Package Max

vstscan

Audio Plugin Scanner

Description

Vstscan provides an interface to audio plugin scanning so that this functionality may be presented in patchers and standalones. You can use vstscan to build menus of plugin names for use in patcher code.

Arguments

None.

Attributes

Common Box Attributes

Below is a list of attributes shared by all objects. If you want to change one of these attributes for an object based on the object box, you need to place the word sendbox in front of the attribute name, or use the object's Inspector.

annotation[symbol]

Sets the text that will be displayed in the Clue window when the user moves the mouse over the object.

background[int]: 0

Adds or removes the object from the patcher's background layer. background 1 adds the object to the background layer, background 0 removes it. Objects in the background layer are shown behind all objects in the default foreground layer.

color[4 floats]

Sets the color for the object box outline.

fontface[int]

Sets the type style used by the object. The options are:

plain
bold
italic
bold italic Possible values:

0 = 'regular'
1 = 'bold'
2 = 'italic'
3 = 'bold italic'

fontname[symbol]

Sets the object's font.

fontsize[float]

Sets the object's font size (in points). Possible values:

'8'
'9'
'10'
'11'
'12'
'13'
'14'
'16'
'18'
'20'
'24'
'30'
'36'
'48'
'64'
'72'

hidden[int]: 0

Toggles whether an object is hidden when the patcher is locked.

hint[symbol]

Sets the text that will be displayed in as a pop-up hint when the user moves the mouse over the object in a locked patcher.

ignoreclick[int]: 0

Toggles whether an object ignores mouse clicks in a locked patcher.

jspainterfile[symbol]

You can override the default appearance of a user interface object by assigning a JavaScript file with code for painting the object. The file must be in the search path.

patching_rect[4 floats]: 0. 0. 100. 0.

Sets the position and size of the object in the patcher window.

position[2 floats]
write-only

Sets the object's x and y position in both patching and presentation modes (if the object belongs to its patcher's presentation), leaving its size unchanged.

presentation[int]: 0

Sets whether an object belongs to the patcher's presentation.

presentation_rect[4 floats]: 0. 0. 0. 0.

Sets the x and y position and width and height of the object in the patcher's presentation, leaving its patching position unchanged.

rect[4 floats]
write-only

Sets the x and y position and width and height of the object in both patching and presentation modes (if the object belongs to its patcher's presentation).

size[2 floats]
write-only

Sets the object's width and height in both patching and presentation modes (if the object belongs to its patcher's presentation), leaving its position unchanged.

textcolor[4 floats]

Sets the color for the object's text in RGBA format.

textjustification[int]

Sets the justification for the object's text. Possible values:

0 = 'left'
1 = 'center'
2 = 'right'

valuepopup[int]: 0

For objects with single values, enabling valuepopup will display the object's current value in a popup caption when the mouse is over the object or it is being changed with the mouse.

valuepopuplabel[int]: 0

Sets the source of a text label shown in a value popup caption. Possible values:

0 = 'None'
1 = 'Hint'
2 = 'Scripting Name'
3 = 'Parameter Long Name'
4 = 'Parameter Short Name'

varname[symbol]

Sets the patcher's scripting name, which can be used to address the object by name in pattr, scripting messages to thispatcher, and the js object.

Messages

listau

List AudioUnit plug-ins via the vstscan object's leftmost outlet. Each entry is preceded by the selector plug_au . The optional arguments instrument , effect and blacklist can be used alone or in combination to restrict the listing the the desired type of plug-in.

Arguments:
  • types [list]

listvst

List VST plug-ins via the vstscan object's leftmost outlet. Each entry is preceded by the selector plug_vst . The optional arguments instrument , effect and blacklist can be used alone or in combination to restrict the listing the the desired type of plug-in.

Arguments:
  • types [list]

listvst3

List VST3 plug-ins via the vstscan object's leftmost outlet. Each entry is preceded by the selector plug_vst3 . The optional arguments instrument , effect and blacklist can be used alone or in combination to restrict the listing the the desired type of plug-in.

Arguments:
  • types [list]

scan

Re-scan the system plug-in folders for new plug-ins. On MacOS, this is generally (for VST plug-ins) /Library/Audio/Plug-ins/VST/ , while on Windows this is the folder specified in the VSTPluginsPath string value under the registry key HKLM\Software\VST. The scanning process will cause info files to be generated in Max's preferences folder and added to the search path.

As of Max 8, there are two scanning modes. The minimal/fast scanning method quickly gathers information about plug-ins based on files on disk without accessing the plug-ins, while complete/slow scanning performs a full scan of installed plug-ins, accessing the plug-ins to determine compatibility and features. The "slow" scan is only slow once, future runs perform a quick update to determine any changes to the last-scanned state of the operating system.

The scanmode argument can be used to specify the type of scanning:

  • 0 or default (default): perform the default complete/slow scan. If minimal/fast scanning was previously selected, enable complete/slow scanning and perform a full scan. If complete/slow scanning is already enabled, perform a quick update scan.
  • 1 or partial : if any plug-ins were blacklisted by previous scans, reset the blacklist state of those plugins and perform an update scan.
  • 2 or full : completely reset the information gathered by previous scans and perform a full scan.
  • 3 or reset : reset the scanning state and select minimal/fast scanning.
Arguments:
  • scanmode [list]

See Also

Name Description
vst~ Host VST, VST3 and Audio Unit plug-ins