Gui Using Html

[dayyans]

Hi all,
I have created a character specific gui using html in maya. I'm using html because the default maya gui windows and buttons aren't conducive to organic shapers (like the shape of a character).

I am wondering if anyone knows if you can imbed a macromedia flash button in html and then open it in maya? I can create a pretty cool gui using html in maya already but if i can use flash would take things to the another level.

Anybody know if it's possible. I have already tried but te button doesn't show up.

thanks,
Aaron

[joojaa]

yes its possible (even easy)... but not desireable. Alot of people seem to think cool goodlooking gui equates a good gui. well thing is it does not.

Just add the macromedia plugin into the mayas chrome directory. You can have as cool gui as you like except you nolonger have a good way of doing 2 way communication with maya unless you want to use sockets. Even in this case the flash statemachines SLOW SLOW so youd be prettymuch only wasting computation time on teh flash plugin doing nice flashy blinkety bling. Wuich you could have used for 5-15 more fps for your rig instead.

[dayyans]

Thanks!!

I realize that having a nice looking gui is not an end in itself. But there is a definitely an arguement for having an "intuitive" gui. Making a character gui that is just buttons on a grid is not as intuitive as those buttons in a graphical representation of the character.

Of course that said I agree that if it slows down the animation process even a little it is not worth it. The whole purpose is to speed it up in the first place right.

[ewerybody]

you actually can use images in Maya UI and you can use the formLayout to place buttons or even symbolButtons with images on it everywhere you want in the UI.

let me see when you are finished!! :]

[joojaa]

Whoeversaid you cant have any shape as button in maya! becauyse as a matter of fact you CAN. however having html page for this is perfectly valid in my mind, a bvit over the top... but yes you can do prettymuch the same in maya! Ok so the regions are limitted into squares but nothing states THEY CANT be one cotinious image. imean alot of webpages do this succesfully. And mind you when you do it right no one notices.

Anyway the dowside of html is that you now cant have a fully dynamic gui, easily anyway. however if ist somesort of oneway static compiled button its fine (its not like you cant regenerate the HTML buttheres a quite limitted communiacation flow so you cant change them runtime, wouldnt it be nice that your gui rflected what selected for example).

THis is however possily sortof doable with setFocus, but its a MAJOR hack

but flash ist like saying hey we are plonkers. Anyway modify teh marking menus isnetad and put teh gui ON your screen and disable all extra panels thats what i do works like a treat one can have all you need on rightclick.

BTW maya can even do highlights on those buttons whan you hover over them no problemo.

[dayyans]

I realize that making the gui in Maya only is possible. but there's also the issue of timing and ease of use. I created a very nice visual gui in less than a day using html onmy first try. All I had to do is put the picture into dreamweaver and then create the buttons on top then add one simple script to link the buttons.

It was totally visual and intuitive specially to my non programming brain.

Again you are right there is the limitaiton of not having a two way communication when using html. At this moment one way is good enough for my needs. Lot's of time in the future for tweaking lah!

I'll try to get an image up soon. But gotta go back my commrcial. yeck!!!

[kurianos3d]

Hi Joojaa

I have a dubt ..we can create UI in otehr languages like html and then we can use

command port to communicate to maya ???

isit possible ..what jedit is doing same way can we do this ??

[dayyans]

this is part of the script to use the maya web browser as a gui

window;
columnLayout;
webBrowser -width 750 -height 600 -url "file:///C:/Documents and Settings/Blu Fairy 5/My Documents/maya/6.0/scripts/characterGUI.htm";
showWindow window;

theres another small script used in the html that links it to the mel.

cheers!