c4d.Description

class c4d.Description

The description class contains information for all description IDs of an object.

For example it stores a BaseContainer for ID_BASEOBJECT_REL_POSITION that describes that this value is a Vector, has minimum and maximum values XYZ etc.

New in version R15.037.

The information about each description parameter is stored in a BaseContainer with the following values:

Name	Type	Description
DESC_NAME	str	Name for standalone use.
DESC_SHORT_NAME	str	Short name, for attributes dialog.
DESC_VERSION	int	Show in versions:
	DESC_VERSION_DEMO	Demo versions.
	DESC_VERSION_XL	XL Versions.
	DESC_VERSION_ALL	All versions.
DESC_CHILDREN	c4d.BaseContainer	Internal.
DESC_MIN	int/float/c4d.Vector	Minimum value.
DESC_MAX	int/float/c4d.Vector	Maximum value.
DESC_MINEX	bool	True if DESC_MIN is exclusive, otherwise it is inclusive.
DESC_MAXEX	bool	True if DESC_MAX is exclusive, otherwise it is inclusive.
DESC_STEP	int/float/c4d.Vector	The step for the edit field arrows.
DESC_ANIMATE	int	Animation mode:
	DESC_ANIMATE_OFF	Parameter is not animatable.
	DESC_ANIMATE_ON	Parameter is animatable.
	DESC_ANIMATE_MIX	Parameter is animatable, but needs to know the left and right data element.
DESC_ASKOBJECT	bool	True means ask object for the parameter, False means look in container.
DESC_UNIT	int	Unit for DTYPE_REAL/DTYPE_VECTOR:
	DESC_UNIT_FLOAT	FORMAT_FLOAT
	DESC_UNIT_INT	FORMAT_INT
	DESC_UNIT_PERCENT	FORMAT_PERCENT
	DESC_UNIT_DEGREE	FORMAT_DEGREE
	DESC_UNIT_METER	FORMAT_METER
	DESC_UNIT_TIME	FORMAT_FRAMES
DESC_PARENTGROUP	int/c4d.DescID	Parent ID.
DESC_CYCLE	c4d.BaseContainer	Contains members of cycle as string, e.g. GetString(10041) == ‘-X’.
DESC_HIDE	bool	Indicates whether the property is hidden or not.
DESC_DEFAULT	int/float/c4d.Vector	Default numeric value.
DESC_ACCEPT	c4d.BaseContainer	Contains the accepted IDs as strings. For C4DAtom.IsInstanceOf() checks, e.g. GetString(5155) == ‘Obase’.
DESC_SEPARATORLINE	bool	True if separators should have a visible line.
DESC_REFUSE	c4d.BaseContainer	Contains the refused IDs as strings. For C4DAtom.IsInstanceOf() checks, e.g. GetString(5155) == ‘Obase’.
DESC_PARENTID	int	The ID of the parent parameter used for indentation and animation track.
DESC_CUSTOMGUI	int	The ID of the custom GUI for the parameter. Either a 3rd party plugin ID or a CUSTOMGUI.
DESC_COLUMNS	int	Number of columns for layout groups (DTYPE_GROUP).
DESC_LAYOUTGROUP	bool	True for layout groups (LAYOUTGROUP).
DESC_REMOVEABLE	bool	True if entry is removable.
DESC_GUIOPEN	bool	True if the maximized GUI is shown by default.
DESC_EDITABLE	bool	True if entry is editable.
DESC_MINSLIDER	int/float/c4d.Vector	Minimum value for slider.
DESC_MAXSLIDER	int/float/c4d.Vector	Maximum value for slider.
DESC_GROUPSCALEV	bool	Allow the group height to be scaled.
DESC_SCALEH	bool	Scale element horizontally.
DESC_LAYOUTVERSION	int	Layout version.
DESC_ALIGNLEFT	bool	Align element left.
DESC_FITH	bool	Fit element.
DESC_NEWLINE	bool	Line break.
DESC_TITLEBAR	bool	Main group title bar.
DESC_CYCLEICONS	c4d.BaseContainer	Icon IDs for cycle.
DESC_CYCLESYMBOLS	c4d.BaseContainer	String identifiers for help symbol export.
DESC_PARENT_COLLAPSE	int	Parent collapse ID.
DESC_FORBID_INLINE_FOLDING	bool	Instructs the Attribute Manager to not allow expanding inline objects for entry.
DESC_FORBID_SCALING	bool	Prevents auto-scaling of the parameter with the scale tool (for DESC_UNIT_METER).
DESC_ANGULAR_XYZ	bool	True for XYZ as angular representation, or False for HPB.
DESC_INPORT	bool	GV in port.
DESC_OUTPORT	bool	GV out port.
DESC_STATICPORT	bool	GV static port.
DESC_NEEDCONNECTION	bool	GV needs connection.
DESC_MULTIPLE	bool	GV multiple ports allowed.
DESC_PORTONLY	bool	GV port only.
DESC_CREATEPORT	bool	GV create port.
DESC_PORTSMIN	int	GV minimum number of ports.
DESC_PORTSMAX	int	GV maximum number of ports.
DESC_NOTMOVABLE	bool	GV not movable.
DESC_EDITPORT	bool	GV editable.
DESC_ITERATOR	bool	GV iterator port.
DESC_PARENTMSG	int	Used in the Material Editor on the boolean tabs to specify which section to open.
DESC_MATEDNOTEXT	bool	No text in Material Editor window.
DESC_COLUMNSMATED	int	Number of columns in left Material Editor window.
DESC_SHADERLINKFLAG	bool	Specifies that the parameter is a shader link. Only if data type is DTYPE_BASELISTLINK.
DESC_NOGUISWITCH	bool	Disables GUI switching for this description element.
DESC_COLORALWAYSLINEAR	bool	Treats color field always as linear input.
DESC_HIDE_WHEN_INLINE	bool	True to hide this attribute in inline descriptions.
DESC_MATERIALEDITOR_LEFTSIDE	bool	True if the property should appear on the left side of the material editor.
DESC_CHANGED	bool	True if entry is changed.
DESC_HIDEINFIELDS	bool	True if group is visible in fields UI.
DESC_SHOWINFIELDS	bool	True if group is shown in fields UI even though group may be hidden.
DESC_FIELDCOLORCHANNEL	bool	True if the group belongs only to the color channel in the fields list (so will be hidden when the channel is disabled in the UI).
DESC_FIELDDIRECTIONCHANNEL	bool	True if the group belongs only to the direction channel in the fields list (so will be hidden when the channel is disabled in the UI).
DESC_FIELDVALUECHANNEL	bool	True if the group belongs only to the value channel in the fields list (so will be hidden when the channel is disabled in the UI).
DESC_FIELDROTATIONCHANNEL	bool	True if the group belongs only to the rotation channel in the fields list (so will be hidden when the channel is disabled in the UI).
DESC_NODEPORT	bool	True to indicate a nodeport.
DESC_REPLACECOMPLEXUI	bool	c4d.BaseContainer filled with descids of props to replace.
DESC_REPLACE_HIDE	bool	True if the property is hidden because it’s remplaced by a complex ui.
DESC_RESOURCEPATH	bool	New in version R20: Private.
DESC_RESOURCELINE	bool	New in version R20: Private.
DESC_TEMPDESCID	c4d.DescID	Internal. Used internally to store the preferred description ID.
DESC_IDENT	str	Resource identifier, e.g. ‘ID_BASEOBJECT_REL_POSITION’.
DESC_IDENT_ORIGIN	str	Origin Resource identifier, e.g. ‘ID_BASEOBJECT_REL_POSITION’.
DESC_DISABLELAYOUTSWITCH	bool	Hides the Layout Switch arrow displayed on CUSTOMGUI elements.
DESC_UNIMPORTANTFORDEFAULTS	bool	Ignore this parameter when comparing defaults.

Methods Signatures

Description.__iter__()

Iterate over the parameters of an object’s description.

Description.LoadDescription()	Loads a description by name or ID.
Description.GetParameter()	Retrieves the information container for a parameter.
Description.GetParameterI()	Retrieves the information container instance for a parameter.
Description.SetParameter()	Inserts a description parameter into the collection.
Description.CreatePopupMenu()	Builds a popup menu for choosing a parameter in the description.
Description.CheckDescID()	Checks if a description ID searchid exists for the given objects ops.
Description.GetSubDescriptionWithData()	Retrieves dynamic sub-description data (e.g. the gradient data type).
Description.GetSingleDescID()	Retrieves the single description ID.

Methods Documentation

Description.__iter__(self, bc, id, groupid)

Iterate over the parameters of an object’s description.

Parameters

• bc (c4d.BaseContainer) – The container that holds the information for the current description parameter.

• id (c4d.DescID) – The ID of the current description parameter.

• groupid (c4d.DescID) – The group ID of the current description parameter.

Here is how to print the name of all the parameters of an object

import c4d

def main():
        if op is None:
            return

        description = op.GetDescription(c4d.DESCFLAGS_DESC_NONE)    # Get the description of the active object
        for bc, paramid, groupid in description:                    # Iterate over the parameters of the description
            print(bc[c4d.DESC_NAME])                                # Print the current parameter name

if __name__=='__main__':
        main()

Description.LoadDescription(self, id)

Loads a description by name or ID.

New in version R18.011.

Warning

Existing description parameters are lost.

Parameters

id (Union[int, str]) – The description name (e.g. “Obase”) or ID (e.g. c4d.Obase).

Return type

bool

Returns

True if the description was loaded, otherwise False.

Description.GetParameter(self, id, ar=None)

Retrieves the information container for a parameter.

New in version R18.011.

Parameters

• id (c4d.DescID) – The description ID.

• ar (Optional[List[c4d.C4DAtom]]) –

  New in version R18.039.

  Optional array for dynamic descriptions, e.g. sub-descriptions of a gradient or dynamic XPresso node, that need an array of elements the parameter is assigned to.

Return type

c4d.BaseContainer

Returns

The information container.

Changed in version R18.057.

Returns only one information container.

Description.GetParameterI(self, id, ar=None)

Retrieves the information container instance for a parameter.

New in version R18.011.

Parameters

• id (c4d.DescID) – The description ID.

• ar (Optional[List[c4d.C4DAtom]]) – Optional array for dynamic descriptions, e.g. sub-descriptions of a gradient or dynamic XPresso node, that need an array of elements the parameter is assigned to.

Return type

Optional[c4d.BaseContainer]

Returns

The information container instance or None.

Description.SetParameter(self, id, param, groupid)

Inserts a description parameter into the collection.

New in version R18.011.

Parameters

• id (c4d.DescID) – The description ID.

• param (c4d.BaseContainer) – The settings for the new parameter.

• groupid (c4d.DescID) – The ID of the parameter’s group, or c4d.DESCID_ROOT.

Return type

bool

Returns

True if the parameter was inserted, otherwise False.

Description.CreatePopupMenu(self)

Builds a popup menu for choosing a parameter in the description.

New in version R18.011.

Return type

c4d.BaseContainer

Returns

The menu container.

Description.CheckDescID(self, searchid, ops)

Checks if a description ID searchid exists for the given objects ops.

Note

usually only one single object is passed as otherwise the smallest common nominator is returned.

New in version R18.011.

Parameters

• searchid (c4d.DescID) – The partial ID.

• ops (Optional[List[c4d.C4DAtom]]) – A list of atom objects for dynamic descriptions. Usually None.

Return type

c4d.DescID

Returns

The complete ID.

Description.GetSubDescriptionWithData(self, did, op, bc, singledescid)

Retrieves dynamic sub-description data (e.g. the gradient data type).

New in version R18.011.

Parameters

• did (c4d.DescID) – The description ID.

• op (List[c4d.C4DAtom]) – A list of atom objects.

• bc (c4d.BaseContainer) – The existing container for the data type. Can be just c4d.BaseContainer().

• singledescid (Optional[c4d.DescID]) – Should be None.

Return type

bool

Returns

True if successful, otherwise False.

Description.GetSingleDescID(self)

Retrieves the single description ID.

New in version R18.011.

Return type

c4d.DescID

Returns

The single description ID.