RE: Help File from SPDL

["Till Eisele" <till(at)free.fr>]

Yes, this is a trick I already implemented, but I'd like just to avoid it, since all other plugins I'm writing have their help file properly addressed (using the '?' button of the PPG).

Anyway, many thanks for the answer.

At least it is always good to know wether it's worth or not spending time on investigations...

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De : owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM [mailto:owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM] De la part de Stephen Blair
Envoyé : mercredi 30 août 2006 18:13
À : XSI(at)Softimage.COM
Objet : RE: Help File from SPDL

Oh, ok I see (about the OpenNetView command).

 

You're not missing anything, HelpFile in spdl is limited to explicit paths.

 

You could add your own Help button, like so:

 

 

Layout "Default"
{
        Button bHelp = "Help";
}
Language = "JScript";
BeginScript
function bHelp_OnClicked()
{ 
        var sPath;        

        // get sPath eg from Application.InstallationPath
        XSIUtils.DisplayHtmlHelp( sPath + "\\help.chm" );
}
EndScript

 

Steve

 

 

 

 

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From: owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM [mailto:owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM] On Behalf Of Till Eisele
Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 11:45 AM
To: XSI(at)Softimage.COM
Subject: RE: Help File from SPDL

Yes, actually variables are mentioned in the "OpenNetView" command.

As we can see in the logging window, when providing a "<something>.htm" as a HelpFile in an SPDL, XSI launches an 'OpenNetView' command.

So I was hopping I could try something in that direction. Sorry for not having be more precise.

 

This would make sense as long as SPDL syntax would allow us to provide something else than an explicit (double-quote embedded) string as 'HelpFile' value, which apparently is not the case. Or do I miss something ?

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De : owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM [mailto:owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM] De la part de Stephen Blair
Envoyé : mercredi 30 août 2006 16:03
À : XSI(at)Softimage.COM
Objet : RE: Help File from SPDL

Hi Till

 

I don't see anything in the SDK docs about using an environment variable to set HelpFile in a SPDL file.

 

For .hlp files, XSI looks in the Factory location (eg the XSI installation folder).

 

Otherwise you do have to specify a path.

 

Steve

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From: owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM [mailto:owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM] On Behalf Of Till Eisele
Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 9:16 AM
To: XSI(at)Softimage.COM
Subject: RE: Help File from SPDL

uhu,

nobody, no clue ?

even at Softimage ?

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De : owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM [mailto:owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM] De la part de Till Eisele
Envoyé : mardi 29 août 2006 13:58
À : XSI(at)Softimage.COM
Objet : Help File from SPDL

Hi all,

does anyone know how to properly set the 'HelpFile' topic in a (shader) SPDL file ?

If writing an URL, like http://www.softimage.com, or file://C://users/Softimage/XSI5.0/Addons/BlahBlah/test.htm", it works well.

 

But what if we want to avoid hard coded path ?

SDK documentation mention that variables like ${XSI_USERHOME} can be used, but apparently, when passing it that way, the variable is not resolved.

However, inside SI SPDL's we can find that help files are referenced that way :

HelpFile = "Help/<nameofhelp>.hlp";

HelpID = <a number>;

So we can guess there is some sort of default search.

 

Till.