Looping Hook Modifier Assignment

Question

I've been trying to generalize the solution to this question: Using python to create a curve and attach its endpoints with hooks to two spheres, so that it can work on an arbitrarily long bezier curve, but I can't seem to get the hook_assign() function to work right. (See also How to use bpy ops that take a modifier Enum as an argument?)

When I print the state of .select_control_point for each point on the curve before (or after) I call the hook_assign function, the console output looks right except the function still returns Warning: Requires selected vertices or active vertex group.

Below the code is some sample console feedback.

noodcurv = bpy.data.curves.new('noodcurve', type='CURVE')       #create a new curve
noodcurv.dimensions = '3D'                                      #set some settings
noodcurv.resolution_u = 2
noodcurv.bevel_object = bevob
noodcurv.use_fill_caps = True

bez = noodcurv.splines.new('BEZIER')                            #create a new spline
bez.bezier_points.add(len(coords)-1)                            #add points
for k, coord in enumerate(coords):                              #set coordinates & handles
    p = bez.bezier_points[k]
    p.co = coord
    p.handle_right_type = 'VECTOR'                              #or 'AUTOMATIC', 'ALIGNED', 'FREE_ALIGN'
    p.handle_left_type = 'VECTOR'

noodcurvobj = bpy.data.objects.new('noodcurve', noodcurv)       #create object
modnames = ['hook.'+str(k).zfill(3) for k in range(len(coords))] #create modifier names

for k, coord in enumerate(coords):                              #create modifiers & set Parent Object
    noodcurvobj.modifiers.new(modnames[k], type='HOOK')         
    noodcurvobj.modifiers[modnames[k]].object = bpy.context.scene.objects['link'+modnames[k][4:]]

scn = bpy.context.scene                                         #scene variable
scn.objects.link(noodcurvobj)                                   #link to scene & activate
scn.objects.active = noodcurvobj

bez.bezier_points[0].select_control_point = True                #this fixes the warning!?

bpy.ops.object.mode_set(mode='EDIT')                            #change context
for k, coord in enumerate(coords):                              #assign points to modifiers
    p = bez.bezier_points[k]                                    #assign points to variables
    p.select_control_point = True
    for q,t in enumerate(bez.bezier_points):                    #debugging check
        print('control point: ', q, ' is', t.select_control_point)
    bpy.ops.object.hook_assign(modifier=modnames[k])            #assign vextex to modifier
    p.select_control_point = False

bpy.ops.object.mode_set(mode='OBJECT')

Some of the console output:

control point:  0  is True
control point:  1  is False
control point:  2  is False
control point:  3  is False
control point:  4  is False
Warning: Requires selected vertices or active vertex group

control point:  0  is False
control point:  1  is True
control point:  2  is False
control point:  3  is False
control point:  4  is False
Warning: Requires selected vertices or active vertex group

control point:  0  is False
control point:  1  is False
control point:  2  is True
control point:  3  is False
control point:  4  is False
Warning: Requires selected vertices or active vertex group
...

(I know it'd be better if I could use one loop instead of three, but as I ran into problems I kept rearranging stuff to more closely mimic the original answer, and at this point I'm out of ideas!)

I also noticed that if I set .select_control_point = True for one or more points before I enter the third loop, the warnings go away and the modifiers are all assigned to whatever control point(s) I selected before the loop (even though the console output will indicate I'm still stepping through the selected points correctly).

So what am I missing?

Answer 1

After a great deal of rearranging code and learning what doesn't work, I've finally found the solution! The key turned out to be these two lines from the answer to the related question, (Using python to create a curve and attach its endpoints with hooks to two spheres):

bpy.ops.object.mode_set(mode='EDIT')

# the mode_set() invalidated the pointers, so get fresh ones
p0 = curve.splines[0].bezier_points[0]
...

So all I needed was to add the line p = noodcurv.splines[0].bezier_points, before entering the loop. So this is the final code:

noodcurv = bpy.data.curves.new('noodcurve', type='CURVE')       #create a new curve
noodcurv.dimensions = '3D'                                      #set some settings
noodcurv.resolution_u = 2
noodcurv.bevel_object = bevob
noodcurv.use_fill_caps = True

bez = noodcurv.splines.new('BEZIER')                            #create a new spline
bez.bezier_points.add(len(coords)-1)                            #add points
p = bez.bezier_points                                           #for convenience
for k, coord in enumerate(coords):                              #set coordinates & handles
    p[k].co = coord
    p[k].handle_right_type = 'VECTOR'                           #or 'AUTOMATIC', 'ALIGNED', 'VECTOR'
    p[k].handle_left_type = 'VECTOR'

noodcurvobj = bpy.data.objects.new('noodcurve', noodcurv)       #create object
modnames = ['hook.'+str(k).zfill(3) for k in range(len(coords))] #create modifier names

for k, coord in enumerate(coords):                              #create modifiers & set Parent Object
    noodcurvobj.modifiers.new(modnames[k], type='HOOK')         
    noodcurvobj.modifiers[modnames[k]].object = bpy.context.scene.objects['link'+modnames[k][4:]]

scn = bpy.context.scene                                         #scene variable
scn.objects.link(noodcurvobj)                                   #link to scene & activate
scn.objects.active = noodcurvobj

bpy.ops.object.mode_set(mode='EDIT')                            #change context

p = noodcurv.splines[0].bezier_points
for k in range(len(coords)):                                    #assign points to modifiers
    p[k].select_control_point = True                            #select point
    p[k].select_left_handle = True
    p[k].select_right_handle = True
    bpy.ops.object.hook_assign(modifier=modnames[k])            #assign vextex to modifier
    p[k].select_control_point = False                           #deselect point
    p[k].select_left_handle = False
    p[k].select_right_handle = False
    p[k].handle_right_type = 'FREE'                             #or 'AUTOMATIC', 'ALIGNED', 'VECTOR'
    p[k].handle_left_type = 'FREE'

bpy.ops.object.mode_set(mode='OBJECT')