Making "read only nodes" readable?

[warpcat]

Anyone have any thoughts as to how to make read only nodes readable... or "non-deletable" nodes "deletable"? There's a common bug in Maya that makes all lightLinker nodes undeletable:
// Error: line 1: Non-deletable node 'lightLinker1' cannot be deleted. //
I personally don't have a beef with that particular bug, but it illustrantes the point well.

Other than hacking the .ma, anyone know if any mel calls to go in and monkey with the readable status of a node? Not only to make certain nodes deletable, but it would be interesting if you could "write protect" certain nodes of your choice. Thoughts?

[nonquad]

You may not have a beef with it, but I do!

The problem is, often when a scene is referenced, it leaves behind a lightLinker. Not only is the lightLinker indestructible, but also, by being indestructible, it prevents its namespace from being removed.

So if you reference scene with namespace "bob_binding", remove the reference, and then attempt to bring it in again, it comes in the second time as "bob_binding1" -- which is a real pain in the arse if you're trying to use references in a script, as it screws up all your expected object pathnames.

Not to mention that you're accruing an anchor-load of non-functional, indestructible garbage in your scene every time you repeat the reference/unreference cycle. The crap even follows you through an "export selected"!

So... I'd love to hear a solution for this. BUMP!.

[warpcat]

Heh. I can't remember why I said " I don't have a beef with that"... because in reality I do. I think it was because I just have the habit of editing the .ma file and killing those lines of code.... Once you have a script to clean crap up like that (presuming you save as .ma's), you tend to not be so bothered...

But yeh, it sucks, no?

[macaronikazoo]

i've never had a problem with the light linker node, but sometimes, if you parent your persp camera to a node (which some artists sometimes do around here), and then reference that scene, then you get two persp cameras in the scene.

but maya doesn't count the referenced persp camera as a referenced camera, and imports it as an actual camera. so to unreferecne that scene, you have to unparent the persp cam, and then un-reference the scene.

of course, guess what sometimes happens when you try to delete that non-referenced referenced persp camera? you guessed it, it says, read-only node, can't delete.

of course, this doesn't happen ALL the time, only sometimes.

but, no, i don't have an answer to your question. just thought i'd jump on the "venting" bandwagon.

[michaelbibby]

There's not a lot you can do about the light linker except editing the ma file, but camera's can be removed using the following MEL commands:

string $camera = "persp"; // Replace this with the camera you want to delete
camera -e -startupCamera false $camera;
delete $camera;

All of the original cameras in Maya (top, side, front and persp) are flagged as startup cameras and therefore cannot be deleted. The camera command can be used to toggle this flag on or off, hence allowing you to delete the cameras.

However, there must be at least 1 startup camera in a scene....otherwise what would you look thru?

Hope this helps

M

[warpcat]

As it's been said, it is a known bug that lightlinkers are readonly. I complain to Alias every version.

To answer your other question, you can make regular nodes "locked" (psudo-readonly) in a sense with the 'lockNode' command. Check it out.

[ominmzn]

Up to as i know what abt exporting those lightLinkers as reference and finally removing that referenced file.
Save the scene and Reopen the file.

This has been approched by my one of the senior. m sure i works bt nt in all the cases. Have a try!!! This should work.

    $lightLinker = (internalVar -userTmpDir + "Linker.mb" );
    string $lightLinkerList[] = ls -type "lightLinker";
    select -r $lightLinkerList;
    file -type "mayaBinary" -namespace "Linker" -options "v=0" -er $lightLinker;
    file -removeReference "Linker.mb";