I need some guidance on how to include Python into the process as I work on a project that requires me to create bespoke rigging tools for Maya. I’m not too familiar with the nuances of utilising Python in the Maya environment, but I do have some experience with it.
A simple summary of my goals is as follows:
Automate Rigging processes: In order to increase productivity and consistency across several projects, I want to write scripts that automate tedious rigging processes.
Custom UI Elements: To make it easier for users to engage with my tools, I need to create custom UI elements in Maya.
Error Handling and Debugging: I’m trying to find the best ways to debug my Python scripts in Maya and handle errors graciously.
Although I’ve previously looked through a few online lessons and resources, I’m hoping to gain some knowledge from those with more experience in this field.
In particular:
Libraries and Modules: Which Python libraries or modules in particular do you suggest using with Maya? Performance Considerations: How can I optimise my code and what are some common performance difficulties I should be aware of while executing Python scripts in Maya? Community Resources: Could you recommend any websites, blogs, or groups that concentrate on integrating Python with Maya?
Any advice, sources, or firsthand generative ai knowledge would be much valued! Thanks in advance for your help and support.
For high level intros you can still get a lot of value from these:
This site has a lot of good detail info for specifics, and a lot of us have open source projects which can help with specific problems.
The number one thing is to write the simplest code that gets the job done. Don’t write fancy frameworks or metaprogramming systems or elaborate class hierarchies until you really, really, really need to: 90+% of work can be done with static functions and data classes.
The number two thing I’d say about your short list is don’t hide errors! – if a particular bit of code doesn’t know what to do, don’t guess, complain (by raising an exception) . Then look at the stack trace because the real problem is likely one or two levels up. If you try to hide errors from the user all the time you can’t really improve the overall system because you never now what’s really working and what’s trying to compensate for errors elsewhere.
As for UI: beware of ratholing, it’s very tempting but it’s one of the most labor-intensive kinds of work. Design everything the way Maya is designed: you should be able to do everything with scripts alone, and then add a UI which feeds the scripts. As soon as you start putting 3D logic into a button handler you’re on the road to pain.
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in advance for your help and support.