[Bf-committers] Node IPOs

[Joe Eagar]

Ton Roosendaal wrote:
> Hi Joe,
>
> Thanks for the patch... there's a couple of issues though that makes 
> me believe we should not apply this.
>
> You already noted this in the wiki yourself, the current 
> implementation of the Ipo system has a cumbersome weakness in its 
> design, and its use is quite limited. Manu users already have noted 
> that it's quite bad you cannot just "ipo-fy" any available variable in 
> the UI.
>
> Further the current Ipo system is limited to animate variables in 
> "Library data" only. For sequence effect strips (not library data) it 
> was hacked in to work. Adding another level hacks for Nodes I would 
> prefer to not do.
>
> Nodes also should not become Library data, that type is limited to 
> data you allow to be linked and re-used in the entire Blender 
> database. Nodes should remain local. (node-trees are Library data 
> though, accessible as Group now).
>
> Anyhoo; there's always a trade-off between "desired end-user 
> functionality" and "proper implementation". The only reason why I did 
> not add Ipos for Nodes is because of the latter... the implementation 
> would be just too bad. However much people would like to have it!
>
> It's a nice challenge to look instead at a way to have a good 
> backwards compatible redesign of the Ipo system, allowing channels to 
> be dynamically defined and allowing to animate about everything.
> Maybe we should drop Ipos to be "Library data" even, there's not much 
> reason for it to become relinked...
>
> A related challenge is on the UI side in Blender. We need a new 
> friendly & accessible way to define "Context" for Space editors... a 
> problem the Ipo Window now suffers from as well (but same goes for 
> Buttons, Action, Image, ...). So... if we allow any piece of the 
> database to be Ipo-fied, then how does the Ipo Window find a curve?
>
> Maybe something Outliner-ish could be devised for this. It's an idea 
> I've been playing with while the 2.3 UI project was running. It should 
> not add to the workload though, defining the proper "Context" for an 
> editor in Blender should be as easy as a single selection click.
>
> -Ton-
>
This is pretty much what I expected.  There's just too many hacks needed 
for node Ipos; and really the whole Ipo system needs some revamping 
before it can happen.  Maybe the action system can be revamped to 
support dynamic ipo channels and stuff.

Thanks for looking at the patch.

Joe