[Bf-committers] I am attempting to improve Blender's Outliner and I could use some help.

[Campbell Barton]

On Mon, May 5, 2014 at 10:40 AM, john bartle <johnbartle at live.com> wrote:
> OS: Windows 7
>  IDE: Visual Studio 2008 Express
>  Software Engineering experience: A mixture of novice, intermediate, and advanced
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>
>
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>  Hello, and good day to anyone who reads this. I was directed here from BlenderArtists.org, and so this is a copy of a post that I wrote in that forum.
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>  I am attempting to learn and manipulate the Blender codebase in order to gain some experience in programming, and just for fun. I have decided to attempt to improve the Outliner and start learning the codebase from there.
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>  I have a design model planned which includes a few things like:
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> Implementing Python script grouping/ordering/filtering - which will be stackable/layerable. Variables within the script can, optionally, be exposed as a property within a n-panel panel.Redoing and improving grouping/ordering – namely, any item can be filtered in accordance with ANY propertyConveniently displaying ANY property for any grouped items - By items I mean objects, materials, modifiers, constraints, etc...
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> ---------------------MY PROBLEM
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>  I have decided that the python filters and their respective variables need to be placed within the side panel/n-panel. So far this is where I have begun and am currently stuck.
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>  My current problem is that I have coded (copied, pasted and then modified) everything that I know of for a side panel/n-panel for the outliner, but the side panel is not showing up.My code executes, but the side panel doesn't show up.
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>  So far I am just trying to imitate what other coders have done, namely by copying and pasting their code. .
> I suppose there could easily be more code involved to create an n-panel area but I just don't know what. Can anyone help? If you could, at least, tell me what other areas of code I should be using as an example to implement a n-panel that would be wonderful.
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> Below is a .patch file(WIP) with what I have coded so far.
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>  NOTE: The “.patch” extension has been changed to “.blend” in order to upload it as an attachment.
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> outliner_redone_.blend
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>  Thanks for any help.

Using Python to filter outliner results is asking for troubles IMHO,
outliner can have many 1000s of items and already gives us speed
troubles on larger scenes.
So not sure this is a good project we would even accept if it were finished.

If you propose to make some addition to the outliner it would be good
to detail whats missing with the outliner.


Aside from this being a large change,
This seems like an advanced project to start if your not already
familiar with outliner code.
If you try some project which is too advanced for your skill level,
often you'll have a hard time getting help.

Suggest try get some smaller patch finished and accepted first,

Added a quick-hack task for the outliner which might interest you.
https://developer.blender.org/T40085

-- 
- Campbell