Submitting with Python from within Maya

Deadline
1

Dear all.

I’m trying to create a custom Python submission script to be called from within Maya. Following this example
deadline.thinkboxsoftware.com/f … -submitter

At the very end, I’ll need to call ClientUtils which is part of Deadline.Scripting. Which path do I need to append to sys.path in order to have access to it?

2

Ah, you’re not used to using Python.net yet!

Unfortunately the Deadline core API is only available within Deadline because it’s written in C#. What are you trying to do with the Scripting module? There are some clever workarounds like using the standalone (pure Python) API or calling “deadlinecommand executescriptnogui”.

3

Thank you eamsler. I was trying to find a way to submit job without having to call subprocess. But if that’s the case, that’s the case.

4

Unfortunately that’s the most robust way. You can lift some example code from the integrated submitters. Here’s the one for Houdini:

def GetDeadlineCommand():
    deadlineBin = ""
    try:
        deadlineBin = os.environ['DEADLINE_PATH']
    except KeyError:
        #if the error is a key error it means that DEADLINE_PATH is not set. however Deadline command may be in the PATH or on OSX it could be in the file /Users/Shared/Thinkbox/DEADLINE_PATH
        pass

    # On OSX, we look for the DEADLINE_PATH file if the environment variable does not exist.
    if deadlineBin == "" and  os.path.exists( "/Users/Shared/Thinkbox/DEADLINE_PATH" ):
        with open( "/Users/Shared/Thinkbox/DEADLINE_PATH" ) as f:
            deadlineBin = f.read().strip()

    deadlineCommand = os.path.join(deadlineBin, "deadlinecommand")

    return deadlineCommand

def CallDeadlineCommand( arguments, hideWindow=True, readStdout=True ):
    deadlineCommand = GetDeadlineCommand()
    startupinfo = None
    creationflags = 0
    if os.name == 'nt':
        if hideWindow:
            # Python 2.6 has subprocess.STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW, and Python 2.7 has subprocess._subprocess.STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW, so check for both.
            if hasattr( subprocess, '_subprocess' ) and hasattr( subprocess._subprocess, 'STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW' ):
                startupinfo = subprocess.STARTUPINFO()
                startupinfo.dwFlags |= subprocess._subprocess.STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW
            elif hasattr( subprocess, 'STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW' ):
                startupinfo = subprocess.STARTUPINFO()
                startupinfo.dwFlags |= subprocess.STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW
        else:
            # still show top-level windows, but don't show a console window
            CREATE_NO_WINDOW = 0x08000000   #MSDN process creation flag
            creationflags = CREATE_NO_WINDOW

    environment = {}
    for key in os.environ.keys():
        environment[key] = str(os.environ[key])

    # Need to set the PATH, cuz windows seems to load DLLs from the PATH earlier that cwd....
    if os.name == 'nt':
        deadlineCommandDir = os.path.dirname( deadlineCommand )
        if not deadlineCommandDir == "" :
            environment['PATH'] = deadlineCommandDir + os.pathsep + os.environ['PATH']

    arguments.insert( 0, deadlineCommand )

    # Specifying PIPE for all handles to workaround a Python bug on Windows. The unused handles are then closed immediatley afterwards.
    proc = subprocess.Popen(arguments, stdin=subprocess.PIPE, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, startupinfo=startupinfo, env=environment, creationflags=creationflags)

    output = ""
    if readStdout:
        output, errors = proc.communicate()

    return output.strip()

Also, sorry for missing your thread over here the other day:
forums.thinkboxsoftware.com/vie … 763#p73763

If you want to play around with the standalone Python API, that will work as well but it’ll require that the Web Service is running.