Alias files (MacOS) to Dropfile ?
I want to collect "alias" (fake files that point to an original file) paths into a coll.
Droping them in [dropfile] doesn't output any file. I was hoping that it would, as I am able to populate a umenu with aliases.
Any idea how to easily get an alias path ?
Thanks.
are they given? or can you change them?
because i think it could work if you make a real unix symbolic link instead of a finder alias.
Thanks for the reply.
The point is that I want to be able to change them easily. The context : it's a patch used to load ableton livesets. I'm doing incremental savings like "mysong2.37.als" and I always want to open the most recent.
Here's the patch I use :
Mac OSX, dropfile and alias are working es expected.
Make alias of some file, drop alias on dropfile
and feed that to sprintf symout file:// %s
;
maxlaunchbrowser $1
But the question is why on earth should one use alias path
instead of a real path ?
------------
P.S. if dropfile does not output anything when something is droped on it,
then add a line in max-fileformats.txt file.
for example to get .webloc recognised :
max system macintosh fileformat .webloc wblc 0 "Web Location" plist;
or anything else
Thanks a lot, it's helpful.
I'd like to use aliases instead of real paths because, as I wrote before, I often make small changes to the ableton livesets (.als files), resulting in small differences in the file name, and I find it way more convenient to change the target path of an alias rather to manage the [coll] where they all are collected.
Indeed, I have this issue where the [dropfile] doesn't output anything when I drop an alias. It recognizes the .als files perfectly, but not their aliases.
when I drop alias, dropfile outputs
alis as filetype.
send message types to dropfile to accept all file types.
If it still does not work, then ...
maybe You need to add a line in max-fileformats.txt file.
The problem is alias has no file extension and can be ranamed to whatever.
This could be it :
max system macintosh fileformat alias alis 0 "Alias" Alias;
I think it is actualy not needed.
How are You creating the aliases ?
And what file type do You set in the umenu to autopopulate ?
By the way, I am not using Live, this is Max only.
And - message types alis to dropfile properly filters
only aliasis here, max 6.10 osx 10.6.8
If I drop the file on the unlocked patcher, it creates a message box with the path.
In dropfile, nothing.
I made a search for the fileformats.txt, it seems to have disappeared after Max 6 (I'm using Max 8).
The umenu populated with aliases was in another patch, the aliases are in a folder contained in the same folder as the patch.
More I think of it, I guess You have something in the file path or name
that prevents dropfile to work.
One example :
dropfile
cycling74.s3.amazonaws.com/.webloc
dropfile outputs nothing, but if droped to unlocked patcher message :
read /Volumes/BigHd/Max801-Stuff/cycling74.s3.amazonaws.com:.webloc
gets created (see that : replaced / )
copy of the above with removed slash
cycling74.s3.amazonaws.com.webloc
dropfile outputs :
BigHd:/Max801-Stuff/cycling74.s3.amazonaws.com.webloc
droped to unlocked patcher message :
read /Volumes/BigHd/Max801-Stuff/cycling74.s3.amazonaws.com.webloc
See the difference ?
Also oposite to max 6 I had to
insert conformpath slash boot and sprintf symout file:///s
in order to really launch the file
Thanks a lot for your help.
I thing I'm getting closer : for some reason, the aliases have no extension.
I tried creating another one, it's got the same name as the originial file, with the word "alias" at the end.
If it's on the desktop, it will be recognized by dropfile. When placed in a folder, it won't.
is your desktop in your search path? could that make the difference?
Creating alias next to original adds "alias" at the end.
Doing so to different path creates it without "alias" at the end.
That is normal - no duplicates in same path.
Dropfile is meant to extract file path, it is not dependent on any search path.
Post exact absolute path of that folder,
so that one can see what could be the reason.
One of them :
/Users/louiswarynski/Music/Ableton/User Library/Presets/MIDI Effects/Max MIDI Effect/Chap_Pack/SONGS
Original :
/Users/louiswarynski/Documents/SETS Live/LiveWork 2020/Am Schlachtensee Project/Am Schlachtensee 0.13.als
if You drop alias
/Users/louiswarynski/Music/Ableton/User Library/Presets/MIDI Effects/Max MIDI Effect/Chap_Pack/SONGS/Am Schlactensee 0.12.als
dropfile will output file path of original file.
if You drop alias
/Users/louiswarynski/Music/Ableton/User Library/Presets/MIDI Effects/Max MIDI Effect/Chap_Pack/SONGS/Am Schlactensee 0.12.als alias
dropfile will output file path of alias.
-------
There is nothing wrong in the path, I asked
because I discovered that dropfile has troubles with german
ö ä ü, maybe also french and other languages accents...
If adding alias at the end is solving Your problem, than why not.
------
There is nothing else to say but to suggest to drop aliasing and use real paths
if this becomes too complicated.
you know what? if the alias has the same name as the original and both are in the search path...
They don't have the same name.
Here's what I get in the message boxes created when I drop the alias and the original file in the patcher :
ORIGINAL :
read "/Users/louiswarynski/Documents/SETS Live/LiveWork 2020/Am Schlachtensee Project/Am Schlachtensee 0.13.als"
ALIAS :
read "/Users/louiswarynski/Music/Ableton/User Library/Presets/MIDI Effects/Max MIDI Effect/Chap_Pack/SONGS/Am Schlachtensee"
The original above is read by dropfile. The alias gives nothing.
As you said, there's no point in naming the alias with the same name as the original file.
ANYWAY :
I found a way in my patch to manage my collection of livesets very easily, even more easily than using aliases and changing their target.
So, nevermind, I'm happy with it.
Many thanks for your time and help.
Cheers,
Louis