live.path
Description
live.path is used to navigate to Live objects on which the live.object, live.observer and live.remote~ objects operate. The navigation is purely path-based and is independent of the objects currently present in Live (navigating to a nonexistent path will result in the message being sent out the left and middle outputs rather than an error message).
Note: The Live API runs in the main thread in Live, and that all messages to and from the API are automatically deferred.
Examples

Arguments
initial path [symbol]
Optional
Specify an initial path as argument to live.path, without any quotes.
Attributes
Common Box Attributes
Inlets
Single inlet
Gets all command messages described below.
Outlets
Left outlet
Sends the message
For example, consider a fresh Live set with two tracks, "1 Audio" as the leftmost track and "2 MIDI" to the right of it. If you navigate to the "2 MIDI" track ( ) and you create a new Audio track between "1 Audio" and "2 MIDI", your original MIDI track now would be at . But since the id number of the MIDI track would stay the same and no new id is sent out to the left outlet, the live.xxx objects connected to this outlet keep working with the MIDI track, until you sent another goto.
in response to a , or message only . Use this outlet if you want to keep working with a particular object determined at goto or bang time, even if its position in Live changes. For example, consider a fresh Live set with two tracks, "1 Audio" as the leftmost track and "2 MIDI" to the right of it. If you navigate to the "2 MIDI" track ( ) and you create a new Audio track between "1 Audio" and "2 MIDI", your original MIDI track now would be at . But since the id number of the MIDI track would stay the same and no new id is sent out to the left outlet, the live.xxx objects connected to this outlet keep working with the MIDI track, until you sent another goto.
Middle outlet
Sends
Consider the example above. If the live.xxx objects would be connected to the middle outlet of live.path, then they would work with the newly created audio track.
The spontaneous sending of object ids out of the middle outlet, i.e. without an inlet message causing it, but caused by a change in Live, is called a notification.
Note: It is not possible to modify the Live set from such a notification.
whenever the id of the object at the current path changes (because the current path is changed or because the object at this place in Live has changed, for example. Use this outlet if you want to keep working with the same path, whatever object there might be. This outlet is very useful for things like . Consider the example above. If the live.xxx objects would be connected to the middle outlet of live.path, then they would work with the newly created audio track.
The spontaneous sending of object ids out of the middle outlet, i.e. without an inlet message causing it, but caused by a change in Live, is called a notification.
Note: It is not possible to modify the Live set from such a notification.
Right outlet
Sends responses to
, , . Messages
getid
TEXT_HERE
getcount
Arguments
child-name
[symbol]
Arguments:
is the name of a child of the object at the current path.
Operation:
Sends a count message to the right outlet, containing the name of the child and its number of entries.
Remarks:
The given child must be a list.
is the name of a child of the object at the current path.
Operation:
Sends a count message to the right outlet, containing the name of the child and its number of entries.
Remarks:
The given child must be a list.
Outlet | Output | Example |
---|---|---|
right |
getchildren
Operation:
Sends a list of children of the object at the current path, if any, to the right outlet.
Remarks:
The child names are the same names as used in the goto message.
Sends a list of children of the object at the current path, if any, to the right outlet.
Remarks:
The child names are the same names as used in the goto message.
Outlet | Output | Example |
---|---|---|
right |
getpath
Operation:
Sends a path message with the current path to the right outlet.
Sends a path message with the current path to the right outlet.
Outlet | Output | Example |
---|---|---|
right |
bang, getid
Operation:
Sends the id of the object at the current path to left and middle outlets. Sends if there is no object at the current path.
Sends the id of the object at the current path to left and middle outlets. Sends if there is no object at the current path.
Outlet | Output | Example |
---|---|---|
left | ||
middle |
path
Arguments
absolute-path
[symbol]
Same as
but limited to absolute paths that start with a root object name like , , or . goto
Arguments
path
[symbol]
Arguments:
is an absolute path (starts with live_app, live_set or control_surfaces N ) or a relative path, or
Operation:
Navigates to given path and sends id of the object at that path out the left and middle outlets. If there is no object at the path, is sent.
Remarks:
You cannot go to a list property, only to one of its members.
invalid:
correct:
is an absolute path (starts with live_app, live_set or control_surfaces N ) or a relative path, or
Operation:
Navigates to given path and sends id of the object at that path out the left and middle outlets. If there is no object at the path, is sent.
Remarks:
You cannot go to a list property, only to one of its members.
invalid:
correct:
Outlet | Output | Example |
---|---|---|
left | ||
middle |
See Also
Name | Description |
---|---|
Max For Live | Max For Live |
Live API Overview | |
Live Object Model | |
live.object | |
live.observer | |
live.remote~ | |
Using the Live API | |
The LiveAPI JavaScript Object (jsliveapi) |