Feature/Plugin request - Mirror EVERYTHING

[Panikos]

Imho, this is easy to develop it terms of ASCII, but hard to actually mirror the expressions.

[ThomasHelzle]

Only pmG can do that currently since the SDK/API doesn't allow access to that stuff AFAIK. But you can always open the fxs in a word processor and do it there with find and replace...

It should be implemented in the core IMO though...
Years ago :)

[Julez4001]

yeah I know U can edit the fxs but sometime u run the gambit oif screwing up ur fxs (even when u fd make a copy of it). The mirro function in rigging is just so common place or monotonous that it should be part of the process..you get one good clean side and mirror the other side and you get going to what you meant to be doing ..animating.

[lmilton]

Only pmG can do that currently since the SDK/API doesn't allow access to that stuff AFAIK. But you can always open the fxs in a word processor and do it there with find and replace...

It should be implemented in the core IMO though...
Years ago :)
You have access to object, groups, & expressions... what part can't be handled via the API? I'm very curious...

-lyle

[Panikos]

Here is a test case.

I have some bones for fingers. I made the Left Set and then I mirrored them to get the Right.
I have 16 expressions to control individual finger motion, using 2 sliders for the Left Set.
So, I duplicate the Sliders with the prefix in mind.
Hypothetically speaking, If I mirror the expressions, how can I exlude the calculation of the slider ?

[ThomasHelzle]

Lyle:
I may be completely wrong but theese are my thoughts:
1.) There are no "Command Tab plugins" that show up on the Tab where the expressions are, right?
2.) There is no way I can do a plugin with an interface that can be invoked by a keystroke so it can be used everywhere in the program. (doing it with the Windows SDK looks a bit dirty to me)
3.) I don't think I can do a plugin that reacts on mirroring objects/expressions directly when the user presses the "/" or "*" key?

In Lightwave [8] if you invoke the mirror command you get a requester that asks about the replacement string. That is the thing that is needed - everything else is getting tedious IMO.

I don't have the slightest idea what keeps you guys from implementing it (other then workload :) ), since the basic functions are already there with the Rename Items thing and this request is very serious for years now. In my opinion it should be on top of the list. Although it doesn't look like much, it is one of the things the annoys people every day.

Basically, on pressing the mirror or duplicate shortcuts (for bones, expressions, whatever), the requester should come up and ask for the replacement string so that you get a very straightforward workflow. Everything that I can think of doing with the API would come after the fact on the Customize Tab - too late and too far away IMO. The messiah renaming would already have happened so it would be much more tedious or even impossible to do it right, since sorting out what numbers are applied by the user and which are done by the renaming looks quite complicated to me.
The other option would be an expression mirroring plugin that renames and copies the stuff itself, but again, this would happen somewhere else and make it very complicated (you have to select the expressions in the Command Tab and then go to the Customize Tab to do something you can no longer see).

If I am completely blind here, please let me know, but I still think it should be done by pmG since it is a very basic core function IMO.

Cheers,

[Julez4001]

Being total API ignorant (so work with me here),
even if it will be a total hassle to add this featue to the core and i don't want to hold up anything else thats it in the pipeline, wouldn't a few external plugins (from pmg) that call out and just work everything from outside of messiah be quicker to make....

remember I am ignorant, be gentle.....

[lmilton]

Lyle:
I may be completely wrong but theese are my thoughts:
1.) There are no "Command Tab plugins" that show up on the Tab where the expressions are, right?
2.) There is no way I can do a plugin with an interface that can be invoked by a keystroke so it can be used everywhere in the program. (doing it with the Windows SDK looks a bit dirty to me)
3.) I don't think I can do a plugin that reacts on mirroring objects/expressions directly when the user presses the "/" or "*" key?
Currently, the keypad "/" & "*" don't appear to be assignable. Will take care of that.

An alternative approach would be to create an Setup plugin that mirrors Groups. This way it could handle objects & expressions, and you'd have access to both. Setup is safest since all effects will automatically be disabled... which is more stable. Of course, this would have to be assigned to a different key by creating a command (e.g. SetCurrentMode("Setup->Items->Group Copy", 0) ), but that would only be temporary.

And yes, it would be great if we could build in a mirror feature that would allow for renaming & mirroring expressions. You're right, it's all about resources. We're working on that;})

-lyle

[ThomasHelzle]

And yes, it would be great if we could build in a mirror feature that would allow for renaming & mirroring expressions. You're right, it's all about resources. We're working on that;}) Cool! :thumbsup:

[Julez4001]

Hey Thomas, think u can whip up (my ignorance, but hey.. im happy) a quick mirror expression plugin in setup until Lyle and crew can free the resources?

[ThomasHelzle]

Julez4001:
No. My ressources are even more limited than those of pmG and I still think this belongs into the core app for all copy/mirror actions.
It may be a personal emotional problem but I just hate reinventing the wheel :shrug:
Sorry.

[Julez4001]

no problemo! I'll endure the tedious follies.

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