I want lit tonics on the Pico keyboard. Checked the Alpha example and think this is the connection:
From Scaler light output to Keygroup light input.
From Keygroup light output to Keyboard light input.
Correct?
But doesn’t work.
Something else to set?
nope that is all that is required…
you can test this yourself, from blank setup…
create pico manager, keygroup, scaler
then connect
pico -> keygroup,
add keygroup output,
keygroup output -> scaler
lights will come on.
note: you should be connecting wires at the ‘high level’ so you get all the connections, so you dont miss vital connections 
also its a useful shortcut to know, you dont have to do individual wires
the lights are dependent on:
ok, so now you have the basics working, if we turn our attention to the factory setup…
so we have to do the same thing, we have to ensure this chain is in operation…
fortunately, we only have to worry about the light connection, as the controller connection is already there (the scaler would not work without it)
in the factory setup the scaler is in a rig, so we have to:
a) open up the rig
b) on the gateway ensure there is an output connection, create if not
c) connect scaler to gateway output connection (as per b)
d) close rig
e) connect relevant keygroup output to the appropriate rig.
Ive not checked but I think the reason the alpha script is so simple is because the pico setup is missing couple of things…basically, the pico setup is missing (b) in some case, and hence also (e) - so its a bit inconsistent.
but the alpha setup is consistent, so all its script has to do is tell ALL scalers to connect the light output to the gateway input. and belcanto has a neat trick that allows this to be done in one Belcanto to command 
I guess Ive not noticed this before, since the tonic lights aren’t needed so much on the pico, as your hands are in a fixed position when playing, so you don’t need the ‘navigational reference’… at least thats my experience.
(whereas on an alpha/tau, the all those blank keys, can be pretty daunting when you start , the alpha does have some locators on the body, but they are pretty subtle)
(*) fingerer
fingered, given you mentioned fingerer agent in other thread… im not sure how suitable the scale lights are for it. anyway the fingerer does not have the controller i/o, so you’d need to pickup the controller from the keygroup output… but im not sure it makes much sense.
this is one of (a few) reasons I don’t use the fingerer, its kind of its own thing - trying to emulate something else - and imo, always feels a bit ‘at odds’ with the rest of the eigend stuff…
(that said I’m sure some love it … so this is just a personal preference )
You said “blank setup” – yes, this is what I use while exploring the software. Premade presets only for reference.
Regarding usefulness of tonic (navigation-) lights on Pico – I agree, normally not necessary. But I use different scales (4-… steps) and It helps me a lot to see their length.
Wiring on top object level is not what I want yet. I need to understand objects, inputs and outputs and rather not just believe that the software does everything right. But the hint was good though, I made the mistake to wire “bottom up”. Better to use the automatism and delete cables until the function breaks.
Done so, and minimal cabling
for tonic lights is as follows:
—————————————————
Keyboard key ==> Keygroup
Keygroup light ==> Keyboard
—————————————————
Keygroup (#) controller ==> Scaler
Keygroup (#) key ==> Scaler
Scaler light ==> Keygroup (#)
—————————————————
Question 1
Found out that light changing after scale changing (via EigenCommander) is inconsistent. Often I have to touch a Pico key to update the lights, sometimes not. Is there a kind of initialization command that I could use to update the visual state with Belcanto?
Question 2
Odd: In one of my test patches the lights kept lighting after I removed all Workbench connections and restartet EigenD. Has the hardware a brain? Or the software a sticky cache in certain situations (could also be the Mac OS).
Question 3
Can the Illuminator be combined with tonic lights, for example to mark two more scale steps which should also follow the tonic setting?
Example: Vietnamese scales with mandatory vibrato on certain steps.
Question 4
When using the illuminator, I am not able to set the lights by editing the musical/physical maps but have to use EigenCommander. Normal behavior?
I expect you were missing the controller then… which is what i said above
we are going to need more info, if your doing it from scratch, as it means I cannot assume you/eigend have done x,y,z … (and I dont have time to write lots of different scenarios ‘just in case’)
Q1. if you start changing wires around this can happen, and you’ll need to reload setup.
but otherwise I’ve not seen it be inconsistent.
no there is no initialisation command … wouldn’t make sense as its all state based.
Q2. the lights basically stay put, until changed OR when it (eventually) times out the usb connection, so believes EigenD is gone - pico does have firmware, but nothing thats ‘programmable’, and does not have behaviour beyond sending(sensor) /receiving (leds) data
Q3. not reliably , iirc
Q4. I use illuminator for fixed lighting patterns, defined by the physical map. I always have sent them via scripts (as easier to edit) , but you should be able to put the definition in workbench.
Q1: Updating tonic lights
Behavior is consistent now. Lights do never update after changing the scale via EigenCommander or a Talker. I have to touch a Pico key. Not playing, only touching. Not a big issue, just strange.
Q4: Editing a light pattern directly in Illuminator
No chance here. Reloading/restarting after the edit to no avail. One time even the lights of the preset loaded before came again. However, I will also use static patterns and the most reliable method I found is to set the light patterns by EigenCommander, save them in Illuminator and recall on demand. This seems to work all the time.
q1. ive had issues where ive done a change in workbench, that corrupted the lights, and even though I removed the connection - it persisted, even after reloading setups…
like some kind of hidden/corrupted connection… only resolution I found was to go back to an previously saved version.
q4… odd, but as I said, I usually do it with belcanto scripts … which is essentially the same as your doing with eigencommander.