Maya/python - not work ;(

[ataman]

hi

i don't know how to install python plugin in maya. i have maya 2010 and python 2.7 istalled and working. i even have the python tab in maya script editor.

but it's not working. there is no pysource plugin in the plugins folder. what do?

i downloaded the plugin from http://cgkit.sourceforge.net/download.html    (Maya/Python)
but it says it's not compiled. soooooo... the readme says:

sourcepy Maya plugin

Copyright (C) 2005 Matthias Baas
######################################################################

Installation

The plugin is built using SCons (www.scons.org). If necessary, you can
do customizations in a file config.py where you can set additional
include paths and library paths in the lists CPPPATH and
LIBPATH. Example:

CPPPATH = ["...path1...", "...path2...", ...]
LIBPATH = ["...path1...", "...path2...", ...]

For a complete list of config variables and the values of those variables
see the output of "scons --help".

You have to make sure that the Maya SDK and the Python SDK can be found.
To compile the plugin you have to call "scons" in the root directory of
the sourcepy plugin (where the SConstruct file is located).
If everything went fine, the result will be in the bin subdirectory
(the file will be called sourcepy.mll or sourcepy.so) from where you
can copy it to any convenient place where Maya is able to find it
(e.g. maya//plug-ins).
Under Linux you also have to create an empty file sourcepy.sog and put
it in the same directory where the actual plugin sourcepy.so is located.
If you don't do that you still can invoke Python code but you won't be
able to import any C extension module.
###############################

i read that at least 20 times and i didn't get it right. how to "call" "scons"
i even downloaded some "scons" but i don't know what to do with them...

can anybody help? i'm stuck with it all day. and i'm no programmer yet.

[joojaa]

i don't know how to install python plugin in maya.
but it's not working. there is no pysource plugin in the plugins folder. what do?

Nothing, you dont need a plugin, the cgkit implementation is a whole other older maya python implementation that was designed to be used before maya rolled it own python environment, they are related but not the same. So no there's no pysource plugin or any need for one either, you dont need one. So everything you read on:

http://cgkit.sourceforge.net/ WARNING: Obsoloete

is obsolete! So no install is required on your part. please note you cant read the tutorials on cgkit site either as they too are obsolete the commands are slightly differently named. refeer to yoru maya manual.

Now the real question is WHY do you want to run python in a external python interpreter. See maya comes with a separate install of python. If you want to use the external python and aren't  programmer I don't really see the point. But if you do then it is explained in the maya manual (its also explained that you dont want to use python 2.7), so hit f1. if that does not help then please explain.

So now that we have thet out of the way what doe you want to get done?

PS: the internet is a weird thing its going to tell you instructions that are outdated as easily as it tells dated info. And unless you know where to cross reference your data against sanity you dont know whether or not the advice you got was good or bad.

[ataman]

thank you, Joojaa

you cleared it to me. i don't actually need external interpreter, i just wanted to run some scripts in python, but i ran into some problems, so i assumed that i need the plugin.

what  i want is to render out platonic solids, and use python for some animation scripting.

[joojaa]

what  i want is to render out platonic solids,

and you need python because?

 Just choose Create -> Polygon Primitives -> Platonic Solids. This creates a platonc solid node. This is as good, or actually superior, as any scripting will get you. See scripts dont actually work magic they dont do anything you can not do manually they just encapsulate that to automation.

Automation is not all powerful, normal scripts can not do things maya can not already do. It can just seem that way because things happen so fast. So if you dont know how to d it by hand you will find scripting does no good either.

Python can also do API development but like you said your not a programmer so you should probably stay away form that until you know a bit more. Its not hard but its a completely other ballgame, it requires you to understand what maya IS under the hood.

and use python for some animation scripting.

explain. Again let me reiterate the script doesn't do any things you can not do by hand it jut does it faster, once the script is done (which is to say it not necessarily faster at all it depends).