[Bf-python] Looking for a project

[Campbell Barton]

Ken Hughes wrote:
> End-of-semester is quickly approaching here and my three-odd months of 
> mostly free research time approaches with it.  So I'm looking for 
> ideas for some project/projects which would be beneficial to the user 
> base. I've been exploring the sequencer, thinking about coding an API 
> to make it possible to use the sequencer from scripts, and toying with 
> the idea of seeing how hard it would be (maybe not hard at all) to 
> write C plugins for BPy.  One other idea would be coordinating the BPy 
> API Cleanup, trying to document what should be done so others 
> including myself can start tackling that at some point.  Or rewriting 
> the Draw API, although I have no clue about that code (not high on my 
> personal to-do list).
>
> But I'm open to suggestions.  Which is what I'm asking for.
>
> Ken
>
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>
Hey Ken
Sequencer access seems cool but Im not sure how much people would realy use.

What would be nice is for the rewrite...
* Generic list base iterator, that has optional support for removing 
etc. - It could be impemented as a pytype that has optional extras for 
spesific cases. It would have a "Type" so it would know what kind of 
data it was iterating on.
* Generic replacement for FooBar.Get()/FooBar.New()/FooBar.Unlink(?)...
  My choice is to replace Object.Get('FooBar') with Object['FooBar'] and 
make Object an iterator so new lists dont need to be made all the time.
  - Basicly, dict like access for datablocks. with the IDName for the key.
* A way to have any python object that had an ID, re-use .name .users 
.fakeuser  etc. so every datatype didnt have to recode those bits.


As for other usefull things you might be interetsed in-
* PyModifiers, if you want to see realy cool stuff, hows about python 
modifiers! - would allow for some realy quick developments of 
interesting mesh manipulation tools.
   This might be a fun one, and leverage a bit on your mesh work. Fake 
SSS, shrink wrap Solidify and others could be modifiers. would allow 
slower python modifiers to apply at rendertime only.
  first release would not even have to save values.

* Python gestures, basicaly just send a point array to a python script 
for gestures. It seems that a lot more usefull gestures could be added 
this way. (does anyone use gestures??)

* Python access to new renderlayer stuff, boaring :/

* Python access to Window's/Screen- so you can subdivide/join change 
views etc. This could acrualy be fairly usefull in some cases. Especialy 
if you can bet basic data from the view. The the IPO the user is looking 
at, or the currently visible image.

* Python access to Blenders Modes, fairly easy one. but give python 
access to get/set pose/texture pain/ vertex paint modes.  Python realy 
needs an exit all modes function.

* Python access to object octree ray-collision detection. (realy 
uysefull for colliding objects)

* Python access to ray picking, so you can get a ray in 3d space from 
the mouse in the 3d view. Can be done in python atm. but would be nice 
to have it wrapped in C.

Thats all I can think of wright now :) - Thanks for contributing.

- Cam


-- 
Campbell J Barton

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