Smooth moves
This tutorial explains the easy way to create a simple MEL script to toggle the smoothing parameters in a scene.
Common knowledge has it that 'all Maya is MEL', but just how do you actually make use of the software's built-in scripting language? You can do it the 'right' way and learn how to code, create functions and all that jazz. However, even if you aren't a hardcore programmer, there's always the option to use MEL to tackle those specific problems that you encounter from day to day in production.
In this article, we'll show you how to solve a fairly common problem: the need to toggle the models in a scene between two different levels of smoothing. Rather than select all the models by hand to switch between unsmoothed (for ease of animation) and smoothed versions (for final display), we're going to create a simple MEL script to do the job automatically.
Click here to download the tutorial
Click here to download the support files
Get the Creative Bloq Newsletter
Daily design news, reviews, how-tos and more, as picked by the editors.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
The Creative Bloq team is made up of a group of design fans, and has changed and evolved since Creative Bloq began back in 2012. The current website team consists of eight full-time members of staff: Editor Georgia Coggan, Deputy Editor Rosie Hilder, Ecommerce Editor Beren Neale, Senior News Editor Daniel Piper, Editor, Digital Art and 3D Ian Dean, Tech Reviews Editor Erlingur Einarsson and Ecommerce Writer Beth Nicholls and Staff Writer Natalie Fear, as well as a roster of freelancers from around the world. The 3D World and ImagineFX magazine teams also pitch in, ensuring that content from 3D World and ImagineFX is represented on Creative Bloq.
Related articles
- How to use Cosmos: a beginner's guide to the viral social media platform made for creatives
- How to plan and paint vibrant video game poster art: Duncan Fegredo shares his pro workflow
- How to make an atmospheric lunar creation in After Effects with Red Giant VFX plugins
- How to create a realistic peppermint candy material in Blender