Summary

Use panel() in a PME Custom item to draw an existing Blender or add-on panel inside a Popup Dialog or another supported layout.

panel(
    "VIEW3D_PT_tools_meshedit_options",
    frame=True,
    header=True,
    expand=False,
    area="VIEW_3D",
)

Parameters that matter most

ParameterMeaning
ptPanel class or class-name string, such as "VIEW3D_PT_tools_meshedit_options".
frameTrue uses a boxed frame; False uses a plain column.
headerShows or hides the panel header style.
expandTrue starts open, False starts closed, and None retains prior state.
areaSupplies the expected editor type, such as "VIEW_3D" or "PROPERTIES", while the panel polls and draws.
rootDraws directly in PME’s current layout without another wrapper.
pollWhen True, respects the panel’s own display conditions.
layoutDraws into an explicitly supplied layout object.

Common patterns

Draw a 3D View panel from a Popup Dialog

panel("VIEW3D_PT_tools_meshedit_options", area="VIEW_3D")

Start a third-party panel collapsed

panel(
    "AMTH_VIEW3D_PT_wire_toggle",
    frame=True,
    header=True,
    expand=False,
    area="VIEW_3D",
)

expand=False is reliable for this route in PME2 2.0.4 and later. PME2 2.0.3 had a confirmed Pie Menu path bug where the initial expansion value was not applied.

Avoid an extra wrapper

panel("MATERIAL_PT_context_material", root=True)

Choosing area

Use the editor that owns the panel. A VIEW3D_PT_* panel usually expects area="VIEW_3D"; a Properties panel may expect area="PROPERTIES".

area helps the panel’s own poll() and draw() find the editor they expect. Operators nested inside the panel can have additional region or mode requirements; use the Blender context troubleshooting guide if one still fails.

Sources