[Bf-committers] help in planning for python script's gui considering 2.5 gui improvements

[Charles Kowalski]

hello all,
I am writing a vector rendering script (vRender) and want to plan ahead for
gui in later releases. I would like to make a materials editor to set
lineweights, fillcolors, hidden lines display etc. These will be set per
material. My point of confusion is that current scripts with such
functionality (see luxblender) rely on converting blender materials to their
own types (interactivity through auto updating the ui based on user's
selected object). They then store these settings with the IDProps mechanism.
So for 2.5 questions come up as follows:
Will it be possible for a script to add panels to normal blender buttons?
For example create an extra vrender_properties.py and include that in the
materials tab and store these settings with either an extended materials rna
or separately in IDProps
If so, will there be some sort of widget to display an image? (i'd need such
a widget to display previews for the material through cairo, other renderers
will need this too)
If not, are there any plans for such functionality in later 2.5x releases?
It would be nice for scripts to be able to register as tools/settings as if
they where normal blender functions ( i have in mind a lot of CAD python
commands eager to work without the need for a gui (under a shortcut or a
menu))

cheers,
alex