ghosting

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Synopsis

ghosting [-action string] [-allGhostedObjects] [-allInRange boolean] [-customFrames int] [-enable boolean] [-farOpacity float] [-frames] [-geometryFilter boolean] [-ghostedObjects] [-ghostsStep int] [-hierarchy boolean] [-jointFilter boolean] [-locatorFilter boolean] [-mode string] [-nearOpacity float] [-postColor float float float] [-postFrames int] [-preColor float float float] [-preFrames int] [-preset string] [-resetAll] [-useDriver boolean]

ghosting is undoable, queryable, and editable.

Return value

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

Keywords

Flags

Long name (short name)	Argument types	Properties
-action(-act)	string
Define the actions to be performed by the command. Legal values are "ghost", "unghost", and "unghostAll". The "ghost" will try to enable ghosting on all _visible_ DAG objects in the selection list. Imtermediate transform nodes will only be ghosted if axis display are active.
-allGhostedObjects(-ago)
Only works in edit mode, specifying that the edits are to be applied to all ghosted objects instead of just the selected ones.
-allInRange(-a)	boolean
In create mode, define the default value for whether keyframe mode should use every keyframe in the playback range or use the specified values. In edit mode, modify the all-in-range value for all ghosts. In create mode with the "ghost" action, also set the custom ghost all-in-range value for the selected objects.
-customFrames(-cf)	int
In create mode, define the default value for the list of custom ghost frames. In edit mode, modify the custom ghost frames for all ghosts. The special frame number "-9999999" is used to remove all custom frames, circumventing a quirk in the command engine that does not allow passing an empty list. In create mode with the "ghost" action, also set the custom ghost frames for the selected objects.
-enable(-en)	boolean
Enables or disables ghost visibility on the entire scene. This does not modify any of the node ghosting attributes, it only globally enables or disables the drawing of any ghosts that have been defined on nodes. This is a preference-based flag so its value will persist between sessions, even if you load a new file with different ghost attribute settings.
-farOpacity(-fo)	float
In create mode, define the default value for the opacity value for ghosts farthest away from the current time. In edit mode, modify the opacity value of ghosts farthest away from the current time for all ghosts. In create mode with the "ghost" action, also set the opacity value of ghosts farthest away from the current time for the selected objects.
-frames(-f)
Queries the current set of ghost frames on the selected objects based on the ghosting mode, parameters set on the object, and the current time when relevant. Ignores the state of the ghosting enabled flag.
-geometryFilter(-gf)	boolean
In create mode, enable or disable the default ghost geometry filter. In create mode with the "ghost" action set, also filter the selection to omit geometry nodes if this flag is false.
-ghostedObjects(-go)
Only works in query mode to find the names of all currently ghosted DAG nodes.
-ghostsStep(-gs)	int
In create mode, define the default value for the number of steps (keyframes or frames) between ghosts. In edit mode, modify the number of steps (keyframes or frames) between ghosts. In create mode with the "ghost" action, also set the default number of steps (keyframes or frames) between ghosts for the selected objects.
-hierarchy(-h)	boolean
Enables or disables the ghost hierarchy default value. When no ghosting action is set it does not modify any of the node ghosting attributes, it only sets the preference for how future commands will filter the list of affected nodes. When used in conjunction with a ghosting action it will fist set the preference value and then use that new value as a filter on the ghosting action. If a ghosting action is specified without this flag then the current value of the preference is used in its place. This is a preference-based flag so its value will persist between sessions, even if you load a new file with different ghost attribute settings.
-jointFilter(-jf)	boolean
In create mode, enable or disable the default ghost joint filter. In create mode with the "ghost" action set, also filter the selection to omit joint nodes if this flag is false.
-locatorFilter(-lf)	boolean
In create mode, enable or disable the default ghost locator filter. In create mode with the "ghost" action set, also filter the selection to omit locator nodes if this flag is false.
-mode(-m)	string
Define the default mode for ghosting actions. Legal values are "preAndPost", "pre", "post", "custom", and "keyframes".
-nearOpacity(-no)	float
In create mode, define the default value for the opacity value for ghosts nearest to the current time. In edit mode, modify the opacity value of ghosts nearest to the current time for all ghosts. In create mode with the "ghost" action, also set the opacity value of ghosts nearest to the current time for the selected objects.
-postColor(-poc)	float float float
In create mode, define the default value for the color of ghosts after the current time. In edit mode, modify the color of ghosts after the current time for all ghosts. In create mode with the "ghost" action, also set the color of ghosts after the current time for the selected objects.
-postFrames(-pof)	int
In create mode, define the default value for the number of ghosted frames after the current time. In edit mode, modify the number of ghosted frames after the current time for all ghosts. In create mode with the "ghost" action, also set the default number of ghosted frames after the current time for the selected objects.
-preColor(-prc)	float float float
In create mode, define the default value for the color of ghosts before the current time. In edit mode, modify the color of ghosts before the current time for all ghosts. In create mode with the "ghost" action, also set the color of ghosts before the current time for the selected objects.
-preFrames(-prf)	int
In create mode, define the default value for the number of ghosted frames before the current time. In edit mode, modify the number of ghosted frames before the current time for all ghosts. In create mode with the "ghost" action, also set the default number of ghosted frames before the current time for the selected objects.
-preset(-p)	string
Define the default mode for ghosting presets. Legal values are "1s", "2s", "4s", "5s", "10s", and "Custom". Setting anything other than "Custom" fixes ghosts at 3 pre frames, 3 post frames, with a step value of the preset (e.g. "2s" means show ghosts at every second frame or keyframe)
-resetAll(-r)
Reset all ghosting options to their default values. Use with caution!
-useDriver(-ud)	boolean
In create mode, enable or disable the default ghost use driver value. In edit mode, modify the use driver value of all existing ghosts. In create mode with the "ghost" action, also set the use driver value for the selected objects.

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

// Turn off all ghost drawing
ghosting -enable off;

// Change the default actions to prevent walking down the DAG hierarchies when finding objects to ghost/unghost
ghosting -hierarchy off;

// Ghost the selected objects
ghosting -act ghost;
// Result: OBJECT1 //

// Unghost the selected objects
ghosting -act unghost;
// Result: OBJECT1 //

// Unghost all objects
ghosting -act unghostAll;
// Result: OBJECT1 //

// Set the mode to use only keyframes as specified, rather than every one in the playback range for ghosts
ghosting -mode "keyframes";
ghosting -allInRange 0;

// Set three custom ghost frames
ghosting -mode "custom";
ghosting -customFrames 1 2 50;

// Set the opacity of the ghost farthest from the current frame
ghosting -farOpacity 0.01;

// Query the current list of ghost frames using the ghost parameters on OBJECT1
ghosting -query -frames OBJECT1;
// Return: 1.0 2.0 50.0 //

// Make future ghosting actions skip geometry objects (e.g. meshes)
ghosting -geometryFilter on;

// Get the list of currently ghosted objects
ghosting -query -ghostedObjects;
// Return: OBJECT1 //

// Change the number of ghosted frames after the current time to 2
ghosting -postFrames 2;

// Change the number of ghosted frames before the current time to 5
ghosting -preFrames 5;

// Change the step between ghosts to be 2
ghosting -ghostsStep 2;

// Make future ghosting actions skip joints
ghosting -jointFilter on;

// Make future ghosting actions skip locators
ghosting -locatorFilter on;

// Change the ghosting mode to only have ghosts before the current frame
ghosting -mode "pre";

// Set the opacity of the ghost closest to the current frame
ghosting -nearOpacity 0.1;

// Set the color of ghosts after the current time to be green
ghosting -postColor 0.0 1.0 0.0;

// Set the color of ghosts before the current frame to red and modify all existing ghosts to use that color
ghosting -edit -allGhostedObjects -preColor 1.0 0.0 0.0;
// Return: OBJECT1 //

// Set the preset to show every other ghost
ghosting -preset "2s";

// Set the preset to show 5 pre frames, 2 post frames, at every 5th frame
ghosting -preset "Custom";
ghosting -preFrames 5;
ghosting -postFrames 2;
ghosting -ghostsStep 5;
ghosting -mode "preAndPost";

// Reset all ghosting parameters to their default values
ghosting -resetAll;
// Return: 1 //

// Set the use-driver default for the ghosts
ghosting -useDriver 1;