Replace text in textField with object name - Pymel

Question

I've realized that there were similar questions located

here: textfield query and prefix replacing

and

here: Python - Change the textField after browsing - MAYA

However, these do not address the issue if you have two definitions and need the text in the textField to be queried (actually CHANGE the text in the textField).

I know from experience that doing what I have below in MelScript actually works, but for the sake of Python, and learning how to do it in Python, it seems to not work. Am I missing something? Do I need a lambda to get the name of the object selected and query the textField?

I have an example (a snip-bit of what needs to be fixed):

from pymel.core import *
def mainWindow():
    window('myWin')
    columnLayout(adj=1)
    button('retopoplz', ann='Select a Mesh to Retopologize', bgc=[.15,.15,.15],
           l='START RETOPOLOGY', c='Retopo(TextToMakeLive)')
    TextToMakeLive = textField(ann='Mesh Selected', bgc=[.2,0,0],
                               edit=0, tx='NONE')
    setParent('..')
    showWindow('myWin')
def Retopo(TextToMakeLive):
    #This tool selects the object to retopologize
    MakeLiveField = textField(TextToMakeLive, q=1, tx=1)
    MakeSelectionLive = (ls(sl=1))
    if MakeSelectionLive is None:
        warning('Please select an object to retopologize')
    if MakeSelectionLive == 1:
        TextToMakeLive = textField(TextToMakeLive, ed=1, 
                                   tx=MakeSelectionLive,
                                   bgc=[0,.2,0])
        shape = ls(s=MakeSelectionLive[0])
        setAttr((shape + '.backfaceCulling'),3)
        createDisplayLayer(n='RetopoLayer', num=1, nr=1)
        makeLive(shape)
        print('Retopology Activated!')
    else:
        warning('Select only ONE Object')
mainWindow()

Answer 1

GUI objects can always be edited -- including changing their commands -- as long as you store their names. So your mainWindow() could return the name(s) of gui controls you wanted to edit again and a second function could use those names to change the looks or behaviors of the created objects.

However, this is all much easier if you use a python class to 'remember' the names of the objects and any other state information: it's easy for the class to 'see' all the relevant info and state. Here's your original converted to classes:

from pymel.core import *
class RetopoWindow(object):

    def __init__(self):
        self.window = window('myWin')
        columnLayout(adj=1)
        button('retopoplz',ann='Select a Mesh to Retopologize', bgc=[.15,.15,.15],l='START RETOPOLOGY', c = self.do_retopo)
        self.TextToMakeLive=textField(ann='Mesh Selected', bgc=[.2,0,0],edit=0,tx='NONE')


    def show(self):
        showWindow(self.window)

    def do_retopo(self, *_):
        #This tool selects the object to retopologize
        MakeLiveField= textField(self.TextToMakeLive,q=1,tx=1)
        MakeSelectionLive=(ls(sl=1))
        if MakeSelectionLive is None:
            warning('Please select an object to retopologize')
        if len( MakeSelectionLive) == 1:
            TextToMakeLive=textField(self.TextToMakeLive,ed=1,tx=MakeSelectionLive,bgc=[0,.2,0])
            shape=ls(s=MakeSelectionLive[0])
            setAttr((shape+'.backfaceCulling'),3)
            createDisplayLayer(n='RetopoLayer',num=1,nr=1)
            makeLive(shape)
            print('Retopology Activated!')
        else:
            warning('Select only ONE Object')

RetopoWindow().show()

As for the callbacks: useful reference here