Python scripting notes and changelog

CityEngine Scripting Interface

The CityEngine scripting interface is based on Jython, a Java implementation of Python. Current version is 2.7.0.

CityEngine comes with a special Jython module scripting containing CityEngine specific commands (see list of classes)

Jython supports almost all modules of the standard Python library. In addition, Jython can include arbitrary Java classes to extend its functionality. Please see the Jython website for more details.

2023.0 changelog

Status	Commands
New	Added CE.invertSegment.
New	Added ImageExportTerrainSettings.get/setResolution.
New	Added get/setTerrainMeshResolution to these export model settings: ABCExportModelSettings DAEExportModelSettings DWGExportModelSettings FBXExportModelSettings FGDBExportModelSettings GLTFExportModelSettings IFCExportModelSettings KMLExportModelSettings OBJExportModelSettings USDExportModelSettings VOBExportModelSettings
Removed	The option get/setTerrainTessellationResolution was removed from CE.
Removed	CEWebSceneExportModelSettings to reflect the removal of the CityEngine Webscene Exporter.

2022.1 changelog

Status	Commands
New	USDExportModelSettings: Added get/setMeshMerging

2022.0 changelog

Status	Commands
New	Added VRExportSettings to export 3VR packages.
New	Added CE.get/CE.setTerrainApplyAlignment,CE.get/CE.setTerrainSamplingMethod and CE.get/CE.setTerrainTessellationResolution
New	UnrealExportModelSettings: Added get/setTwinmotionCompatible and get/setUseUnrealBaseMaterials

2021.1 changelog

Status	Commands
New	Added IFCExportModelSettings and IFCImportSettings to export and import BuildingSMART IFC files.
New	Added CGAMATExportModelSettings to export materials to the CityEngine material format.
New	USDExportModelSettings: Added get/setTriangulateMeshes.
New	AlignTerrainSettings: Added get/setBorderEasing, get/setBorderGradient, get/setBorderRange, and get/setSmoothBorders.
New and Deprecated	AlignTerrainSettings, and ResetTerrainSettings: Added get/setTerrainLayer and deprecated get/setTerrain.
New and Deprecated	AlignGraphSettings, AlignShapesSettings, and AlignStaticModelSettings: Added get/setHeightmapLayer and deprecated get/setHeightmap.
New and Deprecated	GrowStreetsSettings: Added get/setEnvironmentSettingsHeightmapLayer and get/setEnvironmentSettingsObstaclemapLayer and deprecated get/setEnvironmentSettingsHeightmap and get/setEnvironmentSettingsObstaclemap.

2021.0 changelog

Status	Commands
New	Added DWGImportSettings and DWGExportModelSettings to import and export Autodesk DWG files.
New	Added GenericPRTImportSettings to import files via custom PRT decoders.
New	The functions CE.isSynchronized and CE.unsynchronize have been added to work with Feature Services on ArcGIS portals.
New	USDExportModelSettings gained two new functions get/setFileType to get/set the USD file format (.usdc or .usdz).
New	The CleanupShapesSettings class gained two new functions get/setSplitSelfintersectingPolygons to control if self intersecting polygons should be split.
New	The RenderSettings class gained two new functions get/setTerrainMasking to control how overlapping terrains are rendered.
Changed	The functions "makeDefaultObject", "makeScenarioObject" and "removeFromScenario" have been renamed to CE.makeLayerDefaultObject, CE.makeLayerScenarioObject and CE.removeLayerFromScenario to reflect changes in the scenario system.
Removed	Removed RIBExportModelSettings to reflect the removal of the Renderman RIB exporter.

2020.1 changelog

Status	Commands
New	Added USDImportSettings to import Universal Scene Description files.
New	Added method CE.publishPortalItem and connected settings PortalPublishSettings to publish an already uploaded item on a portal.
New	RPKExportSettings.get/setCompatibility control compatibility with ArcGIS Pro.
New	The methods UnrealExportModelSettings.get/setExportLod, get/setLODAttribute, and get/setLODOrder were introduced to control creation of authored Levels of Detail.
Changed	Added PASS as value for get/setFacesWithHoles on FBXExportModelSettings to keep holes on FBX files.
Changed	The methods get/setCommaSeparatedListOfStreetClasses and get/setStreetClassAttribute on ComputeEdgeAttributesSettings were renamed to get/setCommaSeparatedListOfStreetCategories and get/setStreetCategoryAttribute.

2020.0 changelog

Status	Commands
New	Added MSPKExportSettings to export Mobile Scene Packages.
New	Added USDExportModelSettings to export Universal Scene Description files.
Changed	The methods UnrealExportModelSettings.get/setUseTextureAtlas were introduced to control creation of texture atlases in contrast to individual texture files.
Changed	The method ImageExportTerrainSettings.setFilename was renamed from setFileName for consistency.
Changed	The method TPKExportSettings.get/setOutputPath were renamed from get/setPath for consistency.

2019.1 changelog

Status	Commands
Changed	The return type of getAttribute for arrays was changed from dict to list.
New	The old behavior of getAttribute for arrays returning a dict can be obtained through the deprecated function CE.getAttributeArrayAsDict.
New	SPKMeshExportModelSettings has option get/setFileSize to influence the file size. Users familiar with the i3s specification can use get/setMaxDepth to directly set the maximum tree depth alternatively.
Removed	The option get/setLayerTextureEncoding was removed from SPKMeshExportModelSettings in favor of the size functions above.

2019.0 changelog

Status	Commands
New	glTF models can be imported using GLTFImportSettings in ce.importFile and exported using GLTFExportModelSettings in ce.export.
New	The scene rendering can be controlled using LightSettings with ce.get/setLighting, PanoramaSettings with ce.get/setPanorama, and RenderSettings with view3d.get/setRenderSettings.
New	The edge attributes of shapes can be computed using ce.computeEdgeAttributes and controlled using ComputeEdgeAttributesSettings.
New	The elevation offset of a layer can be controlled using ce.get/ce.setElevationOffset.
New	Terrain elevation limits can be controlled using ce.get/ce.setTerrainMinHeight and ce.get/ce.setTerrainMaxHeight.
New	Shapes can be boolean subtracted from each other using ce.subtractShapes.
New	Scenarios can now be controlled using the following functions: CE.getScenarioColor CE.addScenario CE.getScenarioIds CE.getScenarioName CE.getScenarios CE.getSceneScenario CE.getViewportScenario CE.isDefaultObject CE.isDefaultObjectsVisible CE.makeDefaultObject CE.makeScenarioObject CE.removeFromScenario CE.removeScenario CE.setScenarioColor CE.setScenarioId CE.setScenarioName CE.setScenarioOrder CE.setSceneScenario CE.setViewportScenario CE.withScenario
New	TPKExportSettings now has get/setVerticalOffset functions.
New	UnrealExportModelSettings now has get/setMetadata functions.
New	RPKExportSettings has new functions get/setIncludeSourceFiles and getAddFilesAutomatically.
Changed	RPKExportSettings function addFilesAutomatically was renamed setAddFilesAutomatically and it takes an optional argument that allows deactivation of automatic file adding.
Changed	The method CE.get3DViews returns only Viewports.
Changed	The methods CE.isInspector and CE.isViewport were deprecated because CE.get3DViews only returns viewports.
Removed	The functions get/setWriteDDSTextures were removed from SPKMeshExportModelSettings.