wonderworks-software / PyFlow

Visual scripting framework for python - https://wonderworks-software.github.io/PyFlow

Overview

PyFlow is a general purpose visual scripting framework for python.

State

Base structure of program implemented, such things as packages discovery, input customization, exporters, base classes for entities and tools.

You can completely remove nodes and tools that ships by default and start your own library from scratch.

You can evaluate programs without running user interface.

We have simple CLI interface and setup.py script.

Expectedly, we faced problems with our runtime execution model, it is good for certain types of tasks despite it is slow. Also, complicated flow control requires cycles handling.

For example current for loop node implementation doesn't work well with any kind of delay stuff in it's body. Of course it can be solved by adding more logic to loop processing, but we don't know exactly how to make it efficient yet.

Road map

We will add new types of graphs (undirected graphs, trees) and algorithms to work with those structures.

Code generation is probably the future of PyFlow.

We are going to implement more building blocks. Functions - which unlike subgraphs will have single definition and multiple entry points across the program. Objects - very important concept of programming in general, object will have own methods, access levels and variables. Events and delegates - similar to ue4.

Application presets and api for writing own presets. Templates like in any IDE (shader, command line tool, software installer, etc.).

Documentation updates.

User interface improvements and new tools to enhance user experience.

We want to have most python standard library wrapped into a nodes!

Installation

Manual

1. Clone or download repository.

2. Install requirements for your use case.

   requirement lists can be found under PyFlow/requirements

3. To run the program in standalone mode, run pyflow.py. It can be found in the root folder of repository.

Or using pip

Latest development version. Contains latest features

pip install git+https://github.com/wonderworks-software/PyFlow.git@master

Latest release version

pip install git+https://github.com/wonderworks-software/PyFlow.git@release

After package is installed, you can invoke pyflow.exe on windows or pyflow on unix OS. Program is located inside PATH/TO/PYTHON/Scripts.

Features overview

• Modular

  Add own node sets, pins, shelf tools, dock tools, preferences widgets, data exporters/importers

• Easy integration

  PyFlow is a normal python program. It can run under any python environment

• Python3 and 2 support

• Logic and UI are separated

  Main logic elements (Node and Pin) has non gui representation, so programs can be evaluated without GUI

• Subgraphs

  Collapse parts of graphs into subgraphs

  

• Watch what is going on

  

• Expose properties from subgraphs

  Any node can share it's properties with owning sub graph node

  

• Subgraphs import/export

  Share subgraphs with others

  

  If compound node was exported to some package, it will appear in node box

  

• Python node

  Write whatever code directly into a node

  

• Python node import/export

  Share python nodes with others

  

  If python node was exported to some package, it will appear in node box

  

• Fast node generation from functions

  Single decorator to expose node from function

  

• Package loading from arbitrary locations

  Packages can be loaded from provided list of directories. It can be your development folder or folder in network drive inside your studio

• Graph commenting

  • Comment node

    

  • Sticky node

    

• Custom input system

  If you got used to specific keymap of your software of choice, you can easily remap PyFlow input actions

  

• Drop on wire

  Automatically сonnect the node by dragging it onto the wire

  

• Photoshop-like history

  Easy to use powerful undo system

  

  By a single line call

  

• Property view

  Modify node and pins attributes using property panels

  

• Variables

  Save arbitrary data into a variables

  

• Editable shareable themes

  Create and share themes with others

  

• Data importers/exporters

  Editor data can be exported/imported to/from arbitrary format

• Command line interface

  

  Exported programs can be edited and evaluated from command line without gui

  

• Convenient wires interaction

  

• Wire styles

  

  

  

• Node deprecation flag

  Tell users to update their programs

  

• Widgets library

  • Sliders

    Custom Houdini style sliders, value draggers, ramp widgets

    

  • Properties framework

    Custom widgets for property panels. Collapsible categories, search field

  • Input framework

    Custom widgets for mouse, keyboard capture

• Plugin wizards framework

  Generate package template to start development. Or create own wizard for your module

• Easy configuration files framework

  While adding own modules you probably want to have some configuration data. We provide easy to use api for this

And more..

Getting Started

We have documentation

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md

Versioning

We use a semantic versioning policy.

Authors

• Ilgar Lunin - Ilgar Lunin
• Pedro Cabrera - Pedro Cabrera

See also the list of contributors who participated in this project.

Discussion

Join us to our discord channel and ask anything related to project!