Armin Seltz

I am just starting to use Max4Live and need to save several text files. So I want to set up a path by asking for a folder and then the several files will be written in that folder using created filenames. There is a [strippath] component, but no [createpath], which would take a path and a filename and extension. I tried using [join], but the folder path output by [opendialog fold] puts it between " " for no apparent reason.

How can I concatenate a valid file path using a folder path, file name and extension to pass on to [text] using the write parameter?

I also just noticed a few bugs in 7.2.5: In the [opendialog] window, clicking on a link to a file server will freeze Max. After force quitting and restarting the port I am using with [udpsend] no longer works. Its the same as from the udpsend help file and that doesnt work any more either. Switching to another port works. This is on OS X 10.10.5 using Max 7.2.5

I am just starting to use Max4Live and need to save several text files. So I want to set up a path by asking for a folder and then the several files will be written in that folder using created filenames. There is a [strippath] component, but no [createpath], which would take a path and a filename and extension. I tried using [join], but the folder path output by [opendialog fold] puts it between " " for no apparent reason. 

I also just noticed a few bugs in 7.2.5: In the [opendialog] window, clicking on a link to a file server will freeze Max. After force quitting and restarting the port I am using with [udpsend] no longer works. Its the same as from the udpsend help file and that doesnt work any more either. Switching to another port works. This is on OS X 10.10.5 using Max 7.2.5


folder-paths-and-sending-via-udp

Ok, so I found a way to make the path using [sprintf], but now the [text] component isn't happy with the path and giving me the extremely useful warning "text: extra arguments for message "write""?

[combine] is good for creating file paths!

Thanks Luke, but not having any luck with that. I am trying to combine the folder from [opendialog fold] with a name and then later on a number plus the file ending .txt to use with [text].

Here is what I am getting using [combine], [join] with [fromsymbol]. [sprintf %s%s] and [sprintf symout %s%s]. None of those are what I need :/

Do you know how to combine the strings properly? Even though I am new to Max, I am not at all new to programming and I can't believe how difficult this is simple task is.

I'm not sure what is this issue with the example I gave you before, is it just an ordering thing? The patch below should show you how to sort out the ordering and get what you want from either combine or sprintf.

Thanks, very interesting. Starting to slowly understand this. The problem is still that I am using [textedit] as a way for the user to input a name and want to use that as "the name", but it always just inserts "text" and not the actual text.

Ahh, [textedit] prepends text output with the word 'text' so you need to use a [route] as in the patch below. I have shown you [dialog] too as it can be a nice way of getting users to input text too (it precedes a symbol output with 'symbol' so again route is used).

P.S. [thispatcher] can be very useful for formulating file paths for individual users, i.e. if you just wanted to save to a folder next to the app rather than letting them choose, as shown below ([thispatcher] must be in the root patching window though!)

Do you know of any videos which teach that kind of stuff. I keep searching for tutorials, but they are usually for sound creation, video and other interaction stuff. But really I need to learn those things - how to work with data, how data gets triggered, working with strings and sending it around, storing variables, storing arrays, etc. The rest kind of follows naturally, but those are the things that are fundamentally different in every (visual) programming tool. I already know so many others (vvvv, grasshopper, quartz, fabric) and to do the most basic stuff makes you feel like a retard starting out, because those basics are very different :D

I know what you mean! Videos... I don't know, I have gleaned these bits of info over years and have found searching the forum and maxobjects.com to be the most useful thing. The reference is much better these days and the Max tutorials do go over stuff to do with data flow and message ordering etc. There are pitfalls to watch out for, for example sending {path} to [thispatcher] in a standalone does not work (I can't remember the exact issue) so you can use the message to max to get the app path as shown below. Something I do a lot to find out about objects I might want is to go to the help file of an object that nearly does what I want and click on the question mark to show similar objects. Good luck!

Folder paths and sending via UDP