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Synopsis

extrude [-caching boolean] [-constructionHistory boolean] [-degreeAlongLength int] [-direction linear linear linear] [-directionX linear] [-directionY linear] [-directionZ linear] [-extrudeType int] [-fixedPath boolean] [-length linear] [-mergeItems boolean] [-name string] [-nodeState int] [-object boolean] [-pivot linear linear linear] [-polygon int] [-range boolean] [-rebuild boolean] [-reverseSurfaceIfPathReversed boolean] [-rotation angle] [-scale float] [-subCurveSubSurface boolean] [-useComponentPivot int] [-useProfileNormal boolean] curve [curve]

extrude is undoable, queryable, and editable.

This command computes a surface given a profile curve and possibly a path curve. There are three ways to extrude a profile curve. The most basic method is called a "distance" extrude where direction and length are specified. No path curve is necessary in this case. The second method is called "flat" extrude. This method sweeps the profile curve down the path curve without changing the orientation of the profile curve. Finally, the third method is called "tube" extrude. This method sweeps a profile curve down a path curve while the profile curve rotates so that it maintains a relationship with the path curve.

Return value

string[]Object name and node name

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

Related

singleProfileBirailSurface

Flags

caching, constructionHistory, degreeAlongLength, direction, directionX, directionY, directionZ, extrudeType, fixedPath, length, mergeItems, name, nodeState, object, pivot, polygon, range, rebuild, reverseSurfaceIfPathReversed, rotation, scale, subCurveSubSurface, useComponentPivot, useProfileNormal
Long name (short name) Argument types Properties
-caching(-cch) boolean createqueryedit
Toggle caching for all attributes so that no recomputation is needed
-degreeAlongLength(-dl) int createqueryedit
Surface degree along the distance when a distance extrude is performed
Default: 1
-direction(-d) linear linear linear createqueryedit
The direction in which to extrude. Use only for distance extrudeType and useProfileNormal off
-directionX(-dx) linear createqueryedit
X of the direction
Default: 0
-directionY(-dy) linear createqueryedit
Y of the direction
Default: 1
-directionZ(-dz) linear createqueryedit
Z of the direction
Default: 0
-extrudeType(-et) int createqueryedit
The extrude type (distance-0, flat-1, or tube-2)
Default: 2
-fixedPath(-fpt) boolean createqueryedit
If true, the resulting surface will be placed at the path curve. Otherwise, the resulting surface will be placed at the profile curve.
Default: false
-length(-l) linear createqueryedit
The distance to extrude. Use only for distance extrudeType
Default: 1
-nodeState(-nds) int createqueryedit

Maya dependency nodes have 6 possible states. The Normal (0), HasNoEffect (1), and Blocking (2) states can be used to alter how the graph is evaluated.

The Waiting-Normal (3), Waiting-HasNoEffect (4), Waiting-Blocking (5) are for internal use only. They temporarily shut off parts of the graph during interaction (e.g., manipulation). The understanding is that once the operation is done, the state will be reset appropriately, e.g. Waiting-Blocking will reset back to Blocking.

The Normal and Blocking cases apply to all nodes, while HasNoEffect is node specific; many nodes do not support this option. Plug-ins store state in the MPxNode::state attribute. Anyone can set it or check this attribute. Additional details about each of these 3 states follow.

State Description
Normal The normal node state. This is the default.
HasNoEffect

The HasNoEffect option (a.k.a. pass-through), is used in cases where there is an operation on an input producing an output of the same data type. Nearly all deformers support this state, as do a few other nodes. As stated earlier, it is not supported by all nodes.

It’s typical to implement support for the HasNoEffect state in the node’s compute method and to perform appropriate operations. Plug-ins can also support HasNoEffect.

The usual implementation of this state is to copy the input directly to the matching output without applying the algorithm in the node. For deformers, applying this state leaves the input geometry undeformed on the output.

Blocking

This is implemented in the depend node base class and applies to all nodes. Blocking is applied during the evaluation phase to connections. An evaluation request to a blocked connection will return as failures, causing the destination plug to retain its current value. Dirty propagation is indirectly affected by this state since blocked connections are never cleaned.

When a node is set to Blocking the behavior is supposed to be the same as if all outgoing connections were broken. As long as nobody requests evaluation of the blocked node directly it won’t evaluate after that. Note that a blocked node will still respond to getAttr requests but a getAttr on a downstream node will not reevaluate the blocked node.

Setting the root transform of a hierarchy to Blocking won’t automatically influence child transforms in the hierarchy. To do this, you’d need to explicitly set all child nodes to the Blocking state.

For example, to set all child transforms to Blocking, you could use the following script.


import maya.cmds as cmds
def blockTree(root):
nodesToBlock = []
for node in {child:1 for child in cmds.listRelatives( root, path=True, allDescendents=True )}.keys():
nodesToBlock += cmds.listConnections(node, source=True, destination=True )
for node in {source:1 for source in nodesToBlock}.keys():
cmds.setAttr( '%s.nodeState' % node, 2 )

Applying this script would continue to draw objects but things would not be animated.


Default: kdnNormal
-pivot(-p) linear linear linear createqueryedit
The pivot point used for tube extrudeType
-reverseSurfaceIfPathReversed(-rsp) boolean createqueryedit
If true, extrude type is tube (2) and path has been internally reversed then computed surface is reversed in the direction corresponding to the path.
Default: false
-rotation(-ro) angle createqueryedit
Amount to rotate the profile curve as it sweeps along the path curve.
Default: 0.0
-scale(-sc) float createqueryedit
Amount to scale the profile curve as it sweeps along the path curve.
Default: 1.0
-subCurveSubSurface(-scs) boolean createqueryedit
If true, curve range on the path will get applied to the resulting surface instead of cut before the extrude.
Default: false
-useComponentPivot(-ucp) int createqueryedit
Use closest endpoint of the path - 0, component pivot - 1 or the center of the bounding box of the profile - 2
Default: 0
-useProfileNormal(-upn) boolean createqueryedit
If true, use the profile curve normal for the direction in which to extrude. Use only for distance or tube extrudeType.
Default: false
Common flags
-constructionHistory(-ch) boolean create
Turn the construction history on or off.
-mergeItems(-mi) boolean create
Merge component results where possible. For example, instead of returning a[1] and a[2], return a[1:2].
-name(-n) string create
Sets the name of the newly-created node. If it contains namespace path, the new node will be created under the specified namespace; if the namespace does not exist, it will be created.
-object(-o) boolean create
Create the result, or just the dependency node.
-polygon(-po) int create
The value of this argument controls the type of the object created by this operation
  • 0: nurbs surface
  • 1: polygon (use nurbsToPolygonsPref to set the parameters for the conversion)
  • 2: subdivision surface (use nurbsToSubdivPref to set the parameters for the conversion)
  • 3: Bezier surface
  • 4: subdivision surface solid (use nurbsToSubdivPref to set the parameters for the conversion)
-range(-rn) boolean create
Force a curve range on complete input curve.
-rebuild(-rb) boolean create
Rebuild the input curve(s) before using them in the operation. Use nurbsCurveRebuildPref to set the parameters for the conversion.

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 be used more than once in a command.

MEL examples

// extrude profile curve "distance" 5 units along x axis
extrude -et 0 -d 1 0 0 -l 5 profile;

// extrude profile curve along path curve using "flat" method
extrude -et 1 profile path;

// extrude profile curve along path curve using "tube" method
extrude -et 2 profile path;