Mel systax

# 1 10-04-2008 , 03:24 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2007

Location: US

Posts: 28

spaceLocator -n temp01_r_armFkA01_loc;
spaceLocator -n temp01_r_armFkA02_loc;
float $locWp1[2]=`getAttr temp01_r_armFkA01_locShape.worldPosition[0]`;
float $locWp2[2]=`getAttr temp01_r_armFkA02_locShape.worldPosition[0]`;
distanceDimension -sp $locWp1 -ep $locWp2;

// Error: Error while parsing arguments. //

I get this error on the distanceDimension line - probably because of how I am trying to pass the coordinates to the start and end point arguments. Can someone tell me how I should do it.

Thanks,
Ron

Edit:
Even this,

$t1="-sp 0 0 0";
distanceDimension $t1 -ep 0 0 0;

does not work. I am just not getting it. user added image

Last edited by ronviers; 10-04-2008 at 03:44 AM.

Quote

# 2 22-04-2008 , 02:06 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2005

Location: This Place

Posts: 220

the problem likely stems from the fact that it looks like you're only storing one variable in your array, rather than the set of three you need. The second command is related to this, in that it can't read strings at all. however, if you use seperate variables for each of the location points, the code should work.

Book Wise

https://X4nd5r.deviantart.com

Quote

# 3 22-04-2008 , 02:20 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2007

Location: US

Posts: 28

Syntactically this is how I got it to work.

spaceLocator -n temp01_r_armFkA01_loc;
spaceLocator -n temp01_r_armFkA02_loc;
float $locWp1[]=`getAttr ("temp01_r_armFkA01_locShape.worldPosition[0]")`;
float $locWp2[]=`getAttr ("temp01_r_armFkA02_locShape.worldPosition[0]")`;
distanceDimension -sp $locWp1[0] $locWp1[1] $locWp1[2] -ep $locWp2[0] $locWp2[1] $locWp2[2];

But this was no better than the way I was doing it before, like this:

distanceDimension -sp 0 0 0 -ep 0 0 0;
rename |distanceDimension1 "tempFkA01_dd";
spaceLocator -n tempFkA01_loc;
spaceLocator -n tempFkA02_loc;
connectAttr -f tempFkA01_locShape.worldPosition[0] tempFkA01_ddShape.endPoint;
connectAttr -f tempFkA02_locShape.worldPosition[0] tempFkA01_ddShape.startPoint;

I am still looking for the correct way to add dd nodes with mel. How do you do it?

Thank you for your reply,
Ron

Quote

# 4 22-04-2008 , 02:28 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2005

Location: This Place

Posts: 220

I'm not entirely sure what you're getting at. What you posted about creating the dd node is good (at least as far as putting in variables). Are you trying to create locators to go along with it? (which it seems to create by default, at least in maya 8.5). or attach one to pre-existing locators/locations? or rename it?

Book Wise

https://X4nd5r.deviantart.com

Quote

# 5 22-04-2008 , 02:36 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2007

Location: US

Posts: 28

Yes. This is how the distance tool does it. This is the command harvested from the script editor.

distanceDimension -sp 0 0 0 -ep 0 0 0 ;

This results in a dd node with locators attached. Very slick.

Compared to:

distanceDimension -sp $locWp1[0] $locWp1[1] $locWp1[2] -ep $locWp2[0] $locWp2[1] $locWp2[2];

These commands appear to be identical but they do not result in the same dd configuration.
So I have to use one of my clumsy methods.

Last edited by ronviers; 22-04-2008 at 02:39 AM.

Quote

# 6 22-04-2008 , 02:48 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2005

Location: This Place

Posts: 220

*blinks* how are they different? the results seem to be the same to me (could be I'm just dense about this).

Anyways this setup:

Originally posted by ronviers
[distanceDimension -sp $locWp1[0] $locWp1[1] $locWp1[2] -ep $locWp2[0] $locWp2[1] $locWp2[2];

Originally Posted by

would be the way I would have gone, I think (putting something into the system that way.

If you could be a little more specific about the results you are attempting to get?

Book Wise

https://X4nd5r.deviantart.com

Quote

# 7 22-04-2008 , 03:07 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2007

Location: US

Posts: 28

Got it!!
Ok, here is what doesn't work:

spaceLocator -n temp01_r_armFkA01_loc;
spaceLocator -n temp01_r_armFkA02_loc;
float $locWp1[]=`getAttr ("temp01_r_armFkA01_locShape.worldPosition[0]")`;
float $locWp2[]=`getAttr ("temp01_r_armFkA02_locShape.worldPosition[0]")`;
distanceDimension -sp $locWp1[0] $locWp1[1] $locWp1[2] -ep $locWp2[0] $locWp2[1] $locWp2[2];

And this is what does:

spaceLocator -n temp01_r_armFkA01_loc -p 0 0 1;
spaceLocator -n temp01_r_armFkA02_loc -p 0 0 0;
float $locWp1[]=`getAttr ("temp01_r_armFkA01_locShape.worldPosition[0]")`;
float $locWp2[]=`getAttr ("temp01_r_armFkA02_locShape.worldPosition[0]")`;
distanceDimension -sp $locWp1[0] $locWp1[1] $locWp1[2] -ep $locWp2[0] $locWp2[1] $locWp2[2];

I guess it needs a non-zero distance. Thanks for bringing be back to this problem Xander-0. I had forgotten all about it. Still, not a whole heck of a lot better than I had but I am very glad to get it worked out.

Thanks for taking a look,
Ron

Quote

Mel systax

Posting Rules Forum Rules

Similar Threads

Topics

Free Courses

Full Courses

VFX News