"Syntax Error " while simply accessing Varialbe

[sagun-manandhar]

created few path curves, then a circle as profile curve. I selected first profile and then path curves.
this should make dups of profile curves at the starting cv of path curves.

string $selected[] = ls -sl;
string $zprofile[] ;
string $locator[];
int $z = 1;
for ($z = 1; $z < size($selected); $z++) {
string $zprofile[$z-1)] = duplicate $selected[$z-1)];
select -r $selected[$z];
selectCurveCV first;
vector $firstCVxyz = pointPosition;
pickWalk -d down;
vector $secondCVxyz = pointPosition;
select -r $selected[$z-1];
move -ws -rotatePivotRelative ($firstCVxyz.x) ($firstCVxyz.y) ($firstCVxyz.z) $zprofile[$z-1];
$locator[$z-1] = spaceLocator -p ($secondCVxyz.x) ($secondCVxyz.y) ($secondCVxyz.z);
CenterPivot;
}

The eror is :
// Error: string $zprofile[($z-1)] = duplicate $selected[($z-1)]; //

But when i change like this, no error :
string $zprofile[0] = duplicate $selected[0];

Question is why can't i use variable like this : string $zprofile[$z-1]

[sagun-manandhar]

ignore the above question:
simply sepaking.

why can't i use like this?

string $zprofile[$z-1] = duplicate $selected[$z-1];
thanks

[sagun-manandhar]

EXAMPLES:
$i = 1; $j = 2; string $my_array[];

$my_array[0] = "Autodesk"; // Great ! MEL Works //
$my_array[$i] = "Autodesk"; // Great ! MEL Works //
$my_array[2] = duplicate $selected[0] ; // Error: Cannot convert data of type string[] to type string. //
$my_array[$j]= duplicate $selected[0] ; // Error: Cannot convert data of type string[] to type string. //
string $my_array[]=duplicate $selected[0] ; // Result: nurbsCircle49 //
string $my_array[$i] = duplicate $selected[0] ;

[david-the-beast-hotniansky]

Hi Sagun,

 // Error: Cannot convert data of type string[] to type string. 

This is because the return value from the duplicate command is a string[] and it is being assigned to a single element or string.

you can use something like:

string zprofile[]; // declare zprofile array first
string $temp[] = duplicate selected[$z-1]; // temp to store duplicate return string[]

$zprofile[$z-1] = $temp[0]; 

regards,
Beast

[sagun-manandhar]

Thanks very much david, i soved it your way last night. but I was not clear why it was happening like that.. May be now i know why. and so I'll try to understand the return type before assigning to variables.

btw i was trying to modify a script which will extrude multiple path curves at once. But this script was giving me only one common profile curve. so i managed to change it last night. it is now duplicating the single profile curves and aligning to path curves and then extruding so that i can change the profile for individual extrusion independently.

Thanks again David . it took me whole day to modifiy this script but without knowing the answer. But now I also know the answer .

[sagun-manandhar]

btw here is the modified script if anybody is also looking for what i was looking .

/*

NAME: oaExtrudeAll.mel
AUTHOR: Oleg Alexander, olegalexander@gmail.com
DATE: September 22, 2005

MODIFIED BY : sagunmanandhar@hotmail.com , Nov14,2009
MODIFIED FOR : Profile curves are also duplicated for independent extrusion control.

DESCRIPTION:
Extrudes a profile curve along multiple path curves.
Will create a duplicate of the profile curve and orient it to the first
path curve in the selection.

It is a good idea to create a library of interesting profile curves to work with.
For best results, create the profile curves in the top view, and center the pivot.

TO USE:
Execute 'oaExtrudeAll' to bring up the UI. Follow the directions.
===========================================================================
*/

//UI
global proc oaExtrudeAll() {

if (`window -query -exists oaExtrudeAllUI`) {
	deleteUI oaExtrudeAllUI;
	windowPref -remove oaExtrudeAllUI;
}
window 
	-title "oaExtrudeAll UI"
	-resizeToFitChildren true
	-sizeable false
	oaExtrudeAllUI;
		columnLayout -adjustableColumn true -rowSpacing 5;

			text "Select the profile curve first, then all the path curves.";

			checkBox -value 1 -align "left" -label "Caps" capsCheckbox;

			button
				-h 30
				-l "Extrude All"
				-c "oaExtrudeAllProc(`checkBox -q -v capsCheckbox`);"
				-ann "Select the profile curve first, then all the path curves.";				
showWindow oaExtrudeAllUI;	

}
global proc string[] oaExtrudeAllProc(int $caps)
{
string $surfaces[];
string $selected[] = ls -sl;
string $nprof[];
if (size($selected) < 2) error -sl on "You must select at least two curves.";
for ($i = 1; $i < size($selected); $i++)
{
string $mtemp[0]= duplicate $selected[0];
$nprof[$i-1] = $mtemp[0];
select -r $selected[$i];
selectCurveCV first;
vector $firstCVxyz = pointPosition;
pickWalk -d down;
vector $secondCVxyz = pointPosition;
move -ws -rotatePivotRelative ($firstCVxyz.x) ($firstCVxyz.y) ($firstCVxyz.z) $nprof[$i-1];
string $loc_[0] = spaceLocator -p ($secondCVxyz.x) ($secondCVxyz.y) ($secondCVxyz.z);
CenterPivot;
delete aimConstraint -offset 0 0 0 -weight 1 -aimVector 0 1 0 -upVector 0 1 0 -worldUpType "vector" -worldUpVector 0 1 0 $loc\_[0] $nprof[$i-1];
delete $loc_[0];
string $curveShape[0] = listRelatives -s $selected[$i];
int $degree = getAttr ($curveShape[0] + ".degree");
rebuildCurve -kcp 1 -keepRange 0 -d $degree $selected[$i];
string $surface[0] = extrude -ch true -rn false -po 0 -et 2 -ucp 1 -fpt 1 -upn 1 -rotation 0 -scale 1 -rsp 1 -name ($nprof[$i-1] + "\_" + $selected[$i] + "\_extrude") $nprof[$i-1] $selected[$i];
$surfaces[$i - 1] = $surface[0];
if ($caps == 1)
{
//Get the number of spans of the extruded surface
int $spans = getAttr ($surface[0] + ".spansV");
//Select the first isoparm and planar it
select -r ($surface[0] + ".v[0]");
catch (planarSrf -name ($surface[0] + "\_cap1") -ch 1 -d 3 -ko 0 -tol 0.00393701 -rn 0 -po 0);
//Select the second isoparm and planar it
select -r ($surface[0] + ".v[" + $spans + "]");
catch (planarSrf -name ($surface[0] + "\_cap2") -ch 1 -d 3 -ko 0 -tol 0.00393701 -rn 0 -po 0);
//Parent the caps under the extruded surface
parent ($surface[0] + "_cap1") ($surface[0] + "_cap2") $surface[0];
//Turn off inherits transform to avoid double transforms because of history
setAttr ($surface[0] + "_cap1.inheritsTransform") 0;
setAttr ($surface[0] + "_cap2.inheritsTransform") 0;
}
}
select -r $nprof;
return $surfaces;
}
oaExtrudeAll() ;