# Before You Post: Mel Board Posting Tips

**URL:** https://forum.highend3d.com/t/before-you-post-mel-board-posting-tips/2579
**Category:** Maya
**Tags:** mel
**Created:** [December 20, 2006, 12:22pm UTC](https://forum.highend3d.com/t/before-you-post-mel-board-posting-tips/2579 "2006-12-20T12:22:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![ewerybody](https://forum.highend3d.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@ewerybody](https://forum.highend3d.com/u/ewerybody)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2006, 12:22pm UTC](https://forum.highend3d.com/t/before-you-post-mel-board-posting-tips/2579/1 "2006-12-20T12:22:35Z")

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Hey Mel-Freaks!  
You know here actually are quite a few guys that maybe have a solution for your MEL-problem. But sometimes people make it real hard to understand them. Sometimes the same mistakes are made over and over again. I mean its interesting and fun to read and post here. But to make it a more neat experience for us all we put together a little list of things you could keep in mind. This way you a) may get a quicker response b) may get a better fitting solution c) save us all a lot of time d) help others to find solutions for similar or same problems faster:

> [@](#):
>
> Things Before You Post:

- use "echo all commands" (to better find out whats going on when your problem occurs. Turn it off if you don't need it (sucks performance))
- use whatIs and maybe runTimeCommand (to find procedures and especially build in Maya procedures ( "MAYA\_INSTALL\_PATH/scripts"-folder) that you deal with and get to know them)
- use the [Maya Mel Commands Reference](http://localhost:4449/Maya7.0/en_US/Commands/) (and try the examples given there)
- search the [Mel Scripts](http://www.highend3d.com/maya/downloads/mel_scripts/) and [Plugins](http://www.highend3d.com/maya/downloads/plugins/) sections of highend3D (maybe there already IS a good solution for your problem)
- search the Mel board (use the input field at the bottom of [the MEL-page](http://www.highend3d.com/boards/index.php?showforum=4))

> [@](#):
>
> Things When You Post:

- give an adequate topic title (helps others to search and remember. No: "Mel question"/ "mel n00b", "Help", "Help with my script", Thing is when you search for something you only see the topic titles, regardless of if there is something relevant IN the posts)
- post code in the [code]-thingy (thats the #-button, so your indentation will be kept)
- get to the heart of the problem (remove irrelevant code, you cannot demand people reading 3 pages of code if there maybe is a ";" missing.)
- tell us about the general idea (often helps to understand what you actually need, thats quite often something different from what people asking for!)
- don't post multiple problems into one thread (open up a new one for each request)
- if it helps provide images (use [a free image host](http://www.google.com/search?q=free%20image%20hosting)if you want)

  
Needless to say that politeness and patience also helps to have a cool conversation. ;]  
If you have other tips feel free to post. I'll amend the list then.