Nodes: expose socket location to the Python API #117809

Damien Picard · 2024-02-04T16:52:33+01:00

Damien Picard commented

2024-02-04 16:52:33 +01:00

When writing Python scripts that change a node tree layout, it is
useful to have a way to get where the sockets are located in the node
tree*.

One drawback of this is that sockets' locations are stored in the
socket runtime structure, and are only computed when the node tree
is actually drawn on screen. This results in a property that is
useless in background mode, or when creating node trees in a
non-interactive context. This issue is documented in the property
description.

* One example is the Node Wrangler add-on, which includes a tool to
add reroute nodes next to a given node's outputs. It currently uses an
approximation, which typically results in misaligned reroutes.
Another example is the third-party Voronoi Linker add-on, which goes
so far as to use ctypes to access the C structure for the socket
runtime.

When writing Python scripts that change a node tree layout, it is useful to have a way to get where the sockets are located in the node tree*. One drawback of this is that sockets' locations are stored in the socket `runtime` structure, and are only computed when the node tree is actually drawn on screen. This results in a property that is useless in background mode, or when creating node trees in a non-interactive context. This issue is documented in the property description. \* One example is the Node Wrangler add-on, which includes a tool to add reroute nodes next to a given node's outputs. It currently uses an approximation, which typically results in misaligned reroutes. Another example is the third-party Voronoi Linker add-on, which goes so far as to use ctypes to access the C structure for the socket runtime. ------ ![image](/attachments/a75d5949-e000-45e4-98a5-8b82953bf57f)

image.png

112 KiB

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Damien Picard added the

Module

Nodes & Physics

label 2024-02-04 16:52:33 +01:00

Damien Picard added 1 commit 2024-02-04 16:52:44 +01:00

6c50fa66c9 Nodes: expose socket location to the Python API

When writing Python scripts that change a node tree layout, it is
useful to have a way to get where the sockets are located in the node
tree*.

One drawback of this is that sockets' locations are stored in the
socket `runtime` structure, and are only computed when the node tree
is actually drawn on screen. This results in a property that is
useless in background mode, or when creating node trees in a
non-interactive context. This issue is documented in the property
description.

* One example is the Node Wrangler add-on, which includes a tool to
add reroute nodes next to a given node's outputs. It currently uses an
approximation, which typically results in misaligned reroutes.
Another example is the third-party Voronoi Linker add-on, which goes
so far as to use ctypes to access the C structure for the socket
runtime.

Iliya Katushenock added this to the Nodes & Physics project 2024-02-04 16:55:54 +01:00

Iliya Katushenock added

and removed

labels 2024-02-04 16:55:59 +01:00

Hans Goudey commented

2024-02-14 16:45:04 +01:00

This was proposed twice before:

In short, I think this is too context dependent to expose in RNA, at least in this way.
The socket location could depend on settings in the node editor, or it might be innacurate after changes to node positions.

There are currently problems/bugs caused by storing the socket location per socket. It should really be stored per node editor per socket.

This was proposed twice before: - https://archive.blender.org/developer/differential/0012/0012695/index.html - https://archive.blender.org/developer/differential/0014/0014196/index.html In short, I think this is too context dependent to expose in RNA, at least in this way. The socket location could depend on settings in the node editor, or it might be innacurate after changes to node positions. There are currently problems/bugs caused by storing the socket location per socket. It should really be stored per node editor per socket.

Damien Picard commented

2024-02-14 18:50:14 +01:00

I see, thanks. Makes sense. I keep forgetting to search on Phabricator.

Damien Picard closed this pull request

2024-02-14 18:50:16 +01:00

ugorek commented

2024-02-14 20:59:50 +01:00

First-time contributor

(* ￣︿￣)

Pull request closed

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Nodes: expose socket location to the Python API #117809

Pull request closed