Tokenizer Error

[dj5056]

Hello,

I'm working on a UI which makes changes to particles in the expression editor through the dynEpression function. I've made it to import an instance of the particle rig each time you click a button. Instead of using a new namespace for each instance, to resolve the duplicate name issue, I used the rename function to rename all of the contents with a counter. This works fine, but it calls for the need to then refer to which name to plug into the dynExpression method since it will be telling the expression editor which particleShape it will be working on. (The dynExpression method just writes a string to the expression editor)

So to do this I used the ls function for the selected particlesShape which works fine. Then for all of the other contents I was trying to use the tokenize function to split up the particlesShape name so I could get which counter object is currently selected. Then I would just concatenate the string in the dynExpression line to add that number to the end of the object name. The problem I'm having is the tokenize line:

  string $inSelTokenBuffer[];   
  tokenize($inCurrentSel[0],"P", $inSelTokenBuffer);

The name of the object being passed to this is lightningHermiteP#, where the # will be the number of the counter. I've even tried using the stringArrayToString function on the $inCurrentSel[0] but I know that's not necessary. The error I'm getting is:

// Error: Invalid call to "tokenize".  Check number and types of arguments expected by the procedure. //

I'm pretty sure the syntax and types are okay so I'm stuck here. I've solved the issue by using namespaces, but don't like to have multiple objects with the same name if avoidable. Here is the procedure. WARNING: the dynExpression line is going to look very disgusting so be careful if you have a light stomach. That all works though so don't worry about it unless you have a suggestion of how to make it better/more efficient. The other procedures work fine and shouldn't affect this so I won't post them.

proc setRunExp(){

float $inFreq = `floatSliderGrp -q -value "freqSldr"`;
float $inAmp = `floatSliderGrp -q -value "ampSldr"`;
float $inMidRad = `floatSliderGrp -q -value "midRadiusSldr"`;
float $inEndRad = `floatSliderGrp -q -value "endRadiusSldr"`;
float $inFrontTap = `floatSliderGrp -q -value "frontTapSldr"`;
float $inEndTap = `floatSliderGrp -q -value "rearTapSldr"`;
float $inMidPoint1 = `floatSliderGrp -q -value "frontMidPntSldr"`;
float $inMidPoint2 = `floatSliderGrp -q -value "rearMidPntSldr"`;

$inCurrentSel = `ls -sl`;
$pasteSel = $inCurrentSel[0];

string $inSelTokenBuffer[];   
tokenize($inCurrentSel[0],"P", $inSelTokenBuffer);

$pasteToken = $inSelTokenBuffer[1];


dynExpression -s (""+$pasteSel+".opacityPP = rand(.7, .97);\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n//-----------------------------------------\r\n// hermite function\r\n//-----------------------------------------\r\n\r\nvector $lgs = <<startLoc"+$pasteToken+".translateX, startLoc"+$pasteToken+".translateY, startLoc"+$pasteToken+".translateZ>>;\r\n\r\nvector $lgsT = <<startTan"+$pasteToken+".translateX, startTan"+$pasteToken+".translateY, startTan"+$pasteToken+".translateZ>>;\r\n\r\nvector $lge = <<endLoc"+$pasteToken+".translateX, endLoc"+$pasteToken+".translateY, endLoc"+$pasteToken+".translateZ>>;\r\n\r\nvector $lgeT = <<endTan"+$pasteToken+".translateX, endTan"+$pasteToken+".translateY, endTan"+$pasteToken+".translateZ>>;\r\n\r\nvector $hermite = hermite ($lgs, $lge, $lgsT, $lgeT, "+$pasteSel+".age/"+$pasteSel+".lifespanPP);\r\n\r\nfloat $noiseY = (" + $inAmp + " *((rand((rand(1,2)),(rand(3,5)))))*noise((time)+("+$pasteSel+".particleId * " + $inFreq + "))) * "+$pasteSel+".noiseMult;\r\nfloat $noiseX = (1*noise((time+10)+("+$pasteSel+".particleId * .1))) * "+$pasteSel+".noiseMult;\r\n\r\n"+$pasteSel+".position = $hermite + <<0, $noiseY, $noiseX>>;\r\n\r\n\r\n//----------------------------------------\r\n//-----condition to tapper from Front\r\n\r\nif("+$pasteSel+".radiusPP < " + $inMidRad +"){\r\n\r\n\tif("+$pasteSel+".age < ("+$pasteSel+".lifespanPP*" + $inMidPoint1 + "))\r\n\t\t"+$pasteSel+".radiusPP+=" + $inFrontTap + ";\r\n}//end if's\r\n\r\n\r\n//----------------------------------------\r\n//-----condition to tapper from Back\r\n\r\nif("+$pasteSel+".radiusPP > " + $inEndRad + "){\r\n\r\n\tif("+$pasteSel+".age > ("+$pasteSel+".lifespanPP*" + $inMidPoint2 + "))\r\n\t\t"+$pasteSel+".radiusPP-= " + $inEndTap + ";\r\n}//end if's") -rbd $pasteSel;

}//end setRunExp

Thanks in advance for your time and any help or suggestions you can offer.

DaveJ

[joojaa]

QUOTE(Dave J..... @ 04/27/09, 03:30 PM) [snapback]306824[/snapback]
I'm pretty sure the syntax and types are okay so I'm stuck here.

Yes but you may find that the string commands wont work unless the type is explicitly defined, for some reason (well yes i know its because it passes stuff as refernce). So while all other maya types can figure out that a variable has some type defined on runtime the string types do not work that way.

I would use regular expressions tough its easier to modify later.

[dj5056]

Hey Joojaa,

Thanks again for your help. I'm not sure how that applies to the line I'm having trouble with though:

string $inSelTokenBuffer[];
tokenize($inCurrentSel[0],"P", $inSelTokenBuffer);

The buffer array is explicitly defined, and I've tried explicitly defining the variable I used to get the second token from that array as well but the same error occurs. In the code I posted it was not, but I had tried that before and did once more now to be sure. Is this what you meant?

I know what you mean about the expressions too, I just like to have the code in the EE. I guess that's just what I'm comfortable with though so maybe I should make that change now.

thanks,

DaveJ

[joojaa]

QUOTE(Dave J..... @ 04/27/09, 04:40 PM) [snapback]306830[/snapback]
The buffer array is explicitly defined, and I've tried explicitly defining the variable I used to get the second token from that

Yes but $inCurrentSel[0] is not

[dj5056]

Yesss!! Joojaa you are awesome!! I had to do this:

tokenize((string)$inCurrentSel[0],"P", $inSelTokenBuffer);
$pasteToken = $inSelTokenBuffer[1];

Basically parsing the array string element to a ... string. I did, prior to this way, try to use a variable to get the string from the string array which is created from getting the selection from the ls function. It was explicitly defined like this:

string $inCurrentSel = `ls -sl`;
string $pasteSel = $inCurrentSel[0];

but got the following error:

// Error: string $pasteSel = $inCurrentSel[0]; //
// Error: "$inCurrentSel" is not an array. //

I'm not sure why this would not work while the parsing would but I could honestly care less at this point. I'm just glad it works now. Now I know the secret of MEL's picky string handling!!

So now I can rename all of the objects in the particle rig each time I import an instance of them, and make changes on them through the UI based on whichever particleShape is selected, without namespaces which I hate to look at when I'm looking at code or the outliner...

I'm not telling you all this Joojaa as I know you obviously know it, I'm just posting it for whoever might read this with a similar problem.

Thanks Again!

DaveJ

P.S. how can I virtually tip for all of your help?

[joojaa]

Please note missing []:

string $inCurrentSel[] = ls -sl;
string $pasteSel = $inCurrentSel[0];

Anyway this explicity thing has plagues people all the time (me included, it took me 2 years to get used to the fact that if i wanted to tokenize then i must wirte mel code like c) and seems like theres something fishy going on in the string related functions when they get mapped to c++ that makes them so picky. The referencing system can not for some reason always cope with things prroperly.

QUOTE
P.S. how can I virtually tip for all of your help?

I don't know never crossed my mind anybody would. There used to be this service for sending beer on the net but it appears to be down.