[Closed] (noob) convert strings to variable?

I don’t think you can get around the execute, but this works:

etext = "box"
  obj_array = execute ("for obj in $" + etext + "* collect obj")

Just make sure etext is a string.

Good luck,

• R

Here’s how you could avoid the execute statement:

searchText = “?ox*”
objArray = for obj in $* where matchpattern obj.name pattern:searchText collect obj
print objArray

• Martijn

waw! those were really usefull!
i just found out where the error on my script was

before:
foo = “$” + text + “*”
execute foo
print foo

after:
goo = “foo = $” + text + “*”
execute goo
print foo

though this was the execute method, i myt try magicm’s collect method
thnx for the help! (those came in pretty quick – fantastic!!)

oh… i hav another problem… sori to bother u guys…
i was just wondering, i made an edittext box inside a floater, now whenever I type a text and press enter, the field clears up, then if I was to close the floater, max sends me the following error:

MAXScript Rollout Handler Exception
– Syntax error: at end, expected <factor>
– In line:

sometimes maxscript isnt really helpfull when it comes to detecing errors…

hmm… im still figuring out whats causing this…

You should post the code. Also, max will jump to the line after which the error occured, so you can more easily find the problem.

• R

OK here’s ur request Rans … here’s the code for the rollout, its a bit messy… ok, a lot messy.
Im having an error, whenever I run the code(as a macroscript floater), I enter a string like foo at the Base Name edittext box, then after pressing enter, nothing happens, except that it clears the text box, then if i’ll close the floater, the error (above in yellow) occurs…

Macroscript Noise_Control category:“Test”
(
global tera_dum_noise
rollout chk “”
(
group “Parameters”
(
edittext bname “Base Name” fieldWidth:80 bold:on across:3 height:18
button selob “<>” offset:[65,-1] width:15 height:20 tooltip:“Select Objects”
button pos_list_nse “+” offset:[25,-1] width:15 height:20 tooltip:“Add Position List + Noise”
checkbutton nse_sid “Seed” across:4 offset:[-5,-2] height:20
label sid_lab “1 to ” offset:[-13,1] height:18
spinner sid_input “” offset:[-30,1] height:18 fieldWidth:25 type:#integer
checkbutton nse_frc “Fractal” offset:[3,-2]height:20
checkbutton nse_str “Strength” across:4 offset:[3,-1]height:20 width:45
spinner str_input “” fieldWidth:45 height:18 offset:[13,1] range:[-9999,9999,0]
checkbutton nse_frq “Freq” offset:[13,-1]height:20 width:30
spinner frq_input “” fieldWidth:30 height:18 offset:[6,1] range:[0,10,0] type:#integer
)
group “”
(
button apply “Apply Settings” width:165 offset:[35,-8] across:2 enabled:off
button help “?” width:15 offset:[43,-8]
)

on bname changed text do –with undo on
(
apply.enabled = on
exe = “foo = $” + text + ““
bname.text = text as string
execute exe
select foo
if bname.text as string == “” then
(
deselect $
apply.enabled = off
)
global foo
)

on selob pressed do with undo on
(
–if bname.text as string == “” then
– (
deselect $*
– )
– else
– (
– select foo
– )
)

on pos_list_nse pressed do with undo on
(
–print foo
for i in 1 to foo.count do
(
foo[i].pos.x += 10
–foo[i].pos.controller = position_list()
–foo[i].pos.controller.available.controller = noise_position()
)
)

on apply pressed do with undo on
(
for i in 1 to foo.count do
(
if nse_sid.checked == on then
(
foo[i].pos.controller.noise_position.seed = random 1 (sid_input.text as float)
)
)

for i in 1 to foo.count do
(
if nse_frc.checked == on then
(
foo[i].pos.controller.noise_position.fractal = on
)
else
(
foo[i].pos.controller.noise_position.fractal = off
)
)

for i in 1 to foo.count do
(
if nse_str.checked == on then
(
STR = str_input.text as float
foo[i].pos.controller.noise_position.noise_strength = [STR,STR,STR]
)
)

for i in 1 to foo.count do
(
if nse_frq.checked == on then
(
foo[i].pos.controller.noise_position.frequency = frq_input.text as float
)
)
nse_sid.checked = off
nse_frc.checked = off
nse_str.checked = off
nse_frq.checked = off
)

on help pressed do with undo on
(
messagebox “Base Name – Type in the base name of the objects you want to modify.
<> – Selects all objects with the current base name

• • Applies Position List and Noise Controller
    Seed – applies a random number from 1 to N
    Fractal – toggles fractal for the noise controller on/off
    Strength and Frequency – Strength and Frequency” title:” Noise Control HELP”
    )
    )

if tera_dum_noise != undefined do
(
closerolloutfloater tera_dum_noise
)
tera_dum_noise = newRolloutFloater “Noise Control” 210 180 30 70
addRollout chk tera_dum_noise
)

by taking a quick look over it, you should remove the “height” property of the editText, because this will create a multiline text field, which might cause the error…

hmm… Cthulhu, I removed the height parameter… its still giving me the same error, and i just found out, the same error occurs whenever i a add a space at the field…
I tried modifying this:

exe = “foo = $” + text + “*”
execute exe

to

exe = “foo = $’” + text + “’*”
execute exe

i didnt work either, I even tried using the collect script by magicm…

searchText = bname.text
foo = for obj in $* where matchpattern obj.name pattern:searchText collect obj

the error stills occurs whenever i press ENTER or SPACE BAR

Three things:

[ul]
[li] edittext bname “Base Name” fieldWidth:80 bold:on across:3 height:18[/li][/ul]Try height:17 instead. When the height goes above a certain number it becomes a multi-line text box. That certain number is 17.
When you press enter you go to the next line, so the text is not gone, the box is just not large enough to display both lines of text.
So the error is caused by trying to execute a code line with a multi-line text string in it. Try the following: execute (“foo = $” + “test
” + “*”). This will execute only foo = $test because of the new line (
) and this gives the error.
EDIT: This is what Cthulhu said. Yes, you can also remove the height parameter completely.

[ul]
[li] select foo[/li][/ul](In: on bname changed text do –with undo on). When the object doesn’t exist you’ll get an error. Replace with: if foo != undefined do select foo.

[ul]
[li] bname.text = text as string[/li][/ul](In: on bname changed text do –with undo on). This is unnecessary. What you’re doing here is stating that the text of the editText box is the text of the editText box. 1 = 1, see? You can lose that line.

A more elegant setup could be:

 on bname changed text do 
 (

obj_txt = bname.text as string

  apply.enabled = on

execute (“foo = $” + obj_txt + “*”)

if foo != undefined do select foo

 if bname.text as string == "" then
  (
  deselect $*
  apply.enabled = off
  )

global foo
)

Good luck!

• R