An “action” is a palette-function associated with a move. The palette-function can work against the same (issuing) palette (using “me” for the palette name) or a different palette. You can use the short-cut naming, i.e. 01_B. It is sort of like having autofx commands inside a palette telling other palettes (or itself) what to do.
Actions usually appear in front of the other entries in the *moves nc.
Examples:
/* Assume this palette is called ArtistePalette_01_A
Action,1%0%01_B%color%blue
Action,2%2.5%me%color%orange
Action,3%0%01_C%scale%1.1
/* the red 1 above associates the action with the 1st move below. So 3 seconds after the 1st move is executed, the Action associated with it, the red 1 above, will turn a palette called 01_B the color BLUE.
/* the red 2 above associates the action with the 2nd move below. So 1 second after the 2nd move is executed, the Action associated with it, the red 2 above, WILL DELAY for an additional 2.5 seconds and THEN will turn a palette called 01_A the color orange.
/* the red 3 above associates the action with the 3rd move below.
So 0.5 seconds after the 3rd move is executed, the Action associated with it, the red 3 above, will scale the palette called 01_C by 10% larger.
/* Moves
DefaultMoveTime,3.0
IncludeRotations,off
MoveTimeAdjust,-0.1
PrimaryTurnAxis,z
/*** Insert Here ***/
InitialOffset,<1,1,0>,<0,0,0,1>
NoOfMoves,4
M01_A_01,3.000000,<0,0,0>,<0,0,0,1>,none,0
M01_A_02,1.000000,<0,0,0>,<0,0,0,1>,none,0
M01_A_03,0.500000,<0,0,0>,<0,0,0,1>,none,0
M01_A_04,7.500000,<1,3,0>,<0,0,.707,.707>,walk,3.0
END
You can create dummy-moves for the sole purpose of using actions as mini-events. Dummy moves have no movement (<0,0,0>,<0,0,0,1>) but do have a duration. The durations above are 3 and 1 and 0.5, respectively.
To execute all the actions you would simply use *autofx to execute the moves. Example:
1,r=p%01_A%move0
This will cause the 3 actions associated with the 4 moves to execute in succession.
You could also, as always, execute a single move at a time or a range of moves.
And of course you can further expand the powers of the actions by naming palettes the same and sending the same action to a group of same-named palettes. (Palette-Grouping).
————————-
Not only Palette-Grouping but Palette-Action-Chaining in that the Palette you direct an action to could itself talk to 1 or more Palettes.
Example:
Action,4%0%02_D%move0
Action,4%0%02_E%move0
Imagine that palette 02_D has 10 moves and 02_E has 15 moves each with an associated action (10 actions and 15 actions respectively directed at a total of 25 more palettes).
Things could get laggy depending but you to see the creative possibilities and control are endless.
Also note that we have 2 actions for a 4th move. The would both execute when triggered in succession from an *autfox command that included the 4th move. This sort of emulates multiple commands on an *autofx line.
————————-
NOTE:the duration of the 3rd move is less than 1 second (0.5). You cannot have main events that are less than 1 second apart so this is a great work-around and alternative to solving that issue when needed.
NOTE: The moves don’t HAVE to be dummy moves.
NOTE: Unlike *autofx, Actions can only have one command. No multiples delineated by “$” are allowed.
NOTE: You don’t have to have an action for every move
NOTE: We have effectively embedded about 30 mini-events under ONE main event using the above examples.
************************************
I just realized I had posted prior articled on Actions. You may find them helpful as well. Hear it again using different words.
*****************************
*****************************