Adapted with permission from Frank Rueter's autobackdrop.tcl ... this version takes full benefit from the new python integration in Nuke 5.0.
Creates a backdrop node to surround and encompass all of the currently selected nodes in the DAG, and assigns a random color to the backdrop. If no nodes are selected a random colored backdrop will be placed in your DAG ready for use.
Some level of customization is built into the script, allowing you to set the border width, extreme ends of the color range (no preset color palette yet), and decide if you want to encompassed nodes to be "sticky" automatically or not.
Version 0.0.3 added some ability to backdrop other backdrop nodes, allowing new dizzying heights of colorful customization for your scripts.
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
To get this to work via the toolbar there's a few hoops to jump through. menu.tcl has been replaced by menu.py and should be visible in the plugins folder with all the other .tcl scripts, but the toolbars.py is not so easily visible, and the menu customization instructions in the manual are either not correct or vaguely unhelpful.
To get the tool into the node toolbar you have to modify both the toolbars.py and the __init__.py files. Without the __init__.py modification the toolbar will appear, but the module will not run.
So, to install:
On a mac (leopard), navigate to:
[replace with your applications path]/Nuke5.0v1.app/Contents/MacOS/Frameworks/Python2.5.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python2.5/site-packages/nukescripts/
On a PC it should be:
[most likely you're Program Files directory]/Nuke5.0v1/lib/site-packages/nukescripts
Copy the autobackdrop.py file to this directory. Backup the __init__.py and toolbars.py and modify each as follows:
In __init__.py place the line from autobackdrop import * #imports autobackdrop.py in an appropriate place, such as before "from autocrop import *"
In toolbars.py scroll down to the section that begins "# The 'Other' menu" and add m.addCommand("AutoBackdrop", "nukescripts.AutoBackDrop()","#^g", icon="Backdrop.png") #adds autobackdrop to the Other toolbar to an appropriate line. Nuke will follow the order of the toolbars.py file literally, so place it where you want, although I'd suggest between the Assert and Backdrop positions.
After making these change and saving all three files back to the directory above you can reboot Nuke5.0 and you should be able to call the autobackdrop function from the Other toolbar (the ETC icon), or by hitting Command+Alt+g (or Ctrl+Alt+g on a PC).
Enjoy.
Michael
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