pymel.core.animation.flow¶

flow(*args, **kwargs)¶

The flow command creates a deformation lattice to `bend’ the object that is animated along a curve of a motion path animation. The motion path animation has to have the follow option set to be on.

Flags:

Long Name / Short Name		Argument Types	Properties
divisions / dv		int, int, int
	This flag specifies the number of lattice slices in x,y,z.The default values are 2 5 2.When queried, it returns the TuInt32 TuInt32 TuInt32
localCompute / lc		bool
	This flag specifies whether or not to have local control over the object deformation.Default value: is on when the lattice is around the curve, and is off when the lattice is around the object. When queried, it returns a boolean
localDivisions / ld		int, int, int
	This flag specifies the extent of the region of effect.Default values are 2 2 2.When queried, it returns the TuInt32 TuInt32 TuInt32
objectCentered / oc		bool
	This flag specifies whether to create the lattice around the selected object at its center, or to create the lattice around the curve.Default value is true.When queried, it returns a booleanFlag can have multiple arguments, passed either as a tuple or a list.

Derived from mel command maya.cmds.flow

Example:

import pymel.core as pm

# Create a simple motion path animation

# create a path, e,g, a curve
path = pm.curve(d=3,p=[(-10, 0, 0),(-6, 0, 10),(-3, 0, -10),(10, 0, 0)],k=[0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1])

# create an object, e.g. a sphere
object = pm.sphere()
pm.scale( 0.5, 2.0, 0.2 )

# animate the object using a motion path with follow on for 30 frames
pm.pathAnimation( object[0], f=1, stu=0, etu=30, c=path )
# Result: u'motionPath1' #

# select only the animated object
pm.select( object[0], r=True )

# Create flow deformation on the selected object with default values:
pm.flow()
# Result: [nt.Flow(u'flow1'), nt.Ffd(u'ffd1'), nt.Transform(u'ffd1Lattice'), nt.Transform(u'ffd1Base')] #

# Create flow deformation on the selected object with
# the lattice around the path, and lattice division of 3,20,2:
pm.flow( oc=False, dv=(3, 20, 2) )

# Create flow deformation on the selected object with
# lattice subdivisions 4, 7, and 3:

pm.flow( dv=(4, 7, 3) )

# When the object is not currently selected, the name of the object
# has to be specified in the command line (note: $object[0] has to
# have a motion path animation):

pm.flow( object[0], dv=(4, 7, 3) )