Client: “We’ve many tools from you already. Now we would like to create the new project using the Moho animation software. Can we integrate the tools in there?”
We: “Certainly. We’ll have a look.”
Host Handler
- RnDeep Layer of abstraction for communicating with other DCCs
- To integrate a new DCC, one needs to implement specific functionalities using the API provided by the DCC
- Most of the DCCs in CGI support Python
- Until now, we integrated 8 DCCs: 3 of those had Javascript APIs
What is Moho?
- Software for creating 2D animations
- Provides an API
- It looks like the API contains all functionalities that we need.
- API - programming language is Lua.
We: “Ehmmmm… Lua? Our tools are mostly written in Python!”
Architecture
- Create on basis of previous Javascript-API-DCCs (Photoshop/After Effects/Toon Boom)
- C++ Plugin
- Embedded Python Thread
- Socket Communication with the DCC
- DCC commands can usually only be evaluated in main-thread
For Lua, we’ll work with a coroutine
We’ll use a modal Dialog to block the main-thread for us, while a python command is actively running
Proof-of-Concept
Goal: Create a C++ Lua Plugin that is capable to run a print statement with the Moho internal Lua.
- [✓ ] Build Lua.
- [✓ ] Write plugin.
-
[X ] Load plugin.
We found out, that the Lua52.dll is not shipped with Moho.
Solution:
Adding Lua52.dll to the plugin installation routine.
- [✓ ] Load plugin.
- [✓ ] Implement running python code from Lua code: Python getMenuName() → string Lua Plugin.
-
[X ] Implement running Lua code from Python code.
The reason is, that we shipped our own Lua52.dll. And that caused issues with mutable objects:
Solution:
- We can’t use mutable objects
- Instead of a Lua Array we’ll send a Lua JSON string
- Lua-JSON-Parser will create an Array from the JSON string
- [✓ ] Implement running Lua code from Python code.
- [✓ ] Now we can open up python windows.
It Works!