Mode lifecycle

Every mode is loaded, started, stopped and tweaked through these four messages. One dispatcher on the SuperCollider side handles all modes; adding a mode adds no new lifecycle plumbing.

The load → ack → start sequence exists because /mode/load may need to read files or allocate buffers. Starting before SuperCollider is ready produces silence that looks exactly like a broken patch.

Messages

/mode/load/mode/loaded/mode/start/mode/stop/mode/param

/mode/load

engine → sc event since 0.1.0

Load a mode and its initial parameters. Does not start it.

s modeId

s

modeId s string: Identifier of the mode to load, e.g. "route". Must match a mode id in the reference section.

Acknowledged by /mode/loaded.

packet /mode/load route

SuperCollider NetAddr("127.0.0.1", 57120).sendMsg('/mode/load', "route");

engine (C#) osc.Send(Osc.ModeLoad, "route");

The modeId is followed by that mode's initParams, in the exact order the mode declares them. The concrete type tag string therefore differs per mode — each mode page shows its own.

Send /wall/config and load every sample the mode will name BEFORE /mode/load. A mode never waits for geometry or files once it starts.

Loading while a mode is running implicitly stops the running one.

/mode/loaded

sc → engine event since 0.1.0

SuperCollider has finished loading the requested mode.

s modeId

i ok

s detail

sis

modeId s string: The mode that was loaded, echoed back.
ok i int32 0 | 1: 1 on success, 0 on failure.
detail s string: Empty on success; a human-readable reason on failure.

packet /mode/loaded route 1

SuperCollider ~osc[\modeLoaded].value("route", 1, "");

engine (C#) // handler for Osc.ModeLoaded

/mode/start

engine → sc event since 0.1.0

Start the loaded mode. Idempotent.

/mode/start takes no arguments.

packet /mode/start

SuperCollider NetAddr("127.0.0.1", 57120).sendMsg('/mode/start');

engine (C#) osc.Send(Osc.ModeStart);

Sending this twice is safe. Sending it with no mode loaded is a no-op.

/mode/stop

engine → sc event since 0.1.0

Stop the running mode and release its resources. Idempotent.

/mode/stop takes no arguments.

packet /mode/stop

SuperCollider NetAddr("127.0.0.1", 57120).sendMsg('/mode/stop');

engine (C#) osc.Send(Osc.ModeStop);

Stops with the mode's own release envelope. For an immediate hard kill, use /sys/panic instead.

/mode/param

engine → sc state since 0.1.0

Tweak one runtime parameter of the running mode.

s name

f value

sf

name s string: Parameter name, from the running mode's runtimeParams list. Unknown names are logged and ignored, never an error.
value f float32: New value, always a float even when the parameter reads as an integer. Clamped to the parameter's declared range.

packet /mode/param tempo 110.0

SuperCollider NetAddr("127.0.0.1", 57120).sendMsg('/mode/param', "tempo", 110.0);

engine (C#) osc.Send(Osc.ModeParam, "tempo", 110.0f);

Per-mode load signatures

The modeId in /mode/load is followed by that mode’s init parameters, in order, so the concrete type tag string differs per mode:

Mode	`/mode/load` type tags	Arguments after the address
Chase the Shape	`sisifs`	“chase”, zoneCount, shape, shapeSize, speed, soundSet
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall	`siiss`	“mirror”, zoneCount, leaderZone, display, soundSet
Find the Match	`sisss`	“match”, pairCount, complexity, variant, soundSet
Sound Wall	`ssi`	“soundwall”, playback, maxVoices
Climbing Synth	`sssffis`	“synth”, scale, customScale, rootNote, tempo, steps, instrument
Draw & Climb	`ss`	“draw”, soundSet
Memory Game	`ssi`	“memory”, storyId, routeLength
Arcade	`ssi`	“arcade”, gameId, startMission