[Bf-python] Extending Blender's Python API: expandpath(), GetAbsolutePath(), Get('scenefile'), Get('scenefiledir'), image.filenameAbsolute

[Dietrich Bollmann]

Hi,

I needed some functionality to get the absolute path of a texture
image - and as I couldn't find anything and nobody responded to my
posting ( http://www.blender.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=62764#62764 )
I finally implemented my own method:

  Blender.GetAbsolutePath()

Example:

  the scene file is '/home/dietrich/blender/scene/cube.blend'

  >>> Blender.GetAbsolutePath('//../foo/bar')
  '/home/dietrich/blender/foo/bar'

Today by chance I found the function `Blender.sys.expandpath()'
which more or less does what I want - but not as nice as my 
function, as the returned path is not brought into the 
canonical form (/.//foo/../bar/./ --> /bar/):

  >>>
Blender.sys.expandpath('//../.././/.///.././/../././foo//././/.////one/./two/../three/../../bar')

'/home/dietrich/blender/yafray/textures/tiles/exp/../.././/.///.././/../././foo//././/.////one/./two/../three/../../bar'
  >>>
Blender.GetAbsolutePath('//../.././/.///.././/../././foo//././/.////one/./two/../three/../../bar')
  '/home/dietrich/blender/foo/bar'

I thought to create a patch with my new function but now don't know
how to proceed...

Different ideas are:

  - leave my new function as it is (`Blender.GetAbsolutePath()')
    probably not a good idea as there would be two similar functions
    at different places
    
  - rename my function to `Blender.sys.expandpathSimplify()'

  - put my function into `expandpath()'

  - give the function `expandpath()' a second facultative argument
    which might be 'raw' or 'simplify' with one of the two the default

  - make a third function `simplify()' which could be used to simplify
    whatever path there is

  - other ideas?

What do you think would be best?


* second question

I implemented two new setting keys usable with Blender.Get() as I
couldn't find anything similar in the documentation:

  - Blender.Get('scenefile')
  - Blender.Get('scenefiledir')

The first returnes the path of the scenefile, the second its
directory:

  >>> Blender.Get('scenefile')
  '/home/dietrich/blender/scene/cube.blend'
  >>> Blender.Get('scenefiledir')
  '/home/dietrich/blender/scene/'

I this usable for others also and should I make it a patch?


* third question

My first solution to my problem - obtaining the absolute path of an
image - was to implement `image.filenameAbsolute':

Example:

  with the scene file:  '/home/dietrich/blender/scene/cube.blend'
  and the image:        '//../tex/stone.png'

  >>> image.filenameAbsolute
  '/home/dietrich/blender/tex/stone.png'

which would result in the same as:
  
  >>> Blender.GetAbsolutePath(image.filename)
  '/home/dietrich/blender/tex/stone.png'

Is this worth a path?  Or should people just use something like the
second form?


* a last question

When loading a new image into a texture with:

  >>> image.filenameAbsolute = '/home/dietrich/blender/tex/stone.png'
  >>> image.reload()

and redrawing the windows with  

  >>> Blender.Redraw()

or  

  >>> Blender.Window.RedrawAll()

The image preview window still shows the old image.  Only hitting the
[Reload] button on the GUI or reselecting the images in the outliner
etc. redraws the preview window.

Is this a bug?  Is there some other redraw function?

Sorry for too many subjects in one mail and thanks for your help :)

Dietrich