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PickElement

Introduced

1.0

Description

Prompts the user to pick an element.

Note: This command uses output arguments. C# and some scripting languages (such as JScript, PerlScript and Python) don't support arguments passed by reference so you need to use the best workaround for your situation:

For scripting languages this command returns an ISIVTCollection which you can use to get the output arguments.

For C# you can use the XSIApplication.ExecuteCommand method to call this command. ExecuteCommand packs the output arguments into a C# System.Object containing an Array of the output arguments (see Calling Commands from C#).

Scripting Syntax

PickElement( SelFilter, LeftMessage, MiddleMessage, [PickedElement], [ButtonPressed], SelRegionMode, [ModifierPressed] )

Parameters

Examples

1. JScript Example

/*
   This example illustrates how to set up a pick session to pick only polygons.
*/
NewScene( null, false );
CreatePrim( "Cube", "MeshSurface" );

var rtn = PickElement( "polygon", "Select polygons", "Select polygons", polygons, button, 0 )
logmessage( "Picked Element:" + rtn.Value("PickedElement") +
       " Button:" + rtn.Value("ButtonPressed") +
       " Modifier:" + rtn.Value("ModifierPressed") );

var element = rtn.Value( "PickedElement" );
var button = rtn.Value( "ButtonPressed" );
var modifier = rtn.Value( "ModifierPressed" );

if ( button != 0 ) 
{
var polygons = element.SubComponent.Parent3DObject.ActivePrimitive.Geometry.Facets;
var polygonIndices = element.SubComponent.ElementArray.toArray();

   for ( var i=0; i<polygonIndices.length; i++ )
{
       var currpolygon = polygons( polygonIndices[i] );
       logmessage( currpolygon + " is at index " + currpolygon.Index );
}
}

// Result is something like this (varies as to what gets picked):
// INFO : Picked Element:cube.poly[0,4] Button:1 Modifier:0
// INFO : PolygonFace is at index 0
// INFO : PolygonFace is at index 4
// 

2. VBScript Example

' The following example uses PickElement to pick an object of a given type 
' (eg: mesh) then another of another given type (eg: nurbs) to finally 
' parent one to the other

dim parent, child, button, modifier

CreatePrim "Sphere", "NurbsSurface"
Translate , -4.80504207251944, 6.3879907927616, -0.63879907927616, _
siRelative, siView, siObj, siXYZ
CreatePrim "Cone", "MeshSurface"

PickElement "surface_mesh", "Select parent nurbs object", _
"Select parent nurbs object", parent, button,, modifier
if button <> 0 then
   PickElement "polygon_mesh", "Select child mesh object", _
       "Select child mesh object", child, button
   if button <> 0 then
       if modifier = 0 then
          ParentObj parent, child
       else
          ParentObj child, parent
       end if
   end if
end if

'The nurbs should now be parent of the mesh (or vice-versa for MMB)

3. JScript Example

/*
   The following example uses PickElement to pick subcomponents on a geometry
*/

CreatePrim( "Sphere", "MeshSurface" );
SetSelFilter("Vertex");

var rtn = PickElement( "point", "Select points", "Select points" );
var button = rtn.Value( "ButtonPressed" );
var points = rtn.Value("PickedElement");

if ( button != 0 ) {
   CreateCluster( points );
}

// A cluster of points should now exist in the sphere.

4. VBScript Example

'
' The following example uses PickElement to select a property of a 3D object
'

dim parent, child, button

CreatePrim "Sphere", "MeshSurface"

set AProperty = PickElement( "property", "Select a property", _
   "Select a property", property, button )

if button <> 0 then
   SelectObj property
end if

' A property of the sphere should now be selected.

5. Python Example

#
#  This example demonstrates how to get values from the
#  output arguments of PickElement.
#

from win32com.client import constants as c
xsi = Application

xsi.NewScene( Application.ActiveProject, 0 )
root = xsi.ActiveSceneRoot

# Set up some models to pick
oMdl = root.AddModel()
oMdl.Name = "Parent1"
oMdl = root.AddModel()
oMdl.Name = "Parent2"
oMdl1 = oMdl.AddModel()
oMdl1.Name = "Child"

oPicked = xsi.PickElement( c.siModelFilter, 'Pick model', 'Pick model' )
xsi.LogMessage( "# of values returned: " + str(oPicked.Count) )

# You can access the output arguments by index (returned sorted
# alphabetically according to parameter name)...
xsi.LogMessage( "Button pressed: " + str(oPicked(0)) )
xsi.LogMessage( "Picked element: " + str(oPicked(2)) )

# ... or access them by name
xsi.LogMessage( "Modifier pressed: " + str(oPicked.Value("ModifierPressed")) )

# Expected result for picking Parent2 with the MMB while 
# holding down alt+shift (# of values will always be 3):
#INFO : # of values returned: 3
#INFO : Button pressed: 2
#INFO : Picked element: Parent2
#INFO : Modifier pressed: 3

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