How To Detect If Texturing Is Enabled In Viewport

[jfourier]

Hi folks,

I'm writing a custom locator node (MPxLocatorNode). In the "draw" function, I'd like to be able to detect whether the current 3D view is configured to display textures (i.e., whether the user has pressed '5' for smooth-shaded geometry with no textures, or '6' for geometry with textures).

Neither the DisplayStyle parameter nor the DisplayStatus parameter of the draw function seem to convey this information. The DisplayStyle parameter indicates whether the 3D view is configured for wireframe or solid geometry display, but it doesn't indicate anything about texture mapping.

I've checked all of the Maya API classes, including M3dView, but I can't find any methods to access this information. Any help would be appreciated.

[nojuice]

Not sure if this helps, but the MEL command modelEditor is able to return a boolean based on when you have texture display mode on.

string $currentPanel = getPanel -withFocus; // Selects the current viewport
modelEditor -query -dtx $currentPanel; // Returns 0 or 1

hope this helps

[jfourier]

Hi Wayne,

That MEL command does seem to retrieve the information I want.

However, I need to access this information inside the MPxLocatorNode::draw() function. Since this function could potentially be called many times per frame in a scene with many objects, calling a MEL script like that could be prohibitively slow. An API call to retrieve the information would be ideal.

Still, it's better than nothing. Thanks!

[joojaa]

Many times per frame? Now thats a waste of time in anycase. cant you just ask it onece and set some variable.

Anyway try M3dView:: textureMode (), just out of curiosty did you even bother to searcg the api reference, since it took about 1 min to find out even tough i had no recollection where the function was and indeed looked in the worng direction at first (but that place gave me a clue)

[jfourier]

Hi Joojaa,

In principle, it would certainly be more efficient to retrieve the information once at the beginning of the frame. However, MPxLocatorNode::draw() provides no information about the order in which objects are drawn. In other words, I have no way of knowing, within that function, whether the frame is beginning, ending, or somewhere in the middle. So I don't see how you can take that approach.

I certainly did search the API reference, as well as the header files, thoroughly. I searched numerous other sources as well, including the history of this forum. And I have never encountered M3dView::textureMode(). In fact, it isn't in my M3dView.h at all. I am using version 6.5 of the API. What version are you using?

Thanks.

[rob-bateman]

May i enquire as to why you'd want to know why texturing is enabled when you are drawing a locator node?

I've never seen a locator node that required knowledge of this before? It's not really what a locator node is there for....

[jfourier]

Hi Rob,

You certainly may enquire! I created a custom locator node for representing game objects within a level. The locator takes on the appearance of the object, and it has various custom attributes that affect its behavior in the game. At first, I was just drawing all of the objects as wireframe models, but the artists wanted the objects to more closely resemble what they would look like in the game. So I recently started drawing them as solid, textured objects. So far, it works really well.

Perhaps this is unconventional, and perhaps a different type of Maya node would have been more appropriate, but a locator was the best type I could find given my imperfect knowledge of Maya.

Presently, I try to draw the objects in the same style as the rest of the Maya viewport to preserve a consistent look. When wireframe is selected, I draw them in wireframe. For smooth shaded, I draw them solid. For points, I draw them as points. And so on. That's why I wanted to detect whether textures are enabled in the viewport. I still can't find any way to detect this, other than the MEL command described by Wayne.

P.S. I take it you are the provider of robthebloke.org, for which I would like to graciously thank you. I have visited it numerous times for its samples of shader nodes and locator nodes. I found them to be very helpful.

[joojaa]

QUOTE(HappyFunJay @ 03/14/06, 02:27 AM) [snapback]230958[/snapback]
I certainly did search the API reference, as well as the header files, thoroughly. I searched numerous other sources as well, including the history of this forum. And I have never encountered M3dView::textureMode(). In fact, it isn't in my M3dView.h at all. I am using version 6.5 of the API. What version are you using?

7.0 but yeah the s function is not available in maya 6.5 tough to be honest i cant se ANY real reason not to upgrade to maya 7 realy. Infact i can only se stupid reasons for not to.

The only true reason not to uppgrade is if yor project is about to finnish in a few months or so. In anycase the devolopment effort should be to target the next platform, or atleast th transition into it.

Thenagain i dont se any point in getting maya without a support cotract especialy if you work with the api, and offcourse all support contractors have acces to the newest version all the time.

But thing is im not so sure doing it into a locator is smart! But hey its your game. Personlay id just have made a new type of shape. MAybe just a mesh generator.

read Writing a shape

Oh ps if money is the reason, wich it realy cant be, then your companys safety margins are REALY REALY low and id be awaiting for a pink slip any day now, unless your a very tiny startup. But yeah i do know thate are companies that refrain form uogrades for stupid reasons, but i guess they arent realy interested in furthering their job jsut short term profit.

[jfourier]

Hi Jooja,

We upgraded to Maya 6.5 at the beginning of this project. At this time, it would be too disruptive to upgrade again. You may think the reason is stupid, but you are entitled to your opinion.

In any case, I have authored an MPxSurfaceShape before. For this scenario, a shape seemed to be more complex than I needed. I don't need to expose control points or any other components to be manipulated. For my purposes, I thought an MPxLocatorNode would be simpler and faster. If you care to explain the advantages of using a shape in this situation, I would be pleased to hear them.

Thanks.

[joojaa]

QUOTE(HappyFunJay @ 03/14/06, 10:30 PM) [snapback]231072[/snapback]
In any case, I have authored an MPxSurfaceShape before. For this scenario, a shape seemed to be more complex than I needed. I don't need to expose control points or any other components to be manipulated. For my purposes, I thought an MPxLocatorNode would be simpler and faster. If you care to explain the advantages of using a shape in this situation, I would be pleased to hear them.

Well the shape has knowlege of wther or not is should be drawn as textured or not. An nothing truly states this one need sto have exppoosable contorllpoints.

Also you can expose the material editor as a way to assign testures to yoru assets to it.

As for not upgrading being midle of project is quite accepatble unless the nonupgrade inders yoru efforts But be adviced thet tehres almost no monetary saving form the busines point of view of only upgrading once every nn versions. Since your retooling efforst take time to move over too and the more steps in teh way the more the likelyhood of clash on the api code side.

But retooling itself can be the most costly part, thats why atlest developpers should have hands on newest versions, jsut to make sure they are ready for any possible transition. Not to mention teh benefits of the support contract in general.

Anyway its still something to thinkabout if the nature of the projevct is more longlasting- Since pputting of upgrade for a project thets still going to be running next year is not necceserily in yoru interests. tough im aware not everyone can make policy, on such things.

[rob-bateman]

QUOTE(HappyFunJay @ 03/14/06, 12:30 PM) [snapback]231072[/snapback]
For my purposes, I thought an MPxLocatorNode would be simpler and faster. If you care to explain the advantages of using a shape in this situation, I would be pleased to hear them.

locators were really never designed to be textured. They were designed to be a simple visual reference for an artist. Anything that requires texturing is not a quick visual reference. MPxLocator will never work with say, hardware shaders, materials types, environment mapping etc. If you wish these objects to become part of your final game, then you will increasingly walk down the route of hacks .

Rather than trying to re-write a particularly large section of maya (ie, what about materials, environment maps, bump maps, HW shaders, etc ? at some time your artists may want them, extending your locator to handle those situations would be pretty unpleasant work, and fairly unproductive). It will be better to re-use what you can that is already there. Now, joojaa has suggested creating a poly creator node. Basically if your objects are procedural (doesn't mention what game objects these are), this would be a very viable solution. Basically you write a node that outputs a mesh attribute which you can connect to a mesh. (you can also do things like force the mesh into a specific read only layer to prevent editing if needed).

If the objects have been modelled, then it may be better to simply use an input mesh attribute on a locator (as i mentioned before). This would allow you to keep the mesh editing tools, texturing, shading etc with no extra work for yourself. (If those objects are always the same, then you can simply use a file reference).

If you only want the artists to ever select your sepcific locator (rather than accidentally selecting the mesh), then you can use script jobs to prevent them selecting the mesh. Attributes on your locator can always connect to various texture/material properties via connectAttr.

The API itself is not the be-all-and-end-all of programing in maya. mel is just as important to get a plugin to work nicely with maya (often you end up doing more in mel than the API to make it look and feel like maya).

Anyhow, back to work for me. yeah, robthebloke is my site, joojaa's been pretty helpful in that as well...