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Synopsis

angleBetween([constructionHistory=boolean], [euler=boolean], [vector1=[linear, linear, linear]], [vector2=[linear, linear, linear]])

Note: Strings representing object names and arguments must be separated by commas. This is not depicted in the synopsis.

angleBetween is undoable, NOT queryable, and NOT editable.

Returns the axis and angle required to rotate one vector onto another. If the construction history (ch) flag is ON, then the name of the new dependency node is returned.

Return value

float[]3 Euler angles or axis and angle
stringWhen constructionHistory flag is used.

Flags

constructionHistory, euler, vector1, vector2
Long name (short name) Argument types Properties
constructionHistory(ch) boolean create
Turn construction history on or off. If true, a dependency node will be created and its name is returned.
Default: false
euler(er) boolean create
return the rotation as 3 Euler angles instead of axis + angle
vector1(v1) [linear, linear, linear] create
vector to compute the rotation from
vector2(v2) [linear, linear, linear] create
vector to compute the rotation to

Flag can appear in Create mode of command Flag can appear in Edit mode of command
Flag can appear in Query mode of command Flag can have multiple arguments, passed either as a tuple or a list.

Python examples

import maya.cmds as cmds

# To find the euler angle between these two vectors. The result is three
# angles in the current angular unit. In this example, the first vector
# must be rotated -63.434949 degrees about the X axis, 16.60155 degrees
# about the Y axis and -26.565051 degrees about the Z axis to achieve
# the second vector.

cmds.angleBetween( euler=True, v1=(0.0, 1.0, 2.0), v2=(1.0, 2.0, 0.0) )
# Result: -63.434949 16.60155 -26.565051 #

# To find the angle between these two vectors.  The result is an axis and
# an angle (in the current angular unit).  In this example, the first
# vector must be rotated 66.421822 degrees about the axis
# (-0.8728716, 0.4364358, -0.2182179) to achieve the second vector.

cmds.angleBetween( v1=(0.0, 1.0, 2.0), v2=(1.0, 2.0, 0.0) )
# Result: -0.8728716 0.4364358 -0.2182179 66.421822 #

# How to create a dependency node that calculates the angle between two
# vectors. This example shows how the (x,z) position of a sphere
# can be used to control the rotate factors (about y) of a cone shape.

angleBtwnNode = cmds.angleBetween(v1=(1, 0, 0), v2=(1, 0, 0), ch=True)
sphere = cmds.sphere()
cmds.move( 5, 0, 5, sphere[0] )
cmds.connectAttr( sphere[0]+'.translateX', angleBtwnNode+'.vector2X' )
cmds.connectAttr( sphere[0]+'.translateZ', angleBtwnNode+'.vector2Z' )

cone = cmds.cone( ch=False )
convert = cmds.createNode( 'unitConversion' )
cmds.connectAttr( angleBtwnNode+'.eulerY', convert+'.input' )
cmds.connectAttr( convert+'.output', cone[0]+'.rotateY' )