[Maya2osg-users] About the UI

[Javier T. <jav...@gm...>]

  Hi,

  This message is especially for Peter, but everybody is welcome to
the discussion.

  First of all: Peter, you can
remove/erase/delete/destroy/anihilate/atomize my old export options UI
that look ultra-wide in recent Maya versions and keep with your new
version. It is nonsense to maintain two versions of the UI. I think
the MEL scripts are complex enough to make it more difficult  :)
Let's just work on improving the version we keep.

  I was trying the "Export All" Maya option with OSG format and I have
found some problem I don't know how to solve. Maybe someone with more
experience in Maya could help.

  The fact is that I try to export to a file named "model.osgb" and
Maya appends the "osgt" extension to the file name, exporting
"model.osgb.osgt". If I type "model.osgt", everything is OK. If I type
just "model", then it is completed to "model.osgt", this is also fine.
But it seems that there is no way to export to a format other than
"osgt".

  What is more weird, I tried even removing the default extension
"osgt" from the OSGFileTranslator (in osgfiletranslator.h) and it
keeps doing exactly the same. I don't know who is telling Maya to
complete it with osgt extension. I gave a quick look at the scripts
but it doesn't seem to be there.

  Any idea?


  The other choice is using the maya2osg export command (throught the
shelf button), I suppose I could get used to the new way of selecting
the output file: path, filename and extension. It has advantages of
course, I think once I get used to it I'll prefer this way.

  What I don't like is the file browser that appears when pressing the
button "Browse" in the Filepath. Peter, what do you think about using
the full browser for selecting the file path?

  Another weird thing with the exported file selection is that you can
type the file path (instead of selecting it in the browser), but you
cannot type the file name (!!). Actually, you are forced to write the
file name opening a browser. I think having to open two browsers is
excessive to select the output file for the exporter. Once you have
browsed directories to select the file path, the second field should
be just write the file name.

   Even more, you can type the file format, and this, IMHO, is
unnecessary, as we have the selection list with the only possible
choices. I would remove the text box here and let the selection list
only.

  Also, an overwrite warning when exporting to an existing file name
would be nice, but I could live without it.

  OK. After some use, you discover that the straight way to use this
part of the UI is going directly to the Browse button in the Filename
and there you can select at once file path, file name and file type.
Well. Then clearly the first textfield file path and especially its
Browse button are redundant.

  One other thing, I saw that the order to delete the UI after
exporting is commented. Is this for any reason? I think it should
disappear once the export is finished.


  Well... this is enough for today... I'd like to know your opinions
about these subjects.


  By the way. I think I have solved the problems of the
previsualization. Now it is working in the preview quick buttons and
in the "Export and Preview" button from the exporter option box. If
you have a panel selected, and the camera in this panel has been
exported, it is used for the preview.

  One problem I have found is that new osg format (osgt) does not
write the viewer information, so by now the C++ code and the MEL
scripts assume that cameras are always exported in ".osg" format.


  Regards,

-- 
Javier Taibo