Python: Ctrl+Click for buttons (capture invocation event)

Question

Is it possible to get if Ctrl key is pressed when I click on my python button?

I would like make different behaviors for my button operator.

Example:
LMB - Select some objects
CtrlLMB - Deselect some objects

I don't use a modal operator / the modal() method. I've been making a simple script.

Answer 1

Yes, it is possible if you use an invoke() method in your operator instead of execute(), because there's a 3rd parameter given to invoke - an event object.

That object has attributes about modifier key states among a few other pieces of input info.

Here's an example script, that adds a button to the 3D View. You can hold e.g. CtrlAlt down and click on it to let the operator report Ctrl+Alt+Click in the info area:

import bpy

class SimpleOperator(bpy.types.Operator):
    """Tooltip"""
    bl_idname = "object.simple_operator"
    bl_label = "Simple Object Operator"

    @classmethod
    def poll(cls, context):
        return context.active_object is not None

    def invoke(self, context, event):
        ev = []
        if event.ctrl:
            ev.append("Ctrl")
        if event.shift:
            ev.append("Shift")
        if event.alt:
            ev.append("Alt")
        if event.oskey:
            ev.append("OS")
        ev.append("Click")

        self.report({'INFO'}, "+".join(ev))
        return {'FINISHED'}


def draw_func(self, context):
    self.layout.operator(SimpleOperator.bl_idname)


def register():
    bpy.utils.register_class(SimpleOperator)
    bpy.types.VIEW3D_HT_header.prepend(draw_func)


def unregister():
    bpy.utils.unregister_class(SimpleOperator)
    bpy.types.VIEW3D_HT_header.remove(draw_func)


if __name__ == "__main__":
    register()

Note that there can also be an execute() method in the operator, but it won't be called unless the execution context is not INVOKE_*, but EXEC_*. The default behavior of the Python Console is, for instance, to execute an operator, not to invoke it.

If there's no execute() and you run bpy.ops.object.simple_operator() in the console, an error will be reported in the System Console and the operator abort with {'PASS_THROUGH'}. You can explicitly invoke it however: bpy.ops.object.simple_operator('INVOKE_DEFAULT')