Plugin User Help [SOLVED]

On 01/02/2015 at 03:04, xxxxxxxx wrote:

User Information:
Cinema 4D Version:   13 -16 
Platform:   Windows  ; Mac  ;  Mac OSX  ; 
Language(s) :     C++  ;   PYTHON  ;

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I figured it would be neat to include some more user help for my plugins, something which i never attempted before. So

question 1: Is it possible to add some sort of bubble help popup when the mouse hovers over AM description elements?

question 2: Is it possible to add a custom page to Maxon's builtin help system?

Any other options that i didn't think about?

I tried to search but it is hard to find anything related. My main development is still on R13 but i'd like to know what can be done in higher version, too.

Thanks,
Michael

On 01/02/2015 at 06:25, xxxxxxxx wrote:

The bubble popup system in C4D is rather limited and useless.

Probably, but I simply put my plugin help/documentation into an html page system loaded into a dialog with an htmlcustomgui attached.  You could use a tabular page for access.  I use a hierarchical list (treeview) created from a file correlated with the html pages in my documentation to make access easier for the user.

On 02/02/2015 at 13:04, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Hi Michael,

Sorry, it's not possible to add a bubble help popup as you describe, nor is there any way to add a custom page to Maxon's help system.

However, you can request your own help delegate using RegisterPluginHelpDelegate.  The link to the SDK docs explains how it works in detail.  It will call a help delegate method on your object, but what it does exactly to show text is up to you.

Joey Gaspe
SDK Support Engineer

On 03/02/2015 at 00:48, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Thank you both Robert and Joey.

@Joey: Well this is pretty cool. Is it also possible to show plugin help pages in the c4d help browser?

As a side note: c4d_help.h seems to have sneaked into the docs in some version of R15 but i don't see it mentioned in the "What's new" sections.

On 03/02/2015 at 01:10, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Originally posted by xxxxxxxx

Thank you both Robert and Joey.

@Joey: Well this is pretty cool. Is it also possible to show plugin help pages in the c4d help browser?

As a side note: c4d_help.h seems to have sneaked into the docs in some version of R15 but i don't see it mentioned in the "What's new" sections.

- The support for this was added with the 15.057 update.
- You can't add the plugin help pages to the treeview in the help browser, as there no robust mechanism in place (yet) that would prevent (internal) ID collision or make sure your plugin help info would survive an online update of the docs.

Best regards,

Wilfried

On 03/02/2015 at 01:55, xxxxxxxx wrote:

If my memory serves me well there has been a PluginMessage for catching the "Show Help" action before?

On 03/02/2015 at 10:00, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Hi NiklasR,

In order to confirm, you'd have to be more precise about catching a 'Show Help' plugin message.  I took a look but couldn't find anything specific in the code.

Joey Gaspe
SDK Support Engineer

On 05/02/2015 at 02:57, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Nevermind! I see there there is a function to open the default web browser, too. This is good enough for me.

On 05/02/2015 at 07:18, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Hi Michael,

Thanks for confirming your issue is solved, I'll close the topic as such.

Joey Gaspe
SDK Support Engineer