Using Templates

A template is a segment that can be used in composing a playable segment of music at run time. The template sets the length of the segment and any loop points. It can provide the command track, which controls changes in the groove level and the choice of embellishment patterns. It also prescribes how the chordmap is used in composing the segment, by specifying from which signpost group each new chord must come.

For a conceptual overview, see Templates.

A template is represented by a DirectMusicSegment8 object.

There are two ways to obtain a template object:

• Load it from a template file or resource by using DirectMusicLoader8.LoadSegment or DirectMusicLoader8.LoadSegmentFromResource.
• Create it from a shape, using the DirectMusicComposer8.ComposeTemplateFromShape method. You choose the length, the overall shape, whether intro and end embellishment patterns are to be played, and how long the ending is to be.

Once you have obtained a template segment object, you can pass it to the DirectMusicComposer8.ComposeSegmentFromTemplate method, along with pointers to a style and a chordmap. You also supply a rate of harmonic motion, which sets the frequency of chord changes. The ComposeSegmentFromTemplate method creates a segment  that can be passed to the DirectMusicPerformance8.PlaySegmentEx method.