PME Treasure

Open a temporary Blender editor with PME popup_area

2 min read

Answer

Use bpy.ops.pme.popup_area() when the goal is a temporary copy of an editor—such as a Timeline, Dope Sheet, or Properties editor—in a separate window. A Popup Dialog is the better fit for a form made from PME items.

Steps

  1. Create a Command item in the menu that should open the editor.

  2. Start with the active editor, or name a target editor explicitly:

    bpy.ops.pme.popup_area(area="TIMELINE")

    For the editor under the mouse, use:

    bpy.ops.pme.popup_area(area="CURRENT")

  3. Add optional window behavior as needed:

    bpy.ops.pme.popup_area(
    area="PROPERTIES",
    width=420,
    height=720,
    center=True,
    auto_close=True,
)

  4. Apply the item and invoke it from the intended source area.

The PME 2.1 operator also exposes header and cmd options. header controls the new area’s header presentation; cmd runs Python in the popup-area context after the new screen is created.

Pitfalls

  • area="CURRENT" means the area that invoked the command. It does not mean “choose an area later.”
  • auto_close=True is useful for a temporary inspection window, but clicking outside closes it.
  • Width and height are requests. Blender window-manager limits and display scaling can change the final size.
  • popup_area duplicates an editor area; it does not turn a Popup Dialog into a persistent floating application window.
  • Keep cmd short and trusted. Put reusable logic in a script and call it with execute_script().

The source screenshots show Blender 2.80-era builds. Use the PME 2.1 options above rather than copying their window-size behavior.

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