Argument

The Argument object represents an argument (or "parameter") of a Softimage Command. For example the DeleteObj command takes 1 argument ("InputObj"). You add arguments to custom commands using the ArgumentCollection.Add, ArgumentCollection.AddWithHandler or ArgumentCollection.AddObjectArgument method.

Argument objects are used in three circumstances in Softimage:

- For defining command arguments at creation time When a command is created, arguments are added to the Command object and the Argument.Value is set to define the default value for that argument. This default value is persisted and is used as the argument value in the case that no value is specified at invocation time.

- For specifying argument values when invoking a command. When a command is invoked, Argument.Value is used to specify the value of the argument that will be passed to the command. You may also define an ArgumentHandler to get a default value based on the selection or the scene content. You can create an argument with a handler using the ArgumentCollection.AddWithHandler method.

-In the third case it is possible to change the definition of a custom command after it has been installed. In this case Argument.Value is used to specify new default values for the command, and it is possible to add and remove arguments. Then Command.Update is called to commit the changes.

For a detailed description of the workflow for creating custom commands, see the Command object.

1. JScript Example

/* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

	This JScript example demonstrates how to create a command with

	arguments and then how to pass values to the command when executing it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ */

//  Start off with a clean slate

Application.RemoveCommand( "SillyPutty" );

//  Get the user path and use it to build the filename + path

sFileName = InstallationPath( siUserPath ) + "\\Data\\Scripts\\MySillyPutty.js";

//  Create the script on disk

var fso = new ActiveXObject( "Scripting.FileSystemObject" );

var fHWFile = fso.CreateTextFile( sFileName );

fHWFile.WriteLine( "function OnSillyPutty( gooey, mute )" );

fHWFile.WriteLine( "{" );

fHWFile.WriteLine( "\tLogMessage( \"SillyPutty is working!\" );" );

fHWFile.WriteLine( "\tLogMessage( gooey );" );

fHWFile.WriteLine( "\tLogMessage( mute );" );

fHWFile.WriteLine( "}" );

fHWFile.Close();

//  Create the custom command

var oCmd = CreateCommand( "SillyPutty", siNoCategory );

oCmd.Description = "Stretches and bends until it reaches the breaking point.";

oCmd.ScriptingName = "SillyPutty";

oCmd.Handler = "OnSillyPutty";

oCmd.FileName = sFileName;

oCmd.Language = "JScript";

//  Add some arguments

var oArgs = oCmd.Arguments;

oArgs.Add( "Gooeyness", siArgumentInput, 24.0, siDouble );

oArgs.Add( "Mute", siArgumentInput, false, siBool );

//  Register the new command

AddCommand( oCmd );

//  Populate the arguments and run the command

var oRunCmd = Application.Commands( "SillyPutty" );

oRunCmd.Arguments(0).Value = 50.0;

oRunCmd.Arguments(1).Value = true;

oRunCmd.Execute();

/* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Output of above command:

	INFO : "SillyPutty is working!"

	INFO : "50"

	INFO : "True"

	SillyPutty(50, true, null);

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ */

2. VBScript Example

'vbscript Custom Command Demo

'

'This script demontrates the Softimage support for creating a custom command and handling its

'arguments.

'

'This example uses an embedded command.

'When you run this script the following results will be logged in the script history:

'	INFO : "Installing example command found in c:/temp/CmdDemo.vbs"

'	INFO : "Default arguments for command are : DefaultString 2.2"

'	INFO : "ExampleCommand is now installed"

'	INFO : "ExampleCommand called - DefaultString 2.2"

'	INFO : "ExampleCommand called - Another string 1.1"

dim cmd

'Remove any existing earlier registrations of this command

if ( typename( Application.Commands( "ExampleCommand" ) ) = "Command" ) then

	Application.RemoveCommand "ExampleCommand"

end if

set cmd = Application.CreateCommand("ExampleCommand", siNoCategory)

cmd.Description = "Example custom command"

cmd.ScriptingName = "ExampleCommand"

cmd.Handler = "OnExampleCommand"

cmd.Code = _

	"function OnExampleCommand( StringArg, DblArg ) " & vbCrLf & _

	"     'Show the arguments we recieved" & vbCrLf & _

	"     LogMessage ""ExampleCommand called - "" & StringArg & "" "" & DblArg" & vtCrLf & _

	"     'Return this value" & vbCrLf & _

	"     OnExampleCommand = 55 " & vbCrLf & _

	"end function"

cmd.Language = "VBScript"

'Command is function, not a sub

cmd.ReturnValue = true									

cmd.Arguments.Add "StringArg", siArgumentInput, "DefaultString"

cmd.Arguments.Add "DblArg", siArgumentInput, 2.2

logmessage "Default arguments for command are : " & cmd.Arguments(0).Value & " " & cmd.Arguments(1).Value

Application.AddCommand cmd

logmessage "ExampleCommand is now installed"

'Now that the command is installed we can look it up and execute it

set cmdlookup = Application.Commands("ExampleCommand")

'This will execute it with default values

cmdlookup.execute

'Use these specific values

cmdlookup.arguments(0).Value = "Another string"

cmdlookup.arguments(1).Value = 1.1

cmdlookup.execute

3. VBScript Example

'VBScript example

set args = Application.Commands("Twist").Arguments

for each a in args

	LogString = a.Name & ":"

	if a.Flags = siArgumentInput or a.Flags = siArgumentInputOutput then

		LogString = LogString & CStr(a.Value)

	end if

	LogMessage LogString

next

Application	Categories	Flags	FullName
Handler	Help	Name	NestedObjects
Origin	OriginPath	Parent	Type
Value

Argument

Inheritance

Introduced

Description

Methods

Properties

Examples

1. JScript Example

2. VBScript Example

3. VBScript Example