Hey Shawn, Yeah...I wish now I'd done my undergrad degree in C.S. instead of Finance, hah!
I'm a student at Gnomon going into my last term, so this term is pretty critical for me in terms of getting my demo reel together...I was hoping that I might be able to take my week between terms to learn enough about the Python API to be able to do something useful with it. I'm just wondering whether it's just one of those things where it takes a little time to get rolling with it then you can kind of take off (that's how I felt when I was learning MEL since it was my first language)...or whether it was going to be a constant struggle due to the lack of C++ knowledge. On Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 3:14 PM, shawnpatapoff <[email protected]>wrote: > I'm kind of in the same boat, I've come to the conclusion to really > get the most out of the API having a solid foundation in c++ would be > the most rewarding. I write scripted plugins and have an understanding > of c++ but it can be very slow going at times. Personally I wish I > would have just powered through c++ and really learned it when I had > the chance. > > -s > > On Mar 23, 3:05 pm, JP <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hey all, > > > > Just wanted to drop a line and get some advice on advancing beyond > > basic Python scripting and starting to delve into the API. I started > > digging through the API documentation and quickly realized that C++ > > almost seems a prerequisite for learning the Python API. So, I bought > > the C++ Primer Plus from Amazon, then considered whether I should > > start using it as a doorstop or Yoga block when it arrived. > > Damn...all I really want to do is to learn to write plugins with > > Python - okay, so maybe it's not that simple - but is it really > > necessary to get through 1200 pages of C++ before I feel like I can > > understand how to utilize the Python API? > > > > So perhaps a little background on where I feel I'm "at" would be > > useful: I started learning Python about a year ago, and it's the only > > language I've learned other than MEL (which I started about 1.5 years > > ago). I have since gotten fairly comfortable using it as a scripting > > Language inside Maya. I've been working with PyMEL quite a bit over > > the past 6 months, and feel like I have a handle on basic OOP > > concepts, though I still feel I haven't had an "ah ha" moment when it > > comes to knowing when and why to create custom classes, outside of > > simply packaging and organizing things. That being said, I've been > > experimenting with them in some character setup scripts I've been > > writing, so I understand the basic syntax and concepts...it just seems > > that every time I try and design something more object-oriented, I > > create more problems and complexity than I alleviate. > > > > So that being said, I *would* like to try and start learning about the > > API and how to create some simple plugins, and feel like maybe seeing > > and working with Python in this context will help clarify some of OOP > > design concepts that I'm not quite there with. The problem is that > > pretty much all of the documentation I've found assumes a C++ > > background and familiarity with the C++ API. > > > > I found Jason Osipia's posts here about the Digital Tutors Python > > tutorials, and Chad Vernon's excellent answers to his questions > > (http://www.chadvernon.com/files/doublerNode.html). I still don't > > feel like I really *understand* what's happening with the creation and > > initialization functions and how it all ties together with the > > derrived MPxNode class. I'm going to keep reading through it and > > trying to wrap my head around it, but after all that, I wanted to > > throw this out there: > > > > Has anyone been able to learn enough about the Maya API without > > knowing C++ to do something useful with it? Should I resign myself to > > putting the API off for another year while I slog through the C++ > > Primer? Or am I just getting hung up on some initial concepts that > > just take some time to understand? I'm not setting out to create the > > next mind-blowing plugin, but I think it would be a good skill in my > > "toolkit" to be able to read through a Python plugin, understand > > what's going on, and hopefully design some simple nodes, file > > translators, etc. of my own. I also think it will help me be a better > > Python scripter, provided I can get past all the C++ roadblocks! If > > anyone out there has had a similar experience or any advice they'd > > like to lay on me, I'm all ears :) > > > > Best, > > > > JP > > -- > http://groups.google.com/group/python_inside_maya > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to python_inside_maya+ > unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words "REMOVE > ME" as the subject. > -- John Patrick 404-242-2675 [email protected] http://www.canyourigit.com -- http://groups.google.com/group/python_inside_maya To unsubscribe from this group, send email to python_inside_maya+unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words "REMOVE ME" as the subject.
