Dynamically Generated Button Command

[untelon]

Hi all. I hope someone could help me with a problem...

I have a python script that generates a UI where the user selects the project folder and sets it according to the folder structure of our company.

As a feature I keep track of the last 5 folder paths the user has navigated to and display them on the form as a 1-click button. I keep track of 5 of these navigation destinations. In my UI the section related to these "history" buttons is generated dynamically based on how many history entries there are... the code is the following:

for idx in range(len(history)):

#hisButs.append(cmds.button(l='History', w=400, command=('setProj(history[idx])')))
hisButs.append(cmds.button(l='History', w=400, command='sayHi()' ))

You can see that I have been testing this thing with a simple function named "sayHi". It doesn't matter what or how I enter text in the command section of the code above, it never executes "sayHi". Now say hi is very simple, it just prints 'hi'. Can anyone give me some advice?

BTW, hisButs.append is used so that I can query and update history based on the name of the button that was created in another section on my script. hisButs is a list containing the names of the buttons that were generated. I am under the impression that hisButts.append is causing the command under cmds.button to not work in its current form. If I use the cmds.button command above without the hisButs.append it works.

[joojaa]

sayHi must be globally visible. The GUI is not part of your code as your code exists way before the gui is drawn fully.

[untelon]

Joojaa, thanks for replying.

sayHi() is a function that is defined before the UI code gets executed. sayHi() works under other circumstances, meaning, if it is directly called by a button in this manner:

doStuff = cmds.button(l='Create', w=100, command='sayHi()')

I defined the sayHi() function as follows (before the UI):

def sayHi():

print 'yo'

What did you mean by making it a global definition? I am still kind of new at Python. When my script dynamically creates buttons on the form, the button's "command" attribute doesn't seem to work for me and I don't know why...

Thanks,

Jim

[untelon]

This is getting odder. I tried a dumbed down python piece of code and got it to execute the definition dynamically. Now my predicament is making the right dynamic value be passed along. Again, aplogize if the questions are too naive... I still do not know why the same piece of code does not work for my other script. You can try cutting and pasting the following and see what I am trying to achieve. If anyone has an idea why wouldn't this also work in a larger script, please feel free to suggest ideas.

import maya.cmds as cmds

def dynaPushed(numba):

[quote]

print 'The button pushed was', numba[/quote]

myList = ['Jack','Jill','Joe']
cmds.window( width=150 )
cmds.columnLayout( adjustableColumn=True )
cmds.button( label='Default', command='dynaPushed("default")' )

for idx in range(len(myList)):
[quote]

cmds.button( label=myList[idx], command=lambda *args: dynaPushed(myList[idx]) )[/quote]

cmds.showWindow()

[joojaa]

QUOTE
sayHi() is a function that is defined before the UI code gets executed. sayHi() works under other circumstances, meaning, if it is directly called by a button in this manner:

i know that, but it has time to die before you call it.

See you cant test your code like this:
CODE
def blablablaa():
  pass

blablablaa()

Because you are executing everything in same scope. Scoping is VERY important to computers. What they define is where something is defined. Now when you call something form a file, thet file has its own scope. Now what happens is.

• you enter scope
• you define function
• you define gui
• you define the button, your function is still valid.
• you exit scope function defined is gone
• button is pressed no function is longer there

Now if you just type something in the script editor it goes into the global scope thus it would work out of the global editor.
QUOTE
What did you mean by making it a global definition? I am still kind of new at Python.

Nothing to do with python. How do you launch the script?

[untelon]

Hey JooJaa. Thanks for replying again. I am sorry, but I am not too sure what you mean. I think I kind of understand what you ... When working in mel global and local declarations make a big difference. I am not sure how you mean this in python.

My script is in python and what I am stuck with is that the "command" attribute of a dynamically generated button, that does not recognize the function call. I am pretty sure it is a mistake somewhere on my code... but can't seem to find it. I don't get errors, or warnings. I press the button and nothing happens...

I have a feeling that the sayHi() function has not died by the time I call it. Other functions before and after it execute fine. I have other buttons that call other functions and they are active. Furthermore, if I call sayHi from one of these explicit buttons, sayHi executes. The problem is the dynamic buttons...

The way I am executing the script is by simply highlighting the code and pressing ctrl+enter in the script editor (for now).

My previous post has an example of what I am doing. You can see that the defined function "dynaPushed" is not unloaded or disconnected from the UI. When I press any of the buttons the function prints a message; albite the wrong argument is shown, which is one of the problems I am attempting to tackle. My script has the same structure as the sample code above, yet the function is not called at all. I am positive I am doing something wrong here, I just have a hard time seeing it.

I appreciate your help... maybe if you cut and paste my code above and execute it in a python pane you can see what I am running into. The same code in a larger script that also has dynamic buttons ignores the function call all together; even though it respects the same structure, and as indicated, other buttons with hardwired command calls work.

If I am to point out differences between the explicit buttons and the dynamic buttons on my UI they are that the explicit ones are declared at the formLayout level and position via attachForm and attachControl edits of the form layout; while the dynamic buttons are generated within rowColumnLayout of the UI... I don't think this would make a diference, but will find out soon by streamlining the whole script.

My script is rather large, but I will try to simplify it and post it to give people a better idea of the problem.

Again, I appreciate your help and advice. Please keep them coming.

Jim

[joojaa]

QUOTE(untelon @ 04/09/08, 09:20 PM) [snapback]284015[/snapback]
The way I am executing the script is by simply highlighting the code and pressing ctrl+enter in the script editor (for now).

That would make everything global yes. So its not that then. But same thing applies to python as mel. Mayas gui hanst changed how it works just because your calling it form python. Its still the same maya. So unless you are paying attention to this now you will need to. Since when you try to use your python forma file the rules change a bit.

Try making a dynamic button that prints the content of dir() and see if sayHi is there? if it isnt then its gone.

[untelon]

Both problems solved.

Hello Joojaa and one more time, thanks for replying. I will definitely heed your advice when moving the script into a file form.

I ran into solutions to the 2 issues I was having. I am embarrassed at one, and happy at the other one.

In the second example I had posted on how to pass the jack, joe, or jill values from dynamically generated buttons, this format does the trick:

cmds.button( label=myList[idx], command='dynaPushed("'+myList[idx]+'")' )

in regards to the other issue, where my dynamic buttons ignored the function call in the command attribute, I found that in one of my functions I edit the label of the buttons. When I do that, I failed to also specified the command the bottom needs to execute.

in other words...

function A
...

function B
...

function C
... edits automatically generated UI buttons. Omits call function A command...

UI
...create dynamic buttons, when pressed call function A
...call function C

The problem was fixed by NOT putting the "call function A" in the buttons when the UI is generated, but in function C, when the buttons are edited.

Thanks very much for your help. Sometimes another set of eyes makes you notice this things better (that and stepping out of your desk for a few hours).

Jim