You have the option to TURN a dancer at the SAME TIME (Turns&Anims)  as they are dancing their  CANON DANCE/ANIMATION in the directions of: LEFT, RIGHT, 180, or HOME
as well as
TURN-IN and TURN-OUT used when GROUPING the dancers into 2 GROUPS (HALF or ALTERNATE – X/Y).

You also have the option to TURN a dancer WITHOUT a CANON DANCE (Turns Only).

If they are already performing a ‘backing-animation’  then it may appear similar to a TURN during a CANON DANCE/ANIMATION.

The default mode is (Anims Only) so you need to change it to (Turns Only) or (Turns&Anims) if you want to TURN.

The PrepForm command is:
1,TurnsOnly
2,Canon,Left

You can adjust the SPEED of the TURN by setting the TurnDurationOverride entry in the *channels nc affecting all the dancers

You can also specify individual turn times at the dancer level by specifying an time in the TurnDuration entry in the *animesh nc.

And you can specify a Turn Duration dynmically at run time as well on PREPFORM or Sequencer or HUD.

And you can use the Controller menu to change the turn duration by accessing thru [Groupings]–>MoveSpeed then:
Ex:  -1,3.0,-1 or
ExL: ,3,

********************

PREPFORM

Formation Speed/June Speed  %  Turn Speed % Canon Interval
1,Speed%9%3.0%0.2

Sequence

Formation Speed/June Speed  %  Turn Speed % Canon Interval
1,Speed,%9%3.0%0.2 | 0

There are 4 ways to highlight the featured dancer automatically during their Canon cycle. It is a way to make them stand out from the other dancers and draw the audiences attention to them.

AutoGlow
AutoFade
AutoColor
AutoChat

Auto values have an IN and OUT value.  The IN value is the value assigned at the BEGINNING of their Canon Cycle. The OUT value is the value assigned a the END of their Canon Cycle.

There is also an AutoOn and AutoOff for each of the 4 types of Autos.   AutoOn enables and AutoOff disables.

For AutoChat use the  [Groupings]–>[AutoCanon]–>AutoChatOn or [Groupings]–>[AutoCanon]–>AutoChatOff

********

AutoChat may be the most powerful of the AutoCanons.  It has the ability to send a  start message on one channel and a stop message on the same or different channel.

This means that you could for starters:
1) Trigger external products action like a particle emitters, set rezzers, outfit changers, essentially any product that takes a command over a channel
2) Emulate the Artiste Performance HUD sending a command to an Artiste Palette to “move” or do other functions
3) Send a command back to yourself emulating the HUD sending an SD command to the SmartDancer Controller
4) Send a command to the Animesh and/or poseball
5) Send a command to the Artiste Relay, emulating the HUD
6) Send a command to another SmartDancer Controller 

The AutoChat menu button allows you to send:
2 channels followed by 2 commands.

In my demo I sent:  123,456,PartStart,PartStop

These commands start a particle emitter at the beginning of a Canon cycle and stop the same particle emitter at the end of its respective Canon cycle.

I did add a custom script that looks for these values and starts and stops the particle effect upon encountering.

Sequencer example:

1,AutoChat,123,456,PartStart,PartStop | 0
2,AutoChatOn | 0.1

PREPFORM example:

1,AutoChat%123%456%PartStart%PartStop,AutoChatOn

View AutoCanon – AutoFade Video

There are 4 ways to highlight the featured dancer automatically during their Canon cycle. It is a way to make them stand out from the other dancers and draw the audiences attention to them.

AutoGlow
AutoFade
AutoColor
AutoChat

Auto values have an IN and OUT value.  The IN value is the value assigned at the BEGINNING of their Canon Cycle. The OUT value is the value assigned a the END of their Canon Cycle.

There is also an AutoOn and AutoOff for each of the 4 types of Autos.   AutoOn enables and AutoOff disables.

For AutoFade use the  [Groupings]–>[AutoCanon]–>AutoFadeOn or [Groupings]–>[AutoCanon]–>AutoFadeOff

To enter the AutoFade Values (IN/OUT) values, access it from menu via the [Groupings]–>[AutoCanon]–>AutoFade. The 1st value entered is the IN value. The 2nd value entered is the OUT value. Separate the 2 values using a comma (,). A value of 1 is opaque or solid and a value of 0 is transparent or invisible.

So a bit of button pressing is involved when EXPERIMENTING.

BUT…

You can accomplish the same thing efficiently  using notecards:

PREPFORM

1,AutoFade%0.5%1,AutoFadeOn,Canon%Home

OR

Sequencer

1,AutoFade,0.5,0 | 0 
2,AutoGlowOn | 0.1
3,Canon,Home | 2

To execute the PrepForm from AutoFX:
1,SD=PREPFORM,1

To execute the SD Sequencer from AutoFX:
1,SD=PLAY_SD_SEQ

To execute the PREPFORM from the Sequencer:
1,PrepForm,1

There are 4 ways to highlight the featured dancer automatically during their Canon cycle. It is a way to make them stand out from the other dancers and draw the audiences attention to them.

AutoGlow
AutoFade
AutoColor
AutoChat

Auto values have an IN and OUT value.  The IN value is the value assigned at the BEGINNING of their Canon Cycle. The OUT value is the value assigned a the END of their Canon Cycle.

There is also an AutoOn and AutoOff for each of the 4 types of Autos.   AutoOn enables and AutoOff disables.

To enter the AutoGlowAmount (IN/OUT) values, access it from menu via the [Options]–>AutoGlow The 1st value entered is the IN value. The 2nd value entered is the OUT value. Separate the 2 values using a comma (,).

then you get this text box.  Enter 2 values separated by a comma.

NOTE: AutoGlow is the only Auto that REQUIRES you set the AutoGlow values BEFORE turning it on using AutoOn. AutoOn (and AutoOff) send the values to the dancers (animesh/poseball)

For Menu access to GlowAutoOn and GlowAutoOff, use [Groupings]–>[AutoCanon]

So a bit of button pressing is involved when EXPERIMENTING.

BUT..

You can accomplish the same thing efficiently  using notecards.

PREPFORM

1,AutoGlowAmount%0.5%0,AutoGlowOn,Canon%Home

OR

Sequencer

1,AutoGlowAmount,0.5,0 | 0 
2,AutoGlowOn | 0.1
3,Canon,Home | 2

To execute the PrepForm from AutoFX:
1,SD=PREPFORM,1

To execute the SD Sequencer from AutoFX:
1,SD=READ_AND_PLAY_SD_SEQ

To execute the PREPFORM from the Sequencer:
1,PrepForm,1

Canon Order works by determining which order in turn that the Canon-ed dancers perform their animations and/or turns.

They are assigned numbers:

ArtistePalette_01_J = 1
ArtistePalette_01_K = 2
ArtistePalette_01_L = 3
ArtistePalette_01_M = 4
ArtistePalette_01_N = 5
ArtistePalette_01_O = 6
ArtistePalette_01_P = 7
ArtistePalette_01_Q = 8
ArtistePalette_01_R = 9

An order is defined by 9 numbers.
The default order is   123456789
Because my line formation is JKLMRNOPQ, it would take an order of 123495678 for them to Canon left to right in order.

There are a 6 orders selectable from the MENU

123456789
123495678
135724689
152637489
453627189
182736459

BUT…

There are an INFINITE number of orders you can specify using PREPFORM or Sequencer or HUD. It is your choice.

If you wanted to use, say, 5 dancers instead of 9, it is suggested you prepare for 9 then use the center-most 5 and Vanish the outside 4 (JKPQ). Example:    Keep LMNOR  

If you applied the CanonReverse that we learned in the previous tutorial then a 432187659 would become a 956781234. So essentially you would get 12 orders from the 6 in the menu

CanonOrder is chosen from the menu via [Canons]–>CanonOrder

Notecard examples are:

HUD – 1,SD=CANONORDER%432187659

PREP – 1,CanonOrder%@432187659 — IMPORTANT you use the @ instead of the normal $

Sequencer – 1,CanonOrder,$432187659 | 0

Canon Reverse performs the Canon in Reverse alphabetical order.  In this case RQPONMLKJ

I place R in the middle because that position works best for formation transitions.

You can change the ORDER of canon without manually re-positioning the dancers using the Canon Order feature which will be discussed in the next tutorial.

There is a button on the [Canons] sub-menu that toggles between d CanonReverse and CanonForward to prepare the Canon

You can also execute this feature from the:
Sequencer:  1,Canon,Reverse | 0
PREPFORM:  1,Canon%Reverse
HUD (AutoFX):  1,SD=Canon%Reverse

NOTE: For more in depth information on Canons, see: Canon

The Basic Canon simply has each dancer take turns animating a Canon Animation, either CanonAnimation1 or CanonAnimation2 or a run-time DanceCanon, each dancer dancing the length of the CanonInterval1 if SelectCanon1 is chosen or CanonInterval2 if SelectCanon2 is chose.  This Canon animation that usually interrupts a ‘backing animation‘.

They dance in order of JKLMNOPQR with the middle dancer dancing last assuming the default LineBlk formation.  After each canon cycle (the length of an interval) that dancer returns back to dancing the ‘backing-animation‘, staying in sync with the other dancers.

The default is now AnimsOnly so there will be no turning of dancers while they dance their Canon Animation

The basic Canon also defaults sequence to Forward meaning in alphabetical order.

***************
Since we have AnimsOnly mode chosen, it does not matter which CanonDirection we choose since turns will be ignored. So, CanonLeft, CanonRight, CanonHome, CanonTurnIn, CanonTurnOut all accomplish  the same thing

Below is the *smartdancer nc inside of ArtistePalette_01_J

TRACE,off
ColorHead,off
PaletteHeightOffset,-0.25
FinalTurnAdj
TurnDuration,3.0
CanonInterval1,5.0
CanonAnimation1,BenBhang10
CanonInterval2,3.0
CanonAnimation2,P-Ok5
ChannelForSmartDancerFollower,-897434670
AnchorToAnimeshAndAvatarChannel,-18679945
CopyAnimationsChannel,-132561359
ChannelForFromArtisteHUD,-722322179
END

Notice that the animation she did for her Canon was named BenBhang10.  Also notice that it lasted 5.0 seconds

Each dancer has a different dance and could have a different interval.

Below is the *smartdancer nc inside of ArtistePalette_01_K

TRACE,off
ColorHead,off
PaletteHeightOffset,-0.25
FinalTurnAdj
TurnDuration,3.0
CanonInterval1,5.0
CanonInterval2,3.0
CanonAnimation1,Bollywood5
CanonAnimation2,P-Overhead2
ChannelForSmartDancerFollower,-897434670
AnchorToAnimeshAndAvatarChannel,-18679945
CopyAnimationsChannel,-132561359
ChannelForFromArtisteHUD,-722322179
END

Notice that the animation she did for her Canon was named Bollywood5.  Also notice that it also lasted 5.0 seconds

************

*channels nc inside the SmartDancer Controller

NOTE: The CanonAnimationOverride values are the ACTUAL animation name and NOT the button name.

TurnDurationOverride,5
CanonIntervalOverride1,5.0
CanonIntervalOverride2,0.2
CanonAnimationOverride2,P-HeadHold1

Notice that there is no CanonAnimationOverride1 entry. If there was then all of our dancers would have danced it instead.  Notice there IS a CanonIntervalOverride1 of 5.0 so it DID override the interval in the *smartdancer nc but since they are both 5.0, you did not notice a difference.