Mel for grouping control object twice AND renaming

[twal3]

Want this to be my end result for a selected control object, such as “L_arm_ctrl.”

L_arm_ctrl_0

            L_arm_ctrl_SDK

                        L_arm_ctrl

Mel script that groups it twice, renames first group with control name + ” _SDK” and groups it again adding “_0”.  I have this script so far-

string $selectedObject[];

$selectedObject = ls -sl;

select $selectedObject;

group -n _SDK;group -n _0;

It works ok, but it only groups the object twice and renames groups “_SDK” and “_0”.  I can’t find the script to rename the groups WITH the selected object’s name, followed by the stated suffixes.  Forgive me, I’m a newbee.  Thanks in advance.  tbwaldrop@gmail.com

I’ve been toying with this script-

string $selectedObject[];

$selectedObject = ls -sl;

select $selectedObject;

group -n ($selectedObject + "_SDK");group -n ($selectedObject + "_0");

[thnkr]

you almost had it

string $selectedObject[] = ls -sl;
//select $selectedObject;
group -n ($selectedObject[0] + "_SDK");
group -n ($selectedObject[0] + "_0");

 

[twal3]

Wonderful.  Thank you.  Thank you.

[larsen]

Hi !

What if we want to group many objects at same time in a individual group with same feature for the name for each objects ?

thanks a lot

[molemansd7]

For Loop:

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string $selectedObjects[] = ls -sl;

for ($item in $selectedObjects)
{
group -n ($item + "_SDK");
group -n ($item + "_0");
}

This will execute the script for every $item in the $selectedObject array. Should work, though
I just typed it quickly and didn't test. But you get the idea.

[larsen]

That was not really what i meant.

I meant grouping each object in his own properly named group. But i get a good idea with your array selections, will try something...

I want to select a group of object, and the script would work object per object... how could i make a sort of loop like this...?

[molemansd7]

A for loop is how you would do that. Just make it do whatever you want to on each object in between the { }'s.

Example... Create a scene with 5 spheres in it. Select them all and run this to print their names:

string $selectedObjects[] = ls -sl;

for ($obj in $selectedObjects)
{
 print ("object: " + $obj + "\n");    // the \n simply adds a line break at the end of each printing.
}

The result would be:

object: pSphere1

object: pSphere2

object: pSphere3

object: pSphere4

object: pSphere5

Besides... if you're just learning MEL, I'd recommend MEL Scripting for Maya Animators as a good reference book.

[larsen]

Great, yeah i'm on this book right now.

[joojaa]

That was not really what i meant.

the reason why I didnt answer is that you werent wey clear on what you wanted in the first place. So i resited the urge to answer "using a for loop period". (which is basicalöly the aswer you got)

I meant grouping each object in his own properly named group.

Still not clear. See this is the reason why most people fail to do scripting. Computers arent really big on properly and id like to. They are about giving a concrete foolproof procedure of things. So you must describe WHAT you mean by properly named group. So for starters the decription needs to look more like this.

for each selected [object | group | whatever] assign name of [object | group | whatever] + "something"

now thets what molemans did. However the underlying real question is where does the computer KNOW from what the proper name is. The computer can not just invent things on the fly, it has to get the name form somewhere. So for example making a hand shaped object, means nothing to the computer*. A computer can not magically decide to call it hand, unless youve called it hand somwhere systematically for you to fetch. 

is a decription that a computer would understand, and turning THAT into code is as easy as writing your shopping list. Its the step form the way you think to this kind fo procedural desciption thats the main problem. So you see not only did you fail to ask use th question taht yelded the rsult you got, but had you asked the one thet would have yelded that youd known how to write it in the firstplace.

• this is a thing most peoplr dont get, the computer doesent KNOW what shape it is. it doent know what face is in fornt of what and it doenst see anyting. The fact that we can see it on the screen is  a super cool trick, that works for that purpose but not much else even tough you THINK the coputer would know whan a triangle intersects another, it does not. (the gfx card on the otherhand MAY know this. but it also may not, because th trick involveed sidesteps this issue)

[larsen]

Awesome thanks for the inputs man !