xform

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Synopsis

xform( [objects...] , [absolute=boolean], [boundingBox=boolean], [boundingBoxInvisible=boolean], [centerPivots=boolean], [centerPivotsOnComponents=boolean], [deletePriorHistory=boolean], [euler=boolean], [matrix=[float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float]], [objectSpace=boolean], [pivots=[linear, linear, linear]], [preserve=boolean], [preserveUV=boolean], [reflection=boolean], [reflectionAboutBBox=boolean], [reflectionAboutOrigin=boolean], [reflectionAboutX=boolean], [reflectionAboutY=boolean], [reflectionAboutZ=boolean], [reflectionTolerance=float], [relative=boolean], [rotateAxis=[angle, angle, angle]], [rotateOrder=string], [rotatePivot=[linear, linear, linear]], [rotateTranslation=[linear, linear, linear]], [rotation=[angle, angle, angle]], [scale=[float, float, float]], [scalePivot=[linear, linear, linear]], [scaleTranslation=[linear, linear, linear]], [shear=[float, float, float]], [translation=[linear, linear, linear]], [worldSpace=boolean], [worldSpaceDistance=boolean], [zeroTransformPivots=boolean])

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

xform is undoable, queryable, and NOT editable.

This command can be used query/set any element in a transformation node. It can also be used to query some values that cannot be set directly such as the transformation matrix or the bounding box. It can also set both pivot points to convenient values.

All values are specified in transformation coordinates. (attribute-space)

In addition, the attributes are applied/returned in the order in which they appear in the flags section. (which corresponds to the order they appear in the transformation matrix as given below)

See also: move, rotate, scale

Notes

-1                       -1
[M]  = [sp]x[s]x[sh]x[sp]x[st]x[rp]x[ar]x[ro]x[rp]x[rt]x[t]

where:

[sp] = |  1      0        0       0 | = scale pivot matrix
|  0      1        0       0 |
|  0      0        1       0 |
| -spx   -spy     -spz     1 |


[s]  = |  sx     0        0       0 | = scale matrix
|  0      sy       0       0 |
|  0      0        sz      0 |
|  0      0        0       1 |


[sh] = |  1      0        0       0 | = shear matrix
|  xy     1        0       0 |
|  xz     yz       1       0 |
|  0      0        0       1 |

-1
[sp] = |  1       0       0       0 | = scale pivot inverse matrix
|  0       1       0       0 |
|  0       0       1       0 |
|  spx     spy     spz     1 |


[st] = |  1       0       0       0 | = scale translate matrix
|  0       1       0       0 |
|  0       0       1       0 |
|  stx     sty     stz     1 |


[rp] = |  1       0       0       0 | = rotate pivot matrix
|  0       1       0       0 |
|  0       0       1       0 |
| -rpx    -rpy    -rpz     1 |


[ar] = |  *       *       *       0 | = axis rotation matrix
|  *       *       *       0 |   (composite rotation,
|  *       *       *       0 |    see [rx], [ry], [rz]
|  0       0       0       1 |    below for details)


[rx] = |  1       0       0       0 | = rotate X matrix
|  0       cos(x)  sin(x)  0 |
|  0      -sin(x)  cos(x)  0 |
|  0       0       0       1 |


[ry] = |  cos(y)  0      -sin(y)  0 | = rotate Y matrix
|  0       1       0       0 |
|  sin(y)  0       cos(y)  0 |
|  0       0       0       1 |


[rz] = |  cos(z)  sin(z)  0       0 | = rotate Z matrix
| -sin(z)  cos(z)  0       0 |
|  0       0       1       0 |
|  0       0       0       1 |

-1
[rp] = |  1       0       0       0 | = rotate pivot matrix
|  0       1       0       0 |
|  0       0       1       0 |
|  rpx     rpy     rpz     1 |


[rt] = |  1       0       0       0 | = rotate translate matrix
|  0       1       0       0 |
|  0       0       1       0 |
|  rtx     rty     rtz     1 |


[t]  = |  1       0       0       0 | = translation matrix
|  0       1       0       0 |
|  0       0       1       0 |
|  tx      ty      tz      1 |

Return value

None

In query mode, return type is based on queried flag.

Related

Flags

Long name (short name)	Argument types	Properties
absolute(a)	boolean
perform absolute transformation (default)
boundingBox(bb)	boolean
Returns the bounding box of an object. The values returned are in the following order: xmin ymin zmin xmax ymax zmax.
boundingBoxInvisible(bbi)	boolean
Returns the bounding box of an object. This includes the bounding boxes of all invisible children which are not included using the boundingBox flag. The values returned are in following order: xmin ymin zmin xmax ymax zmax.
centerPivots(cp)	boolean
Set pivot points to the center of the object's bounding box. (see -p flag)
centerPivotsOnComponents(cpc)	boolean
Set pivot points to the center of the component's bounding box. (see -p flag)
deletePriorHistory(dph)	boolean
If true then delete the construction history before the operation is performed.
euler(eu)	boolean
modifer for -relative flag that specifies rotation values should be added to current XYZ rotation values.
matrix(m)	[float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float, float]
Sets/returns the composite transformation matrix. *Note* the matrix is represented by 16 double arguments that are specified in row order.
objectSpace(os)	boolean
treat values as object-space transformation values (only works for pivots, translations, rotation, rotation axis, matrix, and bounding box flags)
pivots(piv)	[linear, linear, linear]
convenience method that changes both the rotate and scale pivots simultaneously. (see -rp -sp flags for more info)
preserve(p)	boolean
preserve overall transformation. used to prevent object from "jumping" when changing pivots or rotation order. the default value is true. (used with -sp, -rp, -roo, -cp, -ra)
preserveUV(puv)	boolean
When true, UV values on rotated components are projected across the rotation in 3d space. For small edits, this will freeze the world space texture mapping on the object. When false, the UV values will not change for a selected vertices. Default is false.
reflection(rfl)	boolean
To move the corresponding symmetric components also.
reflectionAboutBBox(rab)	boolean
Sets the position of the reflection axis at the geometry bounding box
reflectionAboutOrigin(rao)	boolean
Sets the position of the reflection axis at the origin
reflectionAboutX(rax)	boolean
Specifies the X=0 as reflection plane
reflectionAboutY(ray)	boolean
Specifies the Y=0 as reflection plane
reflectionAboutZ(raz)	boolean
Specifies the Z=0 as reflection plane
reflectionTolerance(rft)	float
Specifies the tolerance to findout the corresponding reflected components
relative(r)	boolean
perform relative transformation
rotateAxis(ra)	[angle, angle, angle]
rotation axis orientation (when used with the -p flag the overall rotation is preserved by modifying the rotation to compensate for the axis rotation)
rotateOrder(roo)	string
rotation order (when used with the -p flag the overall rotation is preserved by modifying the local rotation to be quivalent to the old one) Valid values for this flag are <xyz | yzx | zxy | xzy | yxz | zyx>
rotatePivot(rp)	[linear, linear, linear]
rotate pivot point transformation (when used with the -p flag the overall transformation is preserved by modifying the rotation translation)
rotateTranslation(rt)	[linear, linear, linear]
rotation translation
rotation(ro)	[angle, angle, angle]
rotation transformation
scale(s)	[float, float, float]
scale transformation
scalePivot(sp)	[linear, linear, linear]
scale pivot point transformation (when used with the -p flag the overall transformation is preserved by modifying the scale translation)
scaleTranslation(st)	[linear, linear, linear]
scale translation
shear(sh)	[float, float, float]
shear transformation. The values represent the shear <xy,xz,yz>
translation(t)	[linear, linear, linear]
translation
worldSpace(ws)	boolean
(works for pivots, translations, rotation, rotation axis, matrix, and bounding box flags). Note that, when querying the scale, that this calculation is cumulative and is only valid if there are all uniform scales and no rotation. In a hierarchy with non-uniform scale and rotation, this value may not correspond entirely with the perceived global scale.
worldSpaceDistance(wd)	boolean
Values for -sp, -rp, -st, -rt, -t, -piv flags are treated as world space distances to move along the local axis. (where the local axis depends on whether the command is operating in local-space or object-space. This flag has no effect for world space.
zeroTransformPivots(ztp)	boolean
reset pivot points and pivot translations without changing the overall matrix by applying these values into the translation channel.

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

# create object to manipulate
cmds.sphere( n='sphere1' )

# set rotation of sphere
cmds.xform( r=True, ro=(0, 90, 0) )

# change the rotate order but preserve the overall transformation
cmds.xform( p=True, roo='yzx' )