Python in Maya

Maya / Python How to

How to store selected object in a variable?
import mayacmds as cmds
sel = cmds.ls(sl=True)[0]

How to change current time to a particular frame?

import mayacmds as cmds

cmds.currentTime(74, edit=True)

How to  change attribute using xform?

import mayacmds as cmds

cmds.xform(par[0], a=True, ro=(0, 0, 0), t=(0, -0.55, -0.55) )

How to get panel with focus?

import mayacmds as cmds

cmds.getPanel(wf=True)

How to source and execute melscript in python?

import maya.mel as mel

mel.eval('source "/MyDocument/username/maya/scripts/mymelscript.mel"')

mel.eval('mymelscript()')

How to retrieve child object name of the selected object?

import maya.mel as mel

user_selection = cmds.ls(sl=True)[0]

child = cmds.listRelatives(user_selection, c=True)

print child

How to retrieve parent object name of the selected object?

import maya.mel as mel

user_selection = cmds.ls(sl=True)[0]

parent = cmds.listRelatives(user_selection, p=True)

print parent

similarly you can retrieve shape using s flag instead p

How to store name of user selected vertices in the string?

for example pCube1.vtx[1:4]

import maya.mel as mel

sel = cmds.ls(sl=True,fl=True

How to find position of user selected vertex?

vertexposition = cmds.pointPosition(sel[0])

print vertexposition

lambda

Python supports the creation of anonymous functions (i.e. functions that are not bound to a name) at runtime, using a construct called "lambda".

>>> addition = lambda x,y: x+y
>>> a = addition

>>> print a(3,4)
7

>>> sub = lambda x,y: x-y
>>> s = sub

>>> print s(3,4)
-1

Create incrementor of 1 & 5 using lambda

>>> def increment (a): return lambda x: x + a
>>> i=increment(1)
>>> j=increment(5)
>>> i(25)
26
>>> j(25)
30

defination increment creates an anonymous function on the fly and returns it. The returned function increments its argument by the value that was specified when it was created.


Maya Python UI button example

cmds.button(label="myName", c=lambda x:mydef())

How to
 

setAttr

s = cmds.ls(sl=True)

cmds.setAttr((s[0] + '.tx.]),1)

setAttr using for loop for multiple attributes

tr = [ '.tx','.ty','.tz']

for i in range(len(tr)):
            cmds.setAttr((s[0] + tr[i]),2)

Change Playbackoptions (min max frame)

cmds.playbackOptions( minTime=frange[0], maxTime=frange[-1] )

Change Playbackoptions (animation start and end frame)

cmds.playbackOptions( ast=frange[0], aet=frange[-1] )

get list of keyframes on current selected object translateX attribute

cmds.keyframe( query=True, at='tx',timeChange=True )

How to copy channelbox value from source to target object

    att = [ '.tx','.ty','.tz','.rx','.ry','.rz','.sx','.sy','.sz']
    s = cmds.ls(sl=True)
    for v in range(len(att)):
        cmds.setAttr((s[1] + att[v]),cmds.getAttr(s[0]+ att[v]))

How to place locator on selected vertex on polygon

    sel = cmds.ls(sl=True, fl=True)

    for i in range(len(sel)):

        pos = cmds.pointPosition(sel[i])

        c = cmds.spaceLocator(n="loc01" , p=(0, 0, 0) )

        cmds.xform(c, a=True, t=(pos[0], pos[1], pos[2]) )

xform query 

s = cmds.ls(sl=True, fl=True)

cmds.xform(s[0], query=True, ws=True, t=True)

reposition 

s = cmds.ls(sl=True)

p1 = cmds.pointPosition(s[0])

cmds.xform(s[1], a=True, t=(p1[0], p1[1], p1[2]) )
 

make locator on multiple vertex

sel = cmds.ls(sl=True, fl=True)
for i in range(len(sel)):
        pos = cmds.pointPosition(sel[i])
        c = cmds.spaceLocator(n="loc01" , p=(0, 0, 0) )
        cmds.xform(c, a=True, t=(pos[0], pos[1], pos[2]) )
 

Align object 

useful when 2 same objects with different pivot needs to match animation

    c = cmds.ls(sl=True)
    v = [ '.vtx[1]','.vtx[2]','.vtx[3]']
    i=0
    j=0

    for i in range(len(c)):
            for j in range(len(v)):
                       cmds.select(c[i] + v[j], tgl=True)

    cmds.Snap3PointsTo3Points()

How to copy animated focal length from one camera to the second camera?

can be used for any other attribute and object type

sel = cmds.ls(sl=True,dag=True, s=True)

if cmds.objectType(sel[0], isType="camera")==1:

f = cmds.keyframe(sel[0], query=True, at='focalLength',timeChange=True )
for v in range(len(f)):
cmds.currentTime( f[v], edit=True )

cmds.setAttr((sel[1] +'.focalLength'), cmds.getAttr(sel[0] + '.focalLength'))
cmds.setKeyframe( sel[1], at='focalLength' )  

Imageplane attribute

get imageplane path from the selected camera

camShape = cmds.ls(sl=True,dag=True, s=True)
ip = cmds.listConnections(camShape[0], type="imagePlane")

imgpath = cmds.getAttr(ip[0] + '.imageName') 

setAttr for image path to other camera

s = 'CAM_ANIMimagePlane'

cmds.setAttr((s+'.imageName'), imgpath, type="string")

cmds.setAttr((s +'.useFrameExtension'),1)

cmds.setAttr((s +'.type'),0)

set near and far Clipping plane and imagePlane Depth

import maya.cmds as cmds

c = cmds.ls(sl=True,dag=True,s=True)

cmds.setAttr((c[0] +
'.nearClipPlane'), 0.01)

cmds.setAttr((c[0] + '.farClipPlane'), 10000)

ip = cmds.listConnections(c[0], type="imagePlane")

cmds.setAttr((ip[0] + '.depth'), 9999)

reset Zoom Pan on camera

c = cmds.ls(sl=True)

cmds.setAttr((c[0] + '.zoom'), 1)

cmds.setAttr((c[0] + '.horizontalPan'), 0)

cmds.setAttr((c[0] + '.verticalPan'), 0)

cmds.setAttr((c[0] + '.overscan'), 1)

cmds.setAttr((c[0] + '.horizontalFilmOffset'), 0)

cmds.setAttr((c[0] + '.verticalFilmOffset'), 0)

make locator at user define vertex number

import maya.cmds as cmds

fnum = raw_input("Enter lineup frame number: ")

type(fnum)

c = cmds.ls(sl=True)

for i in range(len(c)):

    cmds.select(c[i]+'.vtx[%d]' % int(fnum))

    pos = cmds.pointPosition(c[i]+'.vtx[%d]' % int(fnum))

 

    l = cmds.spaceLocator( p=(0, 0, 0) )

    cmds.xform(l, a=True, t=(pos[0], pos[1], pos[2]) )

    cmds.parent(l,c[i])

break

for letter in 'Python':

if letter == 'h':

break

print 'Current Letter :', letter

var = 4

while var > 3:

print 'Current variable value :', var

var = var +1

if var == 7:

break

print "Good bye!"

backface culling for multiple polygons

sel = cmds.ls(sl=True)

for i in range(len(sel)):

cmds.setAttr((sel[i] + ".backfaceCulling"), 3)

getpanel

cmds.getPanel(wf=True)

get camera with panel in focus
p=cmds.getPanel(wf=True)

cmds.modelEditor (p, q=True, camera=True)

isolate selected with camera in focus

import maya.mel as mel

import maya.cmds as cmds

sel = cmds.ls(sl=True)

p = cmds.getPanel(wf=True)

c = cmds.modelEditor (p, q=True, camera=True)

cmds.select(sel)

cmds.select(c,add=True)

mystr = 'enableIsolateSelect ' + p + ' true;'

mel.eval(mystr)

cmds.isolateSelect(p,state=1)

cmds.select(cl=True)

show poly and locator in viewport

p = cmds.getPanel(wf=True)

cmds.modelEditor(p,e=True,allObjects=False,camera=True,polymeshes=True, locators=True)

lock transform attribute of selected object

c = cmds.ls(sl=True, dag=True, tr=True)

att = ['.tx','.ty','.tz','.rx','.ry','.rz','.sx','.sx','.sx' ]

for ctr in range(len(att)):

cmds.setAttr(c[0] + att[ctr], lock=True)

imageplane on/off toggle for all the viewport

import maya.cmds as cmds

ip = (cmds.listConnections(cmds.ls(sl=True,dag=True,s=True),type="imagePlane"))[0] + '.displayOnlyIfCurrent'

v = cmds.getAttr(ip)

if v ==0:

cmds.setAttr(ip, 1)

else:

cmds.setAttr(ip, 0)

display normals

c = cmds.ls(sl=True,dag=True,s=True)

cmds.setAttr((c[0] + '.displayNormal'), 1)

increase normal size by 10

c = cmds.ls(sl=True,dag=True,s=True)

cmds.setAttr((c[0] + '.displayNormal'), 1)

nz = cmds.getAttr(c[0] +'.normalSize')

cmds.setAttr((c[0] + '.normalSize'), (nz*10))

lambda - replace

words = ['how', 'much', 'is[br]', 'the',
'fish[br]', 'no', 'really']

map(lambda x: str.replace(x, "[br]",

"<br/>"), words)

view display content type ( camera and polygon)

p = cmds.getPanel(wf=True)

cmds.modelEditor(p,e=True,allObjects=False,camera=True,polymeshes=True)

turn on display xray and wireframe in viewport in focus

(use false to turn display off)

import maya.mel as mel

import maya.cmds as cmds

p = cmds.getPanel(wf=True)

xraystr = 'setXrayOption true ' + p + ' ;'

mel.eval(xraystr)

wirestr = 'setWireframeOnShadedOption true ' + p + ' ;'

mel.eval(wirestr)

PIL Module - How to resize image

replace strings with actual file path that you want to convert

this example read the input image size and resize it to half resolution and writes out new file as same extension as read file that is jpg. in order to make another format just replace jpg in filnameout variable to your desired format like tiff,png.

import os

import sys

from PIL import Image

from PIL import ImageDraw

filnaminp ="/folder1/folder2/images/filename.jpg"

filnamout="/folder1/folder2/images/filename_out.jpg"

imgi=Image.open(filnaminp)

s =imgi.size

w= s[0]/2

h= s[1]/2

imgo=imgi.resize((w,h),Image.BILINEAR)

imgo.save(filnamout)

to check the resize image resolution

im =Image.open("folder1/folder2/images/filename_out.jpg")

print im.format

print im.size

glob module - list all jpgs in specified foler

import glob

imagepath ="/folder1/folder2/images/"

b = glob.glob(imagepath + '*.jpg')

Mapping, Filtering, Reduction and List Comprehension

The key characteristic of a program developed in the functional programming style is that
it creates new values by a process of transformation. Generally values are represented as
lists, or dictionaries. The three most common varieties of transformation are mapping, filtering, and reduction.

A mapping is a one to one transformation. Each element in the source is converted into a
new value. The new values are gathered into a collection, leaving the original collection

unchanged.
A filtering is the process of testing each value in a list with a function, and retaining only

those for which the function is true.
A reduction is the process of applying a binary function to each member of a list in a

cumulative fashion.

range 

 loop from 0 to 10 but with a step of 1/2

for x in map(lambda i: i * 0.5, range(0,10)):

print x

for k in ( i*0.5 for i in range(10) ):

print k

import numpy

numpy.arange(0, 100, 0.5)

Intersection between 2 list using filter and lambda expression

list1 =[1,2,3,4,89,62]
list2 =[2,4,5,6,7,89,62,74]

filter(lambda x: x in b, a) 

Sum 

How to quickly calculate sum of numbers from 1 to 100

list1 = range(1,101,1) 
reduce(lambda x, y: x + y, list1)

length of list
list1 =[1,2,3,4,89,62]

reduce(lambda x, y: x + 1, list1)

#product of list
list1 =[1,2,3,4,89,62]

reduce(lambda x, y: x * y, list1, 1)

List Comprehension 

[ expr for var in list if expr ]

Here var is a variable name, and list is an existing sequence. The optional if part
requires an expression that evaluates true or false. Only those elements that evaluate to be
true are examined. To construct the new sequence each element in the original list is
examined. If it passes the if expression test the initial expression is evaluated, and the

resulting value added to the new list.

Intersection between 2 list using  List Comprehension 

list1 =[1,2,3,4,89,62]
list2 =[2,4,5,6,7,89,62,74]

[ x for x in list1 if x in list2]  

# adding list
i =50
rr = range(1,i,1)
res = reduce(add, rr)
res/i



sum(rr)

Using the sys module to find imported modules

#shows all modules running on your python
import sys as s
s.modules.keys()



#Which is a dict containing all modules and import objects.
s.modules

import sys
import os
for p in sys.path:

    print os.listdir( p )