Wire the output of a patch back into its input and vroooom!
Above is an example of the most basic feedback loop, a plus patch with its output set to its second input. Once we put a value into the top input it will add that value to the sum on each frame. When you set the value to 1 it gives you a very accurate frame counter that starts at the moment the first value changes from 0.
But why?
Feedback loops are solid and efficient because they run on every frame. This makes them particularly good at recording values and updating every item in a loop of values without relying on a pulse (which can only fire every other frame)
Uses include
- drawing on screen
- capturing interactions
- run physics simulations
Here is an example that uses the current position of all these dots to determine where then dots should move to in the next frame. Animating a velocity value (the number you add to the current positions for an individual frame) gives you smooth acceleration and deceleration.