General Utilities

artv2.utilities.general_utilities

author:Jeremy Ernst description:This module provides utilities usually for retrieving information, handling paths, building strings, saving and loading data, etc.

convert_to_pynodes(nodes)

Converts the incoming nodes to PyNodes and returns them.

Parameters:nodes – String list of nodes to convert. Returns:List of PyNodes

create_asset(asset_name)

Create a container asset with the given asset name and return the created container. :param asset_name: Name for container. :return: pyNode of created asset.

create_clipboard(name, data)

Creates a clipboard with the given name writing the given data to the clipboard.

Parameters:

• name – The name of the file. It will be added to the temp dir.
• data – The data to write to the file

Returns:

The clipboard file

create_trailing_number(value)

Creates a trailing number string with a padded 0 if the number is less than or equal to 9. Example 08 or 18.

Parameters:value – The value to crates a trailing number in string format for Returns:string

delete_node(node)

Deletes node, but first makes sure the node is not locked. :param node: DAG node to delete :type node: PyNode

filter_directory_contents(path, filters, ext_filters)

Filter the contents from the incoming path using the provided filters and extension filters. This is only checking for files.

Parameters:

• path – The path to list contents and the filter the contents.
• filters – The filters to look for before the file extension for exclusion.
• ext_filters – The file extensions to look for for exclusion.

Returns:

List of filtered contents.

filter_nodes(nodes, filter_by='transform')

Filters the given nodes by the given type and returns the filtered nodes as a list. :param nodes: List of nodes to filter. :param str filter_by: Types of nodes to return. :return: List of filtered nodes.

frame_selected()

Frame the camera up on the current selection.

generate_prefix_suffix(string)

Tries to generate a mirrored prefix or suffix given the input string.

Parameters:string – input string to try and create a mirrored version. Returns:Returns a string with the prefix or suffix. If a match in the dict was found, it will return a mirrored

version. Otherwise, it simply returns the input string. For example, given a component name of clavicle_joint_l, where the prefix is clavicle and the suffix is l, passing clavicle into this function simply retruns clavicle. Passing l into the function will return r. So, if a component passes its prefix and suffix to this function to try and generate a mirrored version, you would get clavicle and r.

generate_unique_suffix(existing, inst)

Generates a unique suffix to avoid naming conflicts when duplicating components.

Parameters:

• existing – Dict of existing components in the scene.
• inst – instance of component that is being duplicated.

Returns:

Returns a string with the unique suffix.

get_class_properties(cls)

Given a class, retrieve the properties of the class (as indicated by the @property decorator)

Parameters:cls – class instance Returns:dict of property names and values

get_control_shapes()

Looks in the resources directory to find the control shapes and returns the name of the files without the extension.

Returns:Returns a list of the names of the files without the extension.

get_control_shapes_as_enum(shapes_list)

Takes in a list of control shapes (usually generated from get_control_shapes()), and builds an enum string.

Parameters:shapes_list – A list of strings. Returns:A string that is build to be used as an enum for a Maya enum attribute (ex: circle:square:cube)

get_joints_in_hierarchy(root=None, as_pynode=False)

Gets the joints in a hierarchy and returns them. If a root joint is given, it will search from there. If not, it will select everything in the scene and find the joints that way instead. :param root: (Optional) Name of joint at the top of the hierarchy you wish to search. :param as_pynode: Bool as whether to return the list as PyNodes or strings. :return: Returns either a list of PyNodes or strings of the joints in the hierarchy.

get_root_joint_of_component(joints)

Finds and returns the top-most joint of a component.

Parameters:joints – List of Pynodes of joints from the component. Returns:Pynode of top-most joint.

import_file(path, return_nodes=False)

Imports the given file into Maya. :param path: Path of file to import :param return_nodes: Whether or not to return created nodes. :return: list of imported nodes

launch_web_docs(page)

Launches the given html file in a web browser.

Parameters:page – string file path of html file.

load_from_file(path)

Loads data (using JSON) for the given file and returns the data loaded.

Parameters:path – The file path to load data from. Returns:Data from the file.

parent_object(child, parent)

Parents the child to the parent object.

Parameters:

• child (str) – Name of node to be parented.
• parent (str) – Name of node that will be the parent.

path_join(path_base, path_tail)

Take the incoming path and file and use os.path.join to create a new file path. Then replace all back slashes with forward slashes.

Parameters:

• path_base (str) – First part of path to join.
• path_tail (str) – Second part of path to join.

Returns:

Joined path with proper separators.

Return type:

str

path_unify(path)

Take the incoming path and replace back slashes with forward slashes.

Parameters:path (str) – Incoming path to manipulate. Returns:Corrected path with correct separators. Return type:str

read_clipboard(clipboard)

Given a clipboard file, read and return the data.

Parameters:clipboard – File path of the clipboard file. Returns:Data from file.

rename_object(pynode, new_name)

Renames the incoming PyNode with the given new name.

Parameters:

• pynode (pymel.core.PyNode) – PyNode that represents the object to rename.
• new_name (str) – The new name for the node.

retrieve_clipboard(name)

Return the file path to the clipboard with the given name

Parameters:name – the name of the clipboard file Returns:The full file path to the clipboard

return_settings()

Returns ARTv2 settings for the paths to various needed directories.

Returns:Array of path names to directories needed by the tools. Return type:str, []

save_to_file(path, data)

Dumps the given data (using JSON) to the given path.

Parameters:

• path – Path to write data to on disk.
• data – Data to dump to file.

set_attribute(node, attr, value, attr_type=None)

Sets an attribute on the given node to the given value. Ensures node and attribute is unlocked before doing so, and re-locks them after.

Parameters:

• node (pm.PyNode) – Node to set attribute on.
• attr (str) – Attribute on node to set.
• value (float, int, bool, string) – Value to set attribute to.
• attr_type (str) – Whether or not a special type needs to be defined (string, bool, etc)

strip_name(name_to_strip, prefix, base_name, suffix)

Strip a name down to whatever is left after removing the prefix, base name, and suffix.

Parameters:

• name_to_strip (str) – The name to tokenize.
• prefix (str) – The prefix to remove from the name.
• base_name (str, None) – The base name of the component to remove from the name.
• suffix (str) – The suffix to remove from the name.

Returns:

The name with the prefix, suffix, and base name removed.

Return type:

str

validate_integer(value, int_min, int_max)

Given a value, validate that it is a whole number that is greater than or equal to the minimum and less than or equal to the maximum given values.

Parameters:

• value – The value to check
• int_min – The minimum the value can be
• int_max – The maximum the value can be

Returns:

(bool) True if value is meets conditions. False otherwise.