NLA Editor: It is now possible to add strips to AnimData blocks with no existing

tracks

As a convenience feature for those who are loading in action libraries and using
these to quickly block out things in the NLA editor, it is now possible to add
strips to AnimData blocks without first manually creating empty tracks to add
these strips to. Simply ensure that such empty AnimData blocks are selected
(Hint: click on the action line of the affected AnimData block to do so), and
try to add a strip normally.

3 files changed, 16 insertions, 7 deletions

diff --git a/source/blender/editors/space_nla/nla_channels.c b/source/blender/editors/space_nla/nla_channels.c
index c3f8642d0a6..ca50ff3b545 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/space_nla/nla_channels.c
+++ b/source/blender/editors/space_nla/nla_channels.c
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ void NLA_OT_channels_click(wmOperatorType *ot)
 /* Add NLA Tracks to the same AnimData block as a selected track, or above the selected tracks */
 
 /* helper - add NLA Tracks alongside existing ones */
-static bool nlaedit_add_tracks_existing(bAnimContext *ac, bool above_sel)
+bool nlaedit_add_tracks_existing(bAnimContext *ac, bool above_sel)
 {
 	ListBase anim_data = {NULL, NULL};
 	bAnimListElem *ale;
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ static bool nlaedit_add_tracks_existing(bAnimContext *ac, bool above_sel)
 }
 
 /* helper - add NLA Tracks to empty (and selected) AnimData blocks */
-static bool nlaedit_add_tracks_empty(bAnimContext *ac)
+bool nlaedit_add_tracks_empty(bAnimContext *ac)
 {
 	ListBase anim_data = {NULL, NULL};
 	bAnimListElem *ale;
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/space_nla/nla_edit.c b/source/blender/editors/space_nla/nla_edit.c
index 5be3a2b14d4..164382c300d 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/space_nla/nla_edit.c
+++ b/source/blender/editors/space_nla/nla_edit.c
@@ -412,6 +412,11 @@ static int nlaedit_add_actionclip_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *op)
 		            act->id.name + 2);
 	}
 	
+	/* add tracks to empty but selected animdata blocks so that strips can be added to those directly
+	 * without having to manually add tracks first
+	 */
+	nlaedit_add_tracks_empty(&ac);
+	
 	/* get a list of the editable tracks being shown in the NLA
 	 *	- this is limited to active ones for now, but could be expanded to 
 	 */
@@ -419,7 +424,9 @@ static int nlaedit_add_actionclip_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *op)
 	items = ANIM_animdata_filter(&ac, &anim_data, filter, ac.data, ac.datatype);
 	
 	if (items == 0) {
-		BKE_report(op->reports, RPT_ERROR, "No active track(s) to add strip to");
+		BKE_report(op->reports, RPT_ERROR, 
+		           "No active track(s) to add strip to. "
+		           "Select an existing track or add one before trying again");
 		return OPERATOR_CANCELLED;
 	}
 	
@@ -1671,8 +1678,6 @@ static int nlaedit_apply_scale_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *UNUSED(op))
 	filter = (ANIMFILTER_DATA_VISIBLE | ANIMFILTER_LIST_VISIBLE | ANIMFILTER_FOREDIT);
 	ANIM_animdata_filter(&ac, &anim_data, filter, ac.data, ac.datatype);
 	
-	/* init the editing data */
-	
 	/* for each NLA-Track, apply scale of all selected strips */
 	for (ale = anim_data.first; ale; ale = ale->next) {
 		NlaTrack *nlt = (NlaTrack *)ale->data;
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/space_nla/nla_intern.h b/source/blender/editors/space_nla/nla_intern.h
index 98c66d70a75..e78187cef39 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/space_nla/nla_intern.h
+++ b/source/blender/editors/space_nla/nla_intern.h
@@ -71,8 +71,7 @@ void NLA_OT_click_select(wmOperatorType *ot);
 /* **************************************** */
 /* nla_edit.c */
 
-/* defines for snap strips
- */
+/* defines for snap strips */
 enum eNlaEdit_Snap_Mode {
 	NLAEDIT_SNAP_CFRA = 1,
 	NLAEDIT_SNAP_NEAREST_FRAME,
@@ -122,6 +121,11 @@ void NLA_OT_fmodifier_paste(wmOperatorType *ot);
 /* **************************************** */
 /* nla_channels.c */
 
+bool nlaedit_add_tracks_existing(bAnimContext *ac, bool above_sel);
+bool nlaedit_add_tracks_empty(bAnimContext *ac);
+
+/* --- */
+
 void NLA_OT_channels_click(wmOperatorType *ot);
 
 void NLA_OT_tracks_add(wmOperatorType *ot);