Isotropix Forums

Hey guys!

We're getting quite a few basics questions regarding Python scripting in Clarisse. It seems that we definitely need to improve our Python documentation by providing more tutorials. These tutorials will target artist that would like to get up to speed with Clarisse scripting basics. In other words they should already know about basic programming and python scripting in general.

I already imagine that we should make one tutorial about the selection in Clarisse, and another one about getting scene items based on their classes etc...

Which topics do you think we should cover? I'm opened to suggestion.

Another question, would you think we should make text based tutorials or video ones?

Thanks!

I do not have any scripting knowledge but I want to get into that. So I can't really say what topics would be good - but I think that when it comes to scripting text based tutorials would be better.

vandam wrote:... - but I think that when it comes to scripting text based tutorials would be better.

Yes, just for C/P

A tutorial about embedding modules would be fine, like the great sun position based on date&time one.

Not sure these are worth specific tutorials but one thing that tripped us regularly when starting scripting in Clarisse is the way you need to create collections (arrays/lists/..) of the proper type and pass them to function as parameters.

Usually in python you don't care what types are going to go in your lists in advance. Also, usually you get a new list returned from a function instead of passing your list as an argument.

Some sort of a tutorial on the hierarchy of objects and classes would be useful.

For example, I am not clear on what the purpose/difference between ofObject vs. ofObjectFactory and how they differ from just accessing a node in my scene directly.

Also, some basic understanding of the underlying scene structure (as objects we can access) would be helpful. I can't explain why, but coming from programming for other DCC applications (pymel for example) where there seems to be a fairly direct method of interacting with scene items (usually just sceneItem.method()) Clarisse feels complicated. I can't think of a specific example right now, but it often feels like something that should be a direct method or property of an object isn't accessible directly, or requires a complicated syntax. Having a tutorial on how/why this is might make it easier to wrap my head around the underlying structure and understand when I can access methods/parameters directly and when I have to use a different technique.

It may be a good idea to make at least one video covering the scope of the usefulness of scripting in Clarisse. I was amazed when Greg Jennings came up with a script in the "From Substance Painter to Clarisse" tutorial, that allowed him to create shading layers inferring from geo pixel groups and texture names.

An overview video would be great !

Wow ,free Python treats for all?You guy's are just too cool! Like seriously...

If you guys can make a Video tuts on how to use Python to Batch render Turntable for all .abc files in a given folder(or multiple selected folders) in one go within a single clarisse project, that'll be Swell.

Thanks guys ; )

What you guys ask is way too narrowed to specific issues/questions you might have. I'm really looking for ideas to cover general/basics stuffs such as messing around with selection, filtering items based on their types/classes, setting attribute values to many objects... stuffs like that.

I usually like to start simple and cover the basics, and common things, repeating stuff
My preference is to combine two themes together and make a sample script for artists to check.

-How to search the API manual
-Find the log and read what happens for first steps ..
-How to create or query classes mostly used ( context, lights, geo, shader..) navigating the context.
-How to create a simple GUI (as menu/floater) >> this alone can be very extensive
-Bring the last two together (GUI that does create a context for Asset or Shot creation with specific names and things setup)

-How to find things (Global, Local, by Name, by Attribute, of parent, of child, siblings, range value, etc..)
-How to count and print names, values or other info
-GUI which allows to search/select/pick by those previously learned methods and also to modify their values (this may require a bit more error proofing for the user)
-How to read in/write out textfiles with various informations
-How to modify the regular UI
and many more