Invoke a .py script with a button on the tools panel

Question

I have this script - rather lengthy - that creates simple skin, eyes and mouth shaders for figures imported into Blender from Poser. I wish to create a panel/addon (something!) that does the following things:

• set the path to the image files used in the shaders
• define via dropdown the core figure type
• pass this data on to the script, and save this info somewhere
• have a button on the panel actually invoke running the script

I have looked at example scripts (the templates) but they all involve in-built operators that do things directly to mesh. Given this appears to be the predominant use of panel tools, I'm wondering if I should use a panel for this purpose or if another mechanism would be more appropriate.

Here is what I have so far... the panel code:

import bpy

class MatShaderInfoPanel(bpy.types.Panel):
    """Create shaders for your Poser figure: Panel"""
    bl_label = "Figure Files Info"
    bl_idname = "MATERIALS_PT_shaders"
    bl_space_type = 'VIEW_3D'
    bl_region_type = 'TOOLS'
    bl_category = "Skin Shaders"

def draw(self, context):
    layout = self.layout

    obj = context.object

    row = layout.row()
    row.label(text='Figure Name')

    row = layout.row()
    row.label(text="Active object is: " + obj.name)
    row = layout.row()
    row.prop(obj, "name")

    row = layout.row()
    row.operator("mesh.primitive_cube_add", text='Find Images', icon='FILESEL')
    row = layout.row()
    row.operator("object.runScript", text = 'Apply Shaders')
def register():
    bpy.utils.register_class(MatShaderInfoPanel)

...and the custom operator (as kindly suggested by m.ardito in the link provided below):

import bpy

def main(context):
    filename = 'Shaders034.py'
    exec(compile(open(filename).read(), filename, 'exec'))

class runScript(bpy.types.Operator):
    """Tooltip"""
    # was bl_idname = "object.run_script" - is now:
    bl_idname = "object.runScript"
    bl_label = "Invokes a Script"

    @classmethod
    def poll(cls, context):
        return context.active_object is not None

    def execute(self, context):
        main(context)
        return {'FINISHED'}

def register():
    bpy.utils.register_class(runScript)
def unregister():
    bpy.utils.unregister_class(runScript)
if __name__ == "__main__":
    register()

When I try to run the panel code, I get a slew of the following error messages:

rna_uiItemO: operator missing srna 'object.runScript' /home/robyn/Documents/Blender/Projects/AllScripts/Shader_blend/skinShader034.blend/MatShader_panel.py:28

...and this bit:

row = layout.row()
row.operator("object.runScript", text = 'Apply Shaders')

...doesn't end up displaying anything on the panel. I'm clearly missing a step.

Answer 1

The following works for me:

import bpy

class MatShaderInfoPanel(bpy.types.Panel):
    """Create shaders for your Poser figure: Panel"""
    bl_label = "Figure Files Info"
    bl_idname = "MATERIALS_PT_shaders"
    bl_space_type = 'VIEW_3D'
    bl_region_type = 'TOOLS'
    bl_category = "Skin Shaders"

    def draw(self, context):
        layout = self.layout

        obj = context.object

        row = layout.row()
        row.label(text='Figure Name')

        row = layout.row()
        row.label(text="Active object is: " + obj.name)
        row = layout.row()
        row.prop(obj, "name")

        row = layout.row()
        row.operator("mesh.primitive_cube_add", text='Find Images', icon='FILESEL')
        row = layout.row()
        row.operator("object.run_script", text = 'Apply Shaders')

class runScript(bpy.types.Operator):
    """Tooltip"""
    # was bl_idname = "object.run_script" - is now:
    bl_idname = "object.run_script"
    bl_label = "Invokes a Script"

    @classmethod
    def poll(cls, context):
        return context.active_object is not None

    def execute(self, context):
        print('Yay!')

        return {'FINISHED'}

def register():
    bpy.utils.register_module(__name__)

def unregister():
    bpy.utils.unregister_class(__name__)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    register()

Answer 2

The operator name used in the line that places the button in the panel needs to match up with the operator name specified in the operators bl_idname (not the class name).

row.operator("object.runScript", text = 'Apply Shaders')

and in your operator you have

bl_idname = "object.run_script"

object.runScript doesn't match object.run_script