<![CDATA[How do I return a list of names and ids for a drop down menu?]]>I'm trying to automatically set a parameter on a shader. The parameter is a dropdown menu (combo box). The items in the drop down are dynamic so I can't just use a static number to set the parameter.

I'm wondering if there's a way to read the names of the items and select the one I want based on the name?

Something like:

items = getComboBoxItems(c4d.SUBSTANCESHADER_CHANNEL)
for item in items:
    if "roughness" in item.name:
        SubstanceShader[c4d.SUBSTANCESHADER_CHANNEL] = item.id
]]>http://developers.maxon.net/forum//topic/16352/how-do-i-return-a-list-of-names-and-ids-for-a-drop-down-menuRSS for NodeTue, 17 Mar 2026 07:09:11 GMTThu, 13 Nov 2025 13:30:36 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to How do I return a list of names and ids for a drop down menu? on Sun, 16 Nov 2025 11:40:16 GMT]]>Hey @lionlion44,

yes, that is the correct answer. The subject comes up from time to time, here is an answer of mine which is about the very case of yours - discovering substance channels.

Cheers,
Ferdinand

]]>http://developers.maxon.net/forum//post/76941http://developers.maxon.net/forum//post/76941Sun, 16 Nov 2025 11:40:16 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How do I return a list of names and ids for a drop down menu? on Thu, 13 Nov 2025 13:48:29 GMT]]>found a solution:

substance_shader = diffuse_shader.GetClone()
mat.InsertShader(substance_shader)
mat[c4d.OCT_MATERIAL_ROUGHNESS_LINK] = substance_shader

desc = substance_shader.GetDescription(c4d.DESCFLAGS_DESC_NONE)
parm_desc = desc.GetParameter(c4d.SUBSTANCESHADER_CHANNEL)
cycle = parm_desc[c4d.DESC_CYCLE]
for index, value  in cycle:
    if "roughness" in value.lower():
        substance_shader[c4d.SUBSTANCESHADER_CHANNEL] = index
        break
]]>http://developers.maxon.net/forum//post/76932http://developers.maxon.net/forum//post/76932Thu, 13 Nov 2025 13:48:29 GMT