Animation types

How an animation behaves (when it starts, whether it repeats, waits or reacts to a sensor) is set in the animation Properties window. The window opens:

in the main editor: Animation → Properties menu;
in the start window: Animations tab → Edit data button;
automatically when you create a new animation.

The options can be combined: for example an animation can be started by a button, repeat in a loop with random pauses and have its amplitude set by a sensor. Hover over a field or its label to see its description.

Basic types

Type	How to set it	Behaviour
Free	Activation mode on_start	Not tied to a button. In ARES you start it with Run bounded area or Run full animation. On DEIMOS it can start by itself at power-up if you save it on the SD with index 0 (file `0#-name.d5s`, Animation → Export DEIMOS v1... menu) and there is no `MENU.TXT` on the SD.
Button-triggered	Activation mode trigger + Trigger button	Starts when you press a physical button wired to DEIMOS. Pressing it again during playback stops the animation. This is the type exported to the SD for standalone playback (Export for DEIMOS SD).
With delayed start	Random delayed start box	Before starting it waits a random time between 0 and the set maximum. It combines with the other types.
Looping	Repeat continuously box	At the end it restarts from the beginning until you stop it (Stop animation in ARES, the button on DEIMOS). If the delayed start is also on, the random pause is repeated before each round.
Parametrized	Parametrized animation box	A 0–1023 value read from a sensor or sent by another program sets the amplitude of the selected servos (and the volume of linked sounds). See Animation properties.

Usage examples

1. Greeting on a button

A character waves when a visitor presses a button.

Activation mode: trigger; Trigger button: the button wired to pin 8.
Loop and delayed start: off.
Export to SD with Export for DEIMOS SD, PIN 8.

2. Spontaneous movements in a shop window

A bird moves by itself at irregular intervals, all day long.

Activation mode: trigger (you start it once with the button).
Repeat continuously: on.
Random delayed start: on, maximum interval 20 s: 0 to 20 seconds pass between movements.
To stop it press the button again.

3. Demo that starts at power-up

A prototype plays its animation as soon as it is powered, without buttons or a PC.

Activation mode: on_start.
Animation → Export DEIMOS v1... menu, index 0, save the file on the SD.
Remove MENU.TXT from the SD: without a menu DEIMOS plays the 0#-… file by itself.

The export also updates DEIMOS.CFG in the same folder as the file, so DEIMOS applies loop and delayed start. The lines of the other animations already there are kept. DEIMOS handles the configuration only for indexes 0 to 9: with a higher index the file is saved, but loop and delayed start are not applied (ARES tells you at the end of the export).

4. Head following distance

The closer a visitor comes, the wider the head movement.

Parametrized animation: on, source Analog pin, pin A0 (distance sensor with 0–5 V output), read every 2 cycles.
Parametrized servos: only the head servo; the others play the animation normally.
In ARES try the effect with the editor's Parameter slider.

5. Animation controlled by another program

A PC or a Raspberry Pi decides how strong a reaction is based on what is happening (for example the loudness of a speaker's voice).

Parametrized animation: source Serial command.
The program sends the fv command with the 0–1023 value and then starts the animation with fp; it can send more fv commands during playback too.

All window fields

Some fields appear only when needed: the Visible column says when.

Field	What it does	Visible
Animation name	Animation name, unique in the domain. Required. Also used in the exported file names.	Always
Description	Free notes (scene, version, direction). Optional.	Always
Activation mode	on_start = free animation; trigger = started by a physical button.	Always
Random delayed start	If ticked, before each start it waits a random time between 0 and the set maximum.	Always
Maximum random delay interval	Unit (ms, cs, ds, s) and value of the maximum delay. On DEIMOS the maximum accepted is 65 seconds.	Only if Random delayed start is ticked
Trigger button	The button (element of type Trigger Button) that starts and stops the animation. If the domain has no trigger buttons it shows — none —: add one in Elements.	Only with trigger mode
Advance time	Unit and value of the playback step (default 33 ms, about 30 updates per second). It is also the step of the exported D5S file. Smaller values give smoother movement but send more commands.	Always
Repeat continuously	At the end the animation restarts from the beginning.	Always
Parametrized animation	Box with a tick: turns on the 0–1023 parameter control.	Always (the inner fields are active only when the box is ticked)
Parameter source	Analog pin (sensor) or Serial command (another program).	In the parameter box
Analog pin	Pin A0–A15 wired to the sensor. It must not already be used by switches, servos or buttons on the same board.	Only with Analog pin source
Read every N cycles	How many animation steps between two sensor readings on DEIMOS (1–255).	Only with Analog pin source
Parametrized servos	List of the domain servos (bus and PWM): tick those that follow the parameter. At least one is required.	In the parameter box

Note: the sound volume linked to the parameter is not set here but in the audio segment editor (Volume follows parameter box).