MayaX

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Installation
• Usage
• API
  • Node Properties
  • Node methods
  • Attribute Properties
  • Attribute methods
  • Misc

Introduction

MayaX provides useful functionality to interact with Maya, mainly making it easier to work with nodes in an object-oriented way. It supports Maya 2019 and up (maybe lower than 2019 too, but it wasn't tested).

import mayax as mx

# retrieve object from scene
torus = mx.Node('pTorus1')

# create new node
cube = mx.cmd.polyCube()[0]

# connect nodes
torus['worldMatrix'].connect(cube['offsetParentMatrix'])

# set attribute value
cube.translate = mx.Vector(0, 5, 0)

# set attribute's properties
cube['translate'].locked = True

# add node reference as attribute
# (atttribute of type `message`, connected to `torus.message`)
cube.addAttr('parentDriver', torus)

# retrieve node reference
cube.parentDriver.worldPosition = mx.Vector(2, 5, 5)

The goal is to not replace maya.cmds, but to augmented it with some OOP features. Instead of always working with nodes' names, which can be frustrating at times, you would work with Maya's nodes as they were Python objects. Changing the name or parent of a node it will not make your variable obsolete anymore since the variable will still point to the same node.

Installation

a. Drag install.py script into Maya's viewport.

b. Manually create the mayax.mod module file and put it in your favorite location:

+ MayaX 1.0.0 <mayax path>
scripts: src

c. Copy src/mayax into your project.

Usage

• import mayax as mx

• Use mx.Node('objectFromScene') to retrieve an existing node using its name.

• Use mx.cmd.* namespace to call the Maya's commands in order to have them accept and return instances of mx.Node.

• Retrieve and set the values for the node's attributes's as you would for regular Python objects (node.attributeName = value).

• Do operations on the attributes themselves by accessing them using the notation node['attributeName'].

• Add attributes using node.addAttr() method.

API

Node Properties

• exists: Check if the node still exists.

• name: Get/set the node's name.

• uniqueName: Get the node's unique name.

• type: Get the node's type.

• pathName: Get the full path from the root of the dag to this object.

• parent: Get/set the node's parent.

• children: Get the node's children.

• descendents: Get the node's descendents.

• shapes: Get the node's shapes.

• worldPosition: Get/set the node's world position.

• worldRotation: Get/set the node's world rotation.

• worldScale: Get/set the node's world scale.

• worldMatrix: Get/set the node's world matrix.

Node Methods

• rename(name, **kwargs): Rename the node.

  Use kwargs to pass extra flags used by maya.cmds.rename. For simple cases use the name property setter.

• delete(): Delete the node.

• duplicate(**kwargs): Duplicate the node.

  Use kwargs to pass extra flags used by maya.cmds.duplicate.

• select(**kwargs): Select the node.

  Use kwargs to pass extra flags used by maya.cmds.select.

• addAttr(name, value=None, type=None, **kwargs): Add an attribute to the node.

  Use kwargs to pass extra flags used by maya.cmds.addAttr.

  # add an attribute by inferring its type from the value
  node.addAttr('name', 25.5)
  node.addAttr('name', nodeInstance)
  
  # add an attribute by providing the type
  node.addAttr('name', type='float')
  node.addAttr('name', nodeInstance, type='message')
  
  # add an attribute by providing a Python's type
  node.addAttr('name', type=float)
  node.addAttr('name', type=mx.Node)
  node.addAttr('name', type=mx.Vector)

• deleteAttr(name): Delete the provided attribute.

• hasAttr(name): Check if the node has an attribute.

• setParent(value, **kwargs): Set the node's parent.

  Use kwargs to pass extra flags used by maya.cmds.parent. For simple cases use the parent property setter.

• findChildren(name): Find children by name.

• worldPositionAt(time): Get the world position at specified time.

• worldRotationAt(time): Get the world rotation at specified time.

• worldScaleAt(time): Get the world scale at specified time.

• freezeTransform(**kwargs): Make the current transformations be the zero position.

  Use kwargs to pass extra flags used by maya.cmds.makeIdentity.

• resetTransform(**kwargs): Reset transformations back to zero (return to first or last "frozen" position).

  Use kwargs to pass extra flags used by maya.cmds.makeIdentity.

Attribute Properties

• name: Get the attribute's name.

• fullName: Get the attribute's name with the node's name in it.

• node: Get the attribute's node.

• type: Get the attribute's type.

• value: Get/set the attribute's value.

• locked: Get/set the attribute's lock state.

• keyable: Get/set the attribute's keyable state.

• channelBox: Get/set the attribute's channelBox state.

Attribute Methods

• valueAt(time): Get the attribute's value at the specified time.

• delete(): Delete the attribute.

• connect(attr, **kwargs): Connect the attribute to another.

  Use kwargs to pass extra flags used by maya.cmds.connectAttr.

• disconnect(attr, **kwargs): Disconnect the attribute from another.

  Use kwargs to pass extra flags used by maya.cmds.disconnectAttr.

• disconnectInput(): Disconnect the attribute's input.

• disconnectOutput(): Disconnect the attribute's output.

• input(**kwargs): Get the attribute's input connection.

  Use kwargs to pass extra flags used by maya.cmds.listConnections.

• outputs(**kwargs): Get the attribute's output connections.

  Use kwargs to pass extra flags used by maya.cmds.listConnections.

Misc

• getCurrentProjectDirectory(): Return the path for the selected project directory.

• getModulesDirectory(): Return the path for the modules directory.