[Gimp-developer] Help with gimpplugin module

[Jon Decker <jondecker76 gmail com>]

Hello,

I'm beginning to write a gimp plugin in python for my wife's photography business.  I have experimented with the gimpfu module with some decent success, but its a bit too limited for what I want to do and I would also like full control over my own UI - therefore I would like to write the plugin with the gimpplugin module.  This is proving a little difficult however, as I can' find almost no documentation on it.  I've been experimenting a little, but I'm still  unable to get the plugin to register with gimp.  I have read the small blurb at the bottom of the documentation at http://www.gimp.org/docs/python/index.html that shows a simple gimpplugin module framework - but that is the only documentation that I've been able to find unfortunately.  I think I'll be fine and well on my way once I can get this to register with gimp.

Does anyone know where there is some documentation on the gimpplugin module, or even source code to a plugin which uses it?

Also, I could use some advice with the following.  My vision for the plugin that I'm writing is to make a simple tracking plugin which will store time spent working on individual images (sqlite 3) as well as the ability to keep notes on each image (also stored in the sqlite database).  I envision a simple window that stays open along side gimp that she can enter information into (which will track the currently selected image). For tracking time, I have narrowed it down to 2 approaches; A) somehow override the xcf image loader/saver which will place a start/stop entry in the database, then call the original loader/saver OR B) Just get a list of images from gimp every minute or so and determine my time tracking from there. (Any thoughts on either of these methods?)

Here is another thing I haven't seen in a plugin, but I would like it if when gimp starts, I will have an entry in the <Toolbox> to "Start Tracking".  Once this is clicked, my plugin will run alongside gimp in its own window.  The "Start Tracking" entry would be replaced with "Stop Tracking".  I'm thinking that some combination of gimp.install_temp_proc, gimp.uninstall_temp_proc and gimp.extension_ack.  As this will be my first gimp plugin (and my first serious python/glade work), I'd like to know if anyone has tips on this part as well.


thanks!