Derive variable from another MEL Script?

[Mondo]

Look into the "source" command. As long as your initial variable is declared outside of a procedure and melA is sourced in melB - you're good to go.

[cupy]

Are MEL A and MEL B in separate files?
Is $haha declared in a proc?
Could you post an example?

cupy

[jaydru]

you could make the var global, might not be the best thing to do though, can you not return the value from the first proc?

[H2o-KiD]

Yes, MEL A and B is seperate files.... and I sorta worked it out for now using global variable..

MEL A
global proc leftIKControl(string $shortName)
{
menuItem
-label "Follow Head"
-radialPosition "N"
-command ("global int $chosenWeight = 0; dynamicParent;");

menuItem
-label "Follow Torso"
-radialPosition "E"
-command ("global int $chosenWeight = 1; dynamicParent;");

menuItem
-label "Follow Hip"
-radialPosition "E"
-command ("global int $chosenWeight = 2; dynamicParent;");
}
Note that in the command I call global variable global int $chosenWeight = X

then for MEL B...

global proc dynamicParent()
{
if ($chosenWeight == 0)
{
;
}
else if ($chosenWeight == 1)
{
;
}
else if and so on...
}
also please note that I am a newbie and you guys might have better and cleaner solution as I have now or this is perfect fine...

cupy : Is $haha declared in a proc
- What do you mean by this can you clarify this or give more insight on how about doing it this or show an example?

jaydru : you could make the var global, might not be the best thing to do though, can you not return the value from the first proc?
- Why you'd say global var might not be the best thing to do... more insight or an example of how I can return the value from the first proc?

Thanks a bunch guys, your helps are really helpful!.

[cupy]

I meant like the following example demonstrates:

string $outProcVar = "I'm out of the proc" ;

global proc myProc()
{
string $inProcVar = "I'm in the proc";
}

//You can access $outProcVar because print() will be called from the same scope
print($outProcVar);

//This would give you an ERROR, becouse $inProcVar is a local variable and only accessable inside the procedure:
//print($inProcVar);

And I also agree with jaydru's answer, that in programming it is not nice to give access to any variables. This link about ecapsulation will give you an idea about it:
LINK (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encapsulation_(object-oriented_programming))


cupy

[cupy]

In your case I would do something like this:

MEL A:

int $chosenWeight = 0

global proc leftIKControl(string $shortName)
{
menuItem
-label "Follow Head"
-radialPosition "N"
-command ("$chosenWeight = 0; dynamicParent;");

menuItem
-label "Follow Torso"
-radialPosition "E"
-command ("$chosenWeight = 1; dynamicParent;");

menuItem
-label "Follow Hip"
-radialPosition "E"
-command ("$chosenWeight = 2; dynamicParent;");
}

MEL B: remaining the same

You must run MEL A before MEL B!

cupy

[cupy]

This colud also help you:

MEL A

global proc leftIKControl(string $shortName)
{
menuItem
-label "Follow Head"
-radialPosition "N"
-command ("dynamicParent(0);");

menuItem
-label "Follow Torso"
-radialPosition "E"
-command ("dynamicParent(1);");

menuItem
-label "Follow Hip"
-radialPosition "E"
-command ("dynamicParent(2);");
}

MEL B

global proc dynamicParent(int $chosenWeight)
{
if ($chosenWeight == 0)
{
print("0");
}
else if ($chosenWeight == 1)
{
print("1");
}

}

cupy

[H2o-KiD]

I tried the method similar to your first reply, but when I try testing executing it in Script Editor, MEL B for particular, it gives me $chosenWeight is an undeclared variable.

Will it work even if it's like this? Cheers :beer:

[cupy]

Run this in Maya first:
int $chosenWeight = 0

then run this:
print($chosenWeight)

It seems that Maya stores such things...

cupy

[H2o-KiD]

Yea, it seems to work when they are out of the global proc and gives me undeclared variable if inside global proc. :banghead:

[H2o-KiD]

global proc leftIKControl(string $shortName)
{
menuItem
-label "Follow Head"
-radialPosition "N"
-command ("dynamicParent(0);");

menuItem
-label "Follow Torso"
-radialPosition "E"
-command ("dynamicParent(1);");

menuItem
-label "Follow Hip"
-radialPosition "E"
-command ("dynamicParent(2);");
}

global proc dynamicParent(int $chosenWeight)
{
if ($chosenWeight == 0)
{
print("0");
}
else if ($chosenWeight == 1)
{
print("1");
}

}

This worked wonderfully.... thank you so much guys! :bounce:

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