@JackOats Years since I used a mac in anger.
I remember right-click the folder and select "info" or "get info".
David.

@whale-av Ah.. yes...... a lot more security.
You might need to check that the Pd app has permission to access files/folders
When you open the patch as a user (clicking) you have permission, but it could be that when Pd then tries to open the other folders it is blocked.
Not so for it's own folder I think..... maybe it is denied access to your desktop?
I just saw that your problems started with a new Pd.......

It looks like your patch is still there...... as you constructed it (a while ago?)...... but Pd cannot find the files in the sub-folders...... the modules.

The [declare -path patch_editor_abs] object tells Pd where to find the modules as main.pd is opened, so the "cannot create" messages mean Pd still cannot find and open them.
But........ maybe it needs the whole path from root.
Copy it in the patch window and change the copy to give the whole path from root.......
[declare -path C:/....../......./......../patch_editor_abs]
and then save main and reopen it.
David.

@whale-av

'𝐶𝑜𝑝𝑦 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑜𝑤 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑝𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑡.......
[𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑒 -𝑝𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝐶:/....../......./......../𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ_𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑜𝑟_𝑎𝑏𝑠] 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑡 ".

Sorry. Not sure how to do this. Do you mean copy the whole patch area - modules etc?

@JackOats @whale-av I think the problem might be arising from something much simpler - Automatonism works by using the same structure all the time. It needs the main patch file to be called main.pd and it needs to be in the same folder as some other stuff. If you work on the patch and save it with a new name the ability to edit it with the module generator will be lost because it wants to make the modules in a file called main.pd. This is why I suggest simply copying the whole Automatonism folder and renaming the folder (not the files in it) for each project.

So, let me work this out.

Copy the Automatonism folder from Downloads & give a project name.

Work on one main.pd file but don't change it's name.

Do that for each project & maybe save those folders in a suitably named master Folder.

O.K. Will give that a try.

Thank you very much Guys
Will report back.

@beem Yes, you cannot rename main.pd........ it's the folder that can be renamed.
@JackOats No. In edit mode drag across the [declare -path patch_editor_abs] with the mouse to select it and then copy it and paste it within the main.pd window before editing it.

If @beem has not solved the problem for you then.........

Let's try something else. Trying to find what is going on.
On your screenshot were a lot of the modules named in red and marked couldn't create.
Choose one, say basic-osc.
In main.pd click on the file menu and then "Put" "Object" and then type basic-osc into the object.
Does it create?....... pop up as a bigger window with the oscillator in it?
No?
Go into the patch_editor_abs folder and copy basic-osc.pd and paste it into the Pd/bin folder, or into the "extra" folder if there is one (the one that contains the ggee folder).
Back to main.pd and try putting the object basic-osc again.
No?
Yes?
If it does then try the module button for basic-osc.
Does it now work?
No?
Copy main.pd into the patch_editor_abs folder..... open it..... and try the first step again (put, object, basic-osc).
If none of that works then I think it must be a security permissions problem.
David.

Both procedures work.

@JackOats That's a good start.
Did the first one work...... putting the object before moving anything around?
David.

@whale-av Hi David,

"𝐷𝑖𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘...... 𝑝𝑢𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑?"

Well, I had a patch open that I was working on at the time - so I tried both methods on that patch. They both worked, no problem.

Just tried it on a new main.pd file/page. Both methods work fine.

@JackOats So it looks like the [declare -path patch_editor_abs] is not working for some reason.
As the same is true for Purr Data I don't think it is a bug in Pd-0.53-3.
Stumped.
I assume the other objects are still not creating.... ?
David.

@whale-av

Sorry! Confused. I thought I'd sent you some good news.

"𝐼 𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔.... ?"

I can load up the modules from the (Escape key) dropdown list - if that is what you mean?

Sorry if I am being incredibly thick.

@JackOats So all objects working?
Not so satisfactory for me because I don't know why...!
Unless..... you copied all the "modules" into the "extra" or "lib" folders?
But anyway.....a good result.
David.

@whale-av

"𝑈𝑛𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠..... 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 "𝑚𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑒𝑠" 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 "𝑒𝑥𝑡𝑟𝑎" 𝑜𝑟 "𝑙𝑖𝑏" 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠?"

Wouldn't dare without fully understanding what I was doing.

So, any advice on how to save & store each individual project, please?

I'm still unclear as to how to do that & still be able to work on a project after saving.

Many thanks.

@JackOats Part 7 of the "quick guide"
The theory is that you save main.pd to save the work you have done building the modules into a working project.
AND then click the little save button on the left of main.pd to save all the settings that you have made within the modules. (They should then be saved in /patch_editor_abs/stavestate within the folder containing the main.pd that you are using.)

Looking at Part 9 you should delete basic-osc.pd from the bin/extra folder where you copied it yesterday..... or you will have the problem it mentions.
I hope the main.pd will still work when you have done that (quit and restart Pd afterwards).

When you open main.pd again do it by double-clicking the patch.
Don't do it from the Pd file menu, because you will not know which main.pd from which folder you are opening.
AND always completely quit Pd before starting work on another main.pd or Pd will remember to use the first one you opened........
David.

@whale-av Excellent! Thank you so much. That is a really helpful guide for me to hopefully get to grips with things.

I've tracked down the folder in Downloads/Automatonism where the files are saved. So from now on each saved project file will be named '𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛,𝑝𝑑'?

Can't seem to find this folder though:

"𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑐-𝑜𝑠𝑐.𝑝𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑖𝑛/𝑒𝑥𝑡𝑟𝑎 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑟".

@JackOats I meant the /bin OR the /extra folder..... sorry for the confusion. The one where you copied basic-osc.pd a few days ago. You should delete that file ONLY and so put your system back to normal.
David.

@whale-av O.K. Done that - I think!

So from now on each saved new project file will be named '𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛.𝑝𝑑'?

Sorry - just trying to get this straight.

@JackOats Yes....... but contained in a folder with a name of your choice...... so you can have many folders for different setups.
David.

@whale-av O.K. Understood. Thank you very much for all the effort you have put into helping me get a handle on this surprisingly complicated area - for me anyway! Very much appreciated.

Also @beem, @ddw_music & @Load074 - Thanks very much for taking the time & joining the conversation Guys. You've given me lots to think about & that's a real help.