About the Experiment
Lithweft is an experimental node-based visual programming environment for audio, initiated by Liu Hao in late 2023. Developed with C++ and JUCE through sustained conversations with ChatGPT, the project explores the construction of a modular environment in which sound generation, message processing, and user interaction can be organized through connected blocks.
Development Approach
The development process combined Liu Hao's artistic and technical direction with AI-assisted software architecture and implementation. Liu Hao established the project's goals, conceptual framework, design ideas, and evaluation criteria. His contributions included proposals concerning block inheritance, data types, interfaces, and type checking, alongside direct code inspection and modification. ChatGPT contributed architectural and implementation approaches, generated and revised code, and assisted in resolving development problems. These contributions evolved through an iterative process rather than a simple separation between human design and machine implementation.
Prototype and Archive
The resulting prototype supports node creation, interface controls, message and audio connections, dynamically loaded block libraries, and patch saving and loading. Its modular structure reflects an investigation into how a visual programming system for electronic music can be designed and organized.
The project originated in 2023, continued through experiments in early 2024, and was prepared for public archival release in October 2026. The published repository preserves the source code, example patches, build instructions, and development documentation.
Lithweft is an archived experimental prototype, not a production-ready or actively maintained audio application. The repository does not distribute an official binary installer, and no maintenance, software compatibility, or production audio reliability is promised. The author-written project code is available for study and further experimentation under the AGPL-3.0-only license; JUCE and other dependencies retain their own licensing terms.
Documentation
GitHub source repository · Published archival release · Build instructions · Third-party licenses