Hello All,
I'm totally new to pd and so far I am having fun.
I have a specific problem but my question is more general.
I have written a sub-patch to perform the "Sign" function that is missing from pd (if it is not and I just missed it, it's a good exercise anyways). It takes any number and output -1 for negative numbers, 0 for 0 and +1 for positive numbers.
It works well except when I input the first negative number, that is, when the previous number was >= 0, the output is, wrongly, 0. From the second negative number on, everything works.
I tracked it down to a [+ ] object. Is seems that it adds the current left inlet input to the PREVIOUS right inlet input. Please see patch "Sign 1".
If I change the order in which I connect things the behavior does not seem to change.
I found a workaround, but it is an ad hoc one, so my function now works (Sign 2).
But I suspect this thing of hot/cold is a common problem and I was wondering if there is a more general solution to make my first patch work.
I am not sure, for instance, if [trigger] would be useful here and how to implement it.

Ah, and if the Sign function does already exist, please let me know, I am a big fan of NOT reinventing the wheel

Thanks

http://www.pdpatchrepo.info/hurleur/sign_1.pd

Hello All,
I'm totally new to pd and so far I am having fun.
I have a specific problem but my question is more general.
I have written a sub-patch to perform the "Sign" function that is missing from pd (if it is not and I just missed it, it's a good exercise anyways). It takes any number and output -1 for negative numbers, 0 for 0 and +1 for positive numbers.
It works well except when I input the first negative number, that is, when the previous number was >= 0, the output is, wrongly, 0. From the second negative number on, everything works.
I tracked it down to a [+ ] object. Is seems that it adds the current left inlet input to the PREVIOUS right inlet input. Please see patch "Sign 1".
If I change the order in which I connect things the behavior does not seem to change.
I found a workaround, but it is an ad hoc one, so my function now works (Sign 2).
But I suspect this thing of hot/cold is a common problem and I was wondering if there is a more general solution to make my first patch work.
I am not sure, for instance, if [trigger] would be useful here and how to implement it.

Ah, and if the Sign function does already exist, please let me know, I am a big fan of NOT reinventing the wheel

Thanks

http://www.pdpatchrepo.info/hurleur/sign_1.pd

I think I just found the answer to my question.
You can use the

Can you read the timer (seconds since the computer was turned on) in pd and feed it to the seed?
That's how it is done in BASIC:
RANDOMIZE (TIMER)

Note the Yankee spelling

Thanks! Your solution is soo much more elegant! I'll give it a try!