Modal keymap customization from an addon is not restored properly #60766

System Information
Operating system: Win10
Graphics card: nVidia Quadro 600

Blender Version
Broken: 2.80 (sub 41), branch: master, commit date: 2019-01-22 16:54, hash: 25889423d3
Worked: unsure

Short description of error
It seems that if an addon makes a customization to a modal keymap, this customization only works until you restart blender. After restart, the keymap is not restored properly (left blank) and the only way to fix is to disable/re-enable the addon again.

Exact steps for others to reproduce the error

Install and Enable the attached .py addon
- It adds a modal keymap for circle select (makes it so that circle select is active only if you hold down the C key)
Save Preferences
Notice that things work correctly. Circle select is only active while holding down the C key
Restart blender
Notice the keymap no longer works. Check the keymap in user preferences and notice that the new entry is actually blanked out

init.py

Added subscriber: @rboxman

#66655 was marked as duplicate of this issue

#62745 was marked as duplicate of this issue

blender/blender-addons#63221 was marked as duplicate of this issue

blender/blender-addons#59113 was marked as duplicate of this issue

Added subscribers: @domlysz, @Jayanam

Added subscriber: @Symstract

Added subscribers: @JoseConseco, @brecht

Added subscriber: @RainerTrummer

The same issue happens when you define a complete new tool with a shortcut using bl_keymap. On first Add-on activation, the shortcut works. On restarting Blender, it is non-functional. But if you reload all scripts while Blender is still running, the shortcut works again. I have used this class from the Templates to verify this behavior:

bl_info = {
    "name": "Shortcutter",
    "author": "Bug Reporter",
    "version": (1, 0),
    "blender": (2, 80, 0),
}

import bpy
from bpy.types import WorkSpaceTool

class MyTool(WorkSpaceTool):
    bl_space_type='VIEW_3D'
    bl_context_mode='OBJECT'

    # The prefix of the idname should be your add-on name.
    bl_idname = "my_template.my_circle_select"
    bl_label = "My Circle Select"
    bl_description = (
        "This is a tooltip\n"
        "with multiple lines"
    )
    bl_icon = "ops.generic.select_circle"
    bl_widget = None
    bl_keymap = (
        ("view3d.select_circle", {"type": 'LEFTMOUSE', "value": 'PRESS'},
         {"properties": [("wait_for_input", False)]}),
        ("view3d.select_circle", {"type": 'LEFTMOUSE', "value": 'PRESS', "ctrl": True},
         {"properties": [("mode", 'SUB'), ("wait_for_input", False)]}),
    )

    def draw_settings(context, layout, tool):
        props = tool.operator_properties("view3d.select_circle")
        layout.prop(props, "mode")
        layout.prop(props, "radius")


def register():
    bpy.utils.register_tool(MyTool, after={"builtin.scale_cage"}, separator=True, group=True)

def unregister():
    bpy.utils.unregister_tool(MyTool)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    register()

Added subscriber: @hlorus

Added subscriber: @MizManFryinPan

Added subscribers: @mano-wii, @ideasman42

Is this something that's on the ToDo list for 2.81 already? Or is there a workaround for it? Not being able to have modifier keys for custom tools limits the use quite a bit.

Added subscriber: @chaos-4

Added subscriber: @artoonick

Added subscriber: @Khemadeva

Added subscriber: @xdanic

Added subscriber: @cyso

Added subscriber: @TedNielsen

Added subscriber: @testure

Added subscriber: @nosaka

Added subscriber: @derksen

when will solve this problem? I can't advance because of it in my development

Hi @derksen , if you are looking for a workaound for the problem of custom tools not working on Blender restart, you will find it in addons/mesh_snap_utilities_line/init.py
A simplified version of it is in: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Shriinivas/blenderbezierutils/master/blenderbezierutils.py
(Essentially, you would need to register the tool and keymap in some roundabout way)

@Khemadeva (Shrinivas) , thanks, I'll try this for the instrument. What about saving the shortcuts in the settings addon? that doesn't work either

@derksen Maybe there is also an option for saving the shortcuts in the workaround. Just check keys.py in snap utilities.
I am an add-on developer and faced the same issue in my tool. I got the pointer about this workaround from one of the users (thanks @nosaka).

Added subscriber: @bblanimation

Added subscriber: @zgorg

I think this is a high priority subject around keys save and more clear information about this
I tried to modify a key and at the same add another one. I had to change addon_keymaps to user_keymaps = - [ ] but I could not register the other shortcut at the same time so I put user_keymaps in the settings too and I get back and all the default keys in mesh of all maps were erased. I had a save. but doing this because my shortcut was never registred. I see kmi.active=True on old scripts but I never found an explanation. some people use timers other handlers and I saw an update on a property from addon pref. why to go there? well I'm still a noob but it's not possible to improve this to be more easy to use? I think this is a priority as the fact to have new keys in new versions added to own keys config. I don't show the answer of Brecht about this again...I saw a script to find duplicates that's a good begining

This comment was removed by @zgorg

Added subscriber: @xiwei

Added subscriber: @lichtwerk

This looks like it could use some attention? (will dare setting to High prio...)

Added subscriber: @maxivazquez

Added subscriber: @ivpe

I think problem hidden here

 \blender-2.82-e5b788bad8bc-windows64\2.82\scripts\modules\bpy\utils\__init__.py

    # Convert the class into a ToolDef.
    def tool_from_class(tool_cls):
        # Convert class to tuple, store in the class for removal.
        tool_def = ToolDef.from_dict({
            "idname": tool_cls.bl_idname,
            "label": tool_cls.bl_label,
            "description": getattr(tool_cls, "bl_description", tool_cls.__doc__),
            "icon": getattr(tool_cls, "bl_icon", None),
            "cursor": getattr(tool_cls, "bl_cursor", None),
            "widget": getattr(tool_cls, "bl_widget", None),
            "keymap": getattr(tool_cls, "bl_keymap", None),
            "data_block": getattr(tool_cls, "bl_data_block", None),
            "operator": getattr(tool_cls, "bl_operator", None),
            "draw_settings": getattr(tool_cls, "draw_settings", None),
            "draw_cursor": getattr(tool_cls, "draw_cursor", None),
        })
        tool_cls._bl_tool = tool_def

        keymap_data = tool_def.keymap
        if keymap_data is not None:
            if context_mode is None:
                context_descr = "All"
            else:
                context_descr = context_mode.replace("_", " ").title()
            from bpy import context
            wm = context.window_manager
            kc = wm.keyconfigs.default  #  <-------------------------<-----------------------< HERE
            if callable(keymap_data[0]):
                cls._km_action_simple(kc, context_descr, tool_def.label, keymap_data)
        return tool_def

I've tested it with kc = wm.keyconfigs.user, everything work's well.
API: keyconfigs.default
API: keyconfigs.user

Added subscriber: @Lambdadelta

If it's so, then one line in function unregister_tool *(scripts\modules\bpy\utils_init_.py)*should be changed same way from

kc = wm.keyconfigs.default

to
kc = wm.keyconfigs.user
otherwise addon will throw error when you deactivate it

Added subscriber: @yursiv

Added subscriber: @lobnico

@Lambdadelta
All good for now, thanks for quick workaround

Tested the fix provided by @Lambdadelta and can confirm this works! Attatching a diff for merging in case one of the devs wants to use it.

workspace_tool_fix.diff

Added subscriber: @karmaral

Added subscriber: @SpectreFirst

I want to bump this, since fix seems to be really so simple (one line of code). @ideasman42

Added subscriber: @RayMairlot

Added subscriber: @LucaRood-3

Added subscriber: @vitorbalbio-3

Added subscriber: @ckohl_art

Changed status from 'Confirmed' to: 'Needs User Info'

As far as I can see this is working as expected.

The default key-map is not saved in preferences, this is used unless customizations have been made.
The preferences key-map is saved, this is only for the user to edit via the key-map editor.

So it's correct for the tool to load a keymap to the 'default' keymap, allowing the user to overlay changes to this in the 'user' keymap.

If registering tools writes into the user keymap, there is no way for users to make changes ontop of the default.

Keeping this open in case there is a use-case I'm missing here. Otherwise I think this can be closed.

Most likely this is something that should be documented in more detail.

Hmm, I'm not sure I follow completely. How would you implement the issue described in the original part of the report where I want to enable circle select only while I'm holding down the C key. Or are you saying that such a thing cannot be done within an addon?

This works in my script that's attached but only until I restart blender. Once I restart it looks like my saved keymap has been overwritten and I have to manually reload the addon for it to be brought back.

I can reproduce this by adding a bl_info dictionary to the Ui Tool Simple template and registering it as an addon as @RainerTrummer pointed out.

The next time i start blender and activate the tool i get following error in the console:
WARN (wm.keymap): /home/david/blender-git/blender/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_keymap.c:469 WM_keymap_poll: empty keymap '3D View Tool: Object, My Circle Select'

After running the "Reload Scripts" operator that error won't show up and the tool works as expected again.

If so, "bl_keymap" should be removed from WorkSpaceTool.
A setting that disappears on reboot makes no sense and will only mislead add-on developers.

Changed status from 'Needs User Info' to: 'Archived'

Committed e8dd96516c with disallows extending modal keymaps as it's not the intended use of add-on keymaps - which is to allow adding short-cuts which call operators defined by the add-ons.

Using add-on keymaps to customize existing modal key-maps basically worked in some cases by accident.

Disabling this as it's a customization which can be made by the keymap editor.

@nosaka, issues with WorkSpaceTool keymaps should be reported separately since it's not related to modal keymaps.

@ideasman42
The Issue described in #66655 (which was merged with this Task) still persist. Looks like it is a separate issue and should be reopened.

Re-opening tasks that were closed as duplicate, I'll look into those since they aren't related to modal key-maps.

Added subscriber: @stjerneidioten

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Modal keymap customization from an addon is not restored properly #60766