MRenderView Class Reference
[OpenMayaRender - API module for rendering]

#include <MRenderView.h>

List of all members.

---

Detailed Description

Static class providing Render View API functions.

This class provides access to the Maya Render View. The class allows plugins to send image data to the Render View in the same way that the Maya renderer does. Either a "full render" or a "region render" can be performed. In a full render, the Render View expects to receive pixel data that fills the entire image, while a region render expects only updates to a specified image region.

Usage

To send an image to the Render View, use the following sequence of calls:

1. Call doesRenderEditorExist() to make sure that a Render View exists. If this returns false, then Maya is operating in batch mode.
2. Call setCurrentCamera() to specify the name of the camera that is being rendered.
3. Call startRender() or startRegionRender() to inform the Render View that you are about to start sending either a full image or a region update. When region rendering, the getRenderRegion() method can be used to retrieve the currently selected marquee region in the Render View.
4. The image or image region is sent to the Render View as a series of one or more tiles. For each tile, send the tile's image data using the updatePixels() method. Call the refresh() method to refresh the Render View after each tile has been sent.
5. Call endRender() to signal the Render View that all image data has been sent.

Static Public Member Functions
static bool	doesRenderEditorExist ()
static MStatus	setCurrentCamera (MDagPath &camera)
static MStatus	getRenderRegion (unsigned int &left, unsigned int &right, unsigned int &bottom, unsigned int &top)
static MStatus	startRender (unsigned int width, unsigned int height, bool doNotClearBackground=false, bool immediateFeedback=false)
static MStatus	startRegionRender (unsigned int imageWidth, unsigned int imageHeight, unsigned int regionLeft, unsigned int regionRight, unsigned int regionBottom, unsigned int regionTop, bool doNotClearBackground=false, bool immediateFeedback=false)
static MStatus	updatePixels (unsigned int left, unsigned int right, unsigned int bottom, unsigned int top, RV_PIXEL *pPixels)
static MStatus	refresh (unsigned int left, unsigned int right, unsigned int bottom, unsigned int top)
static MStatus	endRender ()

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Member Function Documentation

bool MRenderView::doesRenderEditorExist

(

)

[static]

Determines whether or not a Render View exists to receive image data. If this function returns false, then Maya is currently running in batch mode, so it would be pointless to try to send data to the Render View.

Returns:

• true if the Render View exists.
• false otherwise.

Examples:

renderViewInteractiveRenderCmd.cpp, renderViewRenderCmd.cpp, and renderViewRenderRegionCmd.cpp.

MStatus MRenderView::setCurrentCamera

(

MDagPath &

currentCamera

)

[static]

Informs the render client of the camera that will be performing the rendering.

Returns:

• MS::kSuccess Operation was successful.
• MS::kFailure Operation failed because no Render View existed.

Examples:

renderViewRenderCmd.cpp, and renderViewRenderRegionCmd.cpp.

MStatus MRenderView::getRenderRegion	(	unsigned int &	left,
		unsigned int &	right,
		unsigned int &	bottom,
		unsigned int &	top
	)			[static]

Retrieves the currently selected Render Region in Maya's Render View. The region extends from the bottom-left corner (left,bottom) to the upper-right corner (right,top) inclusive (i.e. the row y=top and column x=right are part of the region).

Parameters:

[out]	left	receives the left extent of the region
[out]	right	receives the right extent of the region
[out]	bottom	receives the bottom extent of the region
[out]	top	receives the top extent of the region

Returns:

• MS::kSuccess Operation was successful, returned values are valid.
• MS::kFailure Operation failed because no Render View existed.

Examples:

renderViewRenderRegionCmd.cpp.

MStatus MRenderView::startRender	(	unsigned int	width,
		unsigned int	height,
		bool	doNotClearBackground = false,
		bool	immediateFeedback = false
	)			[static]

Informs the Render View that a full image render is about to begin. The entire Render View buffer will be cleared in anticipation of receiving an entire image.

Parameters:

[in]	width	width of the image to be sent to the Render View (must be greater than zero).
[in]	height	height of the image to be sent to the Render View (must be greater than zero).
[in]	doNotClearBackground	When true, the Render View is not cleared before starting to draw. Default (false) is to clear the Render View.
[in]	immediateFeedback	When true, each call to refresh() will immediately redraw the Render View. Default (false) is to wait at least two seconds between redraws.

Returns:

• MS::kSuccess Operation was successful.
• MS::kInvalidParameter Operation failed because the specified width or height was invalid.
• MS::kFailure Operation failed because no Render View existed.

Examples:

renderViewInteractiveRenderCmd.cpp, and renderViewRenderCmd.cpp.

MStatus MRenderView::startRegionRender	(	unsigned int	imageWidth,
		unsigned int	imageHeight,
		unsigned int	regionLeft,
		unsigned int	regionRight,
		unsigned int	regionBottom,
		unsigned int	regionTop,
		bool	doNotClearBackground = false,
		bool	immediateFeedback = false
	)			[static]

Informs the Render View that a region render is about to begin. The specified region will be cleared in anticipation of receiving new image data for it. The specified region must lie within the image region (0,0)->(imageWidth-1,imageHeight-1). The region 'left' coordinate must be less than the region 'right' coordinate, and the region 'bottom' coordinate must be less than the region 'top' coordinate.

Parameters:

[in]	imageWidth	width of the image in which the region is embedded. (must be greater than zero).
[in]	imageHeight	height of the image in which the region is embedded (must be greater than zero).
[in]	regionLeft	left extent of the region.
[in]	regionRight	right extent of the region. The column x=regionRight is considered part of the region.
[in]	regionBottom	bottom extent of the region.
[in]	regionTop	top extent of the region. The row y=regionTop is considered part of the region.
[in]	doNotClearBackground	When true, the Render View is not cleared before starting to draw. Default (false) is to clear the Render View.
[in]	immediateFeedback	When true, each call to refresh() will immediately redraw the Render View. Default (false) is to wait at least two seconds between redraws.

Returns:

• MS::kSuccess Operation was successful.
• MS::kInvalidParameter Operation failed because either the specified image width/height or the specified image region was invalid.
• MS::kFailure Operation failed because no Render View existed.

Examples:

renderViewRenderRegionCmd.cpp.

MStatus MRenderView::updatePixels	(	unsigned int	left,
		unsigned int	right,
		unsigned int	bottom,
		unsigned int	top,
		RV_PIXEL *	pPixels
	)			[static]

Sends a block of pixels to the Render View. Pixel colours are represented as 4-channel floating point values in the range (0,255.0).

Parameters:

[in]	left	left extent of the update region.
[in]	right	right extent of the update region. The column x=right is considered part of the region.
[in]	bottom	bottom extent of the update region.
[in]	top	top extent of the update region. The row y=regionTop is considered part of the region.
[in]	pPixels	buffer containing the pixel data for the image. The buffer should contain (right-left+1)*(top-bottom+1) pixels.

Returns:

• MS::kSuccess Operation was successful.
• MS::kInvalidParameter Operation failed, either because the specified update region was invalid, or because the specified pixel buffer was NULL.
• MS::kFailure Operation failed because no Render View existed.

Examples:

renderViewInteractiveRenderCmd.cpp, renderViewRenderCmd.cpp, and renderViewRenderRegionCmd.cpp.

MStatus MRenderView::refresh	(	unsigned int	left,
		unsigned int	right,
		unsigned int	bottom,
		unsigned int	top
	)			[static]

Requests that the Render View refresh the display of a particular region of the displayed image.

Parameters:

[in]	left	left extent of the update region.
[in]	right	right extent of the update region. The column x=right is considered part of the region.
[in]	bottom	bottom extent of the update region.
[in]	top	top extent of the update region. The row y=regionTop is considered part of the region.

Returns:

• MS::kSuccess Operation was successful.
• MS::kInvalidParameter Operation failed, because the specified refresh region was invalid.
• MS::kFailure Operation failed because no Render View existed.

Examples:

renderViewInteractiveRenderCmd.cpp, renderViewRenderCmd.cpp, and renderViewRenderRegionCmd.cpp.

MStatus MRenderView::endRender

(

)

[static]

Informs the Render View that the current render has completed. The Render View is refreshed and no further updates are accepted.

Returns:

• MS::kSuccess Operation was successful.
• MS::kFailure Operation failed because no Render View existed.

Examples:

renderViewInteractiveRenderCmd.cpp, renderViewRenderCmd.cpp, and renderViewRenderRegionCmd.cpp.