Access Python Tag Globals from outside

indexofrefraction

Hi,

is it possible to access a python tags global from outside?

ie. process all Tags of the same kind,
and set a global variable in their python code?

or trigger a function in their code?

best, index

ps.
I know i could set some userdata, but it would be more elegant that way.
the information doesn't have to be saved

ferdinand

Hi,

no, that is mostly not possible. Python code is interpreted as a module and since you have no access to the module objects Cinema does create internally, you have also no access to their attributes (i.e. variables and functions). What you can do, is:

Run any python code yourself. This will give you access to the functions, but mutable values of that module, e.g. the global variables, will obviously not be bound to / the same values as the ones in the respective scripting tag.
Realise your global variables as user data attached to the tag. This will allow you to access them from the outside.
Realise your global variables as a fake module. If your global variables are too complex to be serialised in a sensible way into a BaseContainer, i.e. user data, then you could store them in any Python object of your choice and inject that object into Python's module dictionary. Accessing your global variables is then just a matter of importing them like you would import any module. Note that some people will consider this to be a hack and/or bad style.

Cheers,
zipit

indexofrefraction

Hi zipit,

tx, i kinda expected that...
but couldn't i just send a Message?

mytag.Message(id, data)

i dont need the data,
i just need to pass some custom id like 999...

then i catch it in the tags message()
the tag will know what to do

ferdinand

Hi,

sure, you can also send messages to your scripting node. But that would be a different question/approach than the one you did ask for

Cheers,
zipit

indexofrefraction

Yes, sorry...

these are fixed values to be set in the tag space
the tag can do it itself, triggered by a message
that is more elegant anyway

is there a safe number space we can use for MSG_ ids ?
to not collide with cinema4d internal messages
(i dont need the data)

ferdinand

Hi,

you will have to / should register a plugin id here in the forum to avoid message id collisions.

Cheers,
zipit

indexofrefraction

No sure if I understand that right...
I use (on purpose) just a standard python tags, not python plugins.

I meant the id here : myTag.Message(id)
some of these are reserved like c4d.MSG_DESCRIPTION_CHECKUPDATE

i wonder if there are value ranges that are safe to use

how would i use plugin ID in this context?

ferdinand

Hi,

plugin ids are just a namespace curated by MAXON which is used for far more than just identifying plugins. You would use the plugin id here as the message id. This would ensure that neither Cinema nor anyone else is trying to convey some other meaning with that particular message id you are using.

Cheers,
zipit

m_adam

Hi @indexofrefraction, I think @zipit already almost everything but just to clarify.

Each Python element (aka a Python Script Tag, a Python Generator) have Python Scope not bound to another this will be way too risky and with some challenges regarding synchronization internally, so they are completely split and each scope is independent without the luck to communicate from one to another.

Message is a good way to go if you just want to communicate from one entity to another. As @zipit a message is just an integer register in our Maxon "Namespace" so we reserve this ID so we are sure that this ID is only about this particular Message and this integer value is not used to represent anything else than this Message. This way when an object received this particular integer value, we can ensure this is about this particular Message and can assume the data structure passed.

So if you want to use your own Message it's advertised to register this ID as you register a plugin ID this way you ensure that nobody will use this ID in their plugins for something else.

Finally, note there is the MSG_BASECONTAINER which allows sending a basecontainer directly, this can be quiet useful because a BaseContainer can have an ID (So you have a kind of sub-message ID, this can be useful within communication to know the current status of the communication). And in this BaseContainer you can also store the original sender and multiple values.

Find in the attached scene, 2 Python Generator that asks a Python Tag to do a different math operation, and set their respective name according to the result received from the Python Tag. (Just enable them, the main function will be triggered and then message functions)
testMessage.c4d

Cheers,
Maxime.

indexofrefraction

Thanks zipit and Maxime,

I use the MSG_BASECONTAINER solution now,
thanks for the example !

one question here:
you always return True from the message() function
is that necessary?

the docs here
https://developers.maxon.net/docs/py/2023_2/manuals/introduction/python_tag.html?highlight=python plugin
just says :
Return type: bool
Returns: Depends on the message type.

...

and a bit off topic :
is there a message, when a python tag or generator gets enabled / disabled by the (generator) switch in the object manager?
can i catch that?