This looks like a case for flext-attributes. But I'd like to mention, that Norbert Schnell of ICRAM recently developed a fluidsynth~ object for Max/MSP (OS9 and -X), which I would like to be compatible with. See http://www.ircam.fr/equipes/temps-reel/maxmsp/fluidsynth.html for source code. This might rule out attributes.
Thanks, I didn't know about that. I'll write Norbert a note about this. At first glance, it looks like this wouldn't cause any incompatibilities, but it's difficult to say just by looking at the source code. And the help patch is apparently in some kind of non-ascii format.
Doing a "set DRUMS" to the PIANO-fluid~ could set the soundfont of that one to tb303.sf2.
Oh, now I understand. The "set" message would change the group tag of the soundfont. So you would want to unload all the PIANO soundfonts and load the DRUM fonts? If so, I'm inclined to wait on this one; remember that there is not even a message to unload sound-fonts yet (although this would be easy to add).
It doesn't have to be "set", but basically: yes. Or we could enforce, that soundfont-sharing *has* to be specified by creation argument. This would also free us a bit from some of above problems.
I'm not exactly sure what you mean here - not allow the use of the load message for sharing soundfonts? If so, we'd have to then decide how to specify multiple soundfonts at creation time.
Maybe we should take this discussion over to fluid-dev (as well)?
Frank, are you already on that list by any chance? If so, maybe you'd be the better person to bring it up(?)