Writing a custom deformer plugin to generate nurbs curves with particles Driving rman shaders and textures with Python based on partticle data (velocity, mass, position,etc...) taking functionality from Houdini and plugging it into Maya Houdini uses python as its main scripting language Classic Cloth for Maya is a plugin, it makes more sense to do things like this in C++, though similar plugins in Python are possible. etc...etc...
You may be thinking that you can create a mel script to generate curves with particles, and you would be correct. But it will be clunky, dirty, slow, and far from elegant. As someone said earlier, you need to look beyond looping functions, conditionals, and GUI's to begin to grasp and take advantage of Python, and OOP's full potential. I have only recently begun to step away from a modular methodology of coding. Making the jump was not easy, I had and continue to have an incredible amount of support, which helps a great deal. Good Luck, but if your passionate, you wont need it. > Could you guys give me some practical applications of python in FX? I keep > hearing this but I really havn't found a situation where I couldn't just > write a mel script for something I wanted to do over and over, or make a > GUI > of things I use often. > > On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 8:48 AM, <sh...@pyrokinesis.co.nz> wrote: > >> >> There are many advantages to using python over mel for maya. >> >> Object Oriented >> Lists & Dictionaries >> Access to the API without C++ >> Access to a multitude of external modules >> create and manipulate xml >> plugs into your pipeline >> QT >> and more... >> >> Mel still has its place, yet Python is much more robust. If you are >> interested in FX you will find that Python is becoming a necessity. >> >> Once you take Python beyond the basics, you will come to the conclusion >> that with Python you can find more elegant solutions to more complex >> problems. >> >> >> >> > I think you should look more into MEL if you are interested in >> learning >> > python for maya. Once you get the basics of python you'll realize that >> it >> > just wraps around MEL. >> > >> > I found this book very useful: >> > >> http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Python-3rd-Mark-Lutz/dp/0596513984/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232524679&sr=1-1 >> > >> > >> > This is the book we got in school. >> > >> http://www.amazon.com/Scripting-Animators-Kaufmann-Computer-Graphics/dp/0120887932/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232524424&sr=1-1 >> > >> > >> > Chris Maraffi ( former teacher ) wrote this book but it might be kinda >> > outdated. The scripting stuff should still apply but the rig is wack. >> > >> http://www.amazon.com/MEL-Scripting-Character-Rig-Maya/dp/0321383532/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_a >> > >> > >> > -- >> > Matthew Thorson | VFX Student | Full Sail University | Computer >> Animation >> > >> > > >> > >> >> >> -- >> Shaun Friedberg >> http://www.pyrokinesis.co.nz >> "Fire Is Fun, When You Think About It" >> >> >> > >> > > > -- > Matthew Thorson | VFX Student | Full Sail University | Computer Animation > > > > -- Shaun Friedberg 04-902-0443 http://www.pyrokinesis.co.nz "Fire Is Fun, When You Think About It" --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Yours, Maya-Python Club Team. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---