Assume Waves

There are a number of concepts that you can use to tell the dancers how phantoms are facing. They are

   assume waves
   assume miniwaves
   assume couples
   assume two-faced lines
   assume one-faced lines
   assume inverted lines
   assume normal boxes
   assume inverted boxes
   assume normal columns
   assume magic columns
   assume eight chain
   assume trade by
   assume dpt
   assume cdpt
   assume facing lines
   assume back-to-back lines
   assume general diamonds
   assume general 1/4 tags
   assume 1/4 tags
   assume right 1/4 tags
   assume left 1/4 tags
   assume 3/4 tags
   assume right 3/4 tags
   assume left 3/4 tags
   assume 1/4 lines
   assume right 1/4 lines
   assume left 1/4 lines
   assume 3/4 lines
   assume right 3/4 lines
   assume left 3/4 lines
   assume normal diamonds
   assume facing diamonds
   assume normal interlocked diamonds
   assume facing interlocked diamonds

Additionally, there are two related concepts, assume normal casts and with active phantoms, which will be discussed below.

When these concepts are used by themselves, the information that they convey tells the dancers how to begin certain calls such as `hinge', `vertical tag', and `in roll circulate'. The information is thrown away after the call begins. That is, the program does not hold the dancers responsible for tracking phantoms through a call. It only tells them how to begin.

Use these concepts with care. Many dancers don't like to be held responsible for the facing direction of phantoms.

These concepts will be implicitly applied whenever something like split phantom waves or triple diamonds is used, except for 1/4 tags and 3/4 tags. Concepts like split phantom 1/4 tags and split phantom 3/4 tags assume that the ends are facing in or out, respectively, and that the centers form any kind of line at all. The concepts assume 1/4 tags and assume 3/4 tags create the additional assumption that the centers are in a wave (of either handedness.) The concepts split phantom 1/4 lines and split phantom 3/4 lines require a 2-faced line, and so an additional assume 1/4 lines and assume 3/4 lines concept would have no effect.

It is of course illegal to use one of these concepts, either explicitly with assume or implicitly with something like split phantom waves, if the live dancers are not facing in a way that is consistent with the assumption.

Assume Normal Casts

The concept assume normal casts may be used in cases in which you do not require the dancers to track phantoms through the call, but you want to resolve any ambiguity about the `cast off 3/4' operations that happen at the end of such calls as `chain reaction' and `motivate'. You might read such an operation as `12 matrix motivate, assume the final cast off is normal'.

With Active Phantoms

The concept with active phantoms, used after one of the assume concepts (either implicit or explicit), effectively places invisible but intelligent dancers on the phantom spots, with facing directions deduced from the assumption. Those phantoms proceed through the entire call, interacting with each other and with the live dancers as necessary. If the call is impossible for the phantoms to do, or if illegal collisions occur between live dancers and phantoms, an error message is displayed. At the end of the call, any live dancers or phantoms that come to the same spot may take right hands with each other, if that is appropriate for the call.

Most of the types of assume concepts listed above are sufficiently explicit that, if even a single live dancer is present in the setup, everyone's facing direction may be inferred. This is necessary for the with active phantoms concept, of course. For example, a single live dancer can determine the handedness of all the phantoms when assume two-faced lines is given. Two of the concepts are not sufficiently explicit for this, and may not be used with with active phantoms. They are

   assume general diamonds
   assume general 1/4 tags

If you are going to use with active phantoms, you must give more detailed assumptions than these two, such as assume left 1/4 lines or assume facing diamonds.

Use the with active phantoms concept with extreme care, if at all. It is extremely dangerous in terms of what it may require the dancers to do. Many dancers find it difficult enough to do the live people's parts of calls without having to do the phantoms' parts also.

You can put Sd into a mode in which there is an implicit with active phantoms whenever any assumption is made. The toggle active phantoms command toggles (turns on or off) this mode. See section Changing Modes. When in this mode, Sd will not actually insert the text with active phantoms after each assume concept.

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