass, mid, treble)
• System audio loopback capture (Windows/Mac/Linux compatible)
• Interactive In-App Menu System:
  • Search presets by name, description, or tags
  • Filter by theme/category with preset counts
  • Favorites system with persistent storage
  • Create custom presets with parameter editor
  • Mix and blend two presets together
  • 5×4 grid display with selection and scrolling
  • Full keyboard and mouse control
• Custom playlist creation and management
• Smooth, organic animations with audio synchronization

Preset Themes

The visualizer includes 252 presets organized into the following 25 themes:

• Core (12) - Classic presets (Waveform, Particles, Aurora, etc.)
• Cosmic (10) - Starfields, nebulas, galaxies, warps
• Organic (10) - Flowing water, cellular growth, life forms
• Retro Aero (10) - Glossy orbs, bubbles, blue gradients (90s/2000s aesthetic)
• Digital (10) - Digital rain, glitch, scanlines, circuits
• Abstract (10) - Noise flows, fractals, harmonic patterns
• Liquids (10) - Water surfaces, splashing, fluid dynamics
• Crystalline (10) - Crystals, ice, geometric lattices
• Psychedelic (10) - Trippy spirals, kaleidoscopic morphs
• Atmospheric (10) - Clouds, fog, storms, weather effects
• Mechanical (10) - Gears, pistons, machinery
• Bioluminescent (10) - Glowing organisms, neon trails
• Quantum (10) - Electron orbits, wave functions, particles
• Temporal (10) - Time effects, aging, decay
• Dimensional (10) - Portals, rifts, perspective shifts
• Ethereal (10) - Ghosts, spirits, transparency
• Infernal (10) - Lava, fire, heat distortion
• Celestial (10) - Planets, moons, stars
• Metamorphic (10) - Shape-shifting, morphing, transformations
• Synesthetic (10) - Sensory fusion, cross-modal visualization
• Crystallized (10) - Frozen landscapes, ice, crystallization
• Resonant (10) - Sound visualization, harmonic waves
• Chromatic (10) - Color theory, gradients, light refraction
• Kinetic (10) - Motion, velocity, trajectories
• Alchemical (10) - Transformation, alchemy, transmutation

Installation

cd audiovisualizerpy
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage

python main.py

Controls

Playback:

• SPACE - Next preset (or next in active playlist)
• LEFT ARROW - Previous preset

Menu (Press M to toggle):

Mouse Control:

• Click preset cards - Select preset
• Mouse wheel - Scroll through preset pages
• Click buttons - Activate menu actions
• Click category dropdown - Open/close theme filter

Keyboard Navigation:

• TAB / SHIFT+TAB - Move focus between search bar, category filter, and grid
• UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT ARROWS - Navigate preset grid
• ENTER - Select currently highlighted preset
• Typing - Search for presets (when search bar is focused)

Preset Actions:

• [Edit] - Open parameter editor to create custom preset
• [Mix] - Blend two presets together
• [Play] - Preview selected preset
• [Add to Playlist] - Add preset to a playlist
• ★ (Star Icon) - Toggle favorite status

General:

• ESC - Close menu (or exit app)

Menu System

The interactive in-app menu provides complete preset browsing and customization:

• Search - Real-time filtering by preset name, description, or tags
• Theme Filter - Browse presets organized by theme with counts (e.g., "Cosmic (10)")
• Favorites - Mark presets as favorites and access them instantly (saved to ~/.audiovisualizer/favorites.json)
• Custom Presets - Create and save your own presets:
  • Parameter Editor: Adjust 6 audio-reactive parameters:
    • Bass/Mid/Treble Sensitivity (0.0-3.0)
    • Color Hue (-180 to 180)
    • Color Saturation (-1.0 to 2.0)
    • Animation Speed (0.5-2.0)
  • Mix Tool: Blend two presets together with adjustable blend ratio
• Live Preview - See parameter changes reflected in real-time
• Persistent Storage - Custom presets saved to ~/.audiovisualizer/custom_presets/

Playlists

Create custom preset sequences and save them:

from src.playlist_manager import PlaylistManager

pm = PlaylistManager()
pm.save_playlist("Chill Vibes", ["Waveform", "Aurora", "Floating Water"])
pm.activate_playlist("Chill Vibes")

# Press SPACE to cycle through playlist presets

Playlists are saved to ~/.audiovisualizer/playlists/ and persist across sessions.

Architecture

Core:

• main.py - Application entry point and event loop
• src/audio_engine.py - System audio loopback capture and real-time analysis
• src/visualizer.py - OpenGL rendering and shader integration
• src/shader_manager.py - GLSL shader compilation and management
• src/playlist_manager.py - Playlist creation, saving, and management

UI Components (New):

• src/ui/menu_system.py - MenuSystem container integrating all UI components
• src/ui/components.py - Base UI component classes (UIComponent, Button, Slider, TextInput, Modal)
• src/ui/menu_components.py - Specialized menu components:
  • SearchBar - Real-time preset filtering
  • CategoryFilter - Theme selection dropdown
  • PresetGrid - 5×4 preset display with selection
  • DetailsPanel - Selected preset info and action buttons
  • ParameterEditorModal - Custom preset parameter editor
  • MixToolModal - Preset blending tool
  • FavoritesToggle - Favorite/unfavorite button

Data Models & Management:

• src/ui/text_renderer.py - PIL-based text rendering to pygame surfaces
• src/ui/models.py - Data classes (Preset, CustomPreset, FavoritesManager)
• src/ui/presets_data.py - PresetManager for loading and searching presets

Storage:

• src/presets/ - Preset metadata and definitions
• src/shaders/ - 252+ GLSL fragment shaders organized by theme
• ~/.audiovisualizer/ - User data:
  • favorites.json - Favorite presets (persisted)
  • custom_presets/ - User-created presets
  • playlists/ - User-created playlists

Shaders

Each preset corresponds to a GLSL fragment shader that processes audio data in real-time:

• All 252 shaders respond to audio uniforms:
  • iTime - Animation time
  • iAmplitude - Overall audio amplitude (RMS)
  • iBass - Low-frequency band (0-50Hz)
  • iMid - Mid-frequency band (50-200Hz)
  • iTreble - High-frequency band (200Hz+)
  • iFrequency - Full frequency spectrum texture (sampler1D)

Shaders are organized by theme in src/shaders/:

• Core shaders in root directory (waveform.glsl, particles.glsl, etc.)
• Themed shaders in subdirectories (cosmic/starfield_warp.glsl, digital/digital_rain.glsl, etc.)