BaseExtension class

Description

This is the base class from which all other extension classes derive. This class has some common functions that should be implemented in some cases.

class CbaseExtension
{
    MXparamList *priv;
public:
    
    CbaseExtension();
    CbaseExtension( const CbaseExtension &orig );
    
    void internalCreation ();
    void setPrivateExtensionData( MXparamList* pL ) const;
    virtual ~CbaseExtension();
    virtual CbaseExtension* clone() const = 0;
    virtual const char* getName() const = 0;
    virtual const unsigned int getVersion() const = 0;
    virtual void setExtensionData( MXparamList* p ) const  = 0;
    //User Implemented Optional Methods
    virtual void getFileDependencies( dword& numDependencies, char** &paths ) 
    {
        numDependencies = 0;
    };
    virtual void handleEvent( const char* event , void* param ) {};
    virtual bool initializeForRendering( Cmaxwell* pMaxwell ) = 0;
    virtual void cleanup( Cmaxwell* pMaxwell ) {};
    virtual bool initializePreview( Cmaxwell* pMaxwell )
    {
        return ( true );
    }
    virtual void freePreview( void )
    {
    }
    //Interface Methods
    MXparamList* getExtensionData( void ) const;
    void setEnabled( const bool enable );
    bool isEnabled( void ) const;
};

For example, getFileDependencies is useful when the extension depends on one or more files. Studio calls this function when doing a "Pack & Go" to retrieve and copy all the dependencies of a given scene. Mxnetwork also calls this function to check all the dependencies of a scene before sending it to the render nodes. initializeForRendering is called just before rendering starts, and the incoming pMaxwell (always check != NULL ) is useful for accessing the scene later, so it is handy to store it as a class member. The following functions are called exclusively from Studio. initializePreview and freePreview mainly reset and free the arrays allocated in getProxyDisplay*. Keep a copy of the allocated pointers as members of the class and free them in freePreview.

getFileDependencies

virtual void getFileDependencies( dword& numDependencies, char** &paths );

This function returns all the paths of the files that the extension depends on.

Arguments

dword& numDependencies : output, number of paths.

char** &paths  : output, array of paths. On entry, the pointer is NULL. Allocate with malloc.

initializePreview