BOOKMARKS

MAYA STUFF

DEFORMER ORDER:
Right click on your surface to bring up the marking menu.
Select inputs > complete list. This gives you a window listing the deformers and everything else affecting your surface, by middle clicking and dragging, these can be moved up or down the list (order of priority).

This way you can have a skinned surface controlled by a skeleton, blend shapes to help with extreme positions and clusters for local movement all existing quite happily. (Great for hand animating clothes without worrying about cloth simulation).

JOINT ROTATION:
Draw your skeleton perpendicular to the view planes, making sure the rotations are all 0 degrees in the channel box, change the values in the attribute editor 'joint orient' box to get the skeleton to line up to your model. This leaves you with nice clean rotations.

PARTICLE STUFF:
Particles emitting particles (leaving trails):

Make an emitter and particle system - e.g directional

in script editor (from manual):

emitter -r 30 -mnd 1.5 -mxd 2.5 -n emitter particle1;
particle -n emitted;
connectDynamic -em emitter emitted;

this makes an emitter of rate 30, min & max distance 1.5&2.5 called 'emitter' applied to object 'particle1'
also makes particles called 'emitted'
then connects the emitter to the new particles - sorted!

some other switches- [emitter -typ omni | dir | direction | surf | surface | curve | curv -dx -dy -dz -mnd minimum distance to start emission -mxd max" " " -r rate -sp spread (0-1) ]

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Emitting smoke from surface (e.g burning plane wing):
(NB- See also for simple expressions for expanding smoke trails)

surf_emit_smoke.txt

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Using rib archived particles (3d sprites if you will):
A basic method, but hey - what more do you want?

rib_archive_particles.txt

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USEFUL EXPRESSIONS:
Wheel Rotation -
FRONTWHEEL_L_Rot.rotateZ = car.translateX / (3.145 * 71.82) * -360;

where wheel_rotz = mainObject_transX / (PI * wheel diameter) * 360degrees (or negative in this case to fix the direction)

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int(rand(1,3)); - clamps random numbers to an integer.
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MEL SCRIPTS
Adding Slim attributes for texturing (where your textures have the same name as the surface - like in DeepPaint 3D):

//Select Shape nodes


string $thing;

string $Things[] = `ls -sl`;

string $end1 = ".Slim_color";
string $end2 = ".Slim_bump";

for ($thing in $Things)
 
 addAttr -ln Slim_color -dt "string" -k true $thing;

for ($thing in $Things)

 setAttr -type "string" ($thing + $end1) ("textures/head_colour/"+($thing)+"_color.tif");

for ($thing in $Things)
 
 addAttr -ln Slim_bump -dt "string" -k true $thing;

for ($thing in $Things)

 setAttr -type "string" ($thing + $end2) ("textures/head_bump/"+($thing)+"_bump.tif");

You can then refer to these attributes in your shader (see below).

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Shader hookup mel:

slimcmd slim CreatePalette -file "/job/CB/crows/models/maya/shaders/palettes/CrowPalette/crowPaletteSlim_v2.splt";

select "*_leg_*_1Shape";
string $selString = `slimcmd slim GetAppearances -name "crowLeg*"`;
mtor control attach surface `slimcmd $selString GetID`;

- Brings in the selected palette

then..

 - selects shape node
 - puts the specified shader name into a variable 'selString'
 - attaches the said shader (from the variable) to the selected object
   (This last line is a mel command for accessing renderman stuff)

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Simple light follow expression (uses bounding box):

select -r papi_head_proxy ;
CsRibProxyMesh papi_head_proxyShape papi_head_PLY;

spaceLocator -p 0 0 0;
rename "locator1" "papi_grpTarget";

expression -s "papi_grpTarget.translateX=`getAttr papi_head_PLYShape.boundingBoxCenterX`; papi_grpTarget.translateY=`getAttr papi_head_PLYShape.boundingBoxCenterY`;papi_grpTarget.translateZ=`getAttr papi_head_PLYShape.boundingBoxCenterZ`;"

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Basic Indirect Diffuse / Scatter notes:
Most of this stuff will be a combination of shaders, lights, cameras and objects in specific trace sets or individual render scenes.

Bake Diffuse - generate an initial pointcloud from a specific view (camera or perspective coordsys). This is the light falling on the surfaces.

ptfilter - makes second pointcloud for stage two bounce - takes the initial lit areas and bounces light around from there according to settings. eg:

ptfilter -filter colorbleeding -progress 2 -maxsolidangle 0.05 -sortbleeding 0 -sides front -maxdist 500 -bounces 1 -coneangle 1.57 -sources myscene_IDIFF_01.ptc -progress 2 -output myscene_IDIFF_01f.ptc

NOTE: This pointcloud is now usable but only from the same camera it was rendered from. Pointcloud mis-matches result in huge render times. To simplify generate a brickmap:

brickmake -maxerror 0.002 -radiusscale 1 -maxdepth 12 -ignorenormals 0 -progress 2 dk1113_017_env_IDIFF_03f.ptc dk1113_017_env_IDIFF_03f.bkm

NOTE2: Surface shaders need to be able to understand the indirect diffuse component - should be something like kirr=1

Hot objects - to make an object emit light in the indirect diffuse pass it should have an iddEmission value of 1 in the rib (should be an attribute that gets passed through)

Subsurface scatter is similar - makes a pointcloud generated by a filter command, tend to limit number of scatter lights for best effect. --

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SLIM STUFF

• TCL EXPRESSIONS:

  - Referring to maya attributes:
  [clientcmd "getAttr $OBJPATH.intensity"]

  [txmake [clientcmd "getAttr $OBJPATH.Slim_bump"] -smode clamp -tmode clamp -resize round-]

  - Random Surface Color:
  2*(rgbi ([mattr "Beam_pink1Shape.SurfR" $f],[mattr "Beam_pink1Shape.SurfG" $f], [mattr "Beam_pink1Shape.SurfB" $f]))
  Attributes (integers between 1-256) attached to object controlled by expression:
  Beam_pink1Shape.SurfR= rand(215, 250);

  -Light colour expression (similar to above but using 0-1 values from the light):
  rgb([mattr "$OBJPATH.colorR" $f], [mattr "$OBJPATH.colorG" $f], [mattr "$OBJPATH.colorB" $f])
  ..I think...

  -Looping textures (e.g 1-10 constantly):
  rmantex/causticsmall_2x_cropped.[expr ($f % 10)+1].tex

  - Re-timing a sequence (takes 1-200 and squeezes it into 100-200):
  rmantex/causticverysmall.[fit -pad 0 -in 100 200 -out 1 200].tex

  - Renumbering frames of animated texture - (where 0001.tex has to be 0101.tex):
  rmantex/colourmap.[format %0.4d [expr $f + 100]].tex

  -

• Using txmake with -short keeps your images 16bit.
• RIB Box - (for matte object that casts shadows - visible in shadow maps but not in render) type:
  [if {$ELEMENTTYPE == "shadow"} {return "matte 0"} else {return "matte 1"}]
• RIB Box - (to switch off primary visibilty for RibArchives, visible in shadows, not in render):
  [if {$ELEMENTTYPE == "shadow"} {return "matte 0"} else {return "Attribute
  \"visibility\" \"int camera\" \[0\]"}]
  
• Light falloff:
  

   In light shader use - Color > colorspline (white to black) with 'Distance' in pattern.
   	Distance > domain = Z, manifold = SurfacePoint
  		SurfacePoint > space = [coordsys mtorCoordSysShape] 
  
  Where coordsys can be scaled up or down to control the falloff (watch the long Z
  arrow as a guide)
  
  **NB** - When using falloff with caustics (or gobo) use Combine Colors > Intersection.
  

• Caustic projection:
  

   In light shader use - Color > ImageFile(sequence) > manifold = projection
   	projection > PlanarZ Persp(if using spotlight, planarZ if directional), manifold SurfacePoint
  		SurfacePoint > space = [coordsys mtorCoordSysShape]
  		
  Where your mtorcoordsys can be scaled in X and Y (not Z!) 
  
  **N.B** USE PERIODIC TEXTURES - that way they'll repeat outside the edges of the
  coordinate system.
  
  (HINT - Can make caustic maps using 'Ocean' 2d texture in maya!)
  
  

• Camera Projection (bg plate):

  Use a constant shader, attach the bg plate as an Image file, use a SurfacePoint manifold and type NDC in the 'space' slot - this will use the bg plate at the correct scale.

  **NB** To make it stick to an animated object, you can freeze PRefs in the desired position, then animate the object with some kind of deformer (e.g skeleton) so that it isn't changing it's transform. ..Or just bake it if you have the ability. (..or do it in Maya - use the bakeTexturethrutime mel scripts for sequences. - thanks to Gav!)
  Phil_bakeTextureThruTime.txt
  
  Phil_bakeTexture_command.txt
  

• Multiple projections (deep canvas style - just paint on the bits you see):

  Create distant lights, parent coordsys to them, rotate 180 in Y, move to the front of the light. Position the light, look through selected and scale the coordsys to fit the object. Render the views (can put the name of the coordsys in the camera slot in the render globals)

  Paint. The base texture can be complete, subsequent textures will need seperate alpha masks for opacity.
  Build a layered shader from the bottom up, use standard projection manifolds (planar Z) with surfacePoint > [coordsys coordsysShape].

• FORCING WORKSPACE UPDATE:
  In the console type:
  slimcmd workspace GetRootDir; (this returns the root directory)
  slimcmd workspace SetRootDir "//jobs/blah/blah" ; (this then forces your workspace to update)
• KILLING SLIM LICENSES:
  

  Get yourself a unix window and type:
  
  lmstat -A
  
  This will return a big list of users and licenses for example :
  
  "RATslim-NT" v1.000, vendor: pixard
    floating license
  philb soap soap (v1.000) (renton/7498 6247), start Thu 3/22 8:51
  
  These are the bits you'll need in your next line, (the name of the
  license you want to kill, the machine holding the license - the one in
  brackets- followed by its two numbers)
  
  so, type:
  
  lmremove -c 7498@renton -h RATslim-NT renton 7498 6247
  
  
  -and there you go - dead slim (or alfred or anything else you want).
  
  

• SHADOW PASSES:
  Use ShadowRender from command line (gives you lit, unlit, shadow for each light in the scene)

  DIY SHADOW PALETTE:
  Object CONSTANT red
  Floor BLINN cyan, eccentricity 1, rolloff 1
  Light - light colour magenta
  shadow colour yellow
  

  This should give you a RED object on a BLUE floor with GREEN shadows.

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SHELL STUFF

• Header:
  #! /bin/tcsh
• Looping in a shell script:

  set count = 1
   while ($count < 12)
  loop [your command here] name.$count.tex
  @ count ++
  end
  

• Txmake e.g:
  

  #!/bin/csh -f
  
  
  set start = $1
  set end = $2
  set inc = $3
  
  
  set f = $start
  while ($f <= $end)
    set pad = `perl5 -e "printf qq(%0.4d),qq($f)"`
    txmake -smode clamp -tmode clamp -resize round- img_name.$pad.tif img_name.$pad.tex
    @ f += $inc
  end
  
  

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CSHRC STUFF

• Default editor:
  setenv EDITOR nedit
• Aliases (e.g):
  alias l "ls -l"
  alias it "cd /jobs/5it/"
  alias shk "/apps/bin/nreal/shake_3_51/bin/shake"

• Prompt info:
  (Check man docs for more options)
  But, to get the last five directories in bold, underlined text, use the line:

  set prompt="%Bhostname:<%U%C5%u>%b"
  looks like:
  mojo:scenes/sc036/sh016/renders/lighting

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