PyMEL embedding layouts

Question

what's the best way to embed multiple PyMEL layouts in a single form?

For example, for each row of a form, I want to specify that:

• row one uses a 2-column layout for label+textField pair
• row two uses a 1-column layout for a menu item that has its own annotation label
• row three adds a full-width execution button to the 1-column layout
• all controls scale appropriately if the window is resized by a user

TIA!

import pymel.core as pm

def test(*args):
    print('model name: {}'.format(modelTField.getText()))
    print('model geom: {}'.format(modelMenu.getValue())) 

if pm.window("testUI", ex=1): pm.deleteUI("testUI")
window = pm.window("testUI", t="Test v0.1", w=500, h=200)
mainLayout = pm.verticalLayout() 

# two column layout
col2Layout = pm.horizontalLayout(ratios=[1, 2], spacing=10)
pm.text(label='Model name')

global modelTField
modelTField = pm.textField()

col2Layout.redistribute()

# single column layout
col1Layout = pm.horizontalLayout()

global modelMenu
modelMenuName = "modelMenu"
modelMenuLabel = "Model mesh"
modelMenuAnnotation = "Select which geo corresponds to the model shape"
modelMenu = pm.optionMenu(modelMenuName, l=modelMenuLabel, h=20, ann=modelMenuAnnotation)
pm.menuItem(l="FooShape")
pm.menuItem(l="BarShape") 

# execute
buttonLabel = "[DOIT]"
button = pm.button(l=buttonLabel, c=test)

col2Layout.redistribute()

# display window
pm.showWindow(window)

Answer 1

Since the pm.horizontalLayout() and pm.verticalLayout automatically redistribute the content, you do not need to call the redistribute yourself. But for these functions to work you need a with statement like this:

import pymel.core as pm

def test(*args):
    print('model name: {}'.format(modelTField.getText()))
    print('model geom: {}'.format(modelMenu.getValue())) 

if pm.window("testUI", ex=1): pm.deleteUI("testUI")
window = pm.window("testUI", t="Test v0.1", w=500, h=200)

with pm.verticalLayout() as mainLayout:
    with pm.horizontalLayout(ratios=[1, 2], spacing=10) as col2Layout:
        pm.text(label='Model name'
        global modelTField
        modelTField = pm.textField()

    with pm.horizontalLayout() as col1Layout:        
        global modelMenu
        modelMenuName = "modelMenu"
        modelMenuLabel = "Model mesh"
        modelMenuAnnotation = "Select which geo corresponds to the model shape"
        modelMenu = pm.optionMenu(modelMenuName, l=modelMenuLabel, h=20, ann=modelMenuAnnotation)
        pm.menuItem(l="FooShape")
        pm.menuItem(l="BarShape") 
    
        # execute
        buttonLabel = "[DOIT]"
        button = pm.button(l=buttonLabel, c=test)

# display window
pm.showWindow(window)

To create UI with python it helps a lot if you enclose everything into a class, especially if you use PyMel. This way you could do:

class MyWindow(pm.ui.Window):
    def __init(self):
        self.title = "TestUI"
    def buttonCallback(self, *args):
        do something....

This is very helpful if you have callbacks since everything you need can be accessed from within the class and you need no global variables at all.