py2max: a python library for offline generation of Max patcher (.maxpat) files

py2max is a pure python3 library without dependencies intended to facilitate the offline generation of Max patcher files (`.maxpat`, `.maxhelp`, `.rnbopat`)

Features

• Scripted offline generation of Max patcher files using Python objects corresponding, on a one-to-one basis, with Max/MSP objects stored in the `.maxpat` JSON-based file format.

• Round-trip conversion between (JSON) `.maxpat` files with arbitrary levels of nesting and corresponding `Patcher`, `Box`, and `Patchline` Python objects.

• Can handle potentially any Max object or maxclass.

• Lots of unit tests and examples, >90% coverage.

• Allows precise layout and configuration of Max objects and also experimentation with auto-layout algorithms.

• Patcher objects have generic methods such as `add_textbox` and can also have specialized methods such as `add_coll`. For example, the `add_coll` method has a `dictionary` argument to make it easy to prepopulate the `coll` object using a python dictionary.

Possible use cases

• Scripted patcher-creation.

• Batch modification of existing .maxpat files.

• Create parametrizable objects with configuration from offline sources. For example, one-of-a-kind wavetable oscillators configured from random wavetable files.

• Generation of test cases and .maxhelp files during external development

• Takes the pain out of creating objects with lots of parameters

• Prepopulate containers objects such as `coll`, `dict` and `table` objects with data

• Save time creating many objects with slightly different arguments

• Use graph drawing / layout algorithms on generated patches

• Generative patch generation...

Project URL
https://github.com/shakfu/py2max

Example
p = Patcher('my-patch.maxpat')
osc1 = p.add_textbox('cycle~ 440')
gain = p.add_textbox('gain~')
dac = p.add_textbox('ezdac~')
p.add_line(osc1, gain)
p.add_line(gain, dac)
p.add_line(gain, dac, inlet=1)
p.save()

If you end up using this library please provide feedback, scripts, techniques or otherwise via the GitHub project (PRs or Issues), as it would be nice to build up a standard library of useful code for re-use.