I'm looking for a language + GUI toolkit for rapidly prototyping utility applications for multimedia installations. I've been working with Max/MSP/Jitter for many years, but I'd like to add a text-based language to my 'arsenal' for tasks apart from 'content production'.
(When it comes to actual media synthesis, my choices are clear [SuperCollider + MSP for audio, Jitter + Quartz + openFrameworks for video]).
I'm looking for something that maintains some of the advantages of Max, but is lower-level, faster, more cross-platfrom (Linux support), and text-based. Integration with powerful sound/video libraries is not a requirement.
Some requirements:
Cross-platform (at least OSX and Linux, Windows is a plus)
Fast and easy cross-platform GUIs with no platform-specific modification
GUI code separated from backend code as much as possible
Good for interfacing with external serial devices (micro-controllers)
Good network support (UDP/TCP)
Good libraries for multi-media (video, sound, OSC) are a plus
Asynchronous synchronous
UNIX integration is a plus
The options that come to mind:
AS3/Flex (not a fan of AS3 or the idea of running in the Flash Player)
openFrameworks (C++ framework, perhaps a bit too low level [looking for fast development time] and biased toward video work)
Java w/ Processing libraries (like openFrameworks, just slower)
Python + Qt (is Qt appropriate for rapid prototyping?)
Python + Another GUI toolkit
SuperCollider + Swing (yucky GUI development)
Java w/ SWT
Any other options? What do you recommend?
