Solved TagData plugin to "return" Vertex map?

I'm curious and nobody yet could answer me (even Donovan Keith doesn't know) - how to make a tag which can be used as a vertex map where the usual vertex map is applicable? Yeah, you can modify an existing map for sure, but it's not the way I wish to go
Is it possible?

hi,

even if you can drag any object on the VertexMap Shader (witch is kind of a bug), in the Output function it will check if it's a VertexColor or a VertexMap.

if (mTag && (mTag->IsInstanceOf(Tvertexcolor) || mTag->IsInstanceOf(Tvertexmap)))

For other case it does nothing.

I don't see the benefice of creating a generator ? What's your idea ?
But VertexMap shader is one case where it's not going to work, i didn't checked other cases.

Cheers,
Manuel

Hi,

unfortunately this is not possible, at least in the classic API. But I agree, that it can result in some rather clunky interface design when you want to generate VariableTag data problematically. With the maxon API there are mesh attributes and the CustomDataTag type which are somewhat the replacement and abstraction of VariableTag and also can be implemented by plugin authors (on the C++ side), but I think that they cannot act in place of a vertex map tag (yet).

Cheers,
zipit

hi,

For your next threads, please help us keeping things organised and clean. I know it's not your priority but it really simplify our work here.

• Q&A New Functionality.
• How to Post Questions especially the tagging part.

I've added the tags and marked this thread as a question so when you considered it as solved, please change the state

To answer your question this is not possible. For example the Shader where you drag and drop the vertex map (or the color vertex tag) is checking the type of the object you are dragging. So you will not be able to drag your own.

The way to go is to have a link to a vertex map and update it.

Cheers,
Manuel

Oh, that's sad..
Thanks for answers
Does this extrapolates to all the aspects? For instance, can I make a generator/deformer which would "return" PointObject?

Sorry I forgot tags

@intenditore said in TagData plugin to "return" Vertex map?:

Oh, that's sad..
Thanks for answers
Does this extrapolates to all the aspects? For instance, can I make a generator/deformer which would "return" PolygonObject?

Hi,

generators and deformers are the same plugin type (ObjectData). I am not quite sure what your question is. A generator, i.e. an ObjectData plugin which has been registered with the flag OBJECT_GENERATOR has to overwrite GetVirtualObjects(for returning polygon data) or GetContour (for returning spline data). When an ObjectData plugin is registered with OBJECT_MODIFIER, you have to overwrite one of the Modify methods to modify whatever you want to modify. While you can technically register a plugin with multiple flags, I somehow doubt that Cinema will allow you to let an object act both as a deformer and a generator at the same time. But I haven't tried.

Cheers,
zipit

hi,

even if you can drag any object on the VertexMap Shader (witch is kind of a bug), in the Output function it will check if it's a VertexColor or a VertexMap.

if (mTag && (mTag->IsInstanceOf(Tvertexcolor) || mTag->IsInstanceOf(Tvertexmap)))

For other case it does nothing.

I don't see the benefice of creating a generator ? What's your idea ?
But VertexMap shader is one case where it's not going to work, i didn't checked other cases.

Cheers,
Manuel

@m_magalhaes said in TagData plugin to "return" Vertex map?:

I don't see the benefice of creating a generator ? What's your idea ?

actually it was another idea with the same concept behind - I wanted to make kingda "edit poly" modifier, so generator must have been behaving like a poly object. But now I see it's not possible...

Thanks for all the help!

hi,

can we set that thread to solved ? (even if the answer is negative :p)

Cheers,
Manuel

Yeah, sure)