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grab Reference

Intercept the output of another object

grab

Description

grab can send a message and extract the result from the receiving object.
Note: The grab object cannot be used to communicate from a send to a receive between Max for Live devices.

Examples

Get an object's output by 'grabbing' it before it comes out the outlet... grab can communicate with any receive object specified by a set message

Arguments

number-of-outlets [int]

Optional

The first argument sets the number of outlets, in addition to the right outlet. If there is no argument, grab has 1 additional outlet.

receive-name [symbol]

Optional

If a symbol is present as a second argument, the message received in the inlet is sent to all receive objects named by the symbol, instead of being sent out the right outlet. In this case the rightmost outlet, which would normally send out the incoming message if no second argument were present, will not exist.

Attributes

Common Box Attributes

annotation [symbol]

Sets the text that will be displayed in the Clue window when the user moves the mouse over the object.

background [int] (default: 0)

Adds or removes the object from the patcher's background layer. background 1 adds the object to the background layer, background 0 removes it. Objects in the background layer are shown behind all objects in the default foreground layer.

color [4 floats]

Sets the color for the object box outline.

fontface [int]

Sets the type style used by the object. The options are:

plain
bold
italic
bold italic Possible values:

0 = 'regular'
1 = 'bold'
2 = 'italic'
3 = 'bold italic'

fontname [symbol]

Sets the object's font.

fontsize [float]

Sets the object's font size (in points). Possible values:

'8'
'9'
'10'
'11'
'12'
'13'
'14'
'16'
'18'
'20'
'24'
'30'
'36'
'48'
'64'
'72'

hidden [int] (default: 0)

Toggles whether an object is hidden when the patcher is locked.

hint [symbol]

Sets the text that will be displayed in as a pop-up hint when the user moves the mouse over the object in a locked patcher.

ignoreclick [int] (default: 0)

Toggles whether an object ignores mouse clicks in a locked patcher.

jspainterfile [symbol]

JS Painter File

patching_rect [4 floats] (default: 0. 0. 100. 0.)

Sets the position and size of the object in the patcher window.

position [2 floats]

g/s(set)

Sets the object's x and y position in both patching and presentation modes (if the object belongs to its patcher's presentation), leaving its size unchanged.

presentation [int] (default: 0)

Sets whether an object belongs to the patcher's presentation.

presentation_rect [4 floats] (default: 0. 0. 0. 0.)

Sets the x and y position and width and height of the object in the patcher's presentation, leaving its patching position unchanged.

rect [4 floats]

g/s(set)

Sets the x and y position and width and height of the object in both patching and presentation modes (if the object belongs to its patcher's presentation).

size [2 floats]

g/s(set)

Sets the object's width and height in both patching and presentation modes (if the object belongs to its patcher's presentation), leaving its position unchanged.

textcolor [4 floats]

Sets the color for the object's text in RGBA format.

textjustification [int]

Sets the justification for the object's text. Possible values:

0 = 'left'
1 = 'center'
2 = 'right'

varname [symbol]

Sets the patcher's scripting name, which can be used to address the object by name in pattr, scripting messages to thispatcher, and the js object.

Messages

bang

Performs the same function as anything.

int

Arguments

input [int]
Performs the same function as anything.

float

Arguments

input [float]
Performs the same function as anything.

list

Arguments

input [list]
Performs the same function as anything.

anything

Arguments

input [list]
The message is sent out the right outlet, or if a second argument is present the message is sent to receive objects named by the second argument.

set

Arguments

input [symbol]
If a second argument has been typed into grab specifying the name of a receive object, then the word set, followed by a symbol, specifies the name of a (different) receive object via which grab can grab messages from remote objects.

Output

anything

Out right outlet: The right outlet should be connected only to the leftmost inlet of other objects. The message received in the inlet is sent out to the left inlet of all objects connected to the right outlet. Whatever goes out their outlets, however, is then intercepted by grab.

Out other outlets: Whatever would normally be sent out the outlets of the objects connected to the right outlet, is sent out the grab object's outlets instead, in response to a message from grab. Whatever would be sent out the leftmost outlet of the other objects is sent out the leftmost outlet of grab, and so on. Note: Only the output that is sent out the outlets of other objects can be intercepted by grab. Other types of output, such as transmission of MIDI messages or printing in the Max Console, cannot be intercepted by grab. Also, grab does not intercept the output of timing objects such as seq, metro, and clocker.

Connecting the right outlet of grab to the inlet of a patcher object, however, will not grab the output of the subpatch. It will simply grab the output of the inlet object inside the subpatch, which is exactly the same as its input. However, grab can communicate with remote objects via a receive object named as the second argument to grab.

If a second argument is present, the message received in the inlet is sent directly to receive objects named by the argument instead of being sent out the right outlet. Any such receive objects should be connected only to the leftmost inlet of other objects. The rightmost outlet, which would otherwise be used to grab the output of other objects, does not appear if the second argument is used.

Note that if grab is connected to other objects remotely via numerous receive objects of the same name, the order in which grab communicates with those other objects is undefined, so the order in which their output will be sent out of the grab object's other outlets is unpredictable.

See Also

Name Description
Working with Video in Jitter Working with Video in Jitter
preset Store and recall settings
table Store and edit an array of numbers