Capture to file freezes the grasshopper canvas

Grasshopper
,
1

I am writing a GH script in Python (Rino 8). The task is to make a screenshot of a given size from a named view. It seems to work, but after saving the file, the Grasshopper canvas freezes and only responds to scrolling and pressing the push button. If I press the button a second time, it unfreezes and works fine.
the script is follow:

import rhinoscriptsyntax as rs
import scriptcontext as sc
import Rhino
import os
import base64

def capture_view_to_file(file_name, width, height, scale):
    old_doc = sc.doc
    sc.doc = Rhino.RhinoDoc.ActiveDoc

    try:
        # Formulating common options for the capture view command
        common_options = " _Width={w} _Height={h}".format(w=int(width), h=int(height))
        common_options += " _Scale={s}".format(s=scale)
        common_options += " _DrawGrid=_No _DrawWorldAxes=_No _DrawCPlaneAxes=_No"

        transp = '_Yes'
        cmd = '-_ViewCaptureToFile'
        cmd += common_options
        cmd += " _TransparentBackground={t}".format(t=transp)
        cmd += ' "{f}"'.format(f=file_name)
        cmd += " _Enter"

        # Redrawing the view before executing the command
        rs.Redraw()
        # Executing the capture view command
        success = rs.Command(cmd, echo=False)
        if not success:
            print("Error capturing PNG image.")
            return False
        else:
            print(f"Image saved successfully at {file_name}")
            return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"An error occurred: {e}")
        return False
    finally:
        # Restoring the original document context
        sc.doc = old_doc
        sc.doc.Views.Redraw()

def save_as_base64(file_path):
    try:
        with open(file_path, "rb") as image_file:
            encoded_string = base64.b64encode(image_file.read()).decode('utf-8')
            base64_file_path = f"{file_path}.base64"
            with open(base64_file_path, "w") as base64_file:
                base64_file.write(encoded_string)
            print(f"Base64 image saved successfully at {base64_file_path}")
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"An error occurred while encoding to Base64: {e}")

# Getting input data from Grasshopper
capture = capture  # capture - input component in Grasshopper
folder = folder  # folder - input component in Grasshopper
name = name  # name - input component in Grasshopper
width = width_picture  # width_picture - input component in Grasshopper
height = heigh_picture  # heigh_picture - input component in Grasshopper
scale = scale__picture  # scale__picture - input component in Grasshopper
named_view_index = int(named_views)  # named_views - input component in Grasshopper

if capture:
    # Forming the file path
    file_path = os.path.join(folder, f"{name}.png")
    
    sc.doc = Rhino.RhinoDoc.ActiveDoc
    
    # Getting the list of named views
    named_views = rs.NamedViews()
    if named_view_index < 0 or named_view_index >= len(named_views):
        print("Invalid named view index")
    else:
        # Selecting the desired view
        named_view = named_views[named_view_index]
        rs.RestoreNamedView(named_view)
        rs.CurrentView(named_view)
        print(f"Restored and set current view: {named_view}")
        
        # Capturing the view
        if capture_view_to_file(file_path, width, height, scale):
            # Saving as Base64
            save_as_base64(file_path)
    
    sc.doc = ghdoc
    sc.doc.Views.Redraw()
2

That’s unfortunately a longstanding and well known issue that has no good solution (that I’m aware of). My workaround is to either use a boolean toggle, or to simply hold down the button while the screenshot process is executed. Also one does not have to script a Rhino command to perform a viewport capture, which can simply things a bit codewise and might be less “freezy”:

And welcome on board of course :slight_smile:

3

Thank you, Anders
You say that I can give the True command and hold it after executing a previous script. In this case, the capture will complete normally.
I tried to give the command from the script that initially selects the named view. But the result is the same - freezing.
Maybe instead of capture, we could use some real-time render (not raytraced).

The thing is, I need to send the scene to Stable Diffusion. It must consist only of pure colors, without shadows, edges, ambient occlusion, etc. That’s why I choose capture.