Complete Maya Programming

by Gould

• ISBN13: 9781558608351
• ISBN10: 1558608354
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780080502373, 9781558608351
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-12-19
• Publisher: Elsevier
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

Learning Maya, the world's leading 3D animation and effects package, is a challenge, especially for those who want to master Maya's versatile programming features in addition to its built-in tools. Finally, here is a practical, step-by-step guide that shows how to use Maya to its fullest potential, beginning with the basics. Readers of Complete Maya Programming will first gain a thorough understanding of Maya's inner workings, and then learn how to customize and extend Maya with scripts and plugins that take control and productivity to new levels. Users new to programming can apply Maya's easy scripting language MEL (Maya Embedded Language), while more advanced users can work with the C++ API (Application Progamming Interface). Both a fundamental tutorial for Maya beginners and a solid reference for experienced developers, Complete Maya Programming is every user's guide to Maya mastery.

Table of Contents

Preface	xix
Source Files	xxi
Introduction	1	(8)
Maya's Programmability	2	(2)
Customization	2	(1)
Integration	3	(1)
Automation	3	(1)
Extensions	3	(1)
Programming Interfaces	4	(5)
MEL	4	(1)
C++	5	(1)
MEL or C++?	5	(1)
Ease of Use	6	(1)
Specific Functionality	6	(1)
Cross-Platform Portability	7	(1)
Speed	8	(1)
Disclosure	8	(1)
Fundamental Maya Concepts	9	(44)
Maya Architecture	10	(1)
Overview	10	(1)
The Dependency Graph	11	(42)
3D Application Design	11	(1)
Past Approaches	11	(1)
Maya Approach	12	(2)
The Scene	14	(1)
Visualizing the Dependency Graph	15	(1)
Data Flow	16	(1)
Nodes	17	(1)
Attributes	18	(3)
Compute Function	21	(1)
Dependent Attributes	22	(3)
Time	25	(1)
Connecting Nodes	26	(3)
DAG Nodes	29	(1)
Transforms and Shapes	30	(2)
Parenting	32	(2)
DAG Paths	34	(1)
The Underworld	35	(2)
Instances	37	(3)
Dependency Graph Updating	40	(1)
Push-Pull Approach	40	(4)
Updating in Practice	44	(4)
Keyframe Animation Updating	48	(5)
MEL	53	(220)
Introduction	53	(3)
Behind the Scenes	54	(2)
The MEL Programming Language	56	(56)
Commands	56	(1)
Issuing Commands	56	(5)
Command Arguments	61	(1)
Command Help	62	(3)
Command Query	65	(1)
Command Edit	66	(1)
Command Modes	66	(1)
Variables	67	(1)
Variable Types	68	(7)
Automatic Variable Types	75	(2)
Automatic Type Conversions	77	(2)
Comments	79	(1)
Operators	80	(1)
Assignment Operator	81	(1)
Arithmetic Operators	81	(2)
Booleans	83	(2)
Relational Operators	85	(3)
Logical Operators	88	(2)
Operator Precedence	90	(2)
Looping	92	(1)
For	92	(1)
While	93	(1)
Do-While	94	(1)
Infinite Loops	94	(1)
Continue	94	(1)
Break	95	(1)
Procedures	95	(3)
Scope	98	(1)
Global and Local	99	(1)
Initialization of Globals	100	(2)
Conflicts	102	(1)
Global Procedures	103	(1)
Script Editor	104	(1)
Additional Execution Methods	104	(1)
Command Results	105	(1)
Eval Command	106	(1)
Efficiency	107	(1)
Explicit Type Declaration	107	(1)
Array Sizes	107	(1)
Additional Constructs	108	(1)
Assignment Chaining	108	(1)
In-Place Arithmetic Operators	108	(1)
Increment and Decrement Operators	108	(1)
Conditional Operator	109	(1)
Switch Statement	109	(2)
For-In Statement	111	(1)
Scripting	112	(15)
Text Editor	112	(1)
Storing Scripts	112	(1)
Default Script Directories	113	(1)
Custom Script Directories	114	(1)
Automatic Startup	115	(1)
Development Preparation	116	(2)
Sourcing	118	(1)
Debugging and Testing	119	(1)
Save Before Executing!	119	(1)
Showing Line Numbers	119	(2)
Tracing Script Execution	121	(1)
Displaying Warnings and Errors	122	(1)
Runtime Checking	123	(1)
Determining Types	124	(1)
Versioning	125	(1)
Deployment	126	(1)
Updating	127	(1)
Objects	127	(20)
Basics	127	(2)
List All Script	129	(2)
Hierarchies	131	(2)
Transforms	133	(1)
Transformation Matrices	134	(1)
Spaces	134	(3)
ObjToWorld Script	137	(2)
SpaceToSpace Script	139	(4)
Attributes	143	(2)
Dynamic Attributes	145	(1)
Attribute Information	146	(1)
Animation	147	(49)
Time	147	(3)
Playback	150	(3)
Animation Curves	153	(1)
Functions	153	(2)
Keyframing	155	(2)
Evaluation	157	(1)
Infinity	157	(1)
Keys	158	(9)
Examples	167	(8)
Skeletons	175	(3)
Output Joints Script	178	(6)
ScaleSkeleton Script	184	(2)
CopySkeletonMotion Script	186	(7)
Motion Paths	193	(3)
Graphical User Interfaces	196	(49)
Introduction	196	(3)
Fundamental Concepts	199	(5)
Windows	204	(5)
Layouts	209	(1)
ColumnLayout	210	(1)
RowLayout	210	(1)
GridLayout	211	(1)
FormLayout	212	(2)
FrameLayout	214	(1)
TabLayout	215	(1)
ScrollLayout	216	(1)
MenuBarLayout	217	(1)
Controls	218	(1)
Menus	218	(4)
Buttons	222	(2)
Check Boxes	224	(1)
Radio Buttons	224	(2)
Text	226	(2)
Lists	228	(1)
Groups	229	(2)
Images	231	(2)
Panels	233	(1)
Tools	234	(1)
Connecting Controls	235	(1)
Attribute Groups	235	(3)
NameField	238	(1)
Other Elements	239	(2)
User Feedback	241	(1)
Help	241	(1)
Displaying Progress	242	(3)
Expressions	245	(28)
Learning Expressions	246	(1)
Wiggle	246	(3)
Flash	249	(3)
Magnet	252	(4)
Expression Guidelines	256	(1)
Attribute Assignment Only	256	(1)
Supported Attribute Types	256	(1)
Avoid setAttr and getAttr Commands	257	(1)
Connected Attributes	258	(1)
Automatic Deletion	258	(1)
Debugging Expressions	259	(1)
Error Checking	259	(1)
Tracing	260	(1)
Disabling	261	(1)
Broken Connections	261	(1)
Object Renaming	262	(1)
Particle Expressions	262	(5)
Creation and Runtime Expression Evaluation	267	(1)
Per Object and Per Particle Attributes	267	(2)
Vector Components	269	(1)
Advanced Expressions	270	(1)
Combining Expressions with Keyframe Animation	270	(3)
C ++ API	273	(184)
Introduction	273	(3)
Fundamental Concepts	276	(12)
Abstracted Layer	276	(2)
Classes	278	(1)
Naming Convention	278	(1)
Design	278	(6)
MObject	284	(2)
MFn Function Sets	286	(2)
Custom Function Sets	288	(1)
Developing Plugins	288	(20)
Plugin Development under Windows	289	(1)
Setup	290	(1)
Execution	291	(1)
Editing	292	(2)
Debugging	294	(2)
Release	296	(1)
Initialization and Uninitialization	296	(1)
HelloWorld2 Plugin	296	(4)
Errors	300	(1)
Checking	300	(3)
Reporting	303	(1)
Integration	304	(1)
Loading and Unloading	305	(2)
Deployment	307	(1)
Updating	308	(1)
Commands	308	(36)
Creating Commands	309	(1)
Posts1 Plugin	310	(5)
Adding Arguments	315	(1)
Posts2 Plugin	316	(2)
Posts3 Plugin	318	(2)
Providing Help	320	(1)
Automatic Help	321	(1)
Posts4 Plugin	322	(2)
Undo and Redo	324	(1)
Maya's Undo/Redo Mechanism	325	(4)
MPxCommand Support for Undo/Redo	329	(1)
Undoable and Nonundoable Commands	330	(1)
Posts5 Plugin	331	(3)
Edit and Query	334	(2)
Clock Plugin	336	(8)
Nodes	344	(66)
GoRolling Plugin	344	(16)
Melt Plugin	360	(14)
GroundShadow Plugin	374	(13)
Attributes	387	(1)
Creating Attributes	388	(1)
Compound Attributes	388	(2)
Default Values	390	(1)
Attribute Properties	391	(3)
Dynamic Attributes	394	(1)
Compute Function	395	(1)
Plugs	396	(9)
Datablocks	405	(3)
Node Design Guidelines	408	(1)
Simplicity	408	(1)
Context	409	(1)
Locality	410	(1)
Networks of Nodes	410	(1)
Locators	410	(10)
BasicLocator Plugin	411	(9)
Manipulators	420	(13)
BasicLocator2 Plugin	420	(13)
Deformers	433	(14)
SwirlDeformer Plugin	433	(8)
Dependency Graph Changes	441	(1)
Accessories	442	(1)
SwirlDeformer2 Plugin	442	(5)
Advanced C+ + API	447	(10)
General	447	(1)
Referencing Nodes	447	(1)
Proxies	447	(1)
Networked and Nonnetworked Plugs	448	(1)
Dependency Graph	449	(1)
Contexts	449	(1)
Datablocks	450	(2)
Propagation Flags	452	(1)
Handling Pass-Through	453	(2)
Cyclic Dependencies	455	(2)
A Additional Resources	457	(4)
B MEL for C Programmers	461	(4)
C Further Reading	465	(4)
Glossary	469	(14)
Index	483	(22)
About the Author	505