Cycling 74 » Topic: Using pattrstorage to store values from the parent patcher?

Using pattrstorage to store values from the parent patcher?

tom@swirly.com — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:58:33 +0000

I’m perfectly prepared to hear that this can’t be done. :-D

I have a patch that provides me with a nice interface to pattrstorage, but I have to put it inside a bpatcher and then hook the top and bottom of that to the pattrstorage in the top-level patch.

It’d be so much neater if the pattrstorage could live with its controller in the bpatch, but experiment seems to show me that the pattrstorage then only stores values below itself.

BTW, I’m coming back to Max after a 10-year hiatus. I did a lot of work before on storing the state of complex patches, and it’s so so nice to see that now this is built in; in fact, I see traces of two separate waves of serialization, one (pattr) which was similar to what I was doing “by hand” before and the new autopattr stuff which removes all the tedium.

I’m having a lot of fun, though I wish I could do it all without the mouse, my wrist hurts after a few hours on the program (I spend a long time on the computer but try to avoid mousing if I can…)

Re: Using pattrstorage to store values from the parent patcher?

Chris Muir — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:16:19 +0000

>I’m having a lot of fun, though I wish I could do it all without the mouse, my wrist hurts after a few hours on the program (I spend a long time on the computer but try to avoid mousing if I can…)

I know this is not what you’re asking, but have you tried something like the Evoluent Vertical Mouse? http://www.evoluent.com/

It really helped me. I tried a bunch of similar products, but this one allows for fine control with the fingertips, as well as an ergonomic arm position.

-C

Re: Using pattrstorage to store values from the parent patcher?

Adam Murray — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:31:29 +0000

Quote: tom@swirly.com wrote on Thu, 05 June 2008 08:58
—————————————————-
> I have a patch that provides me with a nice interface to pattrstorage, but I have to put it inside a bpatcher and then hook the top and bottom of that to the pattrstorage in the top-level patch.
>
> It’d be so much neater if the pattrstorage could live with its controller in the bpatch, but experiment seems to show me that the pattrstorage then only stores values below itself.

Yeah, I think that’s by design.

There is a trick you could do but it’s only going to be reasonable if you have very few pattrs. Duplicate all the pattrs you want to store inside the bpatcher too, and use @bindto to connect them to the outside patch. pattrmarker can help with this.

But I would recommend keeping your pattrstorage up top and living with the batcher connections.

– Pasted Max Patch, click to expand. –

Re: Using pattrstorage to store values from the parent patcher?

Adam Murray — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:35:26 +0000

BTW in my example, the pattr in the top patcher and the one in the subpatch could both have the same name.

Re: Using pattrstorage to store values from the parent patcher?

tom@swirly.com — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:48:48 +0000

Fascinating.

I think I agree that 1) you have a solution and 2) it’s too fragile unless you have very few patches.

I’m perfectly happy with keeping things at the top level – as long as I know that there really is a reason I’m doing it.

Re: Using pattrstorage to store values from the parent patcher?

tom@swirly.com — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:55:01 +0000

Other people have recommended vertical mice. I can probably try one out at work. I am impatient with the learning curve on the new mouse but then the few times my right hand hurt I switch to mousing with my left for a while and all is fine – there’s a serious learning curve there.

I’ll give one a try…

But I still feel that I’d rather never mouse at all — I type really fast.

Max would be bone-easy to do in a keyboard-only mode. Tab would select between patchers; left and right arrow would switch outlets; command-space would start and finish a connection; and then the usual keyboard stuff that already exists.

Re: Using pattrstorage to store values from the parent patcher?

tom@swirly.com — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:24:21 +0000

One more question: how do I extract “binary” Max patches like the one above from the forum?

I looked around at the FAQ (not Max-specific) and the C74 FAQ and some Google searching but didn’t find it. Saving as text and then opening it didn’t of course work…

Re: Using pattrstorage to store values from the parent patcher?

Chris Muir — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:55:23 +0000

>One more question: how do I extract “binary” Max patches like the one above from the forum?

Copy everything, including the lines with begin and end, go to Max 5.0.1 or higher, and select New From Clipboard.

-C

Re: Using pattrstorage to store values from the parent patcher?

pelado — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:01:16 +0000

One of the drawbacks with Max is the RSIs (repetetive strain injuries) that
it inflicts, (two others are constant smoking of cigarettes and lack of
sleep). I can’t think of any other programme that keeps you shuffling the
cursor around so much. I changed to using a Wacom tablet, and I feel it
really helps to keep a few more of my wrist, hand and arm bits moving. Now
I never use a mouse, in fact, I don’t even have one anymore.
Although I don’t use it, many people seem to think that the maxtoolbox is
indespensible too.

pelado

> Other people have recommended vertical mice. I can probably try one out at
> work. I am impatient with the learning curve on the new mouse but then the
> few times my right hand hurt I switch to mousing with my left for a while
> and all is fine – there’s a serious learning curve there.
>
> I’ll give one a try…
>
> But I still feel that I’d rather never mouse at all — I type really fast.
>
> Max would be bone-easy to do in a keyboard-only mode. Tab would select
> between patchers; left and right arrow would switch outlets; command-space
> would start and finish a connection; and then the usual keyboard stuff that
> already exists.
>
>
–

http://www.pelado.co.uk