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How to do some common actions in Python. Also see Help -> Python Examples in the TouchDesigner UI.
General to all OPs[edit]
Expressions[edit]
Python | |
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Getting an OP's path | op('sphere1').path
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Getting an OP's name | op('sphere1').name
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Getting an OP's digits | op('sphere1').digits
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Querying the value of an OP's parameter | op('sphere1').par.tx.eval()
or when it's constant |
Querying a parameter in the same OP | me.par.tx
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Getting Info CHOP channels from an OP without cooking it |
passive(op('moviein1')).width
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Getting an OP's parent | parent()
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Getting an OP's grand-parent | parent(2)
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Getting an OP's name | me.name
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Getting an OP's parent's name | parent().name
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Getting digits of an OP's name from its parameters | me.digits
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Getting digits of an OP's parent's name from its parameters |
parent().digits
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Getting an OP's type | # returns an OP object, not a string
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getting a unique random number each frame | tdu.rand(absTime.frame+.1)
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getting a unique random number per numbered operator | tdu.rand(me.digits+.17)
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Checking for an OP's existence | if op('moviein1'):
or
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Getting the number of children of a COMP | len(op('geo1').children)
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Getting the number of inputs of a multi-input OP | len(op('switch1').inputs)
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Getting Info CHOP channels from an OP, width is a member | op('moviein1').width
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Conditional "if" in one line of a parameter | 22 if me.time.frame<100 else 33
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Conditional "if" alternative | [33,22][me.time.frame<100]
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Convert space separated string to a list | tdu.split('Space separated string with "two word item"')
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List comprehension | [c.name for c in root.children]
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Conditional list comprehension | [c.name for c in root.children if c.name != 'perform']
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Test operator type | type(root) == baseCOMP
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Test operator family | isinstance(root, TOP)
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Time[edit]
"Absolute Time" is the time since you started your TouchDesigner process, not counting when your power button was off (top bar).
Python | |
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Retrieving a node's local frame number | me.time.frame
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Retrieving a node's local time in seconds | me.time.seconds
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Retrieving absolute time in frames | absTime.frame
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Retrieving absolute time in seconds | absTime.seconds
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Storage in Python[edit]
Storage is the preferred way to work with persistent global data in Python, since it can store anything data type.
Python | |
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Setting a value in storage of a component n
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n.store('keyname', 0.0)
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Getting a value from storage | n.fetch('keyname')
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Directly access the storage dictionary | n.storage
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Directly access a key in the storage dictionary | n.storage['keyname']
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Test if a key exists in the storage dictionary | 'keyname' in n.storage
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Commands[edit]
Python | |
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Creating an OP (Sphere SOP) | op('/project1').create(sphereSOP)
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Creating a named OP | op('/project1').create(sphereSOP, 'mysphere')
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Copying OPs (Nodes) | op('/project1').copy(op('out1'), name='out2')
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Deleting an OP | op('mysphere').destroy()
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Renaming an OP | op('mysphere').name = 'thesphere'
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Changing an OP's type | op('mysphere').changeType(boxSOP)
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Changing multiple OPs' types | list = ops('*sphere*')
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Setting an OP's comment | op('mysphere').comment = 'this is a sphere'
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Changing an OP's parameter | op('mysphere').par.frequency = 10
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Changing an OP's parameter with more than 1 value |
s = op('mysphere')
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Pulsing a parameter value | op('moviein1').par.cue.pulse()
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Cooking an OP | op('mysphere').cook()
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Saving an OP's data to a file | op('mysphere').save('sphere.tog')
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Changing an OP's Render and Display Flags on | s = op('mysphere')
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Loading a .tox file into a COMP | op('/project1').loadTox('geo1.tox')
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Wiring operators together | Refer to the Connector Class
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Clicking gadgets (panel components) | op('slider1').click(.6, .7)
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Timeline Play/Pause | me.time.play = True/False
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Run asynchronous or delayed Python code | run('print("hello, world")', delayMilliSeconds=2000)
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Variables[edit]
Variables are always text strings.
Python | |
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Setting a value | me.var('DESKTOP')
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Setting a Root Variable | root.setVar('MEDIA', 'c:/MEDIA')
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Setting a Component Variable at the current component |
parent().setVar('MEDIA', 'c:/MEDIA')
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Setting a Component Variable at another component |
op('/project1/geo1').setVar('MEDIA', 'c:/MEDIA')
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Setting a Path Variable | Set the Path Variable parameter of any parent component and use me.var('name') in the same way.
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CHOPs[edit]
Expressions[edit]
Evaluate channel chan1 at the current frame
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op('pattern1')['chan1'].eval()
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or if in parameter, simply: | op('pattern1')['chan1']
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Get sample 8 of channel chan1
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op('pattern1')['chan1'].eval(8)
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Get the number of CHOP Channels | op('pattern1').numChans
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Get the CHOP length | op('pattern1').numSamples
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Get the third sample from the first channel | op('pattern1')[0][2]
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Get the name of the 2nd channel | op('pattern1')[1].name
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Get the channel index of channel chan1
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op('pattern1')['chan1'].index
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DATs[edit]
Expressions[edit]
See also Working with OPs in Python.Get a cell value by index | op('table1')[2,3]
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Get a cell value by label | op('table1')['r1', 'c1']
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Get a cell value by row index, col label | op('table1')[2, 'product']
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Cast cell to integer and float | int(op('table1')['month', 3])
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Get the number of table rows | op('table1').numRows
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Get the number of table columns | op('table1').numCols
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Set a cell value by indeces or labels | op('table1')[3,4] = 'hello'
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Set a cell value by label | op('table1')['r1', 'c1'] = 'abc'
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Copy a table to another table | op('table1').copy(op('fromTable'))
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Append a row to a table | op('table1').appendRow(['s1','s2', num])
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Append a column to a table | op('table1').appendCol(['s1','s2', num])
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Access current cell in an Evaluate DAT | me.inputCell
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Access neighboring cells in an Evaluate DAT | me.inputCell.offset(1,2)
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