I cant work this out!

--- Quote Start ---

The switches are definitely connected, i used them to control the on board LEDS.

--- Quote End ---

Not to be persnickety (since I don't know what you have and haven't actually done), but are you sure that each switch was controlling the correct LED? Same pins?

--- Quote Start ---

I've tried so many different things here!

The only other thing i can think of is that maybe its some kind of syntax problem for example do i need to specify i want to use the binary value of 'SW' and multiply this. I'm guessing this is assumed though.

--- Quote End ---

At this point, you can probably expect to only get more guesses, but fundamentally if you have the following things it will work so it is worth questioning and even re-checking to verify that you really do have all these items:

- Correct pin assignments. Are you verifying the pins in the output report from Quartus match what you think they should be?

- Correct synthesis: Try running the post-route simulation model to see if it works correctly. Are you really downloading the correct file to the device? How do you know?

- Bad synthesis tool: Try running a different version of Quartus

I realize that these aren't likely to really help, but it looks like you're at the point where everything you should do you have done so the best advice would be for you to play your own devil's advocate and question everything at this point and accept nothing that you haven't proved as directly as possible. Don't accept things like 'well this worked so therefore xxx must be'. Measure xxx if at all possible.

Good luck, wish I could be more help, but I'm running short on ideas.

Kevin Jennings