Hmm...trouble getting this going and help doesnt state. ie Win32_PnPEntity can list device description "Yamaha Steinberg USB Audio" or dev.name "Steinberg UR44" and then pd has it listed as "3- Steinberg UR44-1". A working example would be excellent. As mentioned in other posts...I have now set up a filter via vbs which tells me whats plugged in so now I just want to start PD with the correct midi io.
Cheers

Don't know about vbs, but in the other post I was thinking more of an app that you could use to set up a set of static virtual ports on the Pd side of things. So Pd always connects to those same virtual ports everytime and the external app handles the routing to the devices after that.

Thats what I was originally using midiox for...but it adds to the clunkiness Im trying to get away from. Pity the port stuff isnt going. So can I feed the startup options some arguments? That way I could define the ports via a global variable from vbs? and use expr ie $Port1 = 16. Use in patch 13 + $Port1

Dont mind using vbs to init the rig but really was hoping to clean things up
Cheers

@image_engine Try this....... midisettings-help.pd.............
Just put an object [midisettings-help]............. into your patch.
When you open it you will see that it will (might/should) enable you to automate the setup by querying the midi connections from within your patch............ and if necessary even (probably) changing them......
David.

Been using Pd Vanilla for so long I forgot about Mediasettings -- though it does come up in those Pd list threads I listed in the other topic. I was just able to grab it with deken so I'll have to have a go with it myself.

Had a little play around....seems to have the right bits. Now the hard bit is parsing/executing conditionally as the device nums change and reindex on connect/disconnect...arggh!
Also, how to set indev when dev name has white space...ie using numeric or names without space works fine but I dont think you can rename the dev?

@image_engine if/else............
white space can (often/usually) be dealt with by [l2s] ... [list to symbol] which turns (often) a space delimited list into an "(PD says).......I don't care if there is a space".....it's a SYMBOL.......... if you are lucky!.....
Pd is a thing that twists heads...... but I think you should now be up to the challenge Mark!
David.