ibois-epfl / script-sync

Rhino/Grasshopper/VSCode plug-in to run C# and Python (IronPython or CPython) scripts directly from VSCode.

script-sync

What is it? Script-sync plug-in to run C# and Python (IronPython or CPython) scripts directly from VSCode into Rhino and Grasshopper. This project is a research utility from the IBOIS lab at EPFL. It was developed and currently maintained by Andrea Settimi.

Why Script-sync? Although Rhino8 has a wonderful IDE, we often miss the nice extensions and functions of a full-fledged IDE like VSCode. Script-sync allows you to run your scripts directly from VSCode, while keeping the Rhino/Grasshopper environment open. This is particularly useful if you have AI-assisted (e.g. GithubCoPilot) code completion.

You can execute the folloing languages from VSCode with script-sync:

	CPython	IronPython	C#
Rhino	✅	✅	✅
Grasshopper	✅

Script-sync in Rhino

Script-sync in Grasshopper

Installation

🦏/🦗 Rhino/Grasshopper: Install script-sync rhino from food4rhino or the packageManager in Rhino (name: "script-sync"). For Grasshopper you might want to get rid of the old version of the plugin before installing the new one. Just right-click on the old icon and click delete.

👩‍💻 VScode: Install script-syncVSCode extension from the VSCode extension marketplace (name: "script-sync")

How to use

🦏 Rhino: To start script-sync in RhinoV8, run the command ScriptSyncStart in RhinoV8. This will start a server that listens to commands from VSCode. To close script-sync in RhinoV8, run the command ScriptSyncStop in RhinoV8.

🦗 Grasshopper: To start script-sync in Grasshopper, add the component script-sync:

• select_file: click to open a file explorer and connect a script,
• packages_2_reload: this can be empty in 90% of the cases, but if you develop a custom pypi package, (installed with editable pip mode) you can add the name of the package here to track the changes in its modules.
• x: classical input parameter, you can add more,
• stdout: all errors and print() is deviated here,
• a: classical output parameter, you can add more.

👩‍💻 VScode: Open a script in VSCode and run it in RhinoV8 by pressing F4 to run in Rhino or shift+F4 for Grasshopper. For Python files, add a shebang to the first line of the file to specify the interpreter to use, e.g.:

• #! python3 to interpret it with CPython
• ⚠️ #! python2 to interpret it with IronPython (only in Rhino)

Requirements

The plug-in needs to be installed on RhinoV8, Grasshopper and VSCode

Issues

For bugs open an issue on the GitHub repo.

Contribution

All contributions are welcome. Have a look at the contribution guidelines.

References

There are a lot of plug-ins that allow to run Python in Rhino. Among them, CodeListener was working until RhinoV8 and it was a source of inspiration for this project. This is a simplified version, but it can run C# and both IronPython and CPython in RhinoV8.

For code maintainers

Packages are published (.yak and .vsix) automatically when a GitHub release is created.

script-sync's Issues

Error in module should show file name and lines error

When using local modules it would be good if the error messages shows:

• the file error from where it comes
• the lines at which the error occurs

As an example this is an error from an imported custom module:

How to call rhinocommon.dll

How to call rhinocommon.dll

sticky variables for output component variables

If a variaable is defined in the script like:

o_beams [0,1,2,3]

And then it is erased, the component will still output the list value as it was a sticky value:

To do:

• check for cleaning out the variables from the component if not declared anymore in the script

List py to GhTree convertion not working on scriptsync

There is a problem with lists:

In a normal component if we do

import ghpythonlib.treehelpers as th
o_combinations = th.list_to_tree(o_combinations)

a list is converted to grasshopper tree

But in scriptsync it does not work.. this might be due on how we parse the final part of the output parameters in scriptsync component:

def AfterRunScript(self):
        """
            This method is called as soon as the component has finished
            its calculation. It is used to load the GHComponent outputs
            with the values created in the script.
        """
        if not self.is_success:
            return
        outparam = [p for p in ghenv.Component.Params.Output]
        outparam_names = [p.NickName for p in outparam]
        
        # TODO: add the conversion to datatree for nested lists and tuples
        for idx, outp in enumerate(outparam):
            # detect if the output is a list
            if type(self._var_output[idx]) == list or type(self._var_output[idx]) == tuple:
                ghenv.Component.Params.Output[idx].VolatileData.Clear()
                ghenv.Component.Params.Output[idx].AddVolatileDataList(gh.Kernel.Data.GH_Path(0), self._var_output[idx])
            else:
                ghenv.Component.Params.Output[idx].VolatileData.Clear()
                ghenv.Component.Params.Output[idx].AddVolatileData(gh.Kernel.Data.GH_Path(0), 0, self._var_output[idx])
        self._var_output.clear()

Button for windows Form freezes canvas

Sometimes the button to select the files it freezes the canvas.

Importing/refresh sub_modules not working

If my main.py is calling and importing a modules or sub-modules with this structure:

module
-- file.py
main.py

the file.py will not be refreshed, but it will be correctly imported when Rhino/Gh is open for the first time.

modules are not reloaded anymore from `8.8.24170.13001` RHinoV

To reload modules we need to recompute the entire canvas now even though the parameter input packages_2_reload has the name of the module.

When imported module is modified in python the ghpython should be refreshed

Describe the wished feature
Right now if main.py is importing moduleA.py the modifications in moduleA.py in vscode to be effective you need to go back to main.py and do ctrl + S.

Imported modules should refreshed automatically when saved.
Do not know how possible it is but an option could be:

• read and check all the imported custom modules imported by the script and add a file-modified-thread to each of the imported modules.

Freezing & crash of the Grasshopper component on Mac

Describe the bug
When click the button of select_file, the UI will freeze and not response anymore.

To Reproduce
As describe above.

Desktop (please complete the following information):

• OS: MacOS
• Rhino Version and sub.Version: 8.7.24138.15432

No update on `RunScript()` params from the component clicking

Since (8.8.24170.13001, 2024-06-18) Rhino update the component is not updating the RunScript() params when clicking on the component.

Input `DataTree` parsed automatically into nested lists in python

It would be maybe nice if datatrees are automatically parsed into nested lists in input component. It might slow down the component but thing would be much easier to prototype. On the other hand if we copy paste the script in a new ghlocaluser battery it will not work out of the box.

if two instances of Rhino run scriptsync it crashes Rhino

Describe the bug
When you run "_scriptsync" on two different running instances of Rhino, it crashes the last one.

Expected behavior
Scriptsync should probably check if the ip and port is free and if not say that it runs only on one?

Desktop (please complete the following information):

• Rhino 8.3

Error in vscode connection to rhino scriptsync although everything is fine

When script-sync is connected to rhino vscode pops up an error message (made by me) although everything is ok and conneection is good. It should be erased or implement a better catch:

When GH file is opened error module python load

Describe the bug
When a gh file with the scriptsync is opened again this error happens in all components:

1. Error running script: script-sync::Error in the code: reload() argument must be a module

A reload of the canvas solve the issue but it should be solved.
The component probably should be have a mechnaism for reloading modules that avoids this.

Desktop (please complete the following information):

• OS:Win

Add the documentation of a RhinoCommons function when `func( ` is typed.

Describe the wished feature
This was a feature in the old ScriptEditor of RhinoV7. When you typed a RhinoCommons function before closing the parenthesis it showed you the documentation of the corresponding function.

Got this as a feedback but I would not know how to implement this properly for now.