Juggling Lab

Before modern entertainment like multimedia started to catch the majority of audio-visual audiences, people used other methods of brightening up their days. Still practiced today and requiring countless hours of training, juggling is not something you see every day. What's more, with applications like Juggling Lab you can create throwing patterns for unique tricks for a powerful show.

You don't need to install the application to take advantage of its features, so you can simply deploy it on a removable disk drive to use on the go. However, make sure the host machine is equipped with Java Runtime Environment, otherwise nothing is achievable.

Some time needs to be spent getting to know all features, because the application is a little more than meets the eye. By default, you are greeted by a compact interface fitted with pattern entry and generator tabs that hold a handful of dedicated settings.

Based on a series of values that represent beats per second, dwell beats, as well as various hand and body movement trajectories, a throwing pattern is created. Accessing the generator tab lets you configure technical details used to provide feedback, such as the number of balls, jugglers, rhythm and compositions.

Hitting the “Juggle” button is what spells “Surprise!”. This brings up a new window with an animated stick figure, which is apparently an expert juggler, managing to catch and put in motion all objects according to configurations you made earlier.

Attached to the preview screen there's a timeline displaying the course of action. What's more interesting is that further tweaking can be done here, with an abundance of possibilities. Hands, balls and trajectories are cleverly represented. Moving corresponding icons around completely changes everything, thus further broadening the horizon of patterns you can create.

Another advantage is the possibility to export your patterns and share them with a team, if possible. Implemented options let you get ahold of a GIF animation, as well as HTML files you need in order to integrate the small show in your web pages.

All things considered, we can safely state that Juggling Lab is a powerful environment that takes juggling to a whole new level. The visual support fitted with a clever animation makes it look easy, while the abundance of configurable settings let you design limitless patterns for you to try out. It's a neat way both to get started or practice to reach a pro level.