How to Efficiently Get and Set Object Positions in Maya Using Python xform and setAttr

Learn how to retrieve the positional information of an object in Maya and apply it to another using Python with simple code examples and explanations.
---

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: Get positional information from one object and apply it to another

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
How to Efficiently Get and Set Object Positions in Maya Using Python

Working with object transformations in Maya can sometimes be tricky, especially when you're trying to apply the position of one object to another. Whether you're a beginner or have some experience in scripting with Python in Maya, you might encounter errors when using commands like xform and setAttr to manipulate object locations. In this guide, we will explore a common problem and its effective solution so you can easily manage object positions.

The Problem: Getting and Applying Object Position

Imagine you have two objects in Maya, namely pSphere1 and pSphere2. You want to fetch the world space coordinates (x, y, z) of pSphere1 and use these coordinates to set the translation of pSphere2. However, you encountered an error message while attempting the task. Here’s what the original code looked like:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

The print statement correctly outputs the coordinates, but the setAttr command throws an error: TypeError: Invalid flag 'tx'. This indicates there's an issue with how the attributes are being accessed or set.

The Solution: Correct Usage of setAttr

The key confusion here lies in how to correctly specify the attributes when using setAttr. Instead of trying to set each translate attribute (tx, ty, tz) separately, the attribute should be referenced as a single string for each axis. Here are the steps to fix the code:

Step 1: Correct the setAttr Syntax

Instead of using the approach:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Use this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This change ensures that you're directly targeting the proper translation attributes of pSphere2.

Step 2: Simplifying the Code with xform

Alternatively, you can use xform to set the translation all at once, instead of setting each axis individually. You can apply the earlier retrieved position directly:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This command sets the translation of pSphere2 using the list pos, where pos contains your desired x, y, z coordinates.

Putting It All Together

Here’s the complete and corrected code to retrieve the position of pSphere1 and set it for pSphere2:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

Now you have a clear understanding of how to query and apply object positions in Maya using Python scripting. By correcting the syntax of the setAttr function and considering the use of the xform function, you can efficiently manipulate object translations. No more TypeErrors will stop you from achieving your desired transformations!

Feel free to try out these code snippets in your Maya environment, and boost your scripting skills!