Status of C.O.F.F.E.E. documentation?

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On 23/03/2003 at 01:46, xxxxxxxx wrote:

User Information:
Cinema 4D Version:   8.1 
Platform:      
Language(s) :   C.O.F.F.E.E  ;

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Hi,

gosh, this very frustrating :-(

All I want to do is to write a simple little helper plugin manipulating just 2 polygons. The functional code is just about 20 lines. To pack that into a COFFEE plugin shouldn't last longer than 1 hour considered that I'm fluent with a couple of programming languages including C++. Well, maybe a little more, but certainly not 2 days. I had the base structure for the pluggin up and running within half an hour, but now I'm really stuck with a serious lack of documentaion.

The examples given are sometimes plain wrong even for classes like BaseSelect, the whole documentation is only available online and seems not exactly up to date. AFAISee there's not a single example available for stuff like checking selections, or even handle them.

If someone could point me to good (or even bad) examples I would appreciate it, though I'll certainly not code anymore today (Sunday)

Is this ever going to change - and when? The docs are a *JOKE* when it comes to selections. Seriously: How should anybody (take programming and 3D experience for granted) find the way to the neccessary info bits? Where's the "code map" for this?

</rant>

Kabe

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On 23/03/2003 at 08:57, xxxxxxxx wrote:

AFAIK the COFFEE docs haven't changed since XL6. Under XL7 this didn't affect COFFEE much, however, under R8, the core of C4D has changed, which can mean some areas of COFFEE do not work as they used to under XL6/7, it has not itself changed (COFFEE is the same), but the way C4D works has changed.
You say you are fluent in C++, why are you then using COFFEE!? The C++ SDK is faster, easier (for anyone good a C++) and more powerful, plus completely to date with reference docs also.
COFFEE will be updated, the docs will get updated, but not dates are set. For many uses XPresso is now the tool to use for the non-programmer, and if you do know C++, then the C++ SDK is a much better solution.

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On 23/03/2003 at 13:05, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Well, first thanks a lot for the info!

Why COFFEE? Well, partly because I'd like to avoid the hassle of upgrading my CW6 system that's perfectly does it's job for me - yeah, coder are lazy people, and I tend to work with my systems instead of constantly upgrading them ;-)

Beside this a text editor is *always* available, and for a quick hack it shouldn't matter anyway. It also takes me longer to fire up the CW IDE than to make a little change in a text file....

XPresso is nice, but you can't create MenuPlugins with it - right? So it doesn't fill the documentation gap for me.
For me it sometimes feels a bit awkward, as everything needs so much space :-)

Cheers

Kabe

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On 24/03/2003 at 13:40, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Thank's to Kabe
Thank's to him to say load wath evry body think..
and imagine the trouble of pepoles who ar'nt king on C++ (like me)

please Update COFFEE doc!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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On 24/03/2003 at 13:54, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Hi Platane,

just a pointer to an English version of probably the best examples I've found until now, the tutorials of H.G.Seibs:

COFFEE tutorial

Personally my biggest "brain knot" was to realize that GetActiveObject(doc) gives you access to the currently selected objects including their parameters, data, selections etc.

But still, without help from people here and some tutorials I probably would have given up...

Kabe

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On 05/04/2003 at 02:06, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Hi,
I'm also wondering about the situation of COFFEE docs.
Now we have COFFEE node in XPresso, so we'd have more chance to use COFFEE.
COFFEE doesn't seem to be modified from R6/7, but effectively it has been surely changed.
For example, in R8 we cannot use 'PrimitiveObject' as a class, and instead of this we have to use directly, e.g., 'CubeObject', or something like this.
Furthermore, some items in the container have been lost, or confused, e.g., we cannot get information about PRIM_CONE_HEIGHT with GetData() in objects other than Cone (that is, Cylinder, Capsule and Oiltank). No PRIM_CYLINDER_HEIGHT in 'R8' COFFEE, though C++SDK uses this.
I think something confused. And this needs a new doc for the current COFFEE.

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On 07/04/2003 at 09:34, xxxxxxxx wrote:

You 're absolutely right, several lacks and bugs in C.O.F.F.E.E. /R8 must be removed. I can't imagine to switch to C++/SDK, since the portability advantage of C.O.F.F.E.E. gets lost.
I'm not interested in compiling and maintaining  a Mac and a PC Version of my plugins...
XPresso isn't really a solution, because there is no access to GUI Dialogs and to the Filesystem. You can't even create new objects in XPresso R8... :-(
So, i hope to see a better C.O.F.F.E.E. in the next service release....

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On 07/04/2003 at 10:22, xxxxxxxx wrote:

I COMPLETE AGREE!! I'm not coder too but I have already done several plug-ins in COFFEE. The last (and only) compiler I bought was Symantec Think C 5.0 (over 10 years ago) and I'm not going to spend any money buying a new one now. Hey! I'm a designer, not a coder.
So, I love to be able to code in my faithful BBEdit. And I also love that COFFEE will serve for Mac and PC without changes.
So, PLEASE, pretty PLEASE (with a cherry on the top) update COFFEE documentation. We really need it.

Rui Batista

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On 26/08/2003 at 07:35, xxxxxxxx wrote:

does anyone have information on the state of coffee documentation? is it forthcoming?
is it already here and i have missed it?

there is plenty of documentation on xpresso and c++ is this a sign that maxon is dropping the middle ground?