Playing Segments

Segments can perform different roles in the performance. There must always be a primary segment, which provides the main content of the soundtrack and normally serves as the control segment, setting global parameters such as tempo. Secondary segments play along with the primary segment and might provide sound effects or short musical themes. A special type of secondary segment is the motif, which is always obtained from a DirectMusic style object.

In addition, three kinds of segments have special roles:

• Transition segment. A short musical transition created at run time by the DirectMusic composer object and normally played as a primary segment leading from one segment to another, or from a segment to silence.
• Band segment. A set of instruments and instrument settings for the various channels in the performance. The application can play a band segment as a secondary segment to execute changes in the band performing the music.
• Template segment. A guide to chord progressions, groove levels, and embellishments, used in conjunction with a style and chordmap to compose music at run time.

The playback of segments is controlled by the performance object and begins with a call to IDirectMusicPerformance8::PlaySegment or IDirectMusicPerformance8::PlaySegmentEx.

Only one primary segment at a time can be played. When you cue a primary segment for playback, you can specify that it is to be played after the currently playing segment is finished, or you can use it to replace the current primary segment.

Secondary segments, on the other hand, play over the current primary segment, and any number of secondary segments can be playing simultaneously.

Secondary segments do not normally alter the performance of the primary segment. For example, a secondary segment can be based on a different style without affecting the style of the primary segment. However, a secondary segment can be designated as the control segment, in which case it takes over certain tasks normally handled by the primary segment.

See Also

• Segment Timing
• Making Band Changes Programmatically
• Using Templates
• Using Transitions