cgmAttr

Description:
This is our attribute MetaClass using the same principles as we learned from red9 for maya nodes. Why would this be necessary when we have other metaClasses for adding and editing attributes? Well, this kind of object can follow an attribute as it is swapped between objects and many other features. It is also useful for attribute specific work because of it’s formatting options and how maya is variable in how it needs info – sometimes node,attr, sometimes a combined string.

Superclass : None
Subclass:  None
Location: cgm.core.cgm_Meta.cgmAttr

Arguments:

• objName(string/mNode)- Node to which will/does hold the attr
• attrName(string) -Name for the attr
• attrType– (string) – type of attr to create if it doesn’t exist or to convert to if it does
• value – (variable) – Value for the attribute
• initialValue – (variable) – Value for the attribute ONLY if the attribute was just created
• …many more – see module. Most attr keywords supported

Properties:

• p_value– (get,set,doDelete)
  • get — supports our attr as message option
• p_combinedName(asCombinedName) – ‘objLongName.attr’
• p_combinedShortName(asCombinedShortName) – ‘obj.attr’
• p_locked (isLocked,doLocked)
• p_hidden(isHidden,doHidden)
• p_keyable (isKeyable,doKeyable) 
• p_nameAlias(getAlias,doAlias)
• p_nameNice(getNiceName,doNiceName)
• p_nameLong (getNameLong,doRename)
• p_defaultValue (getDefault,doDefault)
• p_minValue(getMinValue,doMin)
• p_maxValue (getMaxValue,doMax)
• p_softMinValue(getSoftMinValue,doSoftMin)
• p_softMaxValue (getSoftMaxValue,doSoftMax)

Queries:
For easier access to maya’s many queries under a myriad of functions to get at. To simpify…

• isDynamic
• isNumeric
• isReadable
• isWriteable
• isStorable
• isUsedAsColor
• isUserDefined
• isMulti
• isIndexMatters
• getRange
• getSoftRange
• getChildren
• getParent
• getSiblings
• getDriven – returns driven objects or plugs
• getDriver – returns driver objects or plugs

Intro – Let’s look at some intro flags.

#>>Intro =========================================================================
#First we're gonna make some objects 
try:mi_baseObj = cgmMeta.cgmObject('baseObj')#...if it exists, initialize, except, make...
except:mi_baseObj = cgmMeta.cgmObject(mc.spaceLocator(p = [5,0,0],name = 'baseObj')[0])
try:mi_catchObj = cgmMeta.cgmObject('catchObj')#...if it exists, initialize, except, make...
except:mi_catchObj = cgmMeta.cgmObject(mc.spaceLocator(p = [-5,0,0],name = 'catchObj')[0])

#>> Let's start with existing attributes
mi_baseObj.select()
mPlug_t = cgmMeta.cgmAttr(mi_baseObj,'translate')
mPlug_tx = cgmMeta.cgmAttr(mi_baseObj,'tx')

#Getting attribte names as we like
mPlug_tx.p_combinedName
mPlug_tx.p_combinedShortName
mPlug_tx.p_nameNice
mPlug_t.p_hidden = True #...Hide something
mPlug_tx.p_hidden = False #...Unhide 1
mPlug_t.p_hidden = False #...unHide all
mPlug_t.p_keyable = 1 #...unHide all
mPlug_t.p_locked = 1 #...lock all
mPlug_t.p_locked = False #...unlock all

#>> Name alias
mPlug_tx.p_nameAlias#...Nothing
mPlug_tx.p_nameAlias = 'sideways'#...Set it, look at the channel box
mPlug_tx.p_nameAlias#...Now returns
mPlug_tx.p_nameAlias = False #...Clear it

#Simple value setting
mPlug_tx.p_value = 'asdf'
mPlug_t.p_value = 3#...Works with attributes with children as well
#==============================================================================================

Creating – Attributes and settings for them

#>>Creating attributs and more =========================================================================
mPlug_tx = cgmMeta.cgmAttr(mi_baseObj,'tx')
mPlug_translate = cgmMeta.cgmAttr(mi_baseObj,'translate')

#>> Let's make a couple of attributes ---------------------------------------------------
mPlug_testNumericAttr = cgmMeta.cgmAttr(mi_baseObj,'test_valueAttr',attrType = 'float',keyable = 1)
mPlug_testStringAttr = cgmMeta.cgmAttr(mi_baseObj,'test_strAttr',attrType = 'string', value = 44.65)#...yup, we're storing a number as a string
mPlug_testMessageAttr = cgmMeta.cgmAttr(mi_baseObj,'test_msgAttr',value = mi_catchObj.mNode, lock = 0)
mPlug_testBoolAttr = cgmMeta.cgmAttr(mi_baseObj,'test_bool',attrType = 'bool',keyable = 1)
mPlug_testEnumAttr = cgmMeta.cgmAttr(mi_baseObj,'test_enum',attrType = 'enum',keyable = 1)

#Queries ---------------------------------------------------
mPlug_testNumericAttr.isNumeric()#...yup
mPlug_testStringAttr.isNumeric()#...nope

mPlug_testNumericAttr.isUserDefined()#yup
mPlug_tx.isUserDefined()#...nope

#Relations ---------------------------------------------------
mPlug_tx.getSiblings()
mPlug_tx.getSiblings(asMeta = True)
mPlug_tx.getParent()
mPlug_tx.getParent(asMeta = 1)[0].p_combinedShortName
mPlug_translate.getChildren()
mPlug_translate.getChildren(asMeta = 1)

#Min/max ---------------------------------------------------
mPlug_testNumericAttr.getRange()#...that didn't work. let's give it a min and max
mPlug_testNumericAttr.p_minValue = -1
mPlug_testNumericAttr.p_maxValue = 1
mPlug_testNumericAttr.getRange()#...thar she blows!

#Soft Min/max ---------------------------------------------------
mPlug_testNumericAttr.getSoftRange()#...that didn't work. let's give it a min and max
mPlug_testNumericAttr.p_softMinValue = -1

mPlug_testNumericAttr.p_softMaxValue = 1
mPlug_testNumericAttr.p_softMaxValue
mPlug_testNumericAttr.getSoftRange()#...thar she blows!

#Enum ---------------------------------------------------
mPlug_testEnumAttr.p_enum #...Query
mPlug_testEnumAttr.p_enum = "no:yes"#...set. you have to select the channel box to see the update for now
mPlug_testEnumAttr.setEnum("no:yes")
mPlug_testEnumAttr.setEnum("off:on")
mPlug_testBoolAttr.setEnum("off:on")
#==============================================================================================

Connections/Convert/Transfers – You can easily connect and move attributes

#>>Connections/Transfers and more =========================================================================
mPlug_tx.obj.select()
mPlug_tx.doConnectOut("%s.ty"%mPlug_tx.obj.mNode)#...let's connect the x to the y via connect out
mPlug_tz = cgmMeta.cgmAttr(mPlug_tx.obj,'tz')
mPlug_tz.doConnectIn(mPlug_tx)#...let's connect the z to the x via connect in

#Queries -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mPlug_testStringAttr.returnCompatibleFromTarget(mPlug_tx.obj.mNode)#...compatible attrs
mPlug_testNumericAttr.returnCompatibleFromTarget(mPlug_tx.obj.mNode)#...numeric have a lot more openings

#Driven -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mPlug_tx.getDriven()#...returns the driven attrs, skipConversions nodes (False by default), can flag
mPlug_tx.getDriven(asMeta = 1)#...asMeta
mPlug_tx.getDriven(obj = 1)#...return the obj
mPlug_tx.getDriven(obj = 1,asMeta = 1)#...asMeta

#Driver -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mPlug_tx.getDriver()#...no driver on tx
mPlug_tz.getDriver()#...returns the driver attr, skipConversions nodes (False by default), can flag
mPlug_tz.getDriver(asMeta = True)#...get driver as meta
mPlug_tz.getDriver(obj = 1)#...return the obj
mPlug_tx.getDriver(obj = 1,asMeta = 1)#...asMeta

#Coversion -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mPlug_testEnumAttr.doConvert('string')#...now it's a string
mPlug_testEnumAttr.doConvert('enum')#...convert back

mPlug_testValueAttr.doConnectIn(mPlug_tx)#...connect in value
mPlug_testValueAttr.doConvert('int')#...convert, maintining connection
mPlug_testValueAttr.doConvert('bool')#...convert, maintining connection
mPlug_testValueAttr.doConvert('enum')#...convert, maintining connection
mPlug_testValueAttr.doConvert('string')#...convert...can't connect number to string...alas
mPlug_testValueAttr.doConvert('float')#...convert back to original

#Copy -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mPlug_testEnumAttr.doCopyTo(mi_catchObj.mNode)#...copy an attr
mPlug_testEnumAttr.doCopyTo(mi_catchObj.mNode,'asNewAttrName')#...copy an attr

#Copy settings -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#Let's setup up some settings to copy....
mPlug_testValueAttr.p_maxValue = 10
mPlug_testValueAttr.p_minValue = -1
mPlug_testValueAttr.getRange()
mPlug_testValueAttr.p_locked = True
mPlug_testValueAttr.p_keyable = False

mPlug_testValueAttr2 = cgmMeta.cgmAttr(mi_catchObj,'test_valueAttr',attrType = 'float')
mPlug_testValueAttr2.getRange()#...Can't even query
mPlug_testValueAttr.doCopySettingsTo(mPlug_testValueAttr2)#...let's copy settings over
mPlug_testValueAttr2.getRange()#...correct now
mPlug_testValueAttr.doCopySettingsTo(mPlug_testStringAttr)#...let's copy settings over

#Transfer-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mPlug_testValueAttr.p_combinedName#...just checking in where it is
mPlug_catch = mPlug_testValueAttr.doTransferTo(mi_catchObj)
mPlug_catch.p_combinedName#...hope our attr likes it's new home...:)
#==============================================================================================