Walkerman of there future - Simply Maya User Community

# 1 25-05-2006 , 10:04 AM

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Walkerman of the future

I have been at the Walkerman project for a long time now, (about three years total) and it has been constantly expanding and improving. I am expecting that within about a month or so to have completed the bird that I have been working on as probably the last addition to the program. The bird will have plenty of features to allow someone to create a realistic bird, from being able to adjust how the feathers on the edge of the wing bend to controlling the bird's legs in take-off and landing positions.

After completing the bird, I am probably going to stop the project unless I come up with or get a good idea on possible improvements, besides the fact that it would be great to finally make use of the program.

It was my intention when I started the original project to create a MEL program that would allow someone to be able to create animations very rapidly, without monkeying around with all the IK and other crap that takes forever to set up. I think I have succeeded in that. Judging by the number of downloads, it looks like it has found its place in the 3D world.

I am planning on getting back into actual animation now that this project is nearing completion. I have a funny story that I wrote that I am planning on making into an animation short. (or maybe long if I can think up more for it)

One of the other ideas that I happened to think of, was creating a program that would read a MIDI file, and then animate a musician to play an instrument based on the MIDI information. At present though, I am just not willing to sacrifice that much of my time to such a project . . :zzz: it would be very time consuming. Maybe someone else interested in MEL and C++ might be willing to take it up. . . .

Anyway, Walkerman version 1.2 is now out, which includes the Centaur!

"The Sage as an Astronomer: If you still see the stars as something above you, you lack the eye of knowledge." Friedrich Nietzsche

Last edited by skywola; 25-05-2006 at 11:52 AM.

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# 2 25-05-2006 , 11:12 AM

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hey I would help you- just that I am working on my Maya->Indigo Exporter in MEL right now.

AFter that, I probably would help you.

Live the life you love, love the life you live

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# 3 25-05-2006 , 11:49 AM

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I want to get back into doing some animation for a while, but maybe we could pick up on the project sometime in the future.

I have done a little experimentation with regards to the aforementioned project, I have created a grand piano and also a MEL script that lets you control the keys . . . I have some C code somewhere on my computer that is related to reading MIDI files. I could send that part to you some time when you get ready to roll.

As I said though, for now at least, I want to take a break from coding after I finish this bird project! user added image

"The Sage as an Astronomer: If you still see the stars as something above you, you lack the eye of knowledge." Friedrich Nietzsche

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# 4 26-05-2006 , 02:37 PM

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hey skywola, I have a question about MEL.

I have a final part of a script:

Code:

string $shp[] =`ls -tr`;
for ($obj in $shp) {
	$shape = `listRelatives -shapes $obj`;
	if (`objectType $shape` == "mesh") {
		float $pos[] = `getAttr ($obj +".translate")`;
		$write += "\n\n<model>\n\t<pos>" + $pos[0] + " " + $pos[1] + " " + $pos[2] + "</pos>";
		$write += "\n\t<scale>1</scale>";
		$write += "\n\t<rotation><matrix>1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1</matrix></rotation>";
		$write += "\n\t<mesh_name>"+ $shape[0] +"</mesh_name>\n</model>";
	}
}

This part gives me problems:

I get this error:

// Error: No object name specified. //

EDIT- if I do this:

Code:

string $trans[] =`ls -tr`;
for ($one in $trans) {
			string $shape[] = `listRelatives -shapes $one`;
			if (`objectType $one` == "mesh"){
			float $pos[] = `getAttr ($one +".translate")`;
		$write += "\n\n<model>\n\t<pos>" + $pos[0] + " " + $pos[1] + " " + $pos[2] + "</pos>";
		$write += "\n\t<scale>1</scale>";
		$write += "\n\t<rotation><matrix>1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1</matrix></rotation>";
		$write += "\n\t<mesh_name>"+$shape[0] +"</mesh_name>\n</model>";
	}
}
$write += "\n</scene>";
print($write);

It works, just nothing comes up since $obj is not a mesh. Instead, if I leave out that condition, all of my cameras apepear! I could just do a conditional

Code:

if (`objectType $one`!="camera")

But then NURBS objects would be dragged in, and so would SUB-D's, animation objects... etc.

Any way to get just the actual polygonal mesh in there?

I have a part in a previous section of the code that does this:

Code:

string $shapes[] = `ls -s`;
for ($one in $shapes){
	if(`objectType $one` == "mesh"){
	int $nV[] = `polyEvaluate -v $one`;
	int $nF[] = `polyEvaluate -f $one`;
	int $x = 0;
	$write += "\n<mesh>\n";
	$write += "\t<name>"+$one+"</name>\n";
	$write += "\t<embedded>\n";
	for($x=0;$x < $nV[0];$x++){
		string $cv = $one+".vtx["+$x+"]";
etc.... more code down here

But, if I use the 'ls -s' tab in the problematic part, it brings up the actual shape of the object (eg PolyPlane1Shape) and therefore I cannot access the translate, scale... etc.
Any suggestions as to how I might fix it?

Also- if I do use the 'ls -s' tag, (I don't need the pos anyway, I already have the triangle position), then the listRelatives turns up an empty string.

Live the life you love, love the life you live

Last edited by MattTheMan; 26-05-2006 at 02:57 PM.

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# 5 26-05-2006 , 03:19 PM

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nevermind... I feel like such an idiot!!!!

I was using the variable $obj, which was used for the cameras a while ago in the code. The $obj value had "camera1_group" assigned to it.

When I realized this, I just changed it to $one and now the script works!!!

Live the life you love, love the life you live

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# 6 26-05-2006 , 03:50 PM

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This code here seems to run without hollering at me, but wether it is actually doing what it should, I'm not sure . . .

string $shp[] =`ls -tr`;
string $m = "mesh";
for ($obj in $shp) {
$shape = `listRelatives -shapes $obj`;
if (`objectType $shape $m`) {
float $pos[] = `getAttr ($obj +".translate")`;
$write += "\n\n<model>\n\t<pos>" + $pos[0] + " " + $pos[1] + " " + $pos[2] + "</pos>";
$write += "\n\t<scale>1</scale>";
$write += "\n\t<rotation><matrix>1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1</matrix></rotation>";
$write += "\n\t<mesh_name>"+ $shape[0] +"</mesh_name>\n</model>";
}
}

There is an example here:
https://cade.scope.edu/courseware/notes/mel/program.html

"The Sage as an Astronomer: If you still see the stars as something above you, you lack the eye of knowledge." Friedrich Nietzsche

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# 7 26-05-2006 , 03:57 PM

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oh- well it does what it should, my Indigo exporter works user added image

just that... Indigo fails to load it user added image

no clue why- it gives me an odd error- it cant read line -2.332??? wtf??? user added image

Live the life you love, love the life you live

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# 8 26-05-2006 , 04:05 PM

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Here is a working example I found on the web:

polyCube -ch false -n obj1;
polyCube -ch false -n obj2;
sphere -ch false -n obj3;
polyCube -ch false -n obj4;
polyCube -ch false -n obj5;

int $count;
string $cursel, $seltype;
for( $count = 1; $count < 6; $count++ ) {
$cursel = "obj" + $count + "Shape";
if( `objectType -isType "nurbsSurface" $cursel` ) break;
print( $count + "\n" );
}

"The Sage as an Astronomer: If you still see the stars as something above you, you lack the eye of knowledge." Friedrich Nietzsche

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# 9 26-05-2006 , 04:14 PM

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oh, thanks skywola!!1 user added image

Live the life you love, love the life you live

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# 10 26-05-2006 , 04:15 PM

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I'm not familiar with Indigo . . .

My area of expertise is more MEL now. I use to do C++, Visual Basic and assembly programming, but I guess MEL spoiled me rotten. After that Walkerman project, which was a really ambitious endeavor, I am wanting to get back into the visual part of animating for a while. . .

The Maya library and the web for that matter does not seem to have much info on that "objectType" command. I am not sure if I have even ever used it in any of my programming.

"The Sage as an Astronomer: If you still see the stars as something above you, you lack the eye of knowledge." Friedrich Nietzsche

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