clipLibrary

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The clipLibrary node manages the source clips and their animation curves for a single character. The clipLibrary's compute method is able to evaluate the attached clips to obtain their attribute values at any time, independent of the current scene time.

While the clipLibrary node manages source clips, the clipScheduler node manages instanced clips. In other words, the clipLibrary handles the raw clip data, and the clipScheduler manages the placement of the clips on the timeline (clips placed in Trax).

Each character will be associated with at most a single clipLibrary and a single clipScheduler.

The clipLibrary node is able to keep track of source clips and their associated animCurves by connections in the dependency graph. Each source clip is represented by an animClip node which is connected to the clipLibrary's sourceClip attribute. The index of the array attribute where the sourceClip attribute is connected is used as an unique index to identify the connected source clip.

Animation curves are connected to the clipLibrary using function attributes. The function attributes allow the library to evaluate the curves at times other than the current scene time. The indices of the attributes where the animation curves are connected are used to correlate the curve to its associated clip and channel, as follows:

• The clipEvalList attribute index correlates to the attribute index of the sourceClip of the animCurves related source clip (an animClip node).
• The clipEval attribute index for a connection correlates to the character index of the channel being driven by the connected animCurve.

Since the clipLibrary manages its associated clips via connections, it is important that all required connections are made when setting up clips. The API contains two function sets: MFnClip and MFnCharacter, which will make the proper clipLibrary connections when you create clips using the API.

Related nodes

clipScheduler, characterMap

Attributes (20)

activeClip, characterMapping, characterdata, clip, clipEval, clipEvalList, clipEval_Hidden, clipEval_Inmap, clipEval_InmapFrom, clipEval_InmapTo, clipEval_Outmap, clipEval_OutmapFrom, clipEval_OutmapTo, clipEval_Raw, clipFunction, clipIndexMapping, clipName, duration, sourceClip, start

Long name (short name)	Type	Default	Flags
clipEvalList (cel)	compound	n/a
An array of clipEvals, one entry per clip.
clipEval (cev) compound n/a An array of function attributes. The animation curves and expressions that drive this clip get connected to the _Raw attribute that is a child of this attribute. clipEval_Hidden (cevh) function NULL For Internal Use Only Function being applied at this attribute with the mappings cached for efficiency clipEval_Raw (cevr) function NULL For Internal Use Only Actual function being applied at this attribute clipEval_Inmap (cevi) compound n/a For Internal Use Only Mapping of node's function input parameters to function data input parameters clipEval_InmapTo (cevit) short 0 For Internal Use Only Node's internal function input parameter index clipEval_InmapFrom (cevif) short 0 For Internal Use Only Function data input parameter index clipEval_Outmap (cevo) compound n/a For Internal Use Only Mapping of node's function output parameters to function data output parameters clipEval_OutmapTo (cevot) short 0 For Internal Use Only Node's internal function output parameter index clipEval_OutmapFrom (cevof) short 0 For Internal Use Only Function data output parameter index
clipFunction (cf)	function	NULL
The clip function gets connected to a scheduler that manages the placement, scale and blending of the clips. The scheduler evaluates the clip function to determine the clip.
characterdata (cd)	compound	n/a
An array of character data for the characters managed by this library. The character data allows the clipLibrary to correlate the animCurves of each clip to their associated character channel.
characterMapping (cm) characterMapping NULL Stores the mapping of clip data to character attributes
clipIndexMapping (cim) intArray empty Stores a unique index for each channel in the character.
activeClip (act)	integer	-1
The index of the clip which is active. Keyframes set onto a character go into the active clip. An active value of -1 indicates that the "default" clip is active. The default clip is not stored in the clip library, but is instead hooked directly to the character. The clip command is used to name the default clip and move it into the clip library. When a default clip is moved into the clip library, the active clip remains -1 and new keys go into the new default clip.
clipName (cn)	string	TmultiSharedObject::create<TdataString>"unusedClip"
This attribute is not used.
start (st)	time	0film
This attribute is obsolete.
duration (du)	time	0film
This attribute is obsolete.
sourceClip (sc)	Message	n/a
The source clips associated with this library are connected to this attribute. Array indices for the sourceClip attribute line up with those for the clip attribute.
clip (cl)	Message	n/a
The clip message is connected to any schedulers that use the clip. Array indices for the clip attribute line up with those for the sourceClip attribute.