napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

adamcsmit..

napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

in Library and Tool Development • 3 years ago

(Please use this thread for discussion of napplet and any problems/bugs encountered with it. napplet is neither a core nor a contributed library.)

About

napplet is a lightweight library that allows you to "embed" one Processing sketch inside another. This is potentially useful for a lot of things:

displaying data in different ways within the same window without having one display muck up another
creating a "control panel" in a portion of a sketch with buttons, etc. that control behavior elsewhere.
importing an existing sketch into a new one (source code transfers easily).

The API and coding is straightforward; an embedded sketch is simply enclosed in its own class that extends the NApplet class (which itself extends PApplet). The NApplet class contains setup() and draw() methods, global variables, etc, and in pretty much all ways behaves like a standalone PApplet (i.e., sketch).

To create and display NApplets, you simply create a NAppletManager object in the setup() method of the main sketch, and call NAppletManager.createNApplet() to create each sub-sketch and tell it where to draw in the main sketch. The NAppletManager then handles everything else "behind the scenes".

As an example, here's a demo that runs eight of the example sketches that come with Processing. I wrote this demo in the PDE. Here's the code for the main sketch:

import napplet.*;
PFont mainFont;
void setup() {
size(800, 400);
mainFont = loadFont("ArialMT-18.vlw");
textMode(SCREEN);
textAlign(CENTER, TOP);
NAppletManager nappletManager = new NAppletManager(this);
nappletManager.createNApplet("Scrollbar", 0, 0);
nappletManager.createNApplet("Pattern", 200, 0);
nappletManager.createNApplet("Convolution", 400, 0);
nappletManager.createNApplet("Animator", 600, 0);
nappletManager.createNApplet("BouncyBubbles", 0, 200);
nappletManager.createNApplet("FireCube", 200, 200);
nappletManager.createNApplet("Tickle", 400, 200);
nappletManager.createNApplet("UnlimitedSprites", 600, 200);
}
void draw() {
background(50);
}

Each sub-sketch was contained in its own tab in the PDE (you can see the source at the openprocessing.org link above). All of them were created by cutting-and-pasting the source code straight from the standalone sketches (and copying any necessary files from the sketch's data/ folder, of course.) The only change made to any of the sketches was adjusting the size() to fit in the gallery.

Sketches contained in NApplets have access to all of the variables and methods of the parent sketch, so they can potentially be parts of a larger application.

Useful Links

Library download.
Source repository.
Wiki (includes rudimentary documentation, changelog, todo list.)
Old forum thread.

Replies(22)

beginner_..

Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

3 years ago

Now i've found this topic and I can post my problems here. sorry for not posting it at the right place the last time..

I've got a problem with napplets. I've programmed two napplets, one big that is the main napplet and a small that is "in front of" the bigger one.

but now if I draw something in the main napplet, the things go over the second frame.. but I would like to put the things in the second frame in front of the first frame. is this possible or do I have to work with translate,...

adamcsmit..

Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

3 years ago

Ah yeah, that's something I need to add. Right now there's no good way to control what goes on top of what.

For now, try changing the order in which the napplets are created in setup(), i.e., switch the order of the createEmbeddedNApplet() calls and see if that changes things.

If that doesn't work, let me know and I'll hack in some kind of quick-and-dirty way to specify depth and push out a new .zip for you.

beginner_..

Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

3 years ago

Thanks for your answer. I think, it would work if I have two embedded napplets. But it's one main file and one embedded napplet, so it doesn't work without creating two embedded napplets.. or not? (I'll try it again later, I think it should be possible..)

but another problem first:

import controlP5.*;
ControlP5 controlP5;
import napplet.*;
NAppletManager nappletManager;
int nicePressTotal = 0;int meanPressTotal = 0;
void setup() { size(400, 200);
nappletManager = new NAppletManager(this);
controlP5 = new ControlP5(this);
controlP5.addToggle("toggle",false,5,10,50,20);
controlP5.addToggle("toggle2",false,90,10,50,20);
}
void draw()
{ background(0); stroke(255); fill(100);
rect(width/12, height/4, width/3, height/2);
rect(7*width/12, height/4, width/3, height/2);
fill(255); }
void toggle(boolean but2)
{ if (but2==true) {
nappletManager.createWindowedNApplet("NiceWindow",
0,0); }
else{nappletManager.closeWindowedNapplet("NiceWindow"); exit();}
}
void toggle2(boolean but2)
{ if (but2==true) {
nappletManager.createWindowedNApplet("MeanWindow",
0,0); }
}
public class NiceWindow extends NApplet {

public void setup() {    size(250, 250);
nappletCloseable = true;
}

public void draw() {
background(0, 100, 0);
stroke(255);    fill(255);

}

public void keyPressed()
{    if (key=='x' || key=='X') exit(); }
public void mousePressed() { nicePressTotal += 1; }}
public class MeanWindow extends NApplet {

public void setup() {    size(250, 250);    nappletCloseable = false;
// Not actually necessary, false by default.
}
public void draw() { background(100, 0, 0); stroke(255); fill(255); }
public void keyPressed() { if (key=='x' || key=='X') exit(); }
public void mousePressed() { meanPressTotal += 1; }
}

This code I've got from a thread in the processing forum, it's a little modified but it's the same. It's the one with the mean and the good napplet.. With the x-key I can close the new napplet, when I'm in this napplet.. is there a possibility that if I am pressing a button in the main frame, that I can close the windowed napplet.. In the windowed napplet I can refer to the main napplet with Parentnapplet or something like this.. Is there a possibilty to say: "if this button is pressed exit() the windowed napplet"?

beginner_..

Re: Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

3 years ago

and another problem:

I can't place controlp5-buttons in a windowed napplet.. when I put them there, they are shown in the main napplet..

is there a possibility to change that or do I have to work with other libraries?

thank you..

adamcsmit..

Re: Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

3 years ago

Here's a sketch that shows how to kill a napplet from within the main program. Press "w" in the main window to create a blue window, then press "x" in the main window to kill the blue window.

I haven't documented this yet, but the line:

nap = nappletManager.createWindowedNApplet("BlueWindow", 0, 0);

will set the variable "nap" to point to the napplet created. Then you can use that handle to "remotely" run any napplet method, for example:

nap.exit();

to kill the napplet.

import napplet.*;
NAppletManager nappletManager;
NApplet nap;
void setup() {
size(300, 300);
nappletManager = new NAppletManager(this);
nap = null;
}
void draw() {
}
void keyPressed() {
if (key=='x' && nap!=null) {
nap.exit();
nap = null;
}
else if (key=='w' && nap==null) {
nap = nappletManager.createWindowedNApplet("BlueWindow", 0, 0);
}
}
public class BlueWindow extends NApplet {
void setup() {
size(200, 200);
}
void draw() {
background(0, 0, 255);
}
}

As for the controlP5 issue, I haven't had a chance to test that myself, but one thing to check: If you want to create controls in a napplet, you should be creating the ControlP5 object in the napplet's setup() method, not the setup() method of the main sketch.

It may look like it works fine for embedded napplets, but what's happening is that the ControlP5 object is adding controls to the main sketch that get laid on top of the napplet, so it looks like they're part of the napplet even though they're really in the main sketch.

beginner_..

Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

3 years ago

I've created them in the napplet setup, but it didn't work... It's still shown in the main napplet... don't know why..

And your sketch doesn't work, I think.. "cannot convert from void to Napplet"

thank you for your answer, but it didn't help me...

adamcsmit..

Re: Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

3 years ago

I've created them in the napplet setup, but it didn't work... It's still shown in the main napplet... don't know why..

Okay, I'll download controlP5 and play with it a little and see what I can figure out.

And your sketch doesn't work, I think.. "cannot convert from void to Napplet"

Make sure you're using the most recent version of napplet from the download page, version 0.3.5. If this sketch still doesn't work, let me know.

thank you for your answer, but it didn't help me...

Well, I appreciate your patience. I'm still developing napplet, and at version 0.3, it's still got a lot of bugs and missing features. It's very helpful to me to have someone like you trying to use it, because you "find" a lot of these things for me. ;)

With that said, I can understand you might be getting frustrated, and you might be able to get your project done faster if you did it without napplet. Are you still doing your "3-D geogebra" project? You could probably do that with just one or two PGraphics objects if you don't need any separate windows or anything.

beginner_..

Re: Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

3 years ago

where can I find which version I've got? i downloaded it just 2 or 3 weeks ago.. but i can't find a "number of the version"..

so it could be that this is the fault..

but with the controlp5 I don't know what to do.. with springgui for example it works...

thank YOU for YOUR patience with me..

adamcsmit..

Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

3 years ago

If you downloaded two weeks ago, it's probably out of date. Just delete the "libraries/napplet" folder from your sketchbook, then download and install the latest version. (There is a way to check version within the library, but I haven't kept it up to date.)

beginner_..

Re: Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

3 years ago

ok thanks.. I'll try it out..

By the way.. is there an easy possibility to combine different napplets.. I've got a program in which in one napplet i've got a button and in the other napplet I've got classes. If the button is pressed, I'd like to add an object to the class in the other napplet (with random x-y-z-positions). So if I take a boolean for this button and put a "if (button==true)" in the void draw() the program creates all the time this object. I only want to create it once, but I can't but this "if(button==true)" in the void setup(), because then, the boolean is only checked once...

So can you understand what I want to say?

To do it without randoms doesn't help, either.. I've programmed that there are created automatically new points.. so if i put it in the void draw(), it is displayed only one point, but there are created hundreds/thousands of points with the same coordinates..

so I've no idea how to solve this problem...

(i've already asked this question a longer time ago..)

beginner_..

problem with setting title of windowed napplet

3 years ago

after setting frame.setTitle("title") in the windowed napplet, there's an error. The windowed napplet doesn't open any more..

where's my mistake?

beginner_..

Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

3 years ago

probably this is not this difficult but I can't work it out..

I want a class in the main napplet and would like to refer to this class and draw something in another "frame" with help of this class.. I've tried with public class but it didn't work..

thanks...

josemaria..

Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

3 years ago

Hi adamcsmitty,

first of all thank you for making this very useful library. It is just what I was needing.

I'm having a problem when running the sketch_galery.pde demo sketch that comes with the napplet library.

this is the error message that appears:

NApplet: frameRate(float newRateTarget) disabled.

and only the texts is painted in the canvas, nothing else...

I'm probably doing something wrong, I'm not an expert in Processing...

thanks in advance for your support!!! great work

cheers,

nakednous

Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

3 years ago

Hi,

I found an issue in the sketches using proscene (developer version) and napplet in which the middle and right mouse button bindings are not working.

I was able to isolate the issue. The extended modifier keys and mouse buttons (catched with InputEvent.getModifiersExText()) returned by a given PApplet are as follows:

* "Button1" for the left mouse button event.

* "Button2" for the middle one.

* "Button3" for the right one.

which follows java.awt conventions. However, the extended modifier keys and mouse buttons returned by a napplet are:

* "Button1" for the left mouse button event.

* "Alt+Button2" for the middle one.

* "Meta+Button3" for the right one.

and thus proscene fails at parsing the mouse event when it's triggered by the middle or right button.

Is this behavior what you mean or is it a bug? In the former case I can try a fix within proscene.

Running environment

* Linux Ubuntu 10.10

* napplet-0.3.5

* sun java version "1.6.0_21"

Best regards,

Jean Pierre

djlexicon

Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

2 years ago

HI, I have a problem using the newer versions of napplet, it seems not to work for me since version 0.3.3, when I try to run the examples I only got the text and I cant see any other subsketch, version 0.3.2 works fine, can anybody help me with this?? Also i got this message when running sketch_galery

NApplet: frameRate(float newRateTarget) disabled.

this was posted before by another user but nobody has answer to help solve this problem

thanks!!! I hope you can help me

ww.sch

Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

2 years ago

.... seems not to work for me since version 0.3.3 ....

acsmith wrote here https://github.com/acsmith/napplet/wiki/ChangeLog :

Bug: A lot of things seem to not work if the base sketch is using the Java2D renderer (Processing’s default renderer). Until I figure out what’s going on, it’s best to specify the P2D renderer for the base sketch (e.g., size(300, 300, P2D)).

Werner

eduardomo..

Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

2 years ago

I´m trying to use glgraphics as render, but I can´t run in this way. I change a little in code, when create the new graphics for a Napplet for GLGraphicsOffScreen, but notihng rendered, Can somebdy help me?

fenicento

Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

2 years ago

I have basically the same problem. I tried to combine 4 sketches, each one using OPENGL as renderer. This is the returned error:

NApplet: frameRate(float newRateTarget) disabled.
OpenGL error 1282 at top endDraw(): invalid operation
OpenGL error 1282 at bot endDraw(): invalid operation
java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
    at processing.core.PApplet$RegisteredMethods.handle(Unknown Source)
    at processing.core.PApplet$RegisteredMethods.handle(Unknown Source)
    at processing.core.PApplet.handleDraw(Unknown Source)
    at processing.core.PApplet.run(Unknown Source)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:619)
Caused by: javax.media.opengl.GLException: Context not current on current thread
    at com.sun.opengl.impl.GLContextImpl.release(GLContextImpl.java:162)
    at processing.opengl.PGraphicsOpenGL.releaseContext(Unknown Source)
    at processing.opengl.PGraphicsOpenGL.endDraw(Unknown Source)
    at processing.core.PApplet.handleDraw(Unknown Source)
    at napplet.NApplet.handleDraw(Unknown Source)
    at napplet.NApplet.runFrame(Unknown Source)
    at napplet.NAppletManager.draw(Unknown Source)
    ... 9 more

I think that the problem may be related to the OpenGL context ( http://www.opengl.org/wiki/Creating_an_OpenGL_Context). Is there a way to overcome this issue?

phaze9

Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

2 years ago

Here's a version of NApplet which is modified for Processing 1.5: https://github.com/downloads/phaze9/napplet/napplet-0.4.0.zip

Embedded NApplets don't work yet though, only windowed. Use nappletManager.createWindowedNApplet instead of nappletManager.createNApplet

Source is here: https://github.com/phaze9/napplet

phaze9

Re: Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

2 years ago

Which versions of Processing and NApplet are you using?

Makio135

Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

2 years ago

isn't it the "missing P2D in the size()" problem? try to add it

http://makio.free.fr/

davos111

Re: napplet library: embedded & windowed sub-sketches

1 year ago

hi, I have 3 questions.

1)If I use the nappletManager , how do I delete a napplet ?

(I use 2 windows one like the control panel, and the other that I want to delete only that napplet and create a new one in that position to run the new sketch).

2)I have downloaded the last napplet version, .. are all the methods implemented? how to resize the window or set the xy coordinates, because are in the documentation, but when entering the code , processing says that are not found.

3) napplet is it multithread? or only emulates it? because I will load some programs that uses a lot of resources in memory and disk...

thank you

Top Reply