Import python APIv2 modules

[f.grz]

Hey guys!

I developed some working code within VRED, using API v1 and v2. Now i want to place it somewhere on a central place, and the users just import it from there, which makes maintaining the code very easy.

I instantly have the following problem: the code imported by a "from importtest import" doesn't know any of the VRED API commands. 

For the APIv1 commands i could fix it by importing a certain module, like for findNode() i have to use "from vrScenegraph import *" in my module (which is not undocumented but working).

But for the APIv2 there are no modules like "vrd*Service" which i can import, so i can't use all of these vrd*Service modules to find nodes, make annotations and so on.

Is there a nice way to get rid of all of this?

Thank you in advance!

[chr33z · Accepted solution]

Hi,

which version are you working on? In versions older than 2021.3 (or 2021.2?) you have to import the APIv2 namespaces explicitly, but this is a bit tricky.

All API v2 modules and class are in the namespace "vrKernelServices" so a valid import statement would look like

from vrKernelServices import vrCameraService

In version 2021.3 the namespaces are imported automatically when VRED loads them so you don't have to import anything for APIv2.

Cheers!

[f.grz]

Hey,

thank you, i got it working like that and we will switch to V2021.3 in the next time. As expected, we were using 2021.2.

All the best!

[Anonymous]

Hi guys,
I am actually using VRED 2021.3.
I need to import the API2.0 module "vrWebEngineService" into a class script.
I followed the instructions of chr33z:
from vrKernelServices import vrWebEngineService
but I don't get the desired result:
when I call the function vrWebEngineService.getWebEngine(name) [where name must be a string, as per documentation], in VRED I get the error: "TypeError: descriptor 'getWebEngine' requires a 'vrKernelServices.vrWebEngineService' but received a 'str' ".
Can you help me please?

[f.grz]

Hey carser,

so your imports work fine i think - Autodesk support has to help you here...

Best,

Florian

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply. The weird thing is that inside VRED, if I write the following script:
from vrKernelServices import *
myWebEngine = vrWebEngineService.createWebEngine ("newWebEngine")
i get the same error:
'TypeError: descriptor' createWebEngine 'requires a' vrKernelServices.vrWebEngineService 'object but received a' str.

How can I get help drectly from Autodesk support?

[Christian_Garimberti]

Hi, i think that for API V2 you have not import, just use it in your script.

i tried directly in the terminal and in the script editor and it worked for me

Could you try?

best

Chris

[Anonymous]

Ciao c.garimberti,

Yes, that way it works for me too.
The problem is that I am developing a VRED plugin; in this plugin I added a class for creating and managing webEngine.
To use the VRED API, in version-1, I used for example:
import vrScenegraph
vrScengraph.findNode ("NodeName")
e tutto è ok.

Now, with the version-2 API, to use the vrWebEngineService module in my class, I write:
from vrKernelServices import vrWebEngineService
myWebEngine = vrWebEngineService.createWebEngine ("newWebEngine")
then i compile, after which in VRED I get the "TypeError" indicated above.

[chr33z]

In VRED there are two ways to use python scripts:

1. Use python code by writing it directly in VRED (script editor, variant sets, terminal, ...)

2. Use python scripts in Script Plugins or in custom modules

(1.)

---------------

When using python directly in VRED, you do not have to import any VRED specific modules. They are already injected in the python namespace and can be used directly.

(2.)

---------------

When writing Script Plugins or custom modules you want to use in VRED, we have to further differentiate:

Optimal case: You are on version 2021.3 or above

- You have to import all API v1 modules.

- You can use VRED API v2 modules without explicitly importing them in the script. VRED will do that for you.

Less optimal case: You are on version 2021.2 or below

- You have to import all API v1 modules.

- You may have to import API v2 modules. This was a bug with their API v2 and I had inconsistent results between versions 2021.1 and 2021.2.

Unfortunately, when you wrote a module for 2021.1 or 2021.2 with explicit imports for API v2 modules, it will break these scripts when using them in 2021.3. Somehow the imports overwrite the internal VRED python namespaces.

[Anonymous]

Ok, thanks: everything is known and clear.
But if in my plugin class I directly use an API-v2 module without importing the appropriate space name, for example:
myWebEngine = vrWebEngineService.createWebEngine ("newWebEngine")
I get a class compile error:
"undeclared name not builtin: vrWebEngineService

[chr33z]

Can you tell me, which code editor you are using and how use your plugin in VRED?

[Anonymous]

I use VisualStudioCode to write the software.
Then, to encrypt the code, I compile it using Cython.
Large plugin development.
I get a main.py and many .pyd modules for each of my classes.
Everything has always worked perfectly with the API-v1; now with the API-v2 i have these problems.

[chr33z]

OK, I never tried this workflow with compiling it in cython.

Is the error thrown in Cython or in VRED? Have you tried using API v2 modules without compiling them?

[Anonymous]

I have implemented a complex but very interesting pipeline.
I confirm: in version 2021.3, if I use the API-v2 modules directly in VRED, everything works. But if I have to use these modules in my plugin class, there is no way that I know.

[Christian_Garimberti]

i didn't compile my script, but i think it is something linked to that operation.

if i use directly in a script

myWebEngine = vrWebEngineService.createWebEngine ("newWebEngine")
print(myWebEngine)

it works.

best

Chris

[Anonymous]

This is very simple and i already confirmed that it works.
Try making a main.py script that instantiates a class, in which you run that script of yours where you create the webEngine ... (...Object Oriented Python...)

[chr33z]

I never worked with compiled python files in VRED. Do you just copy the compiled files in a ScriptPlugin directory and use it like a regular python file?

Maybe compiled files are treated differently than uncompiled files by VRED.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I do.
The compiled files have no differences: they are just not readable by third parties.
However, using object oriented python, it is necessary to properly import the modules belonging to external namespaces (such as those of VRED).
I have to find the solution to properly use the API-v2 modules...

[chr33z]

I'm out of ideas here. But I would really like to know whats the problem.
You should maybe open a separate question, so people can directly answer to you specific problem.

Edit:

I did not find anything special when working with object oriented python classes in script plugins.

[Anonymous]

ok. Thank you very much for your time and for your availability to support.