If you can live with the flash of a command prompt window, you can use subprocess.Popen to get the scene file version from printver.

import subprocess

scn = 'C:\\Softimage\\XSI-EXP_3.0\\Data\\XSI_SAMPLES\\Scenes\\dog.scn'
p = subprocess.Popen( 'printver %s' % scn, stdout=subprocess.PIPE )
stdout = p.stdout.readlines()
print stdout[-1].split(':')[1].lstrip().rstrip()
# 3.0.2002.0715


#scn = 'C:\\Softimage\\XSI_7.01_x64\\Data\\XSI_SAMPLES\\Scenes\\ICE\\Particle_Basic_Fire.scn'
# 7.0.2008.0708

If you’re using an external install of Python, you’ll probably notice that the print statement doesn’t work in Softimage 2013. That’s because Softimage 2013 was compiled with Visual C++ 2010, and Python wasn’t.

We recompiled the built-in Python that ships with Softimage 2012, so if you use that Python, the print statement works.

Workaround courtesy of Jo benayoun:

import sys
class STDOutHook(object):
	def __init__(self):
		pass
	def write(self, data):
		# py engine adds a newline at the end of the data except if
		# the statement was ended by a comma.
		data = "" if data == "\n" else data

		if data != "":
			Application.LogMessage(data)
		return None

sys.stdout = STDOutHook()

print "Hello"
print "\n"       # wont work due to the workaround
print "World",

I found this same workaround by googling “python print redirect stdout”. For example, here.

A few people have asked me about the new “Python-specific” methods added in the Softimage 2013 SDK.

Basically, these new “Python-specific” methods are wrappers for the existing methods. What the new, Python-specific versions do is make sure you get back an object that supports all the advertised methods and properties of the class hierarchy.

For example, Menu is a subclass of MenuItem, and Menu adds new methods like AddCommandItem().

Menu.AddItem() returns a Menu object that supports all the MenuItem methods and properties, but doesn’t support the Menu methods and properties, such as Menu.AddCommandItem().

Menu.AddItem2() , on the other hand, returns an object that supports all the MenuItem and Menu methods and properties.

I blogged about the Menu.AddItem() problem awhile back.

Python-specific methods

• Clip.AddProperty2 – Creates and adds a UserDataBlob or CustomProperty to a Clip object. This method is specific to the python language.
• Layout.CreateViewFromDefinitionFile2 – Creates a new View object given the path to its definition on disk. This method is similar to Layout.CreateViewFromDefinitionFile but specific to the python language.
• Layout.FindView2 – Finds an existing View object given a name in this layout. This method is similar to Layout.FindView but specific to the python language.
• Menu.AddItem2 – Adds a menu item at to end of the menu. This method is similar to Menu.AddItem but specific to the python language.
• Menu.AddCommandItem2 – Adds a menu item at the end of the menu and attaches a command. This method is similar to Menu.AddCommandItem but specific to the python language.
• Menu.AddCallbackItem2 – Adds a menu item to the end of the menu and attaches a callback function. This method is similar to Menu.AddCallbackItem but specific to the python language.
• ICENode.GetPortFromName2 – Returns the ICENodePort object that matches a specific port name. This method is similar to ICENode.GetPortFromName but specific to the python language.
• ICENode.GetPortFromIndex2 – Returns the ICENodePort object specified by a port index, group index and group instance index. This method is similar to ICENode.GetPortFromIndex but specific to the python language.
• Operator.GetPort3 – Returns the specified Port object for the operator. This method is similar to Operator.GetPort2 but specific to the python language.
• Override.AddParameterEntry2 – Adds a new entry to override the input parameter and returns the new overriding parameter. This method is similar to Override.AddParameterEntry but specific to the python language.
• Primitive.GetGeometry3 – Returns a Geometry object containing the object’s geometry. This method is similar to Primitive.GetGeometry2 but specific to the python language.
• SceneItem.GetPropertyFromName2 – Returns a property, given its scripting name. This method is similar to SceneItem.GetPropertyFromName but specific to the python language.
• SceneItem.GetLocalPropertyFromName2 – Returns a local property, given its scripting name. This method is similar to SceneItem.GetLocalPropertyFromName but specific to the python language.
• ShaderArrayParamDef.ItemDef2 – Returns the underlying ShaderParamDef or ShaderStructParamDef object for this array item. This method is similar to ShaderArrayParamDef.ItemDef but specific to the Python language.
• ShaderArrayParameter.Item2 – Returns the specified ShaderParameter item in this array. This method is similar to ShaderArrayParameter.Item but specific to the Python language.
• ShaderParamDefContainer.AddParamDef2 – This method is similar to ShaderParamDefContainer.AddParamDef but specific to the Python language.
• ShaderParamDefContainer.GetParamDefByName2 – Returns the ShaderParamDef that matches the specified name from this container. This method is similar to ShaderParamDefContainer.GetParamDefByName but specific to the Python language.
• ShaderParameter.Definition2 – Returns the shader parameter definition as a ShaderParamDef object. This method is similar to ShaderParameter.Definition but specific to the Python language.
• View.FindView2 – Finds an existing View object given a name. This method is similar to View.FindView but specific to the Python language.
• X3DObject.GetActivePrimitive3 – Returns the 3D object’s active Primitive for a given frame. This method is similar to X3DObject.GetActivePrimitive2 but specific to the Python language.
• XSIApplication.ActiveProject3 – Returns or sets the active XSIProject object. This method is similar to XSIApplication.ActiveProject2 but specific to the Python language.
• XSIApplication.GetObjectFromID2 – Returns the object matching the specified ID. This method is similar to XSIApplication.GetObjectFromID but specific to the python language.
• XSIFactory.CreateObjectFromPreset2 – Creates an object from a preset and optional preset family name. This method is similar to XSIFactory.CreateObjectFromPreset but specific to the Python language.