GeData Manual

Table of Contents

• About
• Access
• Data
  • Type
  • Access
  • Copy
  • Clear
• Compare
• Disc I/O
• Further Reading

About

GeData is a container class. This container is used to store data of all classic data types that are supported by Cinema 4D.

Access

A GeData object can be used to directly change the value of a parameter of a C4DAtom object:

• C4DAtom::GetParameter(): Gets the value of the given parameter.
• C4DAtom::SetParameter(): Sets the value of the given parameter.

See also C4DAtom Manual.

A BaseContainer object stores multiple values using GeData objects:

• BaseContainer::GetParameter(): Retrieves the GeData for the given DescID.
• BaseContainer::SetParameter(): Sets the GeData for the given DescID.
• BaseContainer::GetData(): Returns the GeData element for the given ID.
• BaseContainer::SetData(): Sets the GeData element for the given ID.
• BaseContainer::GetDataPointer(): Returns a read-only pointer to the GeData element for the given ID.
• BaseContainer::GetDataPointers(): Sets an array of read-only GeData pointers for the given array of IDs.
• BaseContainer::GetIndexData(): Returns a pointer to the GeData element for the given index.
• BaseContainer::InsData(): Inserts a GeData element into the BaseContainer with the given ID.
• BaseContainer::InsDataAfter(): Inserts a GeData element into the BaseContainer with the given ID after the specified other element.
• BaseContainer::FindIndex(): Returns the index of the given GeData element.

See also BaseContainer Manual.

  // This example reads the "Radius" parameter of the selected sphere object using GeData.
 
  BaseObject* object = doc->GetActiveObject();
 
  // check if the active object is not a "Sphere" object
  if (object == nullptr || object->IsInstanceOf(Osphere) == false)
    return maxon::IllegalArgumentError(MAXON_SOURCE_LOCATION);
 
  GeData data;
 
  // access PRIM_SPHERE_RAD parameter
  if (!object->GetParameter(DescID(PRIM_SPHERE_RAD), data, DESCFLAGS_GET::NONE))
    return maxon::UnexpectedError(MAXON_SOURCE_LOCATION);
 
  // check if container contains a float value
  if (data.GetType() != DA_REAL)
    return maxon::UnexpectedError(MAXON_SOURCE_LOCATION);
 
  const Float radius = data.GetFloat();
  ApplicationOutput("Radius: " + String::FloatToString(radius));

Data

Type

A GeData object stores data of a certain type.

• GeData::SetDefault(): Sets the default value for the given data type.
• DEFAULTVALUE: Dummy value for the constructor to initialize the object with the default value.

  // Code like this is typically used in a NodeData::Init() function to make sure complex data types are initialized
 
  BaseContainer& bc = ((BaseList2D*)node)->GetDataInstanceRef();
  bc.SetData(1234, GeData { DTYPE_BASELISTLINK, DEFAULTVALUE });

• GeData::GetType(): Returns the type of the stored data.

Note

If the type is not set, GeData::GetType() returns DA_NIL.

  // Using GetType() it is possible to check if the returned value is of the expected type.
 
  GeData     data;
  const Bool success = sphere->GetParameter(DescID(PRIM_SPHERE_RAD), data, DESCFLAGS_GET::NONE);
  if (!success)
    return maxon::UnexpectedError(MAXON_SOURCE_LOCATION);
 
  // check type
  if (data.GetType() != DA_REAL)
    return maxon::UnexpectedError(MAXON_SOURCE_LOCATION);
 
  const Float radius = data.GetFloat();

Access

The GeData class offers access functions for all supported data types. "Set" functions set the value and also change the data type if needed. "Get" functions return the value and are only allowed to be used if the data type matches.

Int32 and Bool data (data type DA_LONG):

• GeData::GetBool(): Returns the Bool value.
• GeData::GetInt32(): Returns the Int32 value.
• GeData::SetInt32(): Sets a Int32 value.

Int64 data (data type DA_LLONG):

• GeData::GetInt64(): Returns the Int64 value.
• GeData::SetInt64(): Sets the Int64 value.

Float data (data type DA_REAL):

• GeData::GetFloat(): Returns the Float value.
• GeData::SetFloat(): Sets the Float value.

See also Primitive Data Types Manual (Classic).

Void pointers (data type DA_VOID):

• GeData::GetVoid(): Returns the void pointer.
• GeData::SetVoid(): Stores the void pointer.

    // This example stores a void pointer in a GeData object.
 
    GeData data;
    data.SetVoid(&object);
 
    // ...
 
    SomeObject* const obj = static_cast<SomeObject*>(data.GetVoid());

Note

In general it is not recommended to use "raw" pointers, instead see BaseLink Manual.

Raw memory (data type DA_BYTEARRAY):

• GeData::GetMemoryAndRelease(): Returns a pointer to the stored memory and hands over the ownership.
• GeData::GetMemory(): Returns a pointer to the stored memory.
• GeData::SetMemory(): Stores the raw memory.

    // This example stores some raw memory in a GeData object.
 
    GeData geData;
    geData.SetMemory(memory, memSize);
 
    Int count;
    const Char* const data = (Char*)geData.GetMemory(count);
 
    if (data != nullptr)
    {
      String output;
      output.SetCString(data, count);
      ApplicationOutput(output);
    }

Vector objects (data type DA_VECTOR):

• GeData::GetVector(): Returns the Vector object.
• GeData::SetVector(): Stores the Vector object.

See also Vector Manual (Classic).

Matrix objects (data type DA_MATRIX):

• GeData::GetMatrix(): Returns the Matrix object.
• GeData::SetMatrix(): Stores the Matrix object.

See also Matrix Manual (Classic).

String objects and C4DUuid objects (data type DA_STRING):

• GeData::GetString(): Returns the String object.
• GeData::SetString(): Stores the String object.

See also String Manual (Classic).

Filename objects (data type DA_FILENAME):

• GeData::GetFilename(): Returns the Filename object.
• GeData::SetFilename(): Stores the Filename object.

See also Filename Manual.

C4DUuid objects: (data type DA_UUID):

• GeData::GetUuid(): Returns the C4DUuid object.
• GeData::SetUuid(): Stores the C4DUuid object.

BaseTime objects (data type DA_TIME):

• GeData::GetTime(): Return the BaseTime object.
• GeData::SetBaseTime(): Stores the BaseTime object.

See also BaseTime Manual.

Tristate (data type DA_TRISTATE):

• GeData::SetTristate()

See also TriState Manual.

BaseContainer objects (data type DA_CONTAINER):

• GeData::GetContainer(): Returns the BaseContainer.
• GeData::SetContainer(): Stores the BaseContainer.

    // This example stores a BaseContainer in a GeData object.
 
    GeData data;
 
    MAXON_SCOPE
    {
      // store BaseContainer
 
      BaseContainer bc;
      bc.InsData(100, "foobar");
 
      data.SetContainer(bc);
    }
    MAXON_SCOPE
    {
      // access stored BaseContainer
 
      BaseContainer* bc = data.GetContainer();
      if (bc == nullptr)
        return maxon::UnexpectedError(MAXON_SOURCE_LOCATION);
 
      ApplicationOutput("Container Content: " + bc->GetData(100).GetString());
    }

See also BaseContainer Manual.

BaseLink objects (data type DA_ALIASLINK):

• GeData::GetBaseLink(): Returns the BaseLink object.
• GeData::GetLink(): Returns the BaseList2D object referenced by the stored BaseLink object.
• GeData::GetLinkAtom(): Returns the C4DAtomGoal object referenced by the stored BaseLink object.
• GeData::SetBaseLink(): Stores the BaseLink object.
• GeData::SetBaseList2D(): Stores a BaseLink object referencing a given BaseList2D object.

See also BaseLink Manual.

Custom data types:

• GeData::GetCustomDataType(): Returns the custom data type object.
• GeData::SetCustomDataType(): Stores a custom data type object.

  // This example accesses a custom data type value from a GeData object.
 
  // get data
  GeData data;
  if (!activeTag->GetParameter(DescLevel(EXPRESSION_PRIORITY), data, DESCFLAGS_GET::NONE))
    return maxon::UnexpectedError(MAXON_SOURCE_LOCATION);
 
  // get custom data type value
  CustomDataType* const customData = data.GetCustomDataType(CUSTOMGUI_PRIORITY_DATA);
  PriorityData* const   priorityData = static_cast<PriorityData*>(customData);
  if (priorityData == nullptr)
    return maxon::UnexpectedError(MAXON_SOURCE_LOCATION);
 
  // edit data
  priorityData->SetPriorityValue(PRIORITYVALUE_CAMERADEPENDENT, GeData { true });
  activeTag->SetParameter(DescLevel(EXPRESSION_PRIORITY), data, DESCFLAGS_SET::NONE);

Copy

The data of one GeData object can easily be copied to another object:

• GeData::CopyData(): Copies the data to the given target GeData object.
• GeData::operator=: Copies the GeData object.

    // This example copies the data from one GeData
    // object to another.
 
    GeData stringData { "foobar" };
 
    GeData intData(100);
 
    stringData.CopyData(&intData, nullptr);
 
    // check if container contains a String
    if (intData.GetType() == DA_STRING)
      ApplicationOutput("Data: " + intData.GetString());

Clear

A GeData object can be cleared.

• GeData::Free(): Deletes all internal data and sets the type to DA_NIL.

    // This example stores a String in the given GeData object just do delete it.
 
    GeData data { "foobar" };
 
    // check if container contains a String
    if (data.GetType() == DA_STRING)
      ApplicationOutput("data contains a string"_s);
 
    data.Free();
 
    // check if data has no type (data is not set)
    if (data.GetType() == DA_NIL)
      ApplicationOutput("data is empty"_s);

Compare

Two GeData objects can be compared with the usual operators:

• GeData::operator==: Returns true if two GeData objects are equal.
• GeData::operator!=: Returns true if two GeData objects are not equal.

    // This example compares two GeData objects with the "same" value but different types.
 
    GeData intergerDataA;
    intergerDataA.SetInt32(123);
 
    GeData integerDataB;
    integerDataB.SetInt64(123);
 
    if (intergerDataA != integerDataB)
      ApplicationOutput("Data is different"_s);

Disc I/O

A GeData object can be stored in a HyperFile:

• HyperFile::ReadGeData(): Reads the GeData object from the HyperFile.
• HyperFile::WriteGeData(): Writes the GeData object to the HyperFile.

    // This example writes a GeData value to a HyperFile.
 
    AutoAlloc<HyperFile> hf;
    if (hf == nullptr)
      return maxon::OutOfMemoryError(MAXON_SOURCE_LOCATION);
 
    // open HyperFile to write
    if (hf->Open(456, filename, FILEOPEN::WRITE, FILEDIALOG::ANY))
    {
      hf->WriteGeData(data);
      hf->Close();
    }
    else
    {
      return maxon::IoError(MAXON_SOURCE_LOCATION, MaxonConvert(filename, MAXONCONVERTMODE::NONE), "Could not open file."_s);
    }

    // This example reads a GeData value from a HyperFile stored on disc.
 
    AutoAlloc<HyperFile> hf;
    if (hf == nullptr)
      return maxon::OutOfMemoryError(MAXON_SOURCE_LOCATION);
 
    // open HyperFile to read
    if (hf->Open(456, filename, FILEOPEN::READ, FILEDIALOG::ANY))
    {
      GeData data;
      hf->ReadGeData(&data);
 
      // check if container contains a String
      if (data.GetType() == DA_STRING)
        ApplicationOutput("Loaded GeData String: " + data.GetString());
 
      hf->Close();
    }
    else
    {
      return maxon::IoError(MAXON_SOURCE_LOCATION, MaxonConvert(filename, MAXONCONVERTMODE::NONE), "Could not open file."_s);
    }

Further Reading

• Data Containers & Collections
• Classic API Containers
• BaseContainer Manual
• Primitive Data Types Manual (Classic)
• Vector Manual (Classic)
• Matrix Manual (Classic)
• String Manual (Classic)
• Filename Manual
• BaseLink Manual
• BaseTime Manual
• Data Manual