This is a tool I wrote to help make realtime edits on both blendshapes from one blendshape. There may be some bugs but hope it is helpful.
Helpful Maya Commands: CreateWrap.
Basically the tool scales one mesh in minus x then uses that to wrap to right blendshape hence driving right Blendshape from Left.
Here's a short video I made on its use.
realtimeBlendshape.m4v
cheers,
Nate
##@file na_editBlend.py
#make realtime edits of right blendshape by editing left blendshape.
#@note if left blendshape is other x axis change mirrorAx to 'Y' or 'Z' it should still work
##
##
#@author Nathaniel Anozie
#ogbonnawork at gmail.com
#Modify at your own risk
#how to use this
"""
import na_editBlend
import maya.cmds as cmds
reload(na_editBlend)
from na_editBlend import Face
#finalMeshArg = 'pCube1'
defaultMeshArg = 'pCube2'
rightBlendArg = 'pCube3'
leftBlendArg = 'pCube4'
sel = [leftBlendArg,rightBlendArg,defaultMeshArg]
cmds.select(sel,replace=True)
smoothFace = Face()
smoothFace.startSculpting()
smoothFace.stopSculpting()
"""
#
#last updated: 08/10/2013 -- working on real rig scene testing
#last updated: 08/10/2013 -- added cleaning
#last updated: 08/09/2013 -- working on cleaning
#last updated: 08/09/2013 -- initial release
#last updated: 08/08/2013 -- working on initial release
#last updated: 08/07/2013 -- working on initial release
#last updated: 08/02/2013 -- working on initial release
import maya.cmds as cmds
import maya.mel as mel
import sys
from pprint import pprint
class Face(object):
def __init__(self, mirrorAx = 'X'):
sel = cmds.ls(selection=True)
if len(sel) == 3:
leftBlendArg = sel[0]
rightBlendArg = sel[1]
defaultMeshArg = sel[2]
else:
cmds.error('Select Left Mesh, Right Mesh, then Default Mesh!!!\n')
sys.exit()
self.mirrorAx = mirrorAx #could be Y or Z
#self.finalMeshArg = finalMeshArg #cmds.duplicate(finalMeshArg)
self.defaultMeshArg = defaultMeshArg
self.rightBlendArg = rightBlendArg
self.rightBlendNodeName = 'right_blend' #should error out if a blend node is name this already
self.leftBlendArg = leftBlendArg
#duplicate defaultMesh twice making intermediate1, and scaleMinusMesh
intermediate1Ar = cmds.duplicate(defaultMeshArg)
intermediate1 = intermediate1Ar[0]
scaleMinusMeshAr = cmds.duplicate(defaultMeshArg)
scaleMinusMesh = scaleMinusMeshAr[0]
dupRightBlendAr = cmds.duplicate(rightBlendArg)
dupRightBlend = dupRightBlendAr[0]
##
self.intermediate1 = intermediate1
self.scaleMinusMesh = scaleMinusMesh
self.dupRightBlend = dupRightBlend
#brainstorming how to clean up all the mess this makes and still have clean meshes that have edits
print('it might make sense to copy meshes from scene. and have something to replace a blendshape with a different mesh. replacement should preserve blendshape use of animator controls ex: expressions, connections ... \n')
def startSculpting(self):
print('[startSculpting] Begin Presetup for sculpting on blendshape ...\n')
##
mirrorAxis = self.mirrorAx
#finalMesh = self.finalMeshArg
defaultMesh = self.defaultMeshArg
rightBlend = self.rightBlendArg
rightBlendNodeName = self.rightBlendNodeName
leftBlend = self.leftBlendArg
intermediate1 = self.intermediate1
scaleMinusMesh = self.scaleMinusMesh
dupRightBlend = self.dupRightBlend
##
#pprint( [defaultMesh,rightBlend,leftBlend,intermediate1] )
#move to rightBlend, intermediate1 and scaleMinusMesh (world space)
cntAr1 = cmds.parentConstraint(rightBlend,intermediate1, mo = 0)
cmds.delete( cntAr1[0] )
cntAr2 = cmds.parentConstraint(rightBlend,scaleMinusMesh, mo = 0)
cmds.delete( cntAr2[0] )
cntAr3 = cmds.parentConstraint(rightBlend,dupRightBlend, mo = 0)
cmds.delete( cntAr3[0] )
#set scaleX -1 scaleMinusMesh
cmds.setAttr( (scaleMinusMesh + ".scale"+mirrorAxis), -1.0 )
#make leftBlend -> intermediate1 (via intermediate1_blend)
cmds.blendShape(leftBlend,intermediate1,n = 'intermediate1_blend')
#make intermediate1 -> scaleMinusMesh (via scaleMinusMesh_blend)
cmds.blendShape(intermediate1,scaleMinusMesh,n = 'scaleMinusMesh_blend')
#Try moving scale Here ????
#put intermediate1 blendWeight at 1 (via intermediate1_blend)
cmds.setAttr( 'intermediate1_blend.w[0]', 1.0 )
#put scaleMinusMesh blendWeight at 1 (via scaleMinusMesh_blend)
cmds.setAttr( 'scaleMinusMesh_blend.w[0]', 1.0 )
##This should make right blendshape be edited in realtime
####
##can connect scale - mesh directly to right blend need a mesh in between
#make scaleMinusMesh -> dupRightBlend via wrap, because vertex order different
#make sure duplicate right blendshape mesh looks like the right blendshape
print '[startSculpting] Making scaled mesh %s -- drive duplicate of right blendshape %s \n' %(scaleMinusMesh,dupRightBlend)
cmds.select(dupRightBlend,replace = True)
cmds.select(scaleMinusMesh,add = True)
mel.eval("CreateWrap")
#cmds.deformer( scaleMinusMesh, type = 'wrap' ) #LOOK UP THE CORRECT WRAP DEFORMER COMMAND
####
#make dupRightBlend -> rightBlend (via rightBlend_blend), put rightBlend blendWeight at 1 (via rightBlend_blend)
cmds.blendShape(dupRightBlend,rightBlend,n = rightBlendNodeName)
cmds.setAttr( 'right_blend.w[0]', 1.0 )
#so can start editing left blend hide some things, should only see finalMesh and leftBlend, finalMesh should get updated on both sides in realtime
hideAr = [rightBlend,defaultMesh,intermediate1,scaleMinusMesh,dupRightBlend]
[ cmds.setAttr( (x+'.visibility'),0 ) for x in hideAr ]
def stopSculpting(self):
#delete wraps, blendshapes, extra meshes, okay to delete history on meshes
print('[stopSculpting] Begin Finishing ...\n')
"""
self.intermediate1 = intermediate1
self.scaleMinusMesh = scaleMinusmesh
self.dupRightBlend = dupRightBlend
self.rightBlendNodeName = 'right_blend'
"""
#clean up right blendshape not messing with its outputs
rightBlendShapeAr = cmds.pickWalk(self.rightBlendArg, direction = 'down')
rightBlendShape = rightBlendShapeAr[0]
cmds.disconnectAttr( self.rightBlendNodeName+'.'+'outputGeometry[0]', rightBlendShape+'.'+'inMesh' )
#remove extras
cmds.delete(self.rightBlendNodeName)
cmds.delete(self.intermediate1)
cmds.delete(self.scaleMinusMesh)
cmds.delete(self.dupRightBlend)
