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So your using the api to avoid using api for the stuff when you SHOULD use api for. Fair enough. But funny as hell.
Been here done this. I actually initially did this as a command in script nodes so i wouldnt need to reimplement them. but then made a node, tough later i scrapped the idea as it became a maintenance nightmare.
But yes you dint really ask for he feasibility of such a node but preformance. Im saying not much to gain.
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have you ever tried expressions with file referencing?.
Yes no problems as long as you actually write epressions and not something that techincally does not fit the bill. So yes expressions that break the design rules are bad on many levels, not just hard to reference.
I would rather people not call theese expressions by the way just call them, something else then so they won fool themselves. But maya as allways does not forbid you form doing bad things.
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talk about using connections instead of names.. well!.. have you ever tried to make a scriptjob testing for attribute change work with/accross file referencing.
Yes no problem. Al tough to be honest i prefer not to use script jobs for anything, mainly because you allmost never need scriptJobs for anything apart for keeping some gui wrokflow intact. In wich case you dont actually need to know the attribute names.
Thing is ive used maya for a loong time and i have solutions to most issues you ever see people asking for. But no because i try to avoid the design rules but because i embrace them for my benefit.
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but they do not change the fact that sometimes you just need to know the namespace and dag path of your node
Actually one never does need that. When you mention earlier:
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heck no. expressions, like scriptjobs are by nature, intended to work on names that don't change..
Acctually you are wrong, its only whenever you put mel inside expressions that this happens. (you shouldnt they are stored as strings) Expressions shouldnt be scene aware and ths use pure expression language for fetching things for you. The fact that people do this a lot does not mean they are right you know. Its basically aproblem caused form abusing mayas paradigm. So callinng getAttr foo.bar indeed does not refence well. However you never need to call that in expression!
You can design both scriptJobs and expressions that DO use string names that are self aware with a little bit of work. However you were never meant to do that so basically its abuse and problems associated with it is caused by that.
Anyway id rather you do something that actually makes maya better than just making people easier on bad habits.
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reconnecting messages or other attrs across file references to get namespaces , fullnames or just to reestablish former connectivity?
Well you dont need api for this but sure no problemo. Its just that you wont benefit form the pre compile done by maya.
Just make node that has 1 string attribute 1 enum to say what to rigger on and one to say to call python or mel. then just oce the event triggers eval the string after a regexp. 2 hours of work tops. But work you really shouldnt do but rather fix the other TD's.
But yes not very valid use of maya. As i said your just trying to do something with something your trying to avoid doing.
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but you'll never go back once you start seeing the time it saves dealing with nested references.
I have no problems with nestled references. basically because i follow the design guidelines. I get more done that way.
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i am using them for abstracting and remapping poses and animation, and creating in-rig name independent databases for important but hard to get at rig bits.
Well then why dont you make a tool for that instead of making a tool on higher level that makes making things even harder when you continue on the slope further. I am all for lowlevel solutions but sometimes its a slippery slope. If i fix something because its not broken, but rather because of misuse how can i know that the misuse does not become worse?
PS: your enum scenario for changing poses can be done without a single line of mel, expressions or scriptjobs, al you nee dis a switch node.
PPS: i love your frankness and honesty joojaa! , glad to hear that, not all do. But this is a cultural issue. I live in a culture where truth is more valued than manners, which is the problem almost everywhere else, so most people would rather be courteous than solve the problem at hand.