M9. Command-line Interface

With the SGX Studio Maya plugin, you can use MEL and Python commands to create custom scripts for exporting animation generated by SGX.

The plugin has five commands:

sgx_load_character

Loads the character control file for the target character rig in the scene.

Syntax

MEL:

NONE

sgx_load_character -c character_control_file [-n target_namespace]

Python:

PY

cmds.sgx_load_character(c=character_control_file, [n=target_namespace])

Option	Description
`-c ARG`	The path of the character control file.
`-n ARG`	The namespace, if any, to which the character control file should be retargeted.
`-h`	Print help.

sgx_import

Imports a single event file as keyframed animation on the character rig. Equivalent to single import in the plugin GUI. This must be preceded by sgx_load_character.

Syntax

MEL:

CODE

sgx_import -i event_file [-a]

Python:

CODE

cmds.sgx_import(i=event_file, a={0,1})

Option	Description
`-i ARG`	The event to import.
`-a`	Import audio.
`-h`	Print help.

sgx_export

Converts a batch of event files into desired format(s). Equivalent to batch export in the plugin GUI. This must be preceded by sgx_load_character.

Syntax

MEL:

CODE

sgx_export -i input_path -o output_directory -f output_formats [-a] [-b] [-s] [-p playblast_options]

Python:

CODE

cmds.sgx_export(i=input_directory, o=output_directory, f=output_formats, a={0,1}, b={0,1}, s={0,1}, p=playblast_options)

Options:

Option	Description
`-i ARG`	The input path, which may be either: a directory containing the input event files, or a file containing a list of event file paths.
`-o ARG`	The path of the directory to which the exported output should be saved.
`-f ARG`	Comma-separated list of export formats including one or more of `{maya,fbx,playblast}`;
`-p ARG`	Playblast options in a comma-separated list: `width,height,format,encoding,camera`. (The available video formats and encodings depend on your local environment. For no encoding, use "none" for the`encoding` value.)
`-a`	Export audio.
`-b`	Bake animation from higher-level controls to deformers (joints, blendshapes, etc.). Relevant only for FBX export.
`-s`	Only export selected elements of the scene.
`-h`	Print help.

Example

Here is an example of the batch export command using all of the options:

MEL:

CODE

sgx_export -i "C:/my_input" -o "C:/my_output" -f "maya,playblast" -a -b -s -p "600,800,avi,none,persp"

Python:

CODE

cmds.sgx_export(i="C:/my_input", o="C:/my_output", f="maya,avi", a=1, b=1, s=1, p="600,800,avi,none,persp")

sgx_import_pose

Approximates the current rig pose as a muscle pose, for use in expressions. See Importing expression poses. This must be preceded by sgx_load_character. Typically followed by a call to sgx_add_expression (see below).

Syntax

MEL:

CODE

sgx_import_pose

Python:

CODE

cmds.sgx_import_pose()

Options:

Option	Description
`-h`	Print help.

sgx_add_expression

Adds an expression to a particular expression group, using the current muscle pose (see Adding expressions).

Syntax

MEL:

CODE

sgx_add_expression -e expression_group

Python:

CODE

cmds.sgx_import_pose(e=expression_group)

Options:

Option	Description
`-e ARG`	The expression group to which to add the new expression, in path format (e.g. `/neutral/high`).
`-h`	Print help.

Headless use

All plugin commands may be passed to Maya in headless mode. See Maya’s documentation on running Maya on the command line. Note that any quotes or forward slashes in the command string must be escaped in the command string passed to Maya.