MEL Overview

MEL ^TM is a scripting language at the heart of Maya. Maya’s user interface is created primarily using MEL, and MEL provides an easy way to extend the functionality of Maya. Everything you can do using Maya’s graphical interface can be automated and extended using MEL. Familiarity with MEL can deepen your understanding of and expertise with Maya.

You can take advantage of MEL without learning programming. For example, it’s easy to perform a task in the graphical interface, then drag the resulting commands from the Script Editor to the shelf to create a button. However, learning MEL can open up new worlds to you, helping you produce effects and save time in ways impossible using the graphical interface.

Here are some examples of things you can do with MEL:

• Bypass the user interface, quickly create shortcuts, and access advanced features.
• Customize the interface and change defaults on a scene-by-scene basis.
• Create procedures and scripts for custom modeling, animation, dynamics, and rendering tasks.