Hey guys,let`s learn mel together

[jiang-jieqi]

hey guys,let`s learn mel together,

for about 3 years ago,i was learn virtools game engin,and then  i study mel for maya now.but i  have much more problem.this is my msn:frankj@shanghaipop.tv

[joojaa]

First thing to understand is that mel is not really a programming language, not in the common meaning of the word. Mel defers jobs to the DG, its the DG is who does the work. Mel is sortof the ingredients or recipie whereas the DG is the chef, waiter, butler, roadie and tables at the same time.

Mel doesn't really do anything other than builds dg networks, traverse some nodes and comprehend the structure of the dg. It doesn't even understand most of what maya does it just instructs the data to pipe. So understanding maya development is to understand the DG reference. This is fortunate since this takes away your want to do the dirty work by hand wich would just produce something thats broken and slow, an needlessly complicating dev.

So having learned how game engines work is in this sintance a burden thet you must unlearn to understand mel.

[thnkr]

I would (strongly) suggest that you learn Python/PyMEL, not MEL.

[joojaa]

Still doesnt help with the fact that maya scripting isnt strictly speaking programming, its mostly about manipulating mayas state. Mel can help you zone in on the reality. Python does make you more productive tough but only if you abstain from using the mel script layer for extensive programming and leverage the api layer for that. The core reality doesent change. Good example of extremely bad python comes with mayas distribution*.

On top of that one needs to be able to atleast look at mel since a lot of code is mel only and it can help you cipher the inner workings. Other than that python is fine, im language neutral. Hell i would prefeer to do lisp.

*the stereo functions, 80-90% of the code is a reporgram of something they allready have.

[joojaa]

Thee is still a emphasis on python for the future tough, but i fear the questin is worng.

One wouldnt learn mel or python one would learn to develop for maya. Wich is langaugae neutral. So the right question would be:

Can we learn to use maya together?
see melscripting is part of maya. if you know how to use maya you by proxy do know how to use mel even if you wouldnt know the syntax. Same applies to python scripting.

So the thing is its more a question of weteher or not you can describe how to do something in maya versus not. Rather than language versus language. If you can describe what to do in maya you can allways find the info on how to connvert taht into data. So learning to develop scripts is MORE emphasis on how to read manuals than how to actually do code.

Now developping something big eventually brings in the whole cs ideology but thet beyind teh scope of mel, but not API development