README.md

Plugin Examples

Start with these in order:

Step	File	What it teaches
1	01_draw_only.py	The smallest useful plugin panel: one class and draw(ui)
2	02_status_bar_mixed.py	Add style, height_mode, space = lf.ui.PanelSpace.STATUS_BAR, and a periodic on_update() for animation-like UI
3	03_hybrid_plugin/	Full retained/hybrid panel with template, RCSS, data model binding, DOM hooks, on_unmount(), on_scene_changed(), and embedded draw(ui)

lf.plugins.create("name") now scaffolds the step-1 panel plus a ready-made main_panel.rml / main_panel.rcss shell. You can ignore those files until you move to step 3. The CLI command LichtFeld-Studio plugin create <name> follows the same UI progression and only adds development helpers such as .venv and .vscode.

For data-driven retained panels, prefer update_policy = "dirty" with lfs_plugins.ui.RuntimeState and PanelStateBinding instead of interval polling. See Reactive retained panels and the Plugin API Reference.

After that, use the focused examples by topic:

Example	Focus
hello_world.py	Single-file minimal panel reference
layout_basics.py	Rows, columns, boxes, splits, and grid layout
nested_layout.py	Deeper layout composition patterns
grid_enum_demo.py	Grid flow and enum-style controls
custom_panel.py	Widget survey and property-driven UI
scene_tools.py	Panels plus properties and scene operators
modal_operator.py	Interactive modal operators and event handling
training_monitor.py	App state, signals, training callbacks, and reactive UI
full_plugin/	Multi-file plugin structure with panels, operators, overlays, tools, and capabilities
scrub_controls_demo/	Full plugin package demonstrating lfs_plugins.ScrubFieldController

Recommended reading order:

1. Build confidence with 01_draw_only.py.
2. Learn the unified upgrade path with 02_status_bar_mixed.py.
3. Study 03_hybrid_plugin/ when you need a custom template or retained DOM.
4. Use the remaining examples as feature references rather than as the first thing you read.