Interlude A - Programming with Max/MSP IA

arguments ind icate t he type and the number of outlets to be created. Build the
patch shown in figure IA.4 1:

9D
Gt?&1m
,s I
Fig. IA.41 The trigger object

We have given the object 4 'i' arguments, which cause the object to have 4 out-
lets of integer type. The 'i' is an argument that specifies a type for a correspond-
ing outlet of trigger . If we connect four number boxes to the resulting outlets,
we wil l see four copies of the number on th e inlet prod uced. To what purpose
are four copies of the same number? To control the order in which the copies
are delivered! You already know t hat the order of execution of Max objects goes
from right to left, which means that the fi rst message to be delivered from this
particular trigger object wi ll be from its fourth out let, the one farthest to the
right. If we need to be sure that some object receives a numbe r before others do,
it will suff ice to connect it to the farthest right outlet of trigger.

We see an example of message delivery order in t he fo llowing patch, fig ure

IA.42, wh ich doesn't use trigger. (Remember that if you want to align the
objects in columns as shown, select th e row or column of objects in question a
press <Command-y/Control-p.)

18

~
t 2 •2 i• 2 12 -
~ print

Fig. IA.42 Simultaneous operations

If you click on t he message box that contains the number 18, you will see the
results of the four operations show up in the Max window in the following
o rder: 9, 36, 16, 20. As we already know, this shows that the first operation
to be executed is t he farthest to the right, and th e last is the fa rthest to th e
left. Now, let's change the o rder of division and multip licat ion to that shown
in fi gure IA.43:

18

~-
t2 ·2 12 '2

~ pnnt

Fig. IA.43 Crossed messages

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