Hi,
I'm new to axoloti and wanted to know how i should go about loading multiple patches on an sd card and shuffling through them.
I know the forum is full of explanations about this but most of the ones i encounter date back to 2015/2016.
If anyone could give a detailed description about the current workflow, that would be highly appreciated.
Thanks
Ok, let me try to retrace my steps when doing this. Others, please chime in, and maybe we can create some sort of official "how to" here. I do not claim any authority on this, I just happen to have trouble sleeping right now 
Before starting, let me say that there are several ways of doing this, depending on what you want to shuffle the patches with, and how you want to include the relevant code in each patch. I describe here what I found to be the easiest, namely to use the program change buttons on my midi controller, and to automatically include the relevant code in the background (i.e. you don't see it in the patch as you edit it, but it is included secretly whenever you compile a patch).
In "File >> Preferences" , select a Controller Object, say "pgmchange" (that one would use midi pgm chg for shuffling), and check "Enabled". Click "OK".
Any patch you want to include must be compiled (brought live) once after this step, else it won't work.
Create a patch bank: "File>>New patch bank" opens the patch bank editor. Add patches to it. When you're done, you can (and should) save your patch bank - "File >>Save as..." to your computer's drive. That way, you can later edit it using "File>>Open...". Do not close the patch bank editor yet.
Now you need to upload the patches and the patch bank file onto the SD card. In the patch bank editor there are three candidate buttons "Upload bank table", "Upload Patch Bank" (both on top) and "Upload" (bottom) (this is talking about the Mac GUI). I press all of them several times in random order. I think "Upload Patch Bank" uploads/refreshes the actual patches, while the other two just upload the patch bank, but maybe someone else can chime in here.
Note that each of these uploads takes some time, indicated by the button turing blue and then gray again (you need to move the mouse away from the button after clicking for this to happen). You can also trace progress in the "WIndow>>Axoloti" window.
In the patch bank editor window, some permutation of "(not) resolved locally, (not) on sdcard" appears with each patch. I don't think these are necessarily reliable, but if by the end of the day it says "resolved locally, and on sdcard" after each, that's a Good Thing, I believe.
You may then close the patch bank window. I think (some part of) this step creates the index.asb file on the SD card.
Finally, you need to pick a start up patch. This can be one of your sound patches, or just a more or less (?) empty patch; the only thing that matters is that it has been compiled with a Controller Object (see step 1).
Open the patch of your choice in the GUI (e.g. "File>>Open..."), then click "Patch>>Upload to SDCard as startup".
The start up patch doesn't need to be on your patch list, btw. The Axo will go to this patch on start up (who'd have thought!), and each time you stepped through all your patches.
There is no step 5. Power up your Axo, but do not "Connect" it to the GUI, and your patches should be running.
As for maintenance:
If you made changes to a patch that's already on the patch list, it suffices to click "Patch>>Upload to SDCard" while that patch is open in the GUI; I believe it's best to do this while the patch is not live. No need to edit the patch bank file.
To edit the patch bank file, go to "File>>Open..." and select a patch bank file (extension .axb); this loads the patch bank file saved on your computer in step 2. Edit the patch list in the patch bank editor, then repeat step 3 above.
I was also recently working this out for myself... but with the complication that I didn't want to use the built-in pgmchange controller because I am using some pgm change messages for other things (just based on trying to customize how axoloti responds to my midi controller). Here's what I worked out: https://sebiik.github.io/community.axoloti.com.backup/t/confused-on-loading-multiple-patches/5182/3
Thank you Cap for the comprehensive text! Thanks for the link kat! That's a comprehensive collection.
This should be a User Guide post - it is very helpful.
The only thing missing (as far as I can see) is the correct description of the Upload options:
Upload Patch Bank - Uploads Patches and Index Table
Upload Bank Table - Uploads Index Table only
Upload - Uploads Selected Patch (i.e. Patch that is highlighted in the table)
My $0.02 (Canadian Tire),
John
One more thing - I find that I either have to provide the complete object path for the controller in preferences (e.g. controller/pgmchange) or, if I just use the name (e.g. pgmchange), I have to include an instance of the
controller object in each patch for switching (at least on MIDI Program changes) to work for me. I am using an AKAI MPK mini to send the MIDI.
A further $0.02 (Canadian Tire),
John
i totally agree with this, just like with a ton of other guides an resources that got lost in the forums. unfortunately, the only way to make that happen is if you or @Captain_Burek does this yourself as the forum is just like the whole official axoloti project, semi-abandoned. @johannes made exactly one appearance in the last 12 months, and the other moderator @thetechnobear is busy with his orac project and only checks in every couple days to i guess make sure this doesn't turn into the dark web.
so yeah. since you apparently have worked your way through this recently, whip up a quick user guide please!
you're one of the bigger brothers in our lil orphan family, show the young ones.
Unfortunately, I am a newbie too and I cannot create new User Guide topics. Otherwise, I'd be glad to edit this thread into a topic. I'd do one on Mod Sources too (once I finish working them out)
Regards,
John
I did a bit more experimenting and here is what I have found regarding controller objects for Patch Banks:
1) If you specify a controller object in Preferences, you must provide the full object path (e.g. controller/pgmchange) and each patch must be compiled (taken Live) at least once after the preference is set or changed before being used in a bank.
2) If you do not specify a controller object in preferences, you can still include an instance of the same controller object in each (and every) patch in a bank and that will work as well. I have not experimented with whether you can skip going Live first with this approach, but I suspect the embedded object makes this unnecessary.
Regards,
John
Thank you for the detailed explanation 
I was able to follow everything until step 4 - Creating a Start Up Patch. Weirdly the option to upload any Patch to the Axoloti SD card is not available (it appears as grey and non clickable) - do you have any idea what that could mean and what a possible solution might look like?
thanks a lot!
j
Are you sure that the SD card is formatted properly? There is an util/format object to do that...
Thanks a lot for this, it's still useful today!
The set up i use to try this out is simply hooking up a Beatstep Pro to the Axoloti and using its controller section to send the Program Change messages. I've loaded 3 patches and followed exactly the steps mentioned above and it works!
BUT... The only problem i've encountered: as soon as i reach my last patch on my patch bank i can't go back to the previous ones. I can toggle freely between my first two patches, but when i load the 3rd one, it just stays there and no way to load the previous ones without having to reboot the machine.
Anybody has had a similar problem? thanks!