using node.parm().clickButton() without UI

[tom.vujnovic]

I'm trying to python script maya->houdini transfer script via alembic.
I've sorted out most of kinks, but there is one hurdle that's giving me a headache for days now ...
I have to use alembicArchive because I need node tree.

In script I create a alembicArchive node, set all params as desired and execute aNode.parm("buildHierarchy").pressButton()

While I was testing this in houdini's python shell pane everything worked great.

Once I left houdini UI and went to python I can't generate subtree. I need that because I need to assign shaders and some other things before I save a file.

I tried to force cook node (aNode.cook(force=true)) but it didn't solve it.

Any ideas how to force this node to rebuild hierarchy?

thanks.

edit:
of course that i meant pressButton() method instead clickButton … lapsus.
Also I found that I can call calback script on this button (item.hdamodule().BuildHierarchyRoot(item)) or do i via hscript's “opparm -c” but that also does not work without UI … so I'm still on square one.
I know that there is a possibility to build alembic hierarchy myself, but I would like to avoid that if possible.

tom.

Edited January 1, 2019 by tom.vujnovic
updated info

[anim]

seems to work for me, this was executed in hython process run from command line

aa = hou.node("/obj").createNode('alembicarchive')
aa.parm('fileName').set("default.abc")
print("Has UI: {}".format( hou.isUIAvailable() ))
print("Subnet Content before update: {}".format( aa.children() ))
aa.parm('buildHierarchy').pressButton()
print("Subnet Content after update: {}".format( aa.children() ))

output

Has UI: False
Subnet Content before update: ()
Subnet Content after update: (<hou.ObjNode of type alembicxform at /obj/alembicarchive1/gabc>,)

 

[tom.vujnovic]

Hi Tomas, thanks for answer ...

It's soooo wierd ...

You are right, when I execute those commands in python shell they work as expected. But when I execute script in same shell it does nothing.

This is part of script that is handling import into houdini ...

tempTime = time.clock()
print "Importing into Houdini ... ",
m = hou.node("/obj").createNode("alembicarchive", ns[1:],run_init_scripts=True, load_contents=True, exact_type_name=False)
# m.parm("fileName").set(os.path.normpath(os.path.join(abcPath, ns[1:] + '.abc')))
print "Node",m.name()
m.parm("fileName").set("$HIP/../anim/sceneABCexport/"+ns[1:]+'.abc')
print("Subnet Content before update: {}".format(m.children()))
m.parm('buildHierarchy').pressButton()
print("Subnet Content after update: {}".format(m.children()))
# hou.hscript("opparm -c /obj/"+str(ns[1:])+" buildHierarchy")
# m.hdaModule().BuildHierarchyRoot(m)
# m.parm("buildHierarchy").pressButton()
# m.parm("buildHierarchy").eval()
# m.cook(force=True,frame_range=(1001,1001))
m.moveToGoodPosition()
print "done. ("+str(time.clock() - tempTime)+" sec)"

No error, no warning ... just nothing :(((

(commented out are things that I've tried and didn't work)

This is output ...

Importing into Houdini ...  Node ttv_prop_oldsafe_rig_mr_MASTER
Subnet Content before update: ()
Subnet Content after update: ()
done. (0.00554966969401 sec)

Superstrange. I'm digging into it but still have no idea what is wrong.

Is there a chance that callbacks are executed in different thread and I have to wait (timer.sleep(100) or something) for .pressButton() to finish??

How I can find when it's done?

Edited January 3, 2019 by tom.vujnovic

[anim]

what does your $HIP evaluate to? In other words, does your fileName path:

"$HIP/../anim/sceneABCexport/"+ns[1:]+'.abc'

result in a valid path?

[tom.vujnovic]

No.

just found that.

It's weird combo of "\\" and "/" mixup between python and houdini internals.

I wouldn't mind that some Hou.Error was raised, like "File not found" or something.

For some reason while in python $HIP variable get wrong value.

I save my houdini scene to r"U:\projects\ttv\episodes\e408\work\sq010\sh070\Houdini" but $HIP gets reseted to "u:/"

After some experimentation, I found that houdini want to set $HIP to something like "U:projects tvepisodese408worksq010sh070Houdini" (notice space instead of \t - hou must interpret it as tab escape char :)))

I think I'm on right track now. Thanks a lot for initial push :)))

[tom.vujnovic]

hipFile='U:/projects/ttv/episodes/e408/work/sq010/sh070/Houdini'

Version 1:

print "before",
print hou.hscript('echo $HIP')
hou.hipFile.save(os.path.join(hipPath,"ttv_"+shotBaseName+"v001.hip"))
print "after",
print hou.hscript('echo $HIP')

output:

before ('U:/posterToolsBase/mayaScripts\n', '')
after ('U:/projects/ttv/episodes/e408/work/sq010/sh070\n', '')

Version 2:

print "before",
print hou.hscript('echo $HIP')
pa=os.path.join(hipPath,"ttv_"+shotBaseName+"v001.hip")
pa=pa.replace("\\","/")
hou.hipFile.save(pa)
print "after",
print hou.hscript('echo $HIP')

output:

before ('U:/posterToolsBase/mayaScripts\n', '')
after ('U:/projects/ttv/episodes/e408/work/sq010/sh070/Houdini\n', '')

WTF????

Where is Houdini folder gone in version 1?

in both versions .hip file is saved in correct location (in 'U:/projects/ttv/episodes/e408/work/sq010/sh070/Houdini' folder)

But it works now :))