Which Plugin Type to Choose?

Helper

On 07/08/2017 at 08:35, xxxxxxxx wrote:

I have a pretty basic question:

I have a plugin that uses a dialog to get some values and then creates a bunch of objects in the current scene from data it loads externally. You might call it an import plugin.

This sounds like it should probably be a "Tool" plugin?

I coded it as a Tool plugin (RegisterToolPlugin) and it kind of works, but there is the kind of weird question on how to indicate back to Cinema when the plugin has done it's work and should give control back to Cinema. Right now, after it imports everything and the import is done, the cursor remains stuck with the icon of the plugin and I can't interact with the objects just imported.

I'm clearly missing something...

Here's the code if anybody has the nerves to have a quick look:

import c4d  
import os  
import time  
import array  
import csv  
import string  
from c4d import gui, plugins, bitmaps, utils  
from math import radians, atan2, asin, degrees, pi  
  
PLUGIN_ID = 1039683  
UI_LABEL = 10000  
UI_FILENAME = 10001  
UI_FILEDIALOG = 10002  
UI_CHECKDEBUG = 10003  
UI_CHECKLIMIT = 10004  
UI_GO = 10005  
UI_PROGRESS = 10006  
UI_PROGRESSSUB = 10007  
  
#The actual routine to import an ADT  
  
def file_len(fname) :  
  with open(fname) as f:  
      for i, l in enumerate(f) :  
          pass  
  return i + 1  
    
def objfile_has_geometry(fname) :  
  with open(fname) as f:  
      for l in iter(f) :  
          if(l.startswith("v")) :  
              return True  
  return False  
    
def escape_pressed() :  
  bc = c4d.BaseContainer()  
  rs = gui.GetInputState(c4d.BFM_INPUT_KEYBOARD, c4d.KEY_ESC, bc)  
  if rs and bc[c4d.BFM_INPUT_VALUE]:  
      if(gui.QuestionDialog("Stop Script and Abort Import?")) :  
          return True  
      else:  
          return False  
  return False  
  
def ADTImport(filepath, debug, limit, dialog) :  
  
  ... (long routine to parse the file supplied)  
    
  return True  
  
class SettingsDialog(gui.SubDialog) :  
  #Dialog Stuff  
    
  def CreateLayout(self) :  
      self.AddStaticText(id=UI_LABEL, flags=c4d.BFH_LEFT, initw=200, name="ADT File to Import")  
      self.AddEditText(id=UI_FILENAME, flags=c4d.BFH_SCALEFIT, initw=400, inith=10)  
      self.AddButton(id=UI_FILEDIALOG, flags=c4d.BFH_CENTER|c4d.BFH_SCALEFIT, name="Open File Browser")  
      self.AddCheckbox(id=UI_CHECKDEBUG, flags=c4d.BFH_LEFT, initw=200, inith=10, name="Debug Mode")  
      self.AddCheckbox(id=UI_CHECKLIMIT, flags=c4d.BFH_LEFT, initw=200, inith=10, name="Limit Parsing to first few objects")  
      self.AddButton(id=UI_GO, flags=c4d.BFH_CENTER|c4d.BFH_SCALEFIT, name="Start")  
      self.AddCustomGui(id=UI_PROGRESS, pluginid=c4d.CUSTOMGUI_PROGRESSBAR, name="Progress Bar", flags=c4d.BFH_SCALEFIT, minw=200, minh=10)  
      self.AddCustomGui(id=UI_PROGRESSSUB, pluginid=c4d.CUSTOMGUI_PROGRESSBAR, name="Progress Sub Bar", flags=c4d.BFH_SCALEFIT, minw=200, minh=10)  
      return True  
  
  def InitValues(self) :  
      self.SetBool(UI_CHECKDEBUG, False)  
      self.SetBool(UI_CHECKLIMIT, True)  
      return True  
          
  def Command(self, id, msg) :  
      if(id == UI_FILEDIALOG) :  
          self.SetString(UI_FILENAME, c4d.storage.LoadDialog(c4d.FILESELECTTYPE_SCENES, "Select ADT to import", c4d.FILESELECT_LOAD, "obj", "E:\Temp\Location\world\maps\ruinsoftheramore", "ruinsoftheramore_40_39.obj"))  
        
      if(id == UI_GO) :  
          if(self.GetString(UI_FILENAME)) :  
              ADTImport(self.GetString(UI_FILENAME), self.GetBool(UI_CHECKDEBUG), self.GetBool(UI_CHECKLIMIT), self)  
      return True  
  
class AIP(plugins.ToolData) :  
  #Plugin Stuff  
    
  def __init__(self) :  
      self.data = dict()                  #container   
  
  def AllocSubDialog(self, bc) :   
      return SettingsDialog(self.data)    #always return new instance(self.data)  
  
  
if __name__ == "__main__":  
  bmp = bitmaps.BaseBitmap()  
  dir, file = os.path.split(__file__)  
  fn = os.path.join(dir, "res", "Icon.tif")  
  bmp.InitWith(fn)  
  if(plugins.RegisterToolPlugin(id=PLUGIN_ID, str="ADT Import",info=0, icon=bmp, help="ADT Import",dat=AIP())) :  
      print "ADT Import v0.1 initialized."

Helper

On 07/08/2017 at 11:12, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Hi,

welcome to the Plugin Café forums

No, a ToolData plugin is not the optimal way to go here. This plugin type is made for Tools, where the user interacts with the scene via the viewport (e.g. Move Tool,..).

Of course you could implement it as a CommandData with a dialog to get the additional values.

But for an importer actually SceneLoaderData is the plugin type to use. Unfortunately I only have a C++ example at hand (stl.cpp). In Python there's only an example of a SceneSaverData, but as it's more or less just the opposite, I guess, you can still get the idea: Py-IESMeta.pyp.

Helper

On 07/08/2017 at 12:47, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Thx for the input! That was exactly my "foobar".

I changed it to a Command plugin and it works as intended now. I'll look into the SceneLoader to figure out whether that will give me any advantages.

Helper

On 08/08/2017 at 01:47, xxxxxxxx wrote:

One advantage of a SceneLoaderData is for example, that file of this type can be dragged directly onto Cinema.