Python command reference

This page lists the commands of the Python module mxw, MXWendler's general Python command interface. It is available from the script console and from Python plugins (see the Python Plugin Howto). For drawing plugin panels see the Python ImGui Reference.

The embedded interpreter is Python 3.12. Import is implicit in the script console; in a plugin module use import mxw.

The presented Python commands supported in version 7.2. and up

Legend

FLOATS are written with one decimal: 0.0 .. 1.0 → every float between 0 and 1 inclusive.

INTEGERS are written as plain numbers or ranges: 1 .. 5 → the integers 1,2,3,4,5.

STRINGS are written between double quotes.

When OR appears, two alternative call formats produce a similar result; use one at a time.

Addressing: widgets are targeted by their OSC-style address string, e.g. /mxw/track/active/layer/active/clip. The same addresses used over OSC work here.

Access model (7.2): widget values are read/written through mxw.widget(address); global functions live in the submodules/factories mxw.playlist, mxw.io, mxw.preload(n), mxw.media(name), mxw.grabber(name).

Reference

PYTHON COMMAND/SYMBOL	DESCRIPTION	EXAMPLE
Software Info
mxw.millis	milliseconds passed since the software was opened	mxw.print_console("passed time is " + str(mxw.millis))
mxw.width	current frame width in px	mxw.print_console("frame width is " + str(mxw.width))
mxw.height	current frame height in px	mxw.print_console("frame height is " + str(mxw.height))
mxw.outwidth	current output width in px	mxw.print_console("output width is " + str(mxw.outwidth))
mxw.outheight	current output height in px	mxw.print_console("output height is " + str(mxw.outheight))
mxw.framecounter	number of frames rendered since the software was opened	mxw.print_console("frames rendered: " + str(mxw.framecounter))
mxw.print_console("text")	print a line to the script console	mxw.print_console("hello")
mxw.print_statusline("text")	print text on the application status line	mxw.print_statusline("running")
mxw.makescreenshot("path")	save a full-frame screenshot as PNG (empty path → Desktop)	mxw.makescreenshot("c:/Users/me/Desktop/shot.png")
mxw.makesectionscreenshot("path", x, y, w, h)	save a cropped screenshot of the region (x, y, w, h)	mxw.makesectionscreenshot("c:/Users/me/Desktop/crop.png", 0, 0, 400, 200)
mxw.describe()	return a text listing of every operation known to the unified interface registry (auto-docs / discovery)	mxw.print_console(mxw.describe())
I/O ( mxw.io )
mxw.io.dmx(channel)	return the DMX value received on the given channel	v = mxw.io.dmx(4)
mxw.io.midi(device, channel)	return the MIDI value received from device/channel	v = mxw.io.midi(1, 6)
mxw.io.keyboard(state, key)	return whether the given key (ASCII) is in the given state	if mxw.io.keyboard(0, 65): pass
mxw.io.send_dmx(channel, value)	send a DMX value on a channel	mxw.io.send_dmx(4, 255)
mxw.io.send_midi(device, channel, value)	send a MIDI value to device/channel	mxw.io.send_midi(1, 6, 100)
mxw.io.pjlink("command", "ip", "pw")	PJLink projector control. Commands: on, off, avmute_on, avmute_off, vmute_on, vmute_off	mxw.io.pjlink("on", "192.168.1.2", "panasonic")
mxw.io.send_osc("host", port, "address", "tags", *args)	send an OSC message. tags is one char per argument: d float, i int, c string, b blob (list of 0..255)	mxw.io.send_osc("127.0.0.1", 7000, "/cue", "ci", "go", 5)
Playlist ( mxw.playlist )
mxw.playlist.preload_media()	preload the media used by the playlist	mxw.playlist.preload_media()
mxw.playlist.play()	play the playlist	mxw.playlist.play()
mxw.playlist.pause()	pause, or restart if already paused	mxw.playlist.pause()
mxw.playlist.go_pause(True/False)	halt (True) or resume (False) playback	mxw.playlist.go_pause(True)
mxw.playlist.skiptonext()	skip to the next cue	mxw.playlist.skiptonext()
mxw.playlist.go_next()	go to the next cue without playing	mxw.playlist.go_next()
mxw.playlist.go_prev()	go to the previous cue	mxw.playlist.go_prev()
mxw.playlist.go_first()	go to the first cue	mxw.playlist.go_first()
mxw.playlist.navigate_index(index)	go to the cue with the given index	mxw.playlist.navigate_index(2)
mxw.playlist.navigate_string("name")	go to the cue matching the given name	mxw.playlist.navigate_string("BG_video2")
mxw.playlist.get_active_cue()	return the active cue index (int)	i = mxw.playlist.get_active_cue()
mxw.playlist.get_cue_count()	return the number of cues (int)	n = mxw.playlist.get_cue_count()
mxw.playlist.get_cue_names()	return the list of cue names (index matches navigate_index)	for name in mxw.playlist.get_cue_names(): pass
mxw.playlist.is_rehearsal()	return True if the playlist is in rehearsal mode	if mxw.playlist.is_rehearsal(): pass
Preload ( mxw.preload(n) )
mxw.preload(n).isvalid()	True if preload n exists	if mxw.preload(2).isvalid(): pass
mxw.preload(n).clear()	clear the selected preload	mxw.preload(2).clear()
mxw.preload(n).set_media("filename")	set the preload media by filename	mxw.preload(2).set_media("try.mp4")
mxw.preload(n).set_name("name")	rename the preload	mxw.preload(2).set_name("new_background")
mxw.preload(n).add_preload()	load the preload into the layers	mxw.preload(2).add_preload()
mxw.preload(n).trigger_preload()	trigger a layer from the preload	mxw.preload(2).trigger_preload()
mxw.preload(n).get_activated()	True if the preload is open for edit	mxw.preload(2).get_activated()
mxw.preload(n).set_activated(True/False)	open/close the preload for edit	mxw.preload(2).set_activated(False)
mxw.preload(n).get_layer_position()	return the preload's layer index	mxw.preload(2).get_layer_position()
mxw.preload(n).get_track_position()	return the preload's track index	mxw.preload(2).get_track_position()
mxw.preload(n).set_layer_position(pos)	set the preload's layer index	mxw.preload(2).set_layer_position(2)
mxw.preload(n).set_track_position(pos)	set the preload's track index	mxw.preload(2).set_track_position(2)
mxw.preload(n).get_preload_names()	return the list of preload comment/name strings	names = mxw.preload(2).get_preload_names()
mxw.preload(n).get_image_sample_cvmat(w, h)	return a w×h RGBA image sample of the preload as a buffer (OpenCV Mat)	img = mxw.preload(2).get_image_sample_cvmat(64, 64)
Widgets ( mxw.widget(address) )
mxw.widget("/mxw/path").getValue()	return the widget's normalized value (float)	o = mxw.widget("/mxw/track/active/layer/active/opacity").getValue()
mxw.widget("/mxw/path").setValue(v)	set the widget's normalized value	mxw.widget("/mxw/track/active/layer/active/opacity").setValue(0.5)
mxw.widget("/mxw/path").getStringValue()	return the widget's string value (e.g. a cue/clip name)	mxw.print_console(mxw.widget("/mxw/playlist/container/1/column/0/row/1").getStringValue())
mxw.widget("/mxw/path").setStringValue("text")	set the widget's string value (e.g. name a cue)	mxw.widget("/mxw/playlist/container/1/column/0/row/1").setStringValue("background videoclip")
mxw.widget("/mxw/path").setWidgetRealValue(d)	set the widget's real (un-normalized) value	mxw.widget("/mxw/path").setWidgetRealValue(120.0)
mxw.widget("/mxw/path").animate(initvalue, incomingvalue, duration, delta, type)	animate the widget value over duration ms	mxw.widget("/mxw/path").animate(0.0, 1.0, 1000, 0.0, 0)
mxw.widget("/mxw/path").info()	return a list describing the widget. For a clip: [length, width, height, millis_per_frame, cache_state, media_path]. Returns [] if the address does not resolve	length, w, h, mspf, cache, path = mxw.widget("/mxw/track/active/layer/active/clip").info()
Media ( mxw.media(name) )
mxw.media("name").isvalid()	True if the named media exists	if mxw.media("USB Cam").isvalid(): pass
mxw.media("name").reference(True/False)	add (True) or remove (False) a reference that keeps the media loaded	mxw.media("clip.mov").reference(True)
mxw.media("name").unload_media_full_if_not_used_by_clips()	unload the media if no clip uses it (returns bool)	mxw.media("clip.mov").unload_media_full_if_not_used_by_clips()
mxw.media("name").get_image_sample_cvmat(w, h)	return a w×h RGBA image sample of the media (OpenCV Mat)	img = mxw.media("clip.mov").get_image_sample_cvmat(64, 64)
mxw.media("name").get_image_sample_cvmat_async(w, h)	non-blocking variant of the image sample	img = mxw.media("clip.mov").get_image_sample_cvmat_async(64, 64)
mxw.media("name").get_capture_device_names()	return the list of available capture-device names	devs = mxw.media("").get_capture_device_names()
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_is_supported")	return whether the (NDI) camera supports PTZ	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_is_supported")
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_zoom", value)	zoom, 0 (in) .. 1 (out)	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_zoom", 0.5)
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_zoom_speed", value)	zoom speed, -1 (out) .. 1 (in)	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_zoom_speed", 0.5)
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_pan_tilt", pan, tilt)	absolute pan/tilt, -1 .. 1	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_pan_tilt", -0.5, 0.2)
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_pan_tilt_speed", pan_speed, tilt_speed)	pan/tilt speed, -1 (right/down) .. 1 (left/up)	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_pan_tilt_speed", -0.3, 0.8)
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_store_preset", n)	store position/focus/zoom into preset 0 .. 99	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_store_preset", 75)
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_recall_preset", n, speed)	recall preset 0 .. 99 at speed 0 .. 1	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_recall_preset", 4, 0.5)
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_auto_focus")	toggle auto-focus	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_auto_focus")
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_focus", value)	absolute focus, 0 (infinity) .. 1 (closest)	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_focus", 0.5)
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_focus_speed", value)	focus speed, -1 (out) .. 1 (in)	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_focus_speed", -0.2)
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_white_balance_auto")	auto white balance	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_white_balance_auto")
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_white_balance_indoor")	indoor white balance	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_white_balance_indoor")
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_white_balance_outdoor")	outdoor white balance	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_white_balance_outdoor")
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_white_balance_oneshot")	set white balance once from current brightness	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_white_balance_oneshot")
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_white_balance_manual", red, blue)	manual white balance, 0.0 .. 1.0 each	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_white_balance_manual", 0.1, 0.7)
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_exposure_auto")	auto exposure	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_exposure_auto")
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_exposure_manual", level)	manual exposure iris, 0.0 (dark) .. 1.0 (light)	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_exposure_manual", 0.4)
mxw.media("name").ptz("ptz_exposure_manual_v2", iris, gain, shutter)	manual exposure iris/gain/shutter, 0.0 .. 1.0 each	mxw.media("USB Cam").ptz("ptz_exposure_manual_v2", 0.4, 0.2, 0.5)
Grabber ( mxw.grabber(name) )
mxw.grabber("name").isvalid()	True if the named keystone grabber exists	if mxw.grabber("cam").isvalid(): pass
mxw.grabber("name").getGrabSizeX()	grabber width in px	mxw.grabber("cam").getGrabSizeX()
mxw.grabber("name").getGrabSizeY()	grabber height in px	mxw.grabber("cam").getGrabSizeY()
mxw.grabber("name").getData()	return the grabber's pixels as a byte list (RGBA, width×height×4)	px = mxw.grabber("cam").getData()

See also

• Python ImGui Reference – drawing plugin panels with mxw_imgui
• Python Plugin Howto – writing media and playlist plugins