Freeze/lock a nonkeyable referenced attribute?

[Steve Davy]

Probably one for you, Steve Mann.

Is there any way to freeze or lock a non-keyable attribute on a referenced node?

I have a rig with a non keyable world position node at the top of it. I want to be able to reference this in, position it, then lock it so there's no danger of it being nudged again. But because it's a referenced node, I cannot lock it.  I can't key the attribute either because I want it non-keyable.

I have frequently found the inability to lock referenced nodes to be frustrating and a workflow hindrance, and have never figured out what the advantage to it is.

[Steve Davy]

Ha, looks like I asked the same question here several years ago.

It seems you can lock an entire reference -- don't know if this is new or not. But this locks everything connected to the reference node.

This page explains how you can exclude attributes from this lock, but involves some pretty heavy scripting and thus is not at all convenient:

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/maya/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/Maya/files/GUID-B1524E77-A4B2-4F49-8116-129A1B64F20B-htm.html

Exclude attributes from locked references | Maya ... knowledge.autodesk.com Maya provides MEL procedures that you can use to exclude attributes from the Lock option on referenced files. For example, you can exclude specific, individual ...

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From: maya...@googlegroups.com <maya...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Steve Davy <stevi...@hotmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2017 3:37 PM
To: Maya Group
Subject: [maya_he3d] Freeze/lock a nonkeyable referenced attribute?

 

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[stephenkmann]

believe it or not there are settings in your prefs for allowing lock/unlock edits on references, as well as animation editing on reference animation curves.

slightly dangerous in some production pipeline setups,, but handy when you need it. 

the options are under Preferences | File Reference  |   and it's just 2 check boxes.

but yes, ref locking works as well 

 you can also Key the channels, and the work around for that is when you are in the referencing scene, if you need to adjust, you can break the connections to the animation channels,

but without changing the prefs. you still can't lock/unlock 

but. nothing will let you change the keyable state.. ( that I know of ) 

hth

-=s

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[Steve Davy]

OK, how long have THOSE preferences been there?! Funny, I had noticed in the last couple of years a couple of times that I couldn't edit referenced animation. First you couldn't, then you could, then I couldn't again and thought it must have been a bug at some point that was fixed. But it's a preference.

Thanks Steve. But how does this work when someone with the "Allow locking on references" pref turned OFF opens up a scene where referenced attrs have been locked by someone else with it turned on?

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Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2017 7:14 PM
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Subject: Re: [maya_he3d] Re: Freeze/lock a nonkeyable referenced attribute?

 

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[Stephen]

As far as I can tell I think it's just session based. 

   So any user with the prefer turned on to allow the changes. Can make the changes. 

 Hence why I consider it dangerous in large studio settings.   

 Just makes having a strong scene / asset management pipeline and tools more important    :).   

 

-=s 

[Steve Davy]

Yeah, it's really kind of the worst of both worlds to have it as a preference so that you never really have full say over how it works one way or the other.

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From: maya...@googlegroups.com <maya...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Stephen <stephe...@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, April 28, 2017 5:49 PM