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ControlActive[act,norm]

evaluates to act if a control that affects act is actively being used, and to norm otherwise.

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ControlActive

ControlActive[act,norm]

evaluates to act if a control that affects act is actively being used, and to norm otherwise.

Details

Examples

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Basic Examples  (1)

Change the display while controls are being used:

Wolfram Language code: Manipulate[ControlActive[u, u Range[4]], {u, 0, 1}]

Scope  (2)

The arguments of ControlActive can be any expression:

Wolfram Language code: Manipulate[ControlActive[u, Graphics[Circle[{0, 0}, u], PlotRange -> 2]], {u, 0, 1.5}]

Use ControlActive to switch between a low-resolution and a high-resolution version:

Wolfram Language code: Manipulate[ArrayPlot[CellularAutomaton[n, {{1}, 0}, {ControlActive[10, 100], All}]], {n, 1, 64, 1}]

Applications  (2)

Only emit a sound when the manipulator is not actively used:

Wolfram Language code: Manipulate[ControlActive[w, EmitSound[Play[Sin[1000 w t], {t, 0, .2}]];w], {w, 1, 3}]

Use a lower sampling when actively manipulating:

Wolfram Language code: Manipulate[Plot[Sin[1 / (x - a)], {x, 0, 1}, PlotPoints -> ControlActive[5, 50], PlotRange -> 1], {a, 0, 1}]

Properties & Relations  (2)

By using the second argument of Dynamic, you can get an effect similar to ControlActive:

Wolfram Language code: Manipulate[ControlActive[u, u Range[4]], {u, 0, 1}]
Wolfram Language code: {Slider[Dynamic[u, {(u = p = #)&, (u#;p = # Range[4])&}]], Dynamic[p]}

Plot functions effectively use ControlActive for the PerformanceGoal setting:

Wolfram Language code: Manipulate[Plot3D[Sin[a x]Sin[b y], {x, 0, 3}, {y, 0, 3}, PerformanceGoal -> ControlActive["Speed", "Quality"], PlotRange -> 1], {a, 1, 3}, {b, 1, 3}]
Wolfram Research (2007), ControlActive, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ControlActive.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (2007), ControlActive, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ControlActive.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2007. "ControlActive." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ControlActive.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2007). ControlActive. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ControlActive.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_controlactive, author="Wolfram Research", title="{ControlActive}", year="2007", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ControlActive.html}", note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_controlactive, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={ControlActive}, year={2007}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ControlActive.html}, note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}