Attribute Tools

Attribute tools are used to create and modify attributes, and attribute values.

Set Attribute Details

The Attribute Details tool is used to add details (properties) to an individual Attribute. Details are stored per-collection, therefore a Collection must exist to use the tool.

This tool can be used to:

• Set Attribute Details on individual Attributes.

• Change Attribute states; to lock an attribute, or set a keyframe on the attribute.

• View the current Attribute Details on an Attribute.

• View the Animation Curve statistics;

  • Minimum value of the animation curve.

  • Maximum value of the animation curve.

  • Mean (Average) value of the animation curve.

  • Variance of the total animation curve.

  • Variance (per-frame) of the animation curve; how much does the animation curve change per-frame.

Attribute Details are used by mmSolver to ensure properties are maintained while solving. See the Solver Design Attribute Details page for more information.

Usage:

1. Ensure a Collection exists.

   • Open Solver UI, and create Collection node with menu; File > New Collection.

2. Select nodes (and attributes in channel box, if required).

3. Open Set Attribute Details UI.

4. Select an Attribute (left-hand side) and modify the Details (right-hand side).

5. Click ‘Ok’ to accept the changes.

Run this Python command:

import mmSolver.tools.setattributedetails.tool as tool
tool.open_window()

Smooth Keyframes

Smooth the selected keyframes in the Graph Editor, along with a UI to change the affect of the Smoothing function. The UI values are saved into the home directory and will be re-used when a new Maya session is opened.

The Smooth Keyframes tool allows smoothing of only specific keyframes, even if the curve is not baked per-frame. The tool will also attempt to control the smoothed values as they blend into unsmoothed values. This allows smoothing a specific area of an animation curve, while preserving other parts and avoiding bumps at the boundry.

Usage:

1. Use the menu mmSolver > Attribute Tools > Smooth Keyframes UI.

2. Edit the options in the UI.

   • Function controls the type of smoothing that is calculated.

   • Smooth Width controls how much the smoothing function will be applied. The width is number of frames to be used for smoothing, for example a value of 1 means “no smoothing”, a value of 2 means “use previous and next frame”, and 5 means “use previous 4 and next 4 frames”.

3. Select keyframes in Graph Editor.

4. Run ‘Smooth Selected Keyframes’ tool.

5. Keyframe values will be smoothed.

6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 as required.

You can use the below Python code on a hotkey of your choosing. To run the tool, use this Python command:

import mmSolver.tools.smoothkeyframes.tool as tool

# Smooth the selected Keyframes
tool.smooth_selected_keyframes()

# Open the Smooth Keyframes UI.
tool.main()

Blend Width

When the Smooth Keyframes tool is run the selected keyframes are smoothed as well as frames surrounding the selected keyframes. The surrounding keyframes are blended together with the smoothed keyframes. The Blend Width value controls the number of frames to blend.

The image below shows the effect of the Blend Width value.

Function Average

The Average smoothing function will average the surrounding keyframe values equally.

The image below shows the effect of the Smooth Width with the Average function.

Function Gaussian

The Gaussian smoothing function performs a strong smooth on the keyframes. The Gaussian function can be used to make a curve very flat, without any changes. Unlike the Fourier function, the Gaussian function will change already smooth keyframes.

This function is similar to 2D image Gaussian blurring.

The image below shows the effect of the Smooth Width with the Gaussian function.

Function Fourier

The Fourier smoothing function performs a high-pass-filter to the selected keyframes. Keyframes with rapid changes are smoothed more than already smoothed values.

This function is similar to 2D image high-pass filtering techniques, to remove high-contrast edge detail.

The image below shows the effect of the Smooth Width with the Fourier function.

Channel Sensitivity

Channel sensitivity tool helps you to change the value of sensitivity of channel slider setting. Using this tool the user to adjust attributes in the Channel Box by very small increments, which is useful for manually adjusting or matching parameters interactively.

Usage:

1. Run tool.

   • A UI will open, click the Up or Down buttons to change the sensitivity.

2. Select an Attribute in the Channel Box.

3. Middle-mouse drag in the viewport to change the attribute value.

To run the tool, use this Python command:

import mmSolver.tools.channelsen.tool as tool
tool.main()

Bake Attributes

Bake Attributes will bake the values of an attribute on each frame and replace the connection with an animation curve.

This tool is almost identical to the default Maya Edit > Keys > Bake Simulation tool, but has additional features.

• The viewport is always disabled while baking.

• The tool is optimised for speed of baking.

• The tool UI is reduced to only the nessarary features for matchmove tasks.

Usage:

1. Select 1 or more nodes.

2. Select attributes in channel box (if required).

3. Open Bake Attributes UI.

   • Enable the Smart Bake to set keyframes only on some keyframes.

   • Disable From Channel Box to bake all keyable attributes, not just the selected attributes.

4. Press Bake button.

Note

In Maya scenes that rely on legacy viewport update for correct evaluation, this tool may produce incorrect results (because the viewport is disabled). If this happens, please use Maya’s default Edit > Keys > Bake Simulation tool. In the experience of the tool authors, this has never happened and this tool is a faster baking tool.

Run this Python command:

import mmSolver.tools.fastbake.tool as tool
tool.open_window()

# To run the "fast bake" tool directly (with currently set
# options).
tool.main()