Kontakt Integration

CKSP Tools can launch Kontakt, open instruments, read runtime messages, connect log rows to resource scripts, and expose Kontakt diagnostics directly inside VS Code. The goal is to keep the edit–compile–test loop in one workspace.

Kontakt controls

The Kontakt view in the CKSP Sidebar provides the main runtime actions:

start Kontakt
close the running Kontakt instance
open an .nki instrument in Kontakt
open the Kontakt Log Viewer
open the Kontakt Lua panel

The default Kontakt version comes from Project Settings. If none is selected, the extension asks for a version when an action requires it. Available Kontakt installations are detected and stored in the settings; paths can also be configured manually.

Windows

In the current Windows integration, only one .nki file can be open in Kontakt at a time.

Kontakt Log Viewer

The Kontakt Log Viewer is the central debugging surface in CKSP Tools and can replace Creator Tools for many day-to-day logging workflows.

CKSP Kontakt Log Open it from:

the CKSP Sidebar
CKSP: Open Kontakt Log in the Command Palette
the custom NKI editor

The table can display:

Column	Content
Kind	Info, warning, error, or trace level
System Time	Timestamp from the host system
Engine Uptime	Kontakt engine time associated with the message
Message	KSP log content
Instrument	Instrument that emitted the message
Script	Kontakt script slot
Line	Reported resource-script line
Resource	Assigned resource script, when known

Filter messages

Use the toolbar to filter by:

message text
log level: Info, Warning, Error, or Trace
instrument
script slot

Counts for each level remain visible in the toolbar, making it easy to see whether a filter is hiding other messages.

Pause and clear

Pause the log when you need to inspect the current rows without the table changing. Clear removes the collected entries.

macOSWindows / Linux

Clear Log: Cmd+Backspace

Clear Log: Ctrl+Backspace

Copy data

The context menu and shortcuts support copying a single cell, all message texts, or the full table.

Action	macOS	Windows / Linux
Copy cell content	`Shift`+`C`	`Shift`+`C`
Copy all messages	`Cmd`+`Shift`+`C`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`C`

Kontakt log rows can be connected to the resource script that produced them. Once a resource file is assigned to an instrument and script slot, CKSP Tools can open the matching file and briefly highlight the reported line.

Use Cmd+Left Button on macOS or Ctrl+Left Button on Windows/Linux on a log row:

if a mapping already exists, the assigned file opens at the reported line
if no mapping exists, CKSP Tools offers to assign a resource file to that instrument and script slot

Source Navigation

Problems tab

Mapped Kontakt errors, warnings, and information messages can also appear as VS Code diagnostics:

inline in the resource script
with native VS Code severity colors
in the Problems tab

Script-slot mappings

Diagnostics and source navigation require CKSP Tools to know which resource script belongs to each instrument and Kontakt script slot. Create the mapping in the NKI editor or directly from a log row.

NKI editor and script-slot mappings

NKI Editor

Opening an .nki file in VS Code uses the custom Kontakt Instrument editor.

It provides:

instrument file name and path
Open in Kontakt and Close Kontakt actions
Kontakt version selection for this instrument
Open Log action
readable instrument metadata
resource-script assignment for Kontakt script slots

Kontakt version per instrument

A workspace has a default Kontakt version, but an individual .nki can store its own preferred version. This is useful when one project contains several instruments or must be tested with different Kontakt releases.

Assign script slots

Each used Kontakt script slot can point to a resource script:

Instrument: My Instrument
Script Slot 1: Samples/Resources/scripts/main.txt

Mappings enable source navigation, diagnostics, and quick access to the correct generated script. The editor presents recognized resource scripts in dropdowns; additional slots can be revealed with the plus action.

Resources, pictures, and performance files

Select the project's .nkr file under Resource Container in the CKSP Sidebar. This establishes the resource context used by several editor and Kontakt features.

The selection affects:

resource script discovery and script-slot dropdowns
resource-picture completion
.nckp parsing and validation
completion for UI controls defined in performance views

Resource picture completion

When the resource container is known, CKSP Tools can suggest project images in suitable string contexts such as after :=, ,, or (. This avoids manually copying resource names from the file system.

Path completion

Import and path completion suggests the next path segment, making nested project structures easier to navigate while typing.

`.nckp` performance views

CKSP Tools opens .nckp files as JSON, applies a JSON Schema, and can offer UI controls from the performance view as CKSP/KSP completion items.

If resource completion is missing

Confirm that Resource Container points to a valid .nkr, then run CKSP: Reindex Workspace.

Lua output

Scripts executed through the Kontakt Lua API can write to a dedicated Kontakt Lua panel in VS Code.

The setting cksp.luaOutputDestination selects the destination:

Value	Destination
`kontakt lua`	Dedicated Kontakt Lua panel
`output`	Regular VS Code Output panel

Open the Lua panel from the CKSP commands or its VS Code panel view.

Connect logs to a project

Select the project's resource container in the CKSP Sidebar.
Open the .nki file in VS Code.
Choose the Kontakt version and open the instrument through the NKI editor.
Assign each used script slot to its resource *.txt file.
Open the Kontakt Log.
Click a message to navigate to its source line.
Work through mapped errors and warnings in the Problems tab.

Next steps

Configure the workspace

Review Kontakt paths, mappings, log appearance, and Lua output settings.

Settings reference
Solve connection issues

Diagnose missing logs, source mappings, Kontakt detection, and resource completion.

Troubleshooting