OT maya random/linear in channel box

[adrian wyer]

in soft we can type into rotate translate scale, simple expressions to get random or linear values

 

is there an equivalent in maya?

 

i want to apply a random frame offset on a shape node (animated archive)

 

i would have thought something like it is in soft;   R(0,500)

 

but can't seem to find any info on this!

 

a

 

Adrian Wyer
Fluid Pictures
75-77 Margaret St.
London
W1W 8SY
++44(0) 207 580 0829

adria...@fluid-pictures.com

www.fluid-pictures.com

 

Fluid Pictures Limited is registered in England and Wales.
Company number:5657815
VAT number: 872 6893 71

 

[Mario Reitbauer]

Only this (at least according to the docs):

• Type +=n to add n to the current value.
• Type -=n to subtract n from the current value.
• Type *=n to multiply n by the current value.
• Type /=n to divide the current value by n.
• % as a suffix Indicates a percentage-based operation (For example, +=10% adds 10% of the current value to each selected value)

[Cesar Saez]

Before someone jump in saying that maya is the worst thing in the universe because of scripting and so on... 4 lines of code.

from maya import cmds
from random import random
for each in cmds.ls(sl=True, l=True):
    cmds.setAttr(each + ".translateX", random() * 500)

Is it better than Softimage? hell no!
Is it a big deal? not at all.

Cheers!

[adrian wyer]

you can use =rand(0,500);

 

however it gives the same random value to each selected object

 

bugger

 

a

 

---

[Jordi Bares Dominguez]

 

Before someone jump in saying that maya is the worst thing in the universe because of scripting and so on... 4 lines of code.

from maya import cmds
from random import random
for each in cmds.ls(sl=True, l=True):
    cmds.setAttr(each + ".translateX", random() * 500)

Is it better than Softimage? hell no!
Is it a big deal? not at all.

It does to me as it breaks my thinking flow and momentum, exactly the same than someone asking to jump on a meeting while you are animating, when you go back your mindset is in a different planet and takes ages to get back to the zone.

It’s the Artist > technical > Artist switching that XSI does manage so well and this is one very good example of why IMO workflow in Maya is a total mess.

jb

[Luc-Eric Rousseau]

On Fri, Mar 6, 2015 at 10:56 AM, Jordi Bares Dominguez <jordi...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Before someone jump in saying that maya is the worst thing in the universe

> It does to me as it breaks my thinking flow and momentum, exactly the same

> than someone asking to jump on a meeting while you are animating, when you
> go back your mindset is in a different planet and takes ages to get back to
> the zone.
>
> It’s the Artist > technical > Artist switching that XSI does manage so well
> and this is one very good example of why IMO workflow in Maya is a total
> mess.

It's a terrible example for that imho. R(0,100) is not discoverable so you have to be told that this feature exists and may need to launch the web browser to remind you what the notation is and what the parameters mean. You're typing something that looks like a function call  in a different notation than the random in XSI's expression language, or the built-in scripting langages, because it was a feature written for the video product and it's not a programming language. The skill you got learning the notation cannot really be applied to anything else and it can't be customized, extended, dropped  on a toolbar, and it doesn't log a command you can repeat. It's a secret handshake for the initiated. There are few things like this in XSI imho, we usually made sure to not have hidden features.

[Eric Turman]

Maya is so geared to "fix it with script" and its scripting has many inconsistencies that make it very unfriendly for an artist. The artists that I have shown L() and R() to really really like it, it is simple, makes sens to then and empowers them without them having them become programmers. 

--

-=T=-

[adrian wyer]

frankly that explanation is my biggest problem with ALL software devs

 

it illustrates the fact that almost all devs have never used the software in production!

 

if you had to deal with our impossible deadlines and dwindling budgets, small tricks, however 'off piste' as far as code base go, are lifesavers

 

regardless of how "wrong" it is in the dev's eyes

 

my 2c

 

---

From: softimag...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:softimag...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Luc-Eric Rousseau
Sent: 06 March 2015 18:50
To: soft...@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: OT maya random/linear in channel box

 

On Fri, Mar 6, 2015 at 10:56 AM, Jordi Bares Dominguez <jordi...@gmail.com> wrote:

[an...@andynicholas.com]

The functionality is great and overrides any concerns I would have over
consistency. I think most of the points Luc-Eric made are quite valid, but for
me they are just making a good case for improving documentation. Just have a
page in the docs at the front called "Tips and Tricks for Improving Workflow"
and fill it with all those hidden gems. Problem solved.

But I'm genuinely interested to know what Luc-Eric would suggest to get the same
functionality but removing the issue with consistency? I would hate to have to
enter python into a parameter. I'm occasionally doing it in Houdini and it's
just too long winded. A right click menu with various options would seem to be
the obvious way, even if it just acts as a reminder for the inconsistent syntax.

A

On 09 March 2015 at 09:52 adrian wyer <adria...@fluid-pictures.com> wrote:


> frankly that explanation is my biggest problem with ALL software devs
>
> it illustrates the fact that almost all devs have never used the software in
> production!
>
> if you had to deal with our impossible deadlines and dwindling budgets, small
> tricks, however 'off piste' as far as code base go, are lifesavers
>
> regardless of how "wrong" it is in the dev's eyes
>
> my 2c
>
>

> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
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[Cesar Saez]

Perhaps generalizing xgen expressions?

[an...@andynicholas.com]

Sure, but that's just *yet another* proprietary expression system (not a bad
one at that). Anyway, doesn't the R(a,b) fall well within the bounds of that
syntax?

There's always this danger...
http://xkcd.com/927/

;)


On 09 March 2015 at 11:59 Cesar Saez <ces...@gmail.com> wrote:


> Perhaps generalizing xgen expressions
> <http://download.autodesk.com/global/docs/maya2014/en_us/files/GUID-AFB8F7F3-DCCC-414A-9EC3-83B97FCC8C30.htm>
> ?

>
>
> On Mon, Mar 9, 2015 at 10:51 PM, an...@andynicholas.com

> <mailto:an...@andynicholas.com> <an...@andynicholas.com

[adrian wyer]

a right click menu with a randomize/linearize/by range tool would be perfect
(someone wrote one but his site is dead)

the underlying problem is developers/software manufacturers trying to turn
everyone into a TD, there's a LOT to be said for 'generalist friendly'
"click and make it happen" functionality, as opposed to "just write a simple
script"

the latter approach leads down a road of proprietary development in place of
a well rounded piece of off the shelf software

a

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