Node Designer

A Universal Python node for Autodesk's Maya.

Node Designer simplifies the technical overhead required by MPxNode, allowing users to easily develop nodes with Maya's Python API.

Feature Highlights

• Fully scriptable Python API.
• UI interface for rapid MPyNode prototyping.
• Dynamically created input/output attributes.
• Pickelable import/export formats to save node templates to disk.
• Data stored on self can be marked to remain in the scene between sessions.
• Built-in profiler.

Usage

Open the Node Designer to create your first node:

from mpylib.ui import NDMainWindow
win = NDMainWindow()
win.show()

Or use the provided helper to create a shelf button:

import mpylib
mpylib.ui.initShelf()

You can also use the scripting API directly:

from mpylib.nodes import MPyNode
node = MPyNode()
node.addInputAttr('inFloat','float', is_array=False, keyable=True)
node.addOutputAttr('outFloat','float', is_array=False, keyable=True)
node.setExpression('outFloat = inFloat')

Or subclass MPyNode and customize it to fit your needs:

from mpylib.nodes import MPyNode
class NewNodeClass(MPyNode):
    INIT_INPUT_ATTRS    = {'inFloat': {'attr_type':'float', 'is_array':False}}
    INIT_OUTPUT_ATTRS   = {'outFloat':{'attr_type':'float', 'is_array':False}}
    INIT_EXPRESSION_STR = 'outFloat = inFloat'
                      
new_node = NewNodeClass()
all_new_nodes = NewNodeClass.ls()

Future Features

MPyNode

• MPyDeformerNode
• MPyTransformNode
• MPySurfaceShapeNode

Node Designer

• Code Auto-complete
• Code Auto-indent
• Code smart search and replace
• File --> Export to python class
• Add and define node level methods that can be called from the main expression/compute function
• Add a custom icon to nodes that will appear in the outliner, node edtior, hypergraph, etc
• Edit the properties of inputs/outputs (min, max, type, etc) after creation
• Interactive debugging

Documentation

https://mpynode.bitbucket.io/

Authors

• Gene Hansen ([email protected])
• Eric Vignola ([email protected])

License

BSD 3-Clause License: Copyright (c) 2019, Gene Hansen, Eric Vignola All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

3. Neither the name of copyright holders nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.