Updating Tool Settings?

Hi,

I'm currently porting a COFFEE script to Python and it seems that accessing/updating tool settings is much more complicated in Python than COFFEE.

I initially tried something like:

active_tool = doc.GetActiveToolData()
active_tool[c4d.MDATA_AXIS_MODE] == 8  # Free Axis Mode
c4d.EventAdd()

But it had no effect. I eventually found my way to this post which led me to a solution like this:

def tool():
    """Retrieves the currently active tool. Doing so allows you to modify tool settings
    unlike GetActiveToolData()"""
    
    active_tool_id = doc.GetAction()
    if not active_tool_id:
        return
    
    active_tool = c4d.plugins.FindPlugin(active_tool_id, c4d.PLUGINTYPE_TOOL)
    
    return active_tool

def main():
    """Switch from Free Mode to Axis mode and vice/versa.
    """
    
    active_tool = tool()
    if active_tool is None:
        return

    active_tool[c4d.MDATA_AXIS_MODE] == 8  # Free Axis Mode
    c4d.EventAdd()

Questions / Requests

1. QUESTION: Is there a way of knowing when I should change settings with ActiveToolData() vs having to find an instance of the tool/plugin itself?
2. IDEA: Please add a section to the docs on how to update tool settings.
3. IDEA: Please add a helper function like tool() to the API for accessing the currently active tool, the present method is a bit convoluted for something people will want to do so frequently.

Thank you,

Donovan Keith

Hello,

which tool do you actually want to configure?

best wishes,
Sebastian