SceneCache previews in browser app

[andrewkaufman]

We'd like to get a preview tab for .scc and .lscc files in the browser app (like the .cob preview that exists already). What would be involved in this? Is it just a matter of registering the extension? Or do we need to make a more complicated viewer (with SceneReader embedded)? Can we expose the timeline in the preview as well (for previewing animated caches)?

If this turns out to be simple, can we get it done in time for the DigiPro presentation next week?

[johnhaddon]

It'd be more than just registering an extension - we'd need a new PathPreview class which used a SceneReader node and a Viewer. It's fairly simple I think but it'll still take getting on for a day - someone just needs to make a call on whether or not it's more important than the current milestone...

[andrewkaufman]

We'd like to have it so Jabuka can preview layouts and anim before loading into a host app. I don't think it's higher priority than anything else though.

Might it also require Overlays so we can show a timeline over the viewer? Or can multiple panels be used for PathPreviews?

[johnhaddon]

A PathPreview can contain any Widgets it wants. We'd probably want a SceneHierarchy in there as well wouldn't we? Or would we just expand everything all the time?

[andrewkaufman]

Good question. I guess it depends how advanced we want the "preview" to be and how much real estate we want to give it.

Originally I was thinking collapsed by default and let the user expand with the viewer controls. Or better yet, a way to script the initial collapsed state, so Jabuka could fully expand single character anim, but only expand layouts until it hits a certain tag.

[johnhaddon]

The initial collapsed state could be scripted by setting the "ui:scene:expandedPaths" context entry. I like the viewer cursor controls, but they're not the most discoverable compared to the hierarchy editor. I guess we need to find a balance between minimalism and squeezing the entire gaffer app into a little preview pane though.