AY-7235 Restrict shot/plate/audio instance collection from selected clips in the timeline

[robin-ynput]

Changelog Description

resolve #36
These changes allows to restrict the collection of plate, shot and audio instances via a newly added creator setting.
An additional check is added to ensure associated shot instances are also enabled.

Additional review information

Testing notes:

1. Prepare a timeline in Hiero with shot and clip (ideally multi-track using vertical align feature)
2. Create instances from the creator using this timeline
3. Package and upload this version to your local server as it adds a new setting.
4. Enable ayon+settings://hiero/create/CollectShotClip/collectSelectedInstance setting
5. Reopen Hiero and select only some of the "created" clips
6. Open creator or publisher
7. Ensure only the product(s) related to the selected clips are collected

[robin-ynput]

@jakubjezek001 @iLLiCiTiT @BigRoy what do you think about this approach (code is not ready for prod yet) ?

Basically client asked to be able to filter out collected instances from the product list based on timeline selection.
That's something too long for them to do manually.

Ideally I'd have like to be able to tweak the collector logic and collect only the relevant instances based on some UI settings, but I could not find anything like that (collection filters or specific UX button which act on collected instances).

So I went with this: a context plugin that ditch out any instance that is not relevant based on selection.
It's not very elegant, and I don't like the fact that the user cannot check what is detected before hitting "Publish", but I could not find anything better.

Any better ideas ?

EDIT: @iLLiCiTiT suggested another way by allowing a custom collection restrected to selected clips via a server settings. (Which honestly I believe is a better approach.)

[jakubjezek001]

This issue is somewhat related to the Ayon Core issue Publisher editorial linked instances with grouping view #874. How are they linked? A selected clip on the Hiero timeline can generate four products: shot, plate, audio, and effect. This new grouped way of visualizing products might add another layer of interactivity. For example, if the settings allow it in the creator settings, you could control the active state of a product group based on the active timeline selection.

I realize this might go beyond the scope of this PR, but having editorial-related grouping would greatly simplify the user experience. Currently, there's a limitation that doesn't allow disabling a group of products based on the shot-related context.

Given the current limitation, it seems best to control the creator's active toggle based on the active selection. However, it would be better to enable this from the Creator settings.

[robin-ynput]

Yeah I agree with you that ideally this would be made easier through the grouping feature.
As this is quite another topic that would impact much more than this repo/workfilow, I have followed @iLLiCiTiT recommendation and implemented a solution using a creator plugins.

Let me know if that works for you for now.

[iLLiCiTiT]

From my point of view, if we want to respect selection then it should happen in create, not in publish. Current approach would just disable instance, and artist would have no idea that it happened.

The logic in create (collect_instances) might be also confusing as it may change enabled/disabled state on publisher reset, but there is definetelly more control for user to affect it.

We probably should store "user state of enabled" and use that value when instance is selected, so if he does turn off plates and resets publisher, it does not re-enable them.

[jakubjezek001]

yes it works as it should