Hi all,

Apologies for the delay, but only had time to revisit this issue this week.
So I found the solution and thought about posting here for other people. It's probably not the best one, but it works for me and I'm happy with the final results.

Like to thank Niklas, Scott and Riccardo for helping with this, as a lot of the information came from them, which I just adapted.
So this is developed to render with Octane, but you can change to whatever render settings you need.

"""
The script is a blend of techniques that I found to be working at the end.
It starts by getting all of the polygon object in the scene, iterating through each object and soloing it in a layer.
Creates the objects, camera, materials and render settings for the environment.
Focus the object first before calculating if all of the object is in the scene.
Because the camera has a target tag connected to a moving null that sits under each object is rendering, the position reaches a conclusion when object is inside the camera frame.
I didn't want to create a new thread to run the script as I prefer the user not be using cinema and let it run. We can't afford to have Cinema crashing at the same time.
"""

import c4d

def get_op(op, name):

    while op:
        if op.GetName() == name:

            return op

        get_op(op.GetDown(), name)
        op = op.GetNext()
        
def get_mat(op, name):

    while op:
        if op.GetName() == name:

            return op

        get_op(op.GetDown(), name)
        op = op.GetNext()
        
def get_op_type(op, name, lst):

    while op:
        if op.GetTypeName() == name:

            lst.append(op)

        get_op_type(op.GetDown(), name, lst)
        op = op.GetNext()

    return lst
        
def get_vp(op, name):

    while op:
        if op.GetName() == name:

            return op

        op = op.GetNext()
        
def create_obj(op_type, name):
    
    op = c4d.BaseObject(op_type)
    op.SetName(name)
    doc.InsertObject(op)
    
    return op

def create_render(doc):
    
    rd = c4d.documents.RenderData()
    doc.InsertRenderData(rd)
    doc.SetActiveRenderData(rd) 
    rd.SetName('Temp_BP')
    rd[c4d.RDATA_RENDERENGINE] = 1029525
    oct_render_vp = c4d.documents.BaseVideoPost(1029525)
    rd.InsertVideoPost(oct_render_vp)
    rd[c4d.RDATA_XRES] = 540
    rd[c4d.RDATA_YRES] = 540
    rd[c4d.RDATA_LOCKRATIO] = True
    rd[c4d.RDATA_FILMASPECT] = 1.0
    rd[c4d.RDATA_FRAMESEQUENCE] = 1
    rd[c4d.RDATA_FRAMERATE] = 24

    # Save
    rd[c4d.RDATA_GLOBALSAVE] = True
    rd[c4d.RDATA_SAVEIMAGE] = True
    rd[c4d.RDATA_FORMAT] = c4d.FILTER_PNG
    rd[c4d.RDATA_NAMEFORMAT] = 6
    rd[c4d.RDATA_FORMATDEPTH] = 1
    
    # Octane Renderer
    oct_render_vp[c4d.SET_PASSES_ENABLED] = False
    oct_render_vp[c4d.VP_UPDATE_MATERIALS_MODE] = False
    oct_render_vp[1013] = 0
    oct_render_vp[c4d.VP_BUFFER_TYPE] = 2
    
    oct_render_vp[c4d.VP_KERNEL_ENABLE] = True
    oct_render_vp[c4d.SET_DIRECT_MAXSAMPLES] = 1000
    oct_render_vp[c4d.SET_DIRECT_SPECDEPTH] = 3
    oct_render_vp[c4d.SET_DIRECT_AODIST] = 0.3
    oct_render_vp[c4d.SET_DIRECT_ALPHACHAN] = True
    oct_render_vp[c4d.SET_DIRECT_KEEPENV] = False
    oct_render_vp[c4d.SET_DIRECT_ADAPTIVE_SAMPLING] = True
    oct_render_vp[c4d.SET_DIRECT_ASAMP_EXP_EXPOSURE] = 1.0
    
    # Watermark
    watermark_vp = c4d.documents.BaseVideoPost(1025462)
    rd.InsertVideoPostLast(watermark_vp)
    watermark_vp[c4d.VP_WATERMARK_TEXT_ENABLE] = True
    watermark_vp[c4d.VP_WATERMARK_TEXT_SHOWLABELS] = False
    watermark_vp[c4d.VP_WATERMARK_TEXT_RENDERTIME] = False
    watermark_vp[c4d.VP_WATERMARK_TEXT_DATE] = False
    watermark_vp[c4d.VP_WATERMARK_TEXT_BG_OPACITY] = 1.0
    
    rd.Message(c4d.MSG_UPDATE)
    
    return (rd, watermark_vp)

def TestPointInFrame(pt, frame):
    
    return pt.x > frame['cl'] and pt.x < frame['cr'] and pt.y > frame['ct'] and pt.y < frame['cb']  
    
def CheckIfInView(cam, obj, doc):
    # Get the current BaseDraw  
    bd = doc.GetActiveBaseDraw()  
    safeFrame = bd.GetSafeFrame()  
        
    # Get the active object bouding box center and radius  
    
    box = [c4d.Vector() for x in xrange(8)]  
    points = [c4d.Vector() for x in xrange(8)]          
    
    
    rd = obj.GetRad()  
    mp = obj.GetMp()  
    
    # Build the active object bouding box  
    
    box[0] = c4d.Vector()  
    box[0].x = mp.x - rd.x  
    box[0].y = mp.y - rd.y  
    box[0].z = mp.z - rd.z  
    box[0] *= obj.GetMgn()  
    
    box[1] = c4d.Vector()  
    box[1].x = mp.x - rd.x  
    box[1].y = mp.y + rd.y  
    box[1].z = mp.y - rd.z  
    box[1] *= obj.GetMgn()  
    
    box[2] = c4d.Vector()  
    box[2].x = mp.x + rd.x  
    box[2].y = mp.y - rd.y  
    box[2].z = mp.y - rd.z  
    box[2] *= obj.GetMgn()  
    
    box[3] = c4d.Vector()  
    box[3].x = mp.x + rd.x  
    box[3].y = mp.y + rd.y  
    box[3].z = mp.y - rd.z  
    box[3] *= obj.GetMgn()  
    
    box[4] = c4d.Vector()  
    box[4].x = mp.x + rd.x  
    box[4].y = mp.y - rd.y  
    box[4].z = mp.z + rd.z  
    box[4] *= obj.GetMgn()  
    
    box[5] = c4d.Vector()  
    box[5].x = mp.x + rd.x  
    box[5].y = mp.y + rd.y  
    box[5].z = mp.y + rd.z  
    box[5] *= obj.GetMgn()  
    
    box[6] = c4d.Vector()  
    box[6].x = mp.x - rd.x  
    box[6].y = mp.y - rd.y
    box[6].z = mp.y + rd.z
    box[6] *= obj.GetMgn()  
    
    box[7] = c4d.Vector()  
    box[7].x = mp.x - rd.x
    box[7].y = mp.y + rd.y
    box[7].z = mp.y + rd.z
    box[7] *= obj.GetMgn()
    
    # Calculate bouding box coordinates in screen space  
    
    for i in xrange(len(box)):
      points[i] = bd.WS(box[i])  
    
    # Test if the current object is completely visible in the rendered safe frame  
    
    for i in xrange(len(points)):
      visible = TestPointInFrame(points[i], safeFrame)  
      if not visible:
          break  
        
    return visible

def escaped_pressed(bc=None):
    if bc is None:
        bc = c4d.BaseContainer()
        c4d.gui.GetInputEvent(c4d.BFM_INPUT_KEYBOARD, bc)
    return bc[c4d.BFM_INPUT_CHANNEL] == c4d.KEY_ESC

def main():
    
    doc = c4d.documents.GetActiveDocument()
    first_obj = doc.GetFirstObject()
    first_mat = doc.GetFirstMaterial()
    sku_layer = first_obj.GetLayerObject(doc)
    objs_lst = get_op_type(first_obj, 'Polygon', [])
    count_total = len(objs_lst)
    
    rs, water_vp = create_render(doc)
    
    cam = get_op(first_obj, 'Temp_Cam')
    bg = get_op(first_obj, 'BG')
    mat = get_mat(first_mat, 'BG_Mat')
    trg_null = get_mat(first_mat, 'Cam_Target')
    
    if cam == None:
        
        cam = create_obj(c4d.Ocamera, 'Temp_Cam')
        oct_cam_tag = cam.MakeTag(1029524)  # Octane Camera tag
        oct_cam_tag[c4d.OCTANECAMERA_ENABLE_IMAGER] = True
        oct_cam_tag[c4d.OCTANECAMERA_PREMALPHA] = True
        trg_tag = cam.MakeTag(c4d.Ttargetexpression)
        
        if trg_null == None:
            
            trg_null = create_obj(c4d.Onull, 'Cam_Target')
            trg_tag[c4d.TARGETEXPRESSIONTAG_LINK] = trg_null
        
    if bg == None:
        
        bg = create_obj(c4d.Obackground, 'BG')
        tex_tag = bg.MakeTag(c4d.Ttexture)
        
        if mat == None:
            
            mat = c4d.BaseMaterial(1029501)
            mat.SetName('BG_Mat')
            shader = c4d.BaseList2D(1011100)
            shader[c4d.SLA_GRADIENT_TYPE] = 2002  # Type 2D - Diagonal
            grad = shader[c4d.SLA_GRADIENT_GRADIENT]
            grad.FlushKnots()
            k1 = grad.InsertKnot(col=c4d.Vector(0.5, 0.5, 0.5), pos=0.25, index = 0)
            k2 = grad.InsertKnot(col=c4d.Vector(0.25, 0.25, 0.25), pos=0.75, index= 1)
            shader[c4d.SLA_GRADIENT_GRADIENT] = grad
            mat[c4d.OCT_MATERIAL_DIFFUSE_LINK] = shader
            mat.InsertShader(shader)
            mat.Message(c4d.MSG_UPDATE)  # Update the material changes  
            mat.Update(True, True)  # Update the material's icon image  
            doc.InsertMaterial(mat)
            tex_tag.SetMaterial(mat)
        
    bd = doc.GetActiveBaseDraw()
    bd.SetSceneCamera(cam)
    
    root_layer = doc.GetLayerObjectRoot()
    child_layer = root_layer.GetDown()
    layer = None
    
    while child_layer:
        
        if child_layer.GetName() == 'Temp_Layer':
            
            layer = child_layer
            break
                
        child_layer = child_layer.GetNext()
    
    if not layer:
        
        layer = c4d.documents.LayerObject()
        layer.SetName('Temp_Layer')
        layer.InsertUnder(root_layer)
    
    cam.SetLayerObject(layer)
    bg.SetLayerObject(layer)
    hdri = get_op(first_obj, 'HDRI')
    hdri.SetLayerObject(layer)
    
    subd_lst = get_op_type(first_obj, 'Subdivision Surface', [])
    
    for subd in subd_lst:
    
        subd.SetLayerObject(layer)

    if not objs_lst:
        
        c4d.gui.MessageDialog('No polygon objects in the scene!')
        c4d.StatusSetText('No polygon objects in the scene!')
        return False
    
    for count, obj in enumerate(objs_lst[:10], start=1):
        
        rad_x = obj.GetRad().x * 2
        rad_y = obj.GetRad().y * 2
        rad_z = obj.GetRad().z * 2
        
        water_vp[c4d.VP_WATERMARK_TEXT_CUSTOM_TEXT] = 'Dimensions(cm): (H){0:.2f} x (W){1:.2f} x (D){2:.2f}'.format(rad_x, rad_y, rad_z)
        
        trg_null.Remove()
        trg_null.InsertUnder(obj)
        doc.SetActiveObject(obj)
        obj.SetLayerObject(layer)
        obj.SetRenderMode(c4d.MODE_ON)
        layer_data = layer.GetLayerData(doc)
        layer_data['solo'] = True
        layer.SetLayerData(doc,layer_data)
        doc.ChangeNBit(c4d.NBIT_SOLO_LAYER, c4d.NBITCONTROL_SET)
        c4d.CallCommand(12151)
        doc.SetActiveObject(None)
        cam.Message(c4d.MSG_UPDATE)
        
        scaleFactor = c4d.Vector(15, 15, cam.GetMg().off.z)   # <---- Change the vector values for camera position.
        scaleFactor = scaleFactor.__mul__(0.05)
        
        stopped = False
        c4d.StatusSetSpin()
    
        while not CheckIfInView(cam, obj, doc):
            
            camMg = cam.GetMg()  
            camMgOff = camMg.off  
            camMgOff += scaleFactor  
            camMg.off = camMgOff  
            cam.SetMg(camMg)
            c4d.DrawViews(c4d.DRAWFLAGS_NO_THREAD | c4d.DRAWFLAGS_FORCEFULLREDRAW)
            
            stopped = escaped_pressed()
            if stopped:
                break
                
        render_set = doc.GetFirstRenderData()
        parent_name = obj.GetUp().GetName()
        obj_name = '{0}_{1}_{2}'.format(doc.GetDocumentName().split('.')[0], parent_name, obj.GetName())
        render_set[c4d.RDATA_PATH] = '../Renders/{0}'.format(obj_name)    # <----- Make sure to correct File Path
    
        rs = render_set.GetData()
        x_res = int(rs[c4d.RDATA_XRES])
        y_res = int(rs[c4d.RDATA_YRES])
    
        bmp = c4d.bitmaps.BaseBitmap()
        bmp.Init(x=x_res, y=y_res, depth=24)
        c4d.documents.RenderDocument(doc, rs, bmp, c4d.RENDERFLAGS_EXTERNAL)
        
        bd.Message(c4d.MSG_CHANGE)
        obj.SetRenderMode(c4d.MODE_UNDEF)
        obj.SetLayerObject(sku_layer)
        cam.SetAbsPos(c4d.Vector(0))
        
        c4d.StatusClear()
        print('{0} / {1} - {2} - Render Done!'.format(count, count_total, obj.GetName()))
        c4d.StatusSetText('{0} / {1} - {2} - Render Done!'.format(count, count_total, obj.GetName()))
    
    layer.Remove()     
    doc.ChangeNBit(c4d.NBIT_SOLO_LAYER, c4d.NBITCONTROL_CLEAR)
    cam.Remove()
    trg_null.Remove()
    bg.Remove()
    mat.Remove()
    doc.GetFirstRenderData().Remove()
    
    for subd in subd_lst:

        subd.SetLayerObject(sku_layer)

    c4d.EventAdd()
    c4d.gui.MessageDialog('Renders Done!')
    c4d.StatusSetText('Renders Done!')
  
main()

Hope this helps and please let me know if we can make this better . (Which I'm sure we can!)

Thank you!

Andre

Hi @Cairyn,

Understood and works like a charm!

Many thanks guys

Hi @Cairyn and @ferdinand

Many thanks for your input.

It definitely works if you enable the Camera Dependent flag as Cairyn mentioned.
I'm just trying to figure out how to enable it.

tag[c4d.EXPRESSION_PRIORITY].SetPriorityValue(c4d.PRIORITYVALUE_CAMERADEPENDENT, True) perhaps?
This is not working, so not sure if I should do it via SetParameter.

@ferdinand Cheers for your screenshare and code. Unfortunately, it still happens with your code. If you look through the camera and pan around does the target stays fixed for you?

P.S. What do you use for your screen share gifs, please?

Thank you both!

@fwilleke80 Hi Frank,

Yes, apologies for the low-quality video. Think Google Drive may be compressing it somehow.

Not sure if you noticed, but on the Camera named Script_Target_Tag, I can pan in the viewport and the aim moves with it. Once I click anywhere it jumps back to the targeted Null/Cube.
While when added the target tag manually, it's always aimed at the targeted Null/Cube.

Hope this makes sense.

Let me know if not and will do another comparison video.

Thank you in advance,

Andre

Hi all,

We recently moved from Cinema R19 to R21 and manage to do the changes to our libraries.
One of the things I noticed is that when creating a target tag for a camera cam.MakeTag(c4d.Ttargetexpression) does not work correctly when assigning a target, as the camera just moves and jumps around the viewport.
Added screen share below of a camera with added scripted target tag and a camera with added manual target tag.

Screenshare

Am I missing something really obvious with the change between Cinema versions, please?

Thank you all in advance,

Andre

@ferdinand
Hi Ferdinand,

Thank you for your time and help!
Will get it sorted with your pointers above.

All the best!

Andre

@ferdinand
I just found what perhaps is the issue...

The world-container. It seems that it runs without freezing if the data is not saved and load from the world container.
Quiet odd, but perhaps as you said, it corrupted it somehow?

Just need to find a way to storing data outside of the document.

Thank you!

@ferdinand
Hi Ferdinand,

Many thanks for your valid points and I appreciate what you are saying :).

I've made the changes to use a GeDialog instead for the menu and it works.

Here's are my results, based on your proposals:

1. Nope, same issue still.
2. Not tried it, but may have to give it a go just in case.
3. Yes done this at the start and simplify the code, all code works until I introduce the ShowPopupDialog(), as any code after this does not run. Then again it may be something associated with it.
4. Yes, the GetTimer() function is not doing anything, so definitely good idea.
5. Yes, that was one of the ways I was debugging and again runs anything that I add to it, except ShowPopupDialog().
6. I'm going to give it another go.

The undo-block is for something I wrote in between, but for simplification removed it to pinpoint the culprit.

The world-container is definitely a good point. I'm not sure if I should be using it to store data. I think the reasoning behind it was to keep data accessible between loading and unloading of documents, which is mainly what this plugin is doing.
Would you recommend perhaps a different container to store the data?

What I found most weird is that works perfectly fine with R19, so perhaps as you pointed out on 2, Cinema needs reinstalling.

It's all learning and I think I know a bit more about it now and even if I cannot find the solution for this, I already have another way of dealing with it. Not elegant, but works with no issues :).

Thank you very much for your help and time!

@ferdinand
Hi Ferdinand,

Thank you for your tips!

Unfortunately removing the other plugins does not make a difference, from what I can understand.

I've also run the general popup dialog and it works fine with no freezing.

Not sure what to do about this except perhaps change the c4d.gui.ShowPopupDialog to a c4d.gui.GeDialog
and create a simple menu. Any thoughts?

Thank you in advance!

@m_adam
Morning Maxime,

Yes, it freezes with the code I provided.
I've also tried the way that you mention above by running the c4d.SpecialEventAdd(1055684) and the same happens, as per my video below.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v4A9xXKb79Z1TlMnlSdZ-tk9WJFldsv7/view?usp=sharing

Let me know if you need any other information.

Thank you!

Andre

@m_adam
Hi Maxime,

Cinema R21.207 Build RB303831.
Windows 10 1809

I'm calling the SpecialEventAdd on an SceneLoaderPlugin.

# Import modules
import c4d

plugin_ID = 1055684


class AOLoader(c4d.plugins.SceneLoaderData):
    """
    Class for the SceneLoaderData plugin.
    """

    def Identify(self, node, name, probe, size):
        """
        Identifies if the format of the custom file captured meets the plugins requirements.
        :param node: BaseContainer for instance.
        :param name: Path and file name of the instance.
        :param probe: The data from the instance.
        :param size: The data size of the instance.
        :return: True if meets object requirements.
        """

        file_name = name.lower()

        if not file_name.endswith('.ao'):
            return False

        return True

    @staticmethod
    def clean_path_str(txt, chr_lst):
        """
        This method removes specific characters in a path.
        :param txt: The string to replace character.
        :param chr_lst: The characters list to be replaced.
        :return: Returns the path with removed c characters.
        """

        for c in chr_lst:
            txt = txt.replace(c, '')

        return txt

    def read_lines(self, data_file):
        """
        Iterates throught the data until finds the line with path for .c4d asset.
        :param data_file: The file data returned by Identify method.
        :return: The path string, not formatted.
        """

        with open(data_file, 'rU') as data:

            ds_file = data.read().splitlines()
            paths = ""

            for line in ds_file:
                if ".c4d" in line:

                    remove_chrs = self.clean_path_str(line, [')', '"'])
                    paths += remove_chrs.replace("\\\\", "\\")

            return paths

    def Load(self, node, name, doc, filterflags, error, bt):
        """
        Loads the data into the active document. In this case, we do not load or merge the file, but
        send a message to CoreMessage when it is catched with a SpecialEventAdd.
        The WorldContainer will save the path to be used later.
        :param node: BaseContainer for the instance.
        :param name: Path and file name of the instance.
        :param doc: The active document.
        :param filterflags: Flags to filter objects to load.
        :param error: Errors brought by Identify Method.
        :param bt: The BaseThread for the document.
        :return: Returns a c4d.FILEERROR_USERBREAK to capture the message.
        """

        paths = self.read_lines(name)

        world_container = c4d.GetWorldContainerInstance()
        world_container.SetString(plugin_ID, paths)
        c4d.SpecialEventAdd(plugin_ID)

        return c4d.FILEERROR_USERBREAK


if __name__ == "__main__":

    c4d.plugins.RegisterSceneLoaderPlugin(id=plugin_ID,
                                          str="AO Loader",
                                          g=AOLoader,
                                          info=c4d.PLUGINFLAG_SCENELOADER_MERGEORIGINAL,
                                          description="")

It's passing the data correctly, so perhaps the call needs to be done somewhere else?

Thank you in advance!

Andre