Blender 2.8 Python Addons vs Maya Mel-Script (For Maya Users Moving to Blender)

For any Maya users wondering how the Python Info-Window compares with Maya Mel-Script, this information is for you. As a Maya user having moved to blender, I've been trying very hard to find any information I could on Mel-Script equivalent, but this seems to be as close as we get. As far as I can tell, it's much more complicated, less flexible, and slower to create. I'm making this video to highlight places I think the info window feels very weak in hopes of seeing it match mel-script in the future. Hope you guys find the video informative and useful.

If anyone has found faster or better tutorials that match Mel-Script's speed and flexibility please let me know in the comments below! I'll be uploading tutorials teaching everything I've learned about the info window and python addons next. So stay tuned if you'd like to learn about this subject more in depth!

Blender Speed Tutorials:

If you enjoyed this video, please don't forget to like and subscribe for more content!

And If you would like to support the creation of more content like this please check out my new game on steam! It took over 3 years to create and has thousands of hours and heart put into it :)

I also have a small 1$ Patreon perk available for anyone who would like to simply support the channel or be a part of the game design process directly here :)

As always, thank you so much for watching, please have a fantastic day, and see you around!

- Royal Skies -

[badrahmed]

Blender guys, pleas fix this, it would give blender a huge push towords becoming an *industry standard*

I Respect blender, community, and its devolpers.

[nigratruo]

Add-ons are different in blender, they extend blender and give it additional tools. It looks like under Maya, add-ons like this work like a macro under excel. It is definitely useful to be able to record and playback things, there could be a new addon that allows this. Hmm, we would need a "record all actions" and the playback function.
Note: the shift from 2.79 to 2.80 is a huge one, lots and lots of changes/improvements. Last time this happened was 10 years ago, from 2.49 to 2.59: normally, add-ons are more stable in Blender.

[yoohasz]

I think Jonathan Lampel over at CGCOOKIE is doing a new course on python blender coding for non programmers. I too would like to jump on the wagon, since when I used maya I was doing some mel tricks myself (just the basic copy paste thing) and I'm no programmer. Btw copying mel code to a shelf button isn't exactly writing a plugin/add-on for maya. What you're doing here in both cases is saving macros rather. The title is a bit misleading for this reason. Although you do make a good point and I hope things Will be easier in blender soon.

[MizManFryingP]

I'd like to add that Blender by default hides most of the Info it deems 'spam'. If you want to see the complete unfiltered Info, type this into the console in Blender

bpy.app.debug_wm = True

Take into consideration that it will also flood your actual Blender console, not just the info bar so I wouldn't recommend setting it to True by default.

[dimaspratama]

To select all lines at once use Select All shortcut (Double A). or use 'B' to use border select.

[sonario]

Someone needs to send this video to the Blender Development Fund

[vitosk]

that's a completely unfair comparison. You'r video states that you're comparing python vs MEL, but all you're doing is comparing how easy it's to copy and paste certain actions(macros) in software. There is no such thing as Macro in Blender. But API is very broad, you should dig into python to judge and compare two Languages. Also Addon's API allows you not only create buttons at the shelf, but also completely change your UI, and even DRAW new stuff in 3dview itself. That's why it's a bit difficult to just add a button or menu in blender. Though it becomes very fast, when you got used to Python for blender

[MightyBOBcnc]

I found a partial solution: In Blender run this command in the scripting console (without the quotes): "bpy.app.debug_wm = True"


This is similar to the Echo All Commands setting in Maya's Script Editor. Now it will print more of the under-the-hood actions in Blender's Info window. It's kind of glitchy and it still won't print *everything* but it's better than what Blender prints by default. Unfortunately you have to do this every time you close and re-open Blender. And of course it still doesn't solve the problem of saving your scripts to a shelf button but at least you get more information from the info window this way.


And I'd like to point out to the people in the comments who say that melscript is only for macros: No. It's called melSCRIPT for a reason. It's a scripting language and you can do much more than copy/paste commands, including work with logic (if/then etc.), variables, arrays, loops (for/while etc.), build your own windows with custom UI, buttons and functions, etc. etc.. In that regard it's somewhat similar to the python API. Using it for simple macros just happens to be the easiest and quickest introduction to it for people who are artists and not programmers.


p.s. Has anyone heard of a community specifically tailored for Maya-to-Blender converts? That's a community I'd love to be a part of; experienced Maya users helping other Maya users make the switch.

[scurvofpcp]

One, you can transfer animations between objects (a silly useful thing to do actually for some workflows)

Next with shape-keys they can be transferred between identical meshes, and there is always the option of using weight data on verts to be able to individually pick the ones you want to do an action with, and all of this can be accessed from python.

[hectorescobar]

The problem with the set up in Maya is that it records so much that you can not actually apply the same function to a different object unless you edit the code yourself. It looks great but I found it to be a huge gimmick particularly considering how little other options you get with Maya out of the box, not to mention the horrible history system it has. I loved Maya til I found Houdini and Blender. I can not imagine going back to Maya’s destructive workflow. Not for hard surface modeling, at least, Maya is just too outdated these days.

[DavidRodriguezbd]

hi I m glad you find blender nice
are you having problems with the vert index? the vert index are assigned in the order that the vertex is added, it mean a transformation in edit mode of a mesh perhaps will not work as you specked in other mesh with different vert index, google "blender getting vertex index"
you can run a script just pasting the text in the blender console

[DrMarcArnoldBach]

So its just a macro recorder you miss? The Blender Python API provides full access to almost everything in the scene and the fun starts where things are to freaky to be a recording. Maybe I am just to Blender centered to see a high potential in record&replay

[MizManFryingP]

I think its very inaccurate and ill informed to compare Mel-Script to the Blender Python API.
Mel-Script is a scripting language made specifically for macros and actions all within Maya whereas the Blender Python API is a fully fledged API made for adding features to Blender.
You could hook up external programs, renderers or anything really through it. It is an API using a real programming language; its not a macro sequencer.

You *could* create a sequence of actions through a python script but that's not its main objective nor is it what it was designed for so in that essence, you are misusing the API by trying to make it act the same way Mel-Script does.

You could also include multiple sequences as well as multiple object editing: you could do almost anything through the API.

To put it simply: Blender does not have a 1:1 Mel-Script equivalent (Unless someone has made an addon for it using the API) but rather has a variety of different more comprehensive features instead (The Python API and built in Blender drivers) and I feel like Mel-Script and the Blender Python API are very different things with very different objectives in mind, so comparing them is like comparing apples to oranges.

No hate or anything like that, I'm more than happy to see new people gain interest in Blender, I just think that this comparison is a bit ill informed and inaccurate.

To give me a better perspective, can you give me a typical example of when Mel-Script is crucial to your workflow? I'm not as informed about it so I want to know what it is you are trying to achieve with it. Maybe there is an easier option and you are going about it the wrong way? Would love to hear about it!

[sayuriartsy]

YOU HAVE TO DELETE EACH LINE ONE AT A TIME??!?!?!?

[masonwheeler]

It's a bit odd, seeing all the names censored out in the StackExchange screenshot. You left the URL in the address bar, which means anyone viewing this could look it up and find the original page.

[amilom]

it's really not hard but it probably time consuming to implement, blender guys please do it

[YeeiPlay]

Look man, you are amazing, after college I did not know if to continue with Maya.. thanks to you I discovered blender and I'm happy with it. It's an amazing program and I cant believe it's free.. I think blender needs to start selling it for around $49.99 Dollars. I'm sure it is a fair price and will get more and better updates. Im a youtuber myself and your videos are very easy to understand and very well edited I love the way you explain and edit everything showing some B-roll footage from Maya to blender and viceversa. Thanks a lot man. How can I get in touch with you?

[李景天]

Hmm... as a maya rigger, I would use python most of the time. And no, copy and paste Mel command is not going to be the way you develop plugins for maya.

[SviatoslavPetrov]

for now, drag & select are working in info window

[jo-vmhn]

Blender looks very cool but i am still hesitating...all my work revolves around CFX(cloth simulation) and i am not sure if blender have the same amount of tools for making a cloth-setup etc etc .Beside some flags floating, dress falling and one or two characters dancing i haven't seen anything close to an what we do in production.Can someone please proves me wrong so i can quit maya ?