topic Exporting snapshots via Python scripts in ArcGIS CityEngine Questions

Exporting snapshots via Python scripts

Jonas_BromandFuchs — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 13:14:17 GMT

Hello all,

I often need to take snapshots of my scenes and have tried to write a small python script, which would automatically export all my bookmarks. But when running the script nothing happens (or at least the directory is still empty).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

/Jonas

The full script goes as follows:

'''
Created on 14/09/2017

@author: JBF
'''
from scripting import *
import View3D

# get a CityEngine instance
ce = CE()

def exportImages(directory, Tag=""):
   views = ce.get3DViews()
      for v in views:
         for b in v.getBookmarks():
            path = directory + "\_" + str(b) + str(v) + str(viewports.index(v)) + "_" + Tag + "_raw.png"
            v.restoreBookmark(b, False)
            v.snapshot(path)

if __name__ == '__main__':
   exportImages("N:\CityEngine_workspace110517\Sportsparken\images\Testmappe")

Re: Exporting snapshots via Python scripts

ThomasFuchs — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 08:39:00 GMT

Hello Jonas Bromand Fuchs‌

On Windows you need to be careful with "\" in path strings. Always use "\\" to make sure it is interpreted correctly.

You can check the path by using "print"

To be platform independent, you can use the functionality 10.1. os.path — Common pathname manipulations — Python 2.7.14 documentation provides.

Here is a simple example that writes a snapshot to the image folder of the project.

views = ce.getObjectsFrom(ce.get3DViews())
if len(views) < 1 : print "no view found"
else :
     views[0].frame()
     ce.waitForUIIdle()
     views[0].snapshot(ce.toFSPath('images')+"\\snapshot.png")‍‍‍‍‍‍

Re: Exporting snapshots via Python scripts

Jonas_BromandFuchs — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 10:57:10 GMT

Hello Thomas,

Thank You, for the quick response.

Unfortunately, the backslashes (\\) doesn't seem to be the problem. Also, I cannot even get your example to yield a result.

I can export a snapshot via the console, but the console have trouble when iterating over objects and as I have to do this quite often it would be nice to have the function as a script.

/Jonas

Re: Exporting snapshots via Python scripts

ThomasFuchs — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 08:39:03 GMT

I tried your script. There were errors in the log when running it. Please use the log for debugging python scripts.

  File "E:\CE_Workspaces\CE_Support_Workspace\CESupport\scripts\snap.py", line 16, in exportImages
    path = directory + "\_" + str(b) + str(v) + str(viewports.index(v)) + "_" + Tag + "_raw.png"
NameError: global name 'viewports' is not defined‍‍‍

After fixing these it worked

'''
Created on Oct 18, 2017

File:    snap.py
'''
from scripting import *

# get a CityEngine instance
ce = CE()

def exportImages(directory, Tag=""):
   views = ce.get3DViews()
   
   for v in views:
       for b in v.getBookmarks():
           path = directory + "\_" + str(b) + str(v) + "_" + Tag + "_raw.png"
           v.restoreBookmark(b, False)
           v.snapshot(path)

if __name__ == '__main__':
   exportImages(ce.toFSPath('images'))‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

Re: Exporting snapshots via Python scripts

Jonas_BromandFuchs — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 13:12:45 GMT

Hello Thomas,

Thanks again. I must have been looking to long to spot the error.

Also great tip (albeit obvious for more experienced users than me) to see the log for details.

My script is working now.

/Jonas