How To Insert Locator At A Curve's Point?

[almakos]

Hi, I am absolutely new to mel. Would be happy to solve this task by myself, but seems that is imposisible due to lack of any programming skills
So what I am actually trying to do.
While in component mode I select Curve Point and when script is executed, I want to place locator right at the place of selected point.
The main idea is to have all operation done just with one click on the shelf button.
I am pretty sure that I can later 'geometry constrain' locator to curve by myself, but unfortunately was unable to trace coordinates and actually create locator at them.

Please help

[gmask]

well the manual way to do this would be to click on the curve and copy the u value printed in the script editor and then attach the locator to the curve with attach to motion path and then paste the copied U value into the motion path node.

This is scriptable.. I can't do that legwork at the moment but I'll look into it later.

[almakos]

Gmask, thank you for so fast reply, it is good to know that I am not alone against my problem here.
Right now I was trying to first insert knot then read it's transform and then spawn Locator at those coordinates (I realize that should be extremely simple, but I haven't succeed still )
And I am a bit aware of attach to motion path 'cause it creates some nodes which are actually hard for me to understand and cut off. I think pointOnCurve could be enough (as I understood from manual, might be wrong).

[ewerybody]

I'd rather say the manual way would be to create a locator, hold c and middleMouse-drag over the curve to snap the locator to it.

But its achievable through MEL pretty easily:

CODE
{
    // get the position of a selected point:
    float $pos[3] = pointPosition();
    // create a locator
    string $locator[] = spaceLocator();
    // move the locator to the point
    move $pos[0] $pos[1] $pos[2] $locator[0];
}

this would work with any point. Even another transform.

[joojaa]

You can also parent itdirectly to the underworld of the curve, by using a arcLengthDimension node

[almakos]

2 ewerybody:
That's really simple and descent piece. Does exactly what I need
Thank you very much for the provided code. Honestly that saves me a night.

2 Joojaa:
I believe that also works but seems it is a bit too early for me to play with procedures like this ({using an "arcLengthDimension" node} part) ^^'
Or I am just complicating?

[joojaa]

QUOTE(Almakos @ 03/04/09, 09:02 PM) [snapback]302247[/snapback]
Or I am just complicating?

No its actually as ashort as doing the everybodys code, And there's a gui for making one.

[almakos]

I have way too much to learn anyway.

QUOTE
And there's a gui for making one.

There is a gUI for making a script? Or I got you wrong?

Have read about underworld node and arcLengthDimension... I will definitely mess dependencies. Anyway thank you for advice.

[joojaa]

QUOTE(Almakos @ 03/04/09, 10:03 PM) [snapback]302263[/snapback]
There is a gUI for making a script?

For placing a arc length node, as a result theres aslo a gui for making the script yes. Unless you have noticed maya makes script fo everything you do. So yes maya has a gui for making things script.

So one of easiest ways to make script is to do something save out as and and copy paste that to script.

[almakos]

I see , echoing all commands in script editor, that's actually the best way for me to learn how things work. Unfortunately many results are not what I can record to a script. Anyway now I see the point of arclength node more clearly.

[joojaa]

Shit tped too fast again. Also try saving out maya binary files and opening them in a text editor they teach you slightly better habits.

[almakos]

you mean ascii .ma file I guess. Actually never wondered what is inside ^^'