Do you know if it is possible to create / edit reactions with Visual Studio as the editor? Could you recommend a best practice to instantiate power copies programmatically?

My response:

Unfortunately, most knowledgeware functions must be written in the KW editor. As for Reactions, you have the option to select a language, and if you select Visual Basic, then you could theoretically edit your action in the Visual Basic Editor or Visual Studio (with VB5 settings), and then copy and paste it into the Reaction editor.  But at that point, you might as well just use the standard out-of-the-box editor.   (FYI, not all functions are exposed in the VB Reaction editor that is available in the main VBA editor, e.g. some error checking, etc.)
This page shows how to instantiate powercopies via VBA:  http://www.gtwiki.org/mwiki/r4doc/English/online/books/KnowledgeTemplate/cfyugpktmt0005.htm

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Nick Pisca's book, YSYT

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YSYT Book, by Nicholas Pisca

If you hurry, you can buy the scripting book YSYT-Maya MEL Basics for Designers for 35% off if you order on or before December 28, 2011.  Just enter the code “BLIZZARDS305” at checkout.

Click here to check out and buy YSYT – Maya MEL Basics for Designers by Nick Pisca.

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YSYT Book By Nick Pisca

Some background….

YSYT – Maya MEL Basics for Designers is the primary scripting resource for all beginner and veteran scripters in the application Maya. This instructional manual covers the fundamentals of computer programming as well as basic modeling, animating and rendering techniques in Maya.

Feel free to spread the word!

Quick Summary:  We are driving through eastern Canada, Appalachia, the Atlantic U.S. Coast, and up the Mississippi River all on VEGGIE OIL.  And we are filming our trip so that we can make a documentary about our journey.

If you want to help our project, go to our Kickstarter page to make a pledge.  You’ll be supporting a great cause, helping our environment, and sticking it to those greedy oil companies!

Every little bit helps.  Also, it helps to post our video on Facebook, Twitter, etc.  Helping us spread the word is just as important as making a pledge. 

Thanks for your help,

from Nick, Glenn, and the Veggie Oil Road Trip Project Team.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866069608/nick-and-glenns-cheap-and-eco-friendly-road-trip-d

We are raising a small amount of money to produce a documentary about our WVO cars, the conversion process, how to use this type of fuel, and see how one can go across North America using alternative fuels.  Also, we are adding a bit of comedy to the mix, so it’s not just another boring biodiesel documentary.

This is very exciting because it’s a great opportunity to support a great cause, get a unique reward for your contribution, and stick it to the old oil companies.    Every little bit helps.  Also, spread the word!

Here is the link to the video and fund-raising website:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866069608/nick-and-glenns-cheap-and-eco-friendly-road-trip-d

Here is some more information (from our kickstarter page):

What is our cause?

We are putting together a documentary about two friends who converted a car to run on vegetable oil and their upcoming road trip through eastern Canada, the U.S. Atlantic coast, and Appalachia.  The film will show the biofuel conversion process and document any repairs that happen while traveling.  We plan to travel over 6000 miles across North America to film interesting sites, people, and anything we encounter.  Imagine a cross between “Survivorman” and “Junkyard Wars” and “Trailer Park Boys.”

Why?

With increasing fuel costs worldwide, everyone is looking for new types of energy.  Used Vegetable Oil is an exciting alternative to conventional petroleum resources.  We have been experimenting with Vegetable Oil Fuel Systems for years and have been able to develop a system for long-distance travel.

How to help?

All donations are welcome.  We are accepting monetary contributions, but also, if you are a greaser on our route, filtered/dewatered veggie oil donations are great too.

Funding helps us in the following ways.  First, we need to do conversion and automotive repairs/maintenance on the vehicle.  The vehicle will need to last several thousand miles on an experimental fuel, so proper maintenance is a must.  Second, we need to acquire camera, audio, and storage equipment to document the trip.  Since anything can happen on a road trip, we need to keep the cameras rolling.  Last, it will cover any expenses incurred for repairs and other things during the road trip.

Thanks in advance for your support!

This is really happening!

Ages ago while attending SCI-Arc, I met Tony while jamming in the wood shop.  He’s a super talented and creative guy, who has great DIY instincts.  If there was anyone who embodied the tradition of  SCI-Arc, it was Tony.  He always was making, building, inventing, experimenting.

Tony’s new experiment is the Lasers Over Los Angeles (LOLA) service.  He’ll be providing lasercutting work for inexpensive rates.  This couldn’t come at a better time…I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted access to a cost-effective lasercutter for my DIY home projects and also commercial work.  LOLA will be the first place I think of when the next lasercutting task comes over the horizon. 

Tony Castillo's LOLA PROJECT

For example, using the MEL tokenize command, the string “d,s,e,,,d” would be split into an array of only four elements {”d” “s” “e” “d”}.  If you wanted to return the empty values, the method as it stands would not do this.

I’ve authored a small function that will return empty strings.  In the aforementioned example, it would return {”d” “s” “e” “” “” “d”}.   The command is called “RealTokenize.”

global proc string[] RealTokenize(string $CurStr, string $Delim) {
	//Author: Nick Pisca 2010 0001d
	//string $CurStr = "d,s,d,s,,,,e"; string $Delim = ",";
	//RealTokenize "d,s,d,,,e,e" ",";
	string $PartString;
	string $TempArr[];
	int $t = 0;
	for ($x=1;$x<size($CurStr)+1;$x++) {
		string $CurLetter = `substring $CurStr $x $x`;
		if ($CurLetter == $Delim) {
			$TempArr[$t] = $PartString;
			$t++;
			$PartString = "";
		} else {
			$PartString = $PartString + $CurLetter;
		}
	}
	return $TempArr;
}

This subroutine is pretty simple to use and unlike “tokenize,” it doesn’t use that dumb syntax that returns the “count” of elements.  I never understood why anyone would use that functionality, considering you can just “size” the array after relimiting the string.  Enjoy.

To query the name of a Shape or Make node, use a combination of the commands listHistory, listConnections, and/or listRelatives from the transform node name string.  Use backticks to encapsulate the commands to return the connected names, and you may need to go a few levels down.  A good example of this is my function for getting an existing material on an object.  (note, getting a material, moves passed the Make and Shape nodes, but it’s still a good example.)

string $Name = "nurbsSphere1";
string $FF[] = `listRelatives $Name`;
string $GG[] = `listConnections $FF[0]`;
string $HH[] = `listConnections $GG[0]`;

The zeroth member of each $FF and $GG array is the lead string for that level.  So you may need to print the contents of these arrays and you’ll find the pattern leading to the Make or Shape node.  In most cases it will be the first (second index) from the listed Relatives, or listed Connections.

Some things to remember: Every release of Maya is different, so test your indexes prior to hard-coding.  You may need to shift some index numbers, but the listRelatives and listConnections should be in the right configuration.  To get the material shader, you’ll need to make a distinction between objects with the initial material and objects with a substituted material.    Then it will be stored in the final array ($HH in the example above).  Maya 5 through 6.5 is the third index, whereas newer versions have it stored at the 4 or 5 spot.  If you want to make a robust function, you can always use the “version” command set up a conditional case programming structure.

NODES NODES NODES