rendering

Python for Maya Cheatsheet

Contents

• Import
• Objects
• Transformation
• Shading
• Animation

Import

• Import maya commands

  import maya.cmds as mc
  

Objects

• Select all objects with given name (full or partial name)

  select_all=mc.ls("<name>")
  mc.select(select_all)
  

  select_all=mc.ls("*<partial name>*")
  mc.select(select_all)
  

  r = replace the existing item on the active list

  mc.select("<name>",r=True)
  

• Check if an object exists

  mc.objExists("<name>")
  

• Delete the object(s), if the object exists

  if(mc.objExists("<name>")):
    mc.select("<name>",r=True)
    mc.delete()
  

Transformation

• Translate object with move command

  mc.move(x,y,z,name,absolute=True)
  

• Rotate object with rotate command

  mc.rotate('90deg',0,0,name)
  

• Scale object with scale command

  mc.scale(x,y,z,name,absolute=True)
  

Shading

• Apply material (shading group) with sets command

  mc.sets(name,forceElements="<shader-name>_SG")
  

• Set attribute with setAttr command, attribute may be a color [r,g,b]

  mc.setAttr(shape_name+".<attribute_name>",r,g,b)
  

  The attribute may be a float x

  mc.setAttr(shape_name+".<attribute_name>",x)
  

  Animation

• Set current time, set current frame to 1

  mc.currentTime(1)
  

• Set keyframe of translate X with value “x”

  mc.setKeyframe(name,v=x,at='tx',t=frame)
  

  mc.setKeyframe(name,v=x,at='translateX',t=frame)
  

• Cut animation keys with cutKey command

Cut all keys of all active objects, from frame 0 to 100

mc.cutKey(time=(0,100))

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