I just haven't encountered this yet:

def func(self):

self.func()

But that works. :)

The docs for the Cinema 4D Python interface are a bit rough around the edges.  Some of the methods are shown as this.func(self) whereas other are simply this.func2().  Might be lax documentation.  And () is acceptable in the other ten languages I know so... :D

Thanks. :)

I tried that and it said '''the function' takes exactly 1 argument (2 given)". ;)

And these are existing class functions in the 'SDK' not my own.  I might be a Python newbie but I understand how this works from learning and example.

ETA: Oh, I see.  So each function in the class needs to be like: def init(self):
and the call self.init().  So much for that.  Hey, I'm just at Classes in "Learning Python" but I want to get a more recent book.  This self. self. self. stuff may drive me insane. :)

Avoid the Schildt!! ;)  Good reference.  No good for programming in C++.  Go to Amazon and get a list of recommended books for beginners in C++ (there will be many).  Eventually get "Effective C++ Third Edition" when you have some experience. :)

I found C++ atrociously difficult back in the late 90s (coming from C/BASIC/Assembler/LISP/Pascal 'procedural' languages).  The books, standard, and STL have improved significantly since.  I went to Java first (for a taste of REAL OOP) because of that first impression and it made the later transition to C++ a lot smoother.

The key to programming in almost any language (I have a dozen or more under my belt) is understanding the underlying programming paradigms.  If you understand something about memory management and how that works (even for a language that handles it for you), boolean algebra, functions and data (and objects for OOP), realize that everything in the end is Binary!, branch conditions, and a few other fundamentals then you can easily adapt to any new language you need to learn.  After that it is all about varied syntaxes and semantics.

There is indeed a new plugin for Cinema 4D that adds Python support but so far it is acting a bit weird and needs more fleshing out of the Cinema 4D support.  For the weird part, an example (ignore lack of indentations):

class ...
def init():
...
def somefunc():
self.init()

I get an error about the function taking no arguments but one is included.  Where? ;)  So there is some work to be done.  This has been a monumental task for the developer but my verdict is that it isn't quite ready for indepth Python scripting in Cinema 4D.  My idea was to take the COFFEE example plugins and turn them into Python plugins but there have been too many omissions and issues to do more than three very basic GUI ones.

Quote - And it's very simple to wrap C/C++ code in a python library using SWIG. PoserPhysics was done that way, and in a similar fashion it shouldn't be very hard to take for example a 3rd party render engine that has a C++ SDK and turn it into a Poser Python plugin.

Exactly.  Therefore, if you want more power from Poser Python and have the C++ capabilities, it is possible.

That's why I said 'sort of'. ;)

Python is for building plugins for Poser.  Yes, it's scripting but so is COFFEE in C4D (and you can build plugins with it).  Actually, Python is like Java - it runs bytecode.  You really don't want C++ or something like that.  Yes, it's faster compiled code but you also have to have the systems (Windows 32, Windows 64, MacOS X), tools (Visual Studio, CodeWarrior, Xcode), and knowledge of how to use them (which can get complex at times).  It takes a good bit of expense and time as well.

What would be the viable alternative to Python then?

Robert

Quote - You know what I'd love to see? A fully fledged SDK available to independent developers.

There sort of is.  But it starts at $10K (which is why everyone paid so much for Reiss Studio's BodyStudio).  Poser Python is a better idea but it needs cajones. :)

operaguy: The reason there are no tangents on the animation spline interpolation is that the type of spline being used is C2 continuous.  That is, the tangents are autocorrected across the entire spline.  To introduce tangent editing would require a different type of spline (C0 or C1 continuous) and would not be easily reconciled with the other type.  I know as I tried to do exactly this in Cinema 4D!  It uses C0 continuous splines (meaning that the tangents on either side of each point are independent) and there was no equivocable formulas to match the C2 tangents with the C4D tangent attributes in a way that resulted in identical curves.  At least, I couldn't find any useful information on how to resolve it.  So, if they were to introduce tangent editing into the Poser animation spline interpolation it would either need to be a fourth interpolation choice or exactly match the current spline interpolation so as not to break all previous animations using spline interpolation.

And I agree as well (if we need a consensus or something).

I'd love to know how the hell they are turning weight maps into twist-bars, bend-angles, and spherical falloff zones (which, outside of D|S would be absolutely necessary as Poser no comprendo 'weight maps')!  Going the other way, easy.  Going from weights to procedural (and interdependently complex) inclusion/exclusion/falloff regions is another story completely.

As it says in "Secrets of Figure Creation with Poser 5", the Base acts as a surrogate for the points being 'selected' by the Zone object and deformed by the Magnet.  The Magnet's relationship to the Base is what matters most.  But the Base's relationship to the points does have an effect on rotation of the Magnet about the Base - it acts as the center of rotation!  Otherwise, it doesn't matter what orientation the Base takes with respect to the points.

Any of the magnet parts may have an effect but the most influential is the magnet itself (in relation to the base).  For the zone, it must surround the area to be affected and be set to the prop, body part, or some group.

Yes, you'll need to have the hair selected.

Quote - thank you for your reply(I think)
but that is not much help as it dose not change the cursor in poser on the preview screen.
It may be my fault, I am talking about the editing tools cursors, they are grey on grey.
Dose anyone know if I can make it darker or even a differant colour?

As far as I know, there is no control over the cursors used by Poser.

How thick your glasses? ;P  I have 1920x1200 (x2) and only lose the cursor once in a while.  I used to have a CRT at 2048x1536 and still not so bad.  But I use 3D Bronze.

In Windows, go to Control Panel:Mouse.  On the Pointers tab, there is a drop-down with some Large and Extra Large cursor options.  You may be able to find some cursor packages to add with a bit more 'pizazz' than black or white while also being larger.  There is also an option to announce the location of the cursor in the Mouse settings on the "Pointer Options" tab.

If there are no morphs/'morph magnets' to cover this, then using a magnet or JP bulge settings are two possible solutions.  Unfortuantely, Poser's rigging/skinning isn't sophisticated enough to act like muscle deformers or do collisions to avoid interpenetration of polygons.

Is "Use External Binary Morph Targets" enabled in Poser's Preferences?

Also, watch where you save files in Vista and MacOS Leopard - the Applications folder is READ-only for data.

It's not really changing the keys.  Poser uses a continuous spline which adopts over the entire spline when new keys are added or keys change in value.  So the spline changes over frames between keys according to the spline interpolation, yes.

As Phil stated, that's the way to go