DirectEntry parented to Render

[Ap_Vehn]

Is it possible to attach a DirectEntry object to something other than aspect2d? I’m constructing the DirectEntry using

retitle = DirectEntry(text="", scale=0.5,
                              initialText="test", numLines=1, focus=1, text_fg=(0.5, 0, 0, 1),
                              frameColor=(1, 1, 1, 0.1), width=5, parent=base.render)

But then nothing shows on screen. If I change ‘parent’ to base.render2d, I can see the DirectEntry box, but not type into it. If I use base.aspect2d, I can see and enter text into it. However, I don’t want the DirectEntry in 2D space. The idea is that a cube in 3D space has a DirectEntry field next to it so that you can rename the box, and that rename field will move with the box.

I’m only a day into this project, so I don’t have much more code to share. I’m already stuck just trying to get a DirectEntry to work on 3D space. Would appreciate any advice you can give!

[Thaumaturge]

I see two problems at the moment, offhand:

First, when you construct your DirectEntry, you don’t seem to be setting a position, meaning that it presumably ends up at (0, 0, 0). This is fine under “aspect2d” or “render2d”–but not under “render”, or a least, not under the default conditions of render.

You see, the default 3D camera is also located at (0, 0, 0), and thus, presuming that it’s not moved, anything placed there is too close to it to be seen.

Your DirectEntry might thus become visible if you move it along the y-axis by some distance; how far I’m not sure offhand, as I don’t know the default size of a DirectEntry in world-units.

The other problem is that, as you’ve found, I believe that DirectGUI objects only by default work properly when parented below aspect2d.

A quick search turned up this old post–I don’t know whether it’s still accurate, but it may be, and it offers some information that might aid you in getting your DirectEntry to work:

DirectButton in a new window

I don’t know what I must have been thinking when I made that earlier post. In addition to creating a render2d and setting up a camera for it, if you want to use DirectGui, you also need two additional things: (1) an aspect2d node, which is a node of type PGTop, critical for DirectGui objects; and (2) a MouseWatcher, to monitor the mouse motion in your second window, and active your DirectGui objects when the mouse rolls over them. Here are the relevant lines from your example, extended to crea…

Now, I wouldn’t be surprised if the default MouseWatcher is fine in your case, as you’re not creating a new window.

However, it may be that what you’re lacking is a “PGTop” node.

Conversely, a little more searching turned up the neat trick described and shown in this thread:

DirectEntry in 3D environment

Is it possible to create application where when the user presses some keys (i.e types something through keyboard) that text appears above the character(or anywhere on the screen for that matter). e.g In Roaming Ralph sample when I type something that text should appear above the ralph(as DirectLabel or DirectEntry). Any ideas on how to achieve this. Thanks

[Ap_Vehn]

Thanks, @ Thaumaturge! That second link is exactly what I needed. It’s quite an advanced technique. I’m glad I asked because I was probably not going to figure that out on my own.