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metadata manipulation | Substance 3D Automation ToolKit

metadata manipulation

Since 2019.2, Substance Designer allow users to add metadata to substance files.

It’s possible to add metadata for packages, graph and input / output nodes. For each of them a common interface is shared to manipulate metadata.

It’s possible to create two type of metadata:

  • String:
# create a new doc
sbs_doc = sbsgenerator.createSBSDocument(context.Context(), "foo.sbs")
# add two new string metadata to the package (doc)
sbs_doc.createMetaDataStr("foo", "bar")
sbs_doc.createMetaDataStr("fooz", "baz")
# create a new doc sbs_doc = sbsgenerator.createSBSDocument(context.Context(), "foo.sbs") # add two new string metadata to the package (doc) sbs_doc.createMetaDataStr("foo", "bar") sbs_doc.createMetaDataStr("fooz", "baz")
# create a new doc 
sbs_doc = sbsgenerator.createSBSDocument(context.Context(), "foo.sbs") 
 
# add two new string metadata to the package (doc) 
sbs_doc.createMetaDataStr("foo", "bar") 
sbs_doc.createMetaDataStr("fooz", "baz")
  • Resources:
# create a new doc
sbs_doc = sbsgenerator.createSBSDocument(context.Context(), "foo.sbs")
# link a resource
res = sbs_doc.createLinkedResource(aResourceTypeEnum=sbsenum.ResourceTypeEnum.BITMAP, aResourcePath="resource.png")
# add a new url metadata
sbs_doc.createMetaDataUrl("baz", res)
# create a new doc sbs_doc = sbsgenerator.createSBSDocument(context.Context(), "foo.sbs") # link a resource res = sbs_doc.createLinkedResource(aResourceTypeEnum=sbsenum.ResourceTypeEnum.BITMAP, aResourcePath="resource.png") # add a new url metadata sbs_doc.createMetaDataUrl("baz", res)
# create a new doc 
sbs_doc = sbsgenerator.createSBSDocument(context.Context(), "foo.sbs") 
# link a resource 
res = sbs_doc.createLinkedResource(aResourceTypeEnum=sbsenum.ResourceTypeEnum.BITMAP, aResourcePath="resource.png") 
 
# add a new url metadata 
sbs_doc.createMetaDataUrl("baz", res)

Note, an url metadata value must be a resource object (SBSResource) or a pkg url of type “pkg:///…”. Each metadata has a unique key name, it’s not possible to create several metadata with the same key name and trying to do that will raise an exception (SBSMetaDataTreeNameConflict)

To get or set a value of already existing metadata:

# get a string metadata
meta_srt = sbs_doc.getMetaData("foo")
# get a value
meta_str.getValue()
# >>> bar
# set a value
meta_str.setValue("foofoo")
# get an url metadata
meta_url = sbs_doc.getMetaData("fooz")
# get a value
meta_url.getValue()
# >>> pkg:///resource.png
# set a value
meta_url.setValue(a_resource)
# get a string metadata meta_srt = sbs_doc.getMetaData("foo") # get a value meta_str.getValue() # >>> bar # set a value meta_str.setValue("foofoo") # get an url metadata meta_url = sbs_doc.getMetaData("fooz") # get a value meta_url.getValue() # >>> pkg:///resource.png # set a value meta_url.setValue(a_resource)
# get a string metadata 
meta_srt = sbs_doc.getMetaData("foo") 
# get a value 
meta_str.getValue() 
# >>> bar 
# set a value 
meta_str.setValue("foofoo") 
# get an url metadata 
meta_url = sbs_doc.getMetaData("fooz") 
# get a value 
meta_url.getValue() 
# >>> pkg:///resource.png 
# set a value 
meta_url.setValue(a_resource)

To remove metadata:

# delete a metadata, key and value
sbs_doc.deleteMetaData("foo")
# >>> True
# delete a metadata, key and value sbs_doc.deleteMetaData("foo") # >>> True
# delete a metadata, key and value 
sbs_doc.deleteMetaData("foo") 
# >>> True

To get a dict of all metadata:

# get a dict
sbs_doc.getAllMetadata()
# >>> {"foo": "foofoo", "fooz": "pkg:///resource.png"}
# get a dict sbs_doc.getAllMetadata() # >>> {"foo": "foofoo", "fooz": "pkg:///resource.png"}
# get a dict 
sbs_doc.getAllMetadata() 
# >>> {"foo": "foofoo", "fooz": "pkg:///resource.png"}

Same for graph and input / output nodes:

# get a dict
graph = sbs_doc.getSBSGraphList()[0]()
md_graph = graph.getAllMetaData()
input_param = graph.mParamInputs[0]
md_input = input_param.getAllMetaData()
output_graph = graph.mGraphOutputs[0]
md_output = output_graph.getAllMetaData()
# get a dict graph = sbs_doc.getSBSGraphList()[0]() md_graph = graph.getAllMetaData() input_param = graph.mParamInputs[0] md_input = input_param.getAllMetaData() output_graph = graph.mGraphOutputs[0] md_output = output_graph.getAllMetaData()
# get a dict 
graph = sbs_doc.getSBSGraphList()[0]() 
md_graph = graph.getAllMetaData() 
 
input_param = graph.mParamInputs[0] 
md_input = input_param.getAllMetaData() 
 
output_graph = graph.mGraphOutputs[0] 
md_output = output_graph.getAllMetaData()

Metadata from a sbsar

Metadata are published within the sbsar and their related resource files. Since sbsar is a publish format it’s not yet possible to edit the metadata. If you want to do that, edit the sbs file and re-cook it.

Sbsar package, sbsar graph and sbsar input / output nodes share the same metadata common interface. sbsarmetadata module inherited by metadata module Except some specific methods like extractSbsarMetaDataResource and extractSbsarMetaDataPack.

Like in SBSDocument users can get all metadata:

sbsar = sbsarchive.SBSArchive(context.Context(), "foo.sbsar")
# as a dict
sbsar.getAllMetaData()
# >>> {"foo": "foofoo", "fooz": "resources/1/resource.png"}
# as a json file
sbsar.extractSbsarMetaDataJson("metadata.json")
# >>> metadata.json
sbsar = sbsarchive.SBSArchive(context.Context(), "foo.sbsar") # as a dict sbsar.getAllMetaData() # >>> {"foo": "foofoo", "fooz": "resources/1/resource.png"} # as a json file sbsar.extractSbsarMetaDataJson("metadata.json") # >>> metadata.json
sbsar = sbsarchive.SBSArchive(context.Context(), "foo.sbsar") 
# as a dict 
sbsar.getAllMetaData() 
# >>> {"foo": "foofoo", "fooz": "resources/1/resource.png"} 
 
# as a json file 
sbsar.extractSbsarMetaDataJson("metadata.json") 
# >>> metadata.json

Note the change of the url, it is converted as a sbsar resource path.

As metadata resource files are present in the sbsar it’s also possible to get them:

sbsar = sbsarchive.SBSArchive(context.Context(), "foo.sbsar")
meta = sbsar.getAllMetaData()
# by a url metadata value
sbsar.extractSbsarMetaDataResource("a_destination/directory", meta["fooz"])
# >>> a_destination/directory/resource.png
# or all in one
extract_files = sbsar.extractSbsarMetaDataPack("a_destination/directory")
# >>> ['a_destination/directory/resource.png']
sbsar = sbsarchive.SBSArchive(context.Context(), "foo.sbsar") meta = sbsar.getAllMetaData() # by a url metadata value sbsar.extractSbsarMetaDataResource("a_destination/directory", meta["fooz"]) # >>> a_destination/directory/resource.png # or all in one extract_files = sbsar.extractSbsarMetaDataPack("a_destination/directory") # >>> ['a_destination/directory/resource.png']
sbsar = sbsarchive.SBSArchive(context.Context(), "foo.sbsar") 
meta = sbsar.getAllMetaData() 
# by a url metadata value 
sbsar.extractSbsarMetaDataResource("a_destination/directory", meta["fooz"]) 
# >>> a_destination/directory/resource.png 
 
# or all in one 
extract_files = sbsar.extractSbsarMetaDataPack("a_destination/directory") 
# >>> ['a_destination/directory/resource.png']

Same for sbsar graph and sbsar input / output nodes:

# get a dict
graph = sbsar.getSBSGraphList()[0]()
md_graph = graph.getAllMetaData()
input_param = graph.getInputs()[0]
md_input = input_param.getAllMetaData()
output_graph = graph.getGraphOutputs()[0]
md_output = output_graph.getAllMetaData()
# get a dict graph = sbsar.getSBSGraphList()[0]() md_graph = graph.getAllMetaData() input_param = graph.getInputs()[0] md_input = input_param.getAllMetaData() output_graph = graph.getGraphOutputs()[0] md_output = output_graph.getAllMetaData()
# get a dict 
graph = sbsar.getSBSGraphList()[0]() 
md_graph = graph.getAllMetaData() 
 
input_param = graph.getInputs()[0] 
md_input = input_param.getAllMetaData() 
 
output_graph = graph.getGraphOutputs()[0] 
md_output = output_graph.getAllMetaData()

Resource of type OTHER

With the arrival of metadata a new type of resource has been added, OTHER. This makes it possible to link any type of resource regardless of if Substance Designer supports it or not but it can’t be used in any graphs. Resource metadata of type OTHER will be exported with the sbsar.

Here is an example of creating metadata of the type OTHER:

sbs_doc = sbsgenerator.createSBSDocument(context.Context(), "foo.sbs")
# link an OTHER resource
res = sbs_doc.createLinkedResource("my_resource.blend", sbsenum.ResourceTypeEnum.OTHER)
sbs_doc = sbsgenerator.createSBSDocument(context.Context(), "foo.sbs") # link an OTHER resource res = sbs_doc.createLinkedResource("my_resource.blend", sbsenum.ResourceTypeEnum.OTHER)
sbs_doc = sbsgenerator.createSBSDocument(context.Context(), "foo.sbs") 
# link an OTHER resource 
res = sbs_doc.createLinkedResource("my_resource.blend", sbsenum.ResourceTypeEnum.OTHER)

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