Keywords: Maya Rigging, Control, Curve, Attributes

Maya Rigging series of articles:

Create Attribute: Display Only

Select target node (Group, Curve etc.), Modify -> Add Attributes.

Edit Attribute’s arguments.

You will see two default enum values: Green, Blue.

Because we’re looking forward to make a display only attribute, so we just retain one enum.

Finally you will see the self-customized attribute.

At last, lock the attribute (means it can’t be deleted) and Make Selected Nonkeyable.

There’s a gray flag when attribute was locked.

Create Attribute: Keyable Enum
Create Attribute: Keyable Float
Script to Create Attribute
import maya.cmds as cmds

selected = cmds.ls(sl=True, dag=False, leaf=False)

for elem in selected:
    cmds.addAttr(elem, ln='controlDivider', nn="++++++++++", at="enum", en='CONTROLS:')
    cmds.setAttr(elem + '.controlDivider', channelBox=True, lock=True)
    
    cmds.addAttr(elem, ln='Arm', at="enum", en='Hide:Show:')
    cmds.setAttr(elem + '.Arm', keyable=True)

    cmds.addAttr(elem, ln='Leg', at="enum", en='Hide:Show:')
    cmds.setAttr(elem + '.Leg', keyable=True)

    cmds.addAttr(elem, ln='IK_FK_Switch', at="double", min=0.0, max=1.0, dv=0.0)
    cmds.setAttr(elem + '.IK_FK_Switch', keyable=True)

Keyword:

  • channelBox=True : The Attribute is displayable, but it isn’t keyable;
  • lock=True : The Attribute’s value was not editable, can the Attribute can’t be deleted;
Attribute Proxy

If want to create an attribute that driven by another attribute, you can create a proxy attribute.

When the proxy attribute was changed, the attributes that followed it will change automatically.

Python:

import maya.cmds as cmds

for elem in cmds.ls(sl=True, dag=False, leaf=False):
    cmds.addAttr(elem, ln='IK_FK_Switch', proxy="rig_ctrls.IK_FK_Switch")

MEL:

addAttr -ln "IK_FK_Switch" -proxy "rig_ctrls.IK_FK_Switch"
Attribute Connection

Usually there are many controls in a character and they are grouped in a hierarchy. As shown in the following image.

And there are many attributes in these controls, sometimes we want to tweak these attributes in batch, at this point we can use Attribute Connection.
Windows -> Connection Editor.

This’s the initial window of Connection Editor.

What we need to do is: load the parent attributes in the left, then load the child attributes in the right.

Then click the parent attribute (left side) first, then click the child attributes (right side) to make the connection.

You can also filter the attributes using display options.

Now you can change the attribute value in batch.

When the attribute was connected by another attribute, it will show a yellow flag, means the value can’t be changed directly.

References

Realtime Creature Rigging Workshop (8 / 19) : Hierarchy and attributes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ku3fiUSGGs

紫光阁名录：阿玉锡
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