Hi,

I have an idea towards what I want to achieve. But oddly, strangely, pathetically I am struggling with a basic issue. I can not get Bitwig even load my controller script. I have been through everything and can not find the fault.

Can anyone help?

The following is just a test set-up, so do not be surprised.

So inside this folder C:\Users\name\Documents\Bitwig Studio\Controller Scripts
I have a folder C:\Users\name\Documents\Bitwig Studio\Controller Scripts\ThomPlayground
Inside which there is a document: ThomPlayground.control.js


With the following content (again; just for testing purposes)

loadAPI(17);

host.defineController(
"ThomPlayground", // MUSS exakt dem Ordnernamen entsprechen
"Thom Playground", // Anzeigename in Bitwig
"0.1",
"8e1f37a8-6b3d-4c90-9b2d-PLAYGROUND01",
"Thom Barath"
);

host.defineMidiPorts(0, 0);

function init() {
println(" Thom Playground loaded!");
}
function exit() {
println(" Bye Thom!");
}
function flush() {}


To me that looks fine, but obviously it can not be?
It just does not come-up in the controller environment of Bitwig.

Can anyone spot the issue?


Thanks

 

I found that Grok and Meta AI are really good, one just "spits" facts while Meta "thinks", and feeding your message got revealing clues on your code..

I dont know Bitwig so i cant help.

If you dont get answers, since Bitwig is still somewhat non mainstream, you could try bouncing your problem with the AI, it is really good at it, could learn a few tricks along the way too.

Good luck

 

Last edited: Oct 25, 2025 at 7:06 PM

Hello @Thomba, maybe the AI can help you:

Spoiler: Source: Grok KI

It looks like your setup is mostly spot-on—the folder structure, file naming, and basic script code all align with Bitwig's requirements for controller scripts. The loadAPI(17) call is also fine for recent versions of Bitwig Studio (e.g., 5.x, which is current as of late 2025). Since it's not appearing in Preferences > Controllers (under the "+" button for manual setup), this is likely a file permission, encoding, or scanning issue rather than a code problem. Here's a step-by-step troubleshooting guide to get it loading. We'll start simple and escalate.

1. Verify and Restart Bitwig

• Double-check the full path: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Documents\Bitwig Studio\Controller Scripts\ThomPlayground\ThomPlayground.control.js. (Replace [YourUsername] with "name" or whatever it actually is—no spaces or special chars in the username.)
• Close Bitwig completely (check Task Manager on Windows to kill any lingering processes).
• Reopen Bitwig, go to Settings (gear icon) > Controllers tab.
• Click the "+" button and scan the list. Your script should appear under its display name ("Thom Playground") or as a generic entry.
• If still missing: Bitwig rescans on startup, but try clicking the refresh icon (if available) or toggling "Scan for new devices" in the Controllers tab.

2. Handle Windows File Permissions/Security Blocks
This is a super common gotcha on Windows—especially with .js files, which can trigger SmartScreen or antivirus blocks, preventing Bitwig from loading them silently.

• Right-click ThomPlayground.control.js in File Explorer > Open with > Notepad (or any text editor like VS Code).
• If Windows pops a security dialog (e.g., "Windows protected your PC" or "Allow this app?"), click More info > Run anyway or Allow. This "unblocks" the file.
• Save the file (Ctrl+S) and close the editor. No changes needed—just the act of opening/saving often clears the flag.
• Restart Bitwig and check again.

3. Check File Encoding and Integrity

• Open the file in Notepad++ (free download if you don't have it) or VS Code.
• Ensure it's saved as UTF-8 without BOM (Byte Order Mark). In Notepad++: Encoding > Convert to UTF-8 (without BOM) > Save.
• Re-copy-paste your exact code into a fresh file (in case of hidden chars from copy-paste):
  text
  
  loadAPI(17);
  
  host.defineController(
  "ThomPlayground",
  "Thom Playground",
  "0.1",
  "8e1f37a8-6b3d-4c90-9b2d-PLAYGROUND01",
  "Thom Barath"
  );
  
  host.defineMidiPorts(0, 0);
  
  function init() {
  println(" Thom Playground loaded!");
  }
  function exit() {
  println(" Bye Thom!");
  }
  function flush() {}
  
  
  
• Save and restart Bitwig.

4. Inspect Bitwig's Script Console for Errors
This will show exactly why it's failing (e.g., syntax error, API mismatch, or load failure).

• In Bitwig: Settings > Controllers tab.
• At the bottom of the Controllers panel, click the Console button (looks like a terminal icon) to open the Script Console.
• Try loading your controller again (via "+"). Watch for red error messages or your println output.
• If you see errors like "Failed to load script" or "Invalid API version," paste them here for more help. (No output at all usually means it didn't even try to load.)

5. Test with a Minimal Known-Good Script
To isolate if it's your script or Bitwig/setup:

• Download a simple community test script, like the "Generic Zigzag" example from Bitwig's docs or GitHub (search "Bitwig generic controller script example").
• Unzip it into a new subfolder in Controller Scripts (e.g., TestGeneric).
• Restart Bitwig and see if that loads. If yes, compare it to yours (e.g., API version, structure).
• If no: Your Bitwig install might need a repair—go to Settings > About to check version (update to latest 5.x via bitwig.com if needed), or reinstall Bitwig (scripts folder persists).

Quick Notes on Your Code

• It's solid for a test—no MIDI means it'll load as a "non-MIDI" generic controller, perfect for playground stuff.
• Once loaded, connect it to a track (right-click track > Controllers > Thom Playground) and check the console for your "loaded!" message.

If none of this clicks and you share console errors or your exact Bitwig version, I can dig deeper. You've got this—Bitwig scripting is finicky at first but rewarding once it hooks up! What's the end-goal idea you're building toward?