# Multi-Button Text via OSC Message

**URL:** <https://forum.oscpilot.com/t/multi-button-text-via-osc-message/977>\
**Category:** OSC/PILOT Bugs And Feature Requests\
**Created:** [July 5, 2025, 8:48am UTC](https://forum.oscpilot.com/t/multi-button-text-via-osc-message/977 "2025-07-05T08:48:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![stratospheric](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.oscpilot.com/stratospheric/32/150_2.png) [@stratospheric](https://forum.oscpilot.com/u/stratospheric)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2025, 8:48am UTC](https://forum.oscpilot.com/t/multi-button-text-via-osc-message/977/1 "2025-07-05T08:48:38Z")

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Have a six button Multi-button element, /selFactorsHF and a label /SelFactorsText

Using multi-button address: /selFactorsHF/4/OSCpilot/Text  
I am having trouble getting anything other than numbers to display on the OSCPilot UI in the text field. The label works fine.

Works:  
ADDRESS(/selFactorsHF/1/OSCpilot/Text) INT32(6) \>\> Displays 6.0 on first button  
ADDRESS(/selFactorsHF/3/OSCpilot/Text) FLOAT(9) \>\> Displays 9.0 on third button  
ADDRESS(/SelFactorsText) STRING(Jump0) \>\> (a label, displays Jump0)

Doesn’t work:  
ADDRESS(/selFactorsHF/2/OSCpilot/Text) STRING(new\_Text) \>\> nothing changes on button 2  
ADDRESS(/selFactorsHF/4/OSCpilot/Text) STRING(Trippy) \>\> nothing changes on button 4

Below is the logged packet traffic.

RECEIVE | ENDPOINT([::ffff:127.0.0.1]:62796) ADDRESS(/selFactorsHF/1/OSCpilot/Text) INT32(6)  
RECEIVE | ENDPOINT([::ffff:127.0.0.1]:62796) ADDRESS(/selFactorsHF/2/OSCpilot/Text) STRING(Demo)  
RECEIVE | ENDPOINT([::ffff:127.0.0.1]:62796) ADDRESS(/selFactorsHF/3/OSCpilot/Text) FLOAT(9)  
RECEIVE | ENDPOINT([::ffff:127.0.0.1]:62796) ADDRESS(/selFactorsHF/4/OSCpilot/Text) STRING(Trippy)  
RECEIVE | ENDPOINT([::ffff:127.0.0.1]:62796) ADDRESS(/SelFactorsText) STRING(Jump7)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stratospheric](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.oscpilot.com/stratospheric/32/150_2.png) [@stratospheric](https://forum.oscpilot.com/u/stratospheric)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2025, 5:18am UTC](https://forum.oscpilot.com/t/multi-button-text-via-osc-message/977/2 "2025-11-13T05:18:14Z")

</div>

## Solution: Setting Button Text in OSC Pilot Multi-Button Widgets

**Problem:** I was trying to set the text labels on a multi-button widget in OSC Pilot by sending string messages to `/widgetName/buttonNumber/OSCpilot/Text`, but the text wasn’t appearing. Interestingly, sending integer strings worked, but actual text strings (like directory names) did not display.

**Root Cause:** The `/OSCpilot/Text` sub-address appears to be primarily for Label widgets. For Button widgets (including multi-button arrays), you need to use the **Custom In Args** feature instead.

**Correct Solution:**

1. **In OSC Pilot** , select your multi-button widget (e.g., `/renderSetList`)

2. **Set the Custom In Args property to:**

3. **In your code** , send a message with TWO arguments to the main button address:

**Key Points:**

- Send to the main button address (e.g., `/renderSetList/1`), NOT to `/renderSetList/1/OSCpilot/Text`

- The message must contain both a value argument and a text argument

- The Custom In Args format `# T` tells OSC Pilot how to interpret these two arguments

- This works for any text strings, including directory names, file names, etc.

**Custom In Args Format Reference:**

- `?` - Ignore this argument

- `#` - Use this as the value argument

- `T` - Use this to set the Text

- `C` - Use this to set the Color

- `R` - Use this to set the Read-Only property

You can combine these as needed (e.g., `? # T` would ignore the first argument, use the second as value, and third as text).