How to compile MEL scripts?

[tim-turner]

Someone help me ?

[naughty]

What exactly do you mean? MEL is only an interpreted language. It can't be compiled...

do you mean how do you execute (run) a MEL script? usually you just type in the name of the script (on your command line or Script Editor). MEL commands are case sensitive though so watch out. If the MEL script needs parameters to execute you'll have to work out what they are by looking in the MEL script.

:nathaN

[tim-turner]

It is possible, to compile MEL to plug-in ?

thats the question

[naughty]

Ah, right. well, as far as I'm aware you could do one of two things.
1) write a plugin "shell" that houses the MEL script and simply passes each MEL line to Maya. This would do what you want but wouldn't execute any quicker than the original MEL, it would just be a plugin. (can't see the benefit in this method).
Or,
2) you could re-write the MEL script in C and compile that as a plugin. That would be the best solution except that you'd have to know about the API and C and how to convert each MEL command as is relevent.

hope that makes sense, I'm no expert in these matters... In fact I'm probably way out..!

:nathaN

[artifish]

yeah, that makes perfect sense
1) use the API MGlobal::executeCommand() for this, the only benefit I see is that you protect your scripts from unwanted modification and your code is not that simple to read - in case you are not a friend of open source
2) yeah, that's the way to go - happy coding!

cheers, carsten

[tim-turner]

Lots of thanks guis, cheers !