[Plugins] C.A.S.L. and CineLook4D 1.4

[MrBraun]

Interesting video donelgreeko!! Really great plugins!

Good to see python in cinema4D! :)

Where i found C.A.S.L. plugin?

Tnx in advance for the reply! :)

[51M0N]

Fantastic news donelgreeko! Cinelook4D is a great help, and even though not many people on c4d community associate with python right now, it's extremely important for c4d to support it. I hope you'll keep at it.
So thanks for that, and for all the goodies you have at your site.

[kattkieru]

http://img.skitch.com/20080822-e6qfmg8itrnmya2u2pwbcnh6cc.preview.jpg

My god you've done a great job.

I'm glad to see that you've made C++ SDK bindings to things that don't seem to be in COFFEE. I hope Maxon wises up and just buys this from you for inclusion in future versions. COFFEE was long in the tooth in v9, and with many high-end 3D packages implementing Python having it in C4D as well will be a boon for interoperability.

I signed up for the beta ages back; any news on that? Or can I just Paypal you some money now? I don't care if it's unstable, as long as I get to use it. (PM me if you like, I'm serious on that offer.)

One thing I noticed in the video:

The console is nice, and appears to work quite well, but you also will need an editor space that holds a lot of text. Something like Maya's script window, where you can type text in, then select it and hit enter to execute the code.

Also, what's the speed like? Can rigs be built using the Python tag and still execute at a decent pace? Better yet, does the CASL have access to XPresso tags and the ability to do connections from Python?

Okay, done typing, going to go geek out now.

[donelgreeko]

Hi! :)

Where i found C.A.S.L. plugin?
Currently its not avaible, its still in progress...

@ kattkieru:
Thanks for your interest. Last time I asked for the beta-registrations to get information, how many users are really interested in a python connection. The problem is, I had a hard-disk-crash after a few weeks. Thats the reason why I deleted the entry on xpresso24.com for a while.

In 3 weeks I have some exams. After that I will release an official beta version...

I would like to release it, when I think its stable, but thanks for your offer - I will think about it.... Bye.

[georgedrakakis]

hi donelgreeko,
would it be possible to with the use of your plugin to run python scripts
and "change" the behavior of cinema4d lights into something more "technical"? (i.e. IES driven intensity/light distribution)?
thanks,
george

[donelgreeko]

@ georgedrakakis:

Hey :) Yes, it should be possible to do that. I don't know IES, but there should be no containment for that.

[IlaySHP]

Sebastian thanks for your work!
I saw a few pictires from SG2008, about that Rendermen[14] will support python.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/khar.khar/SK7MmzW4J-I/AAAAAAAABc8/KPz-ypyeXek/VE9V1587.JPG?imgmax=640
It will nice integration between not only renderer-engines

[mnu]

This Phyton thing looks really fantastic. Contgratulations!

Hope you'll finish it soon.

cheers mnu

[georgedrakakis]

Hey :) Yes, it should be possible to do that. I don't know IES, but there should be no containment for that.
that's good news!
i would definately give it a try.
i'll better do some searching about IES & .py until the public beta release.

[ngrava]

To freaking kool! I'm really jacked about this. I'm so glad this is finally happening. I have been into Python for years now.

In fact, I tried to do this very thing too. There is a feature of Py++ that allows you to expose any part of a C++ library to Python automatically. The problem was that I didn't even know what parts of the C4D SDK should be exported and what shouldn't. It was a disaster from the word go. :D I'm so glad you where able to get this to work!

On a side note, check out this Python editor for Blender: Blender Python editor (http://www.blendernation.com/2008/08/08/summer-of-code-python-editor-project/)
It would be great to see this kind of code completion in C4D too.

[donelgreeko]

Hi!

@ngrava:
Currently there is only the coffee editor. The automatic wrapper shouldn't work in this case, because you would get a lot of memory-leaks. How does the wrapper knows if Cinema4D owns the object. That shouldn't work.

[jackb602]

Thanks so much for the Cinelook plugin. I think it's a great idea, but it doesn't seem to always work. There are some models that I can now preview through the Finder, but others just give me a generic C4D icon. Is there anything in particular I need to do to make it generate the model previews?

Thanks,
Jack

[donelgreeko]

Hi!

Thanks for the report.
The first point: Only Cinema 4D Files can be shown.

Second point: What happens if you press the space bar when the icon is selected?


bye

[jackb602]

I think I know what's happening. I have Cinema installed in a folder called "3D" so the path is Applications>3D>Maxon>Cinema 4D. When I move the Maxon folder directly into the Applications folder, the previews are visible. When I put it back in the "3D" folder, they are no longer visible. Is there a way to tell CineLook where my C4D installation is located? The plugin is a great help.

Thanks,
Jack

[acmepixel]

I have found that Cinelook will not work with previous [older] versions of C4d scene files that have .xdl or earlier plugins. In other words, when you open the old scene in r10+ and get the warning dialog that lists the ''Missing Plugins", the Cinelook will balk. It doesn't seem to be able to get past that point (where the missing plugins dialog appears). The Content Browser will render a preview just fine but the Cinelook plugin needs some sort of function that would equate to a human clicking on the OK button to close that dialog in Cinema.

For example, the Cinelook plug won't render previews for an old r8.5 scene file that uses Jenna, DiTools, etc.. When opened, old plugin parts removed, and re-saved as an r10.5 scene file, Cinelook will render a preview.

[donelgreeko]

Hi jackb602,

for one of the next versions we want to integrate a settings-dialog where you can choose the path of Cinema 4D. Currently C4D has to be installed in the standard path.


acmepixel:
Oh, thats a good point to know, we didn't thought about this issue. I will try to fix that problem. Thanks.

[PresNevins]

for one of the next versions we want to integrate a settings-dialog where you can choose the path of Cinema 4D. Currently C4D has to be installed in the standard path.That's the highest priority for me. Once that's implemented then I can start using it.

Good luck! :thumbsup:

[acmepixel]

the 1.6 version does not work at all for me. when i select a c4d file, open a guicklook window [cmd-y], i get a ''processing'' anim, then a generic c4d icon. i deleted all the installed files, re-ran the new version again, but still no previews.


Update;
Seems that it does work. But not on network drives. When I dragged a c4d file to the desktop, the preview would render, just not on any networked drive folder. I don't understand why this would not work since I am logged in as the registered Admin user of the server as well as the Admin for the host machine.

[acmepixel]

Ah Ha! I found the problem. On my server disk folder in question, I have the folder named with a • [dot,[option-8]], a custom used since the early Mac days [1985+]. When a c4d file was dragged from this folder to the hard disk root, the preview was rendered.

I got a clue to this by looking in the -/Library/ApplicationSupport/C4DQuickLook/Volumes folder and the folder in question was prefixed with "%A5" instead of the • [dot] symbol.

Something else to fix, I guess.

[acmepixel]

Further developments;

On a whim, I renamed the miss-named folder [in the C4DQuickLook > Volumes Folder] back to it's proper name and the preview jpegs were then created in this folder as they should be, when the C4D file icon was clicked. [selected].

However, the preview Icons of the c4d files, themselves, would still remain generic and the QuickLook window will not display a preview, even though a jpeg is created. --but this only occurs with icons of files in the folder in question [on the server].-- As before, any c4d files in a folder path, with regular text names, will all render preview icons correctly.

Odd.

[donelgreeko]

Hi!

Currently we are updating the core of our OSX-Plugin and the C4D Plugin. I hope we can upload the update as soon as possible.

[acmepixel]

We appreciate all your hard work.

And to be clear; the current version IS WORKING, just fine. :D

The user just needs to avoid ''special'' characters when typing names of folders containing C4D files. It would be nice if this was addressed but as it is the product works as advertised.

It is an important part of my workflow now.
:thumbsup:

Note; So all-in-all I am delighted with the product. And pleasantly surprised that it works on remote server files running Tiger. I forgot to mention that the server was not even running Leopard. :thumbsup:

[GruvDOne]

Couple of questions,

I don't read German, so I am having a little trouble with the PayPal page. Also, to that end, I do not, nor do I intend on ever having, a PayPal account. Your order page appears to want my PayPal login info. Is it possible to simply order it with my credit card?

Thanks,
Will

[kattkieru]

Any news on the python bindings, mate? I still really want this for my current project.

[donelgreeko]

Hi!

GruvDOne:
I am sorry, currently it's not possible to pay via credit card. I didn't know that the paypal page was on german, I thought it has an automatic language detection.

I changed it to english now :)


kattkieru:
Thank your for your interest in the python connection, but I wouldn't bet that casl is good enough for real project. I have to fix two inegration parts, then I will release an alpha versionfor mac/win 32/64

Bye

[IlaySHP]

kattkieru:
Thank your for your interest in the python connection, but I wouldn't bet that casl is good enough for real project. I have to fix two inegration parts, then I will release an alpha versionfor mac/win 32/64

Bye

Excellent... :drool::buttrock:

[kattkieru]

kattkieru:
Thank your for your interest in the python connection, but I wouldn't bet that casl is good enough for real project. I have to fix two inegration parts, then I will release an alpha version for mac/win 32/64

"Good enough" is a relative term. If I can create and move joints, create and move Null objects, create spline objects, and query object names, I'll be happy. More than anything I want it to speed up some complex rigging tasks I have on my plate, and COFFEE just doesn't cut it. Ideally I'd like to be able to create and modify constraints, but if that's not in the alpha I'll still be happy.

So I'm waiting patiently. Don't leave us hanging too long! ^_^/

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