Maya Particle importer for Grasshopper

<UPDATE> The component has been updated for Grasshopper 0.8. also new option to allow you to not inport the rgbPP attribute.

I have created a new definition for grasshopper that will import particle animations from Maya into grasshopper. The importer works in realtime, so if you have maya and grasshopper opened at the same time any changes to the particles in maya will be reflected in Grasshopper. Right now I only import two attributes, position as point and velocity as a vector. The script is open and easy to add any property you want to carry over. The idea behind the function is to use Maya ability to create “smarter” point cloud using forces and AI. the definition is in the download section at

www.cerver.org

how to use

1. In Maya create a particle system and add a new expression using the dynExport option.

dynExport -atr position -atr velocity -atr rgbPP -f pda NameOfParticle

or

dynExport -atr position -atr velocity -f pda NameOfParticle

Look at the Maya docs if you are not familiar with the command or expressions

2. Maya will write out the particles in real-time usually to a folder named “particles” in you Maya project directory. The file names will be the same name as the particle system name. input the name of the path and the name of the file into Ploc and Pname. For example.

Ploc = C:\Users\robert\Documents\maya\projects\particleTest\particles\test\

Pname= nParticleShape1

3. FRAME will control the frame number of the particle animation in maya

4. SCALE will scale the particle system 5. SWAPY will flip the Y and Z axis

5. UseRGB - if True will try to import the rgbPP attribute.

Comment

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Comment by Robert Beach on May 28, 2010 at 8:09pm: cool

Comment by robert cervellione on May 28, 2010 at 4:49pm: Michele,

i have updated my site to include a projects page for this plugin it is under Projects tab. here is a direct link

http://www.cerver.org/?page_id=363

i have also updated the definition to include a maya file which should help, so re-download it form the download section. (i hope)

Comment by Michele on May 28, 2010 at 2:54pm: The problem is that ".175" in the file name from the output is the frame value (slider): It seems that grasshopper searches for the file from "Pname" but with this ".175" wich is not in the file name, it's just the frame value.
second point is that (I am sorry I am not so familiar with maya) in this page, when you write about the dynExport, there's this attibute "-atr rgbPP" wich is missing in the instruction you give at your "www.cerver.org" page.
I tried both of them.
With the one from "www.cerver.org" I get the problems I wrote before.
With the one from this page maya tell me:

"Error: No export done. Could not find this attribute, please make sure all the objects have it: rgbPP"

Maybe what I am doing with maya is wrong. In this case I will ask a friend of mine to help me with the dynExport and I wont disturb you anymore.
Anyway I would like to thank you for helping me.

Comment by robert cervellione on May 28, 2010 at 12:57pm: so you are 100% sure that "particleShape1.1.175.pda" exists. double check the file extension to make sure you are writing out "pda" files

Comment by Michele on May 28, 2010 at 12:50pm: I saw the missing "\" when uploading the pic.
about the ".1" that's the name of the file as it come out from the dynExport. I even tried to change it but it doesn't work

Comment by robert cervellione on May 28, 2010 at 12:43pm: Michele,

look at the error, does the file "particlesparticleShape1.1.175.pda" actualy exist!!

first problem is you need to add a "\" at the end of the ploc
second you particle name is probably "particleShape1" drop the ".1" at the end

Comment by Michele on May 28, 2010 at 12:42pm: hi robert,
I saw your videos, you did something amazing.
I can't use it, I copied the destination and the name of the file in the right places but it doesn't work. I uploaded a screenshot: The output says that is not possible to find the file. Could you please help me?

Comment by robert cervellione on May 21, 2010 at 7:46am: tommaso,

yes it works in 2011. and on legacy particles or nParticles.

Comment by Tommaso Casucci on May 21, 2010 at 6:02am: Hi robert,
good work!!
Does it work in Maya 2011?

Comment by robert cervellione on May 16, 2010 at 6:42am: irene,

you do not need the mell script, that is something different. you only need the grasshopper def. in the grasshopper def is a text panel with instruction on how to use the file. i have also added the same text here.