Adding a STATICTEXT element to a Description... changes in C4D 2024?

fwilleke80

Hi,

sometimes I need to add a STATICTEXT element to a Description in GetDDescription(). I have this function that I've been using for many years now, and that works fine in R20 - C4D 2023. However, in C4D 2024, calling it does not do anything.

maxon::Bool AddStaticText(Description* const description, const DescID* const singleId, const DescID& groupid, const maxon::Int32 id = 0, const maxon::String& name = ""_s)
{
	if (!description)
		return false;

	const DescID descId = CreateDescID(DescLevel(id, DTYPE_STATICTEXT, 0));
	if (MAXON_LIKELY(!singleId || id.IsPartOf(*singleId, nullptr)))
	{
		BaseContainer bc = GetCustomDataTypeDefault(DTYPE_STATICTEXT);
		bc.SetString(DESC_NAME, name);
		bc.SetInt32(DESC_ANIMATE, DESC_ANIMATE_OFF);
		bc.SetBool(DESC_REMOVEABLE, false);
		return description->SetParameter(descId, bc, groupid);
	}
	return true;
}

I call it like this:

Bool MyObject::GetDDescription(const GeListNode* node, Description* description, DESCFLAGS_DESC& flags) const
{
	if (!node || !description)
		return false;

	if (!description->LoadDescription(node->GetType()))
		return false;
	flags |= DESCFLAGS_DESC::LOADED;

	const DescID* const singleid = description->GetSingleDescID();
	if (!AddStaticText(description, singleid, MYOBJECT_SOMEGROUP))
		return false;

	return SUPER::GetDDescription(node, description, flags);
}

Why does this not work anymore in C4D 2024?

fwilleke80

Ah, I think I found it already.

In earlier C4D API versions, it was okay to provide an id value of 0. Since C4D 2024, we have to provide a proper value. Calling my AddStaticText() function with an id other than 0 works.

ferdinand

Hey @fwilleke80,

Thank you for reaching out to us. Your code looks fine, so I do not see at a glance what is going wrong. Have you stepped through your code, to check how it behaves; does it go into the MAXON_LIKELY, what is the return value of SetParameter?

Cheers,
Ferdinand

ferdinand

@fwilleke80 said in Adding a STATICTEXT element to a Description... changes in C4D 2024?:

Ah, I think I found it already.

In earlier C4D API versions, it was okay to provide an id value of 0. Since C4D 2024, we have to provide a proper value. Calling my AddStaticText() function with an id other than 0 works.

Great to hear! Remember, all IDs up to 1000 in the first DescLevel of a DescID are reserved for Cinema 4D. There is a good chance that you overwrite important data, brick a scene, when you write into that range.

Cheers,
ferdinand

fwilleke80

Hi Ferdinand,

@ferdinand said in Adding a STATICTEXT element to a Description... changes in C4D 2024?:

Have you stepped through your code, to check how it behaves; does it go into the MAXON_LIKELY, what is the return value of SetParameter?

Yes, I have. And it does go into the MAXON_LIKELY and SetParameter() does return true.

@ferdinand said in Adding a STATICTEXT element to a Description... changes in C4D 2024?:

Remember, all IDs up to 1000 in the first DescLevel of a DescID are reserved for Cinema 4D. There is a good chance that you overwrite important data, brick a scene, when you write into that range.

Thanks! Yes, I know that. Using IDs far above 1000

So, knowing that STATICTEXT IDs of 0 are not working anymore in C4D 2024, here's a question out of curiosity:

In .res files, it's common practice to use STATICTEXT {} to fill up empty space, e.g. in a ~~layer~~ layout with columns. What ID values does C4D use for STATICTEXT elements like this?

Cheers,
Frank

ferdinand

@fwilleke80 said in Adding a STATICTEXT element to a Description... changes in C4D 2024?:

In .res files, it's common practice to use STATICTEXT {} to fill up empty space, e.g. in a layer with columns. What ID values does C4D use for STATICTEXT elements like this?

Good question, I will ask Pablo, because I have no idea

Cheers,
Ferdinand

fwilleke80

@ferdinand said in Adding a STATICTEXT element to a Description... changes in C4D 2024?:

Good question, I will ask Pablo

Thanks! And say hello to him from me

pablo

Hello Frank! It's wonderful to hear from you! Warm greetings from Spain!

ferdinand

Hello @fwilleke80,

Pablo found out that such IDs are generated when the description is parsed and elements without an ID get then assigned an ID based on a global variable which is incremented after each usage. You can see its definition below.

As you can see, the address space starts out at 2^29. So if you somewhat want to emulate that, you could pick IDs starting out at 2^30 (and would be still well below the overflow threshold of (2^32)/2).

Cheers,
Ferdinand

fwilleke80

Very informative, thank you Ferdinand!