Newbie question on blender function return values

Coding Python Support
1

Hey Blender Artists, blender newbie here with a newbie question. If this is in the wrong place I apologize. I’m looking to duplicate a bone in a chain. At the bottom of my post is the code in context, but my questions are as follows:


test = bpy.ops.armature.duplicate()
print ("duplicated", test)

The return value in the variable test is a set containing a string saying ‘FINISHED’.
>>>duplicated {‘FINISHED’}

Is there a way to get the newly duplicated bones as a return value?
Am I doing something wrong to make blender return this set?

Help me BlenderArtists.org, you’re my only hope.

Full code in context, if it helps:

    ob = bpy.context.object

    if ob.type == 'ARMATURE':
        armature = ob.data
    bpy.ops.object.mode_set(mode='EDIT')
    for bone in armature.edit_bones:
        print (bone)
    #Get the selection
    print ("armature:", armature)
    active_joints = bpy.context.selected_bones


    for each in active_joints:
        print("active bone:", each)


    # define the start and end_joint
    start_joint = active_joints[0]
    end_joint = active_joints[-1]
    start_children = start_joint.children
    end_children = end_joint.children
    for each in start_children:
        print("start children:", each)
    for obj in bpy.data.objects:
        obj.select = False
    start_joint.select = False
    end_joint.select = True
    for each in bpy.context.selected_bones:
        print("now current active bone:", each)
    test = bpy.ops.armature.duplicate()
    print ("duplicated", test)

Output in the console:


<bpy_struct, EditBone("hip_jnt")>
<bpy_struct, EditBone("spine_jnt")>
<bpy_struct, EditBone("neck_jnt")>
<bpy_struct, EditBone("head_jnt")>
<bpy_struct, EditBone("shoulder_jnt")>
<bpy_struct, EditBone("bicep_jnt")>
<bpy_struct, EditBone("elbow_jnt")>
<bpy_struct, EditBone("forearm_jnt")>
<bpy_struct, EditBone("palm_jnt")>
<bpy_struct, EditBone("finger_jnt")>
<bpy_struct, EditBone("thumb_a_jnt")>
<bpy_struct, EditBone("thumb_b_jnt")>
<bpy_struct, EditBone("thumb_c_jnt")>
armature: <bpy_struct, Armature("Armature.001")>
active bone: <bpy_struct, EditBone("shoulder_jnt")>
active bone: <bpy_struct, EditBone("forearm_jnt")>
start children: <bpy_struct, EditBone("bicep_jnt")>
now current active bone: <bpy_struct, EditBone("forearm_jnt")>
duplicated {'FINISHED'}
current <bpy_struct, EditBone("bicep_jnt")>
2

Operators return strings in Blender, however the newly created object after duplication will become the active object so it’s bpy.context.object after duplication.

3

Sorry for not replying. Thanks for the quick answer!