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Synopsis

nodeOutliner [-addCommand script] [-addObject name] [-annotation string] [-attrAlphaOrder string] [-backgroundColor float float float] [-connectivity name] [-currentSelection] [-defineTemplate string] [-docTag string] [-dragCallback script] [-dropCallback script] [-enable boolean] [-enableBackground boolean] [-enableKeyboardFocus boolean] [-exists] [-fullPathName] [-height int] [-highlightColor float float float] [-isObscured] [-lastClickedNode] [-lastMenuChoice string] [-longNames boolean] [-manage boolean] [-menuCommand script] [-menuMultiOption boolean] [-multiSelect boolean] [-niceNames boolean] [-noBackground boolean] [-noConnectivity] [-nodesDisplayed] [-numberOfPopupMenus] [-parent string] [-popupMenuArray] [-pressHighlightsUnconnected boolean] [-preventOverride boolean] [-redraw] [-redrawRow] [-remove string] [-removeAll] [-replace name] [-selectCommand script] [-showConnectedOnly boolean] [-showHidden boolean] [-showInputs boolean] [-showNonConnectable boolean] [-showNonKeyable boolean] [-showOutputs boolean] [-showPublished boolean] [-showReadOnly boolean] [-statusBarMessage string] [-useTemplate string] [-visible boolean] [-visibleChangeCommand script] [-width int] [string]

nodeOutliner is undoable, queryable, and editable.

The nodeOutliner command creates, edits and queries an outline control that shows dependency nodes and their attributes. Compound attributes are further expandable to show their children. Additional configure flags allow multi selection, customizable commands to issue upon selection, and showing connections (and connectability) to a single input attribute. There are also the abilities to add/remove/replace nodes through the command line interface, and drag/add.

In some configurations, dragging a connected attribute of a node will load the node at the other end of the connection.

There is a right mouse button menu and a flag to attach a command to it. The menu is used to list the specific connections of a connected attribute. Clicking over any spot but the row of a connected attribute will show an empty menu. By default, there is no command attached to the menu.

Return value

None

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

Flags

addCommand, addObject, annotation, attrAlphaOrder, backgroundColor, connectivity, currentSelection, defineTemplate, docTag, dragCallback, dropCallback, enable, enableBackground, enableKeyboardFocus, exists, fullPathName, height, highlightColor, isObscured, lastClickedNode, lastMenuChoice, longNames, manage, menuCommand, menuMultiOption, multiSelect, niceNames, noBackground, noConnectivity, nodesDisplayed, numberOfPopupMenus, parent, popupMenuArray, pressHighlightsUnconnected, preventOverride, redraw, redrawRow, remove, removeAll, replace, selectCommand, showConnectedOnly, showHidden, showInputs, showNonConnectable, showNonKeyable, showOutputs, showPublished, showReadOnly, statusBarMessage, useTemplate, visible, visibleChangeCommand, width
Long name (short name) Argument types Properties
-addCommand(-ac) script createqueryedit
Command executed when the node outliner adds something. String commands use substitution of the term %node for whatever is added, eg, if you want to print the object added, the command should be "print(\"%node \\n\")". Callable python objects are passed the node name.
-addObject(-a) name edit
add the given object to the display
-annotation(-ann) string createqueryedit
Annotate the control with an extra string value.
-attrAlphaOrder(-aao) string createqueryedit
Specify how attributes are to be sorted. Current recognised values are "default" for no sorting and "ascend" to sort attributes from 'a' to ''z' and "descend" to sort from 'z' to 'a'. Notes: a) this only applies to top level attributes.
-backgroundColor(-bgc) float float float createqueryedit
The background color of the control. The arguments correspond to the red, green, and blue color components. Each component ranges in value from 0.0 to 1.0.
When setting backgroundColor, the background is automatically enabled, unless enableBackground is also specified with a false value.
-connectivity(-c) name queryedit
Takes an attribute argument ("nodeName.attributeName"), dims any attributes that can't connect to the given, and highlights any attributes already connected
-currentSelection(-cs) query
Retruns a string array containing what is currently selected
-defineTemplate(-dt) string create
Puts the command in a mode where any other flags and arguments are parsed and added to the command template specified in the argument. They will be used as default arguments in any subsequent invocations of the command when templateName is set as the current template.
-docTag(-dtg) string createqueryedit
Add a documentation flag to the control. The documentation flag has a directory structure. (e.g., -dt render/multiLister/createNode/material)
-dragCallback(-dgc) script createedit
Adds a callback that is called when the middle mouse button is pressed. The MEL version of the callback is of the form:

global proc string[] callbackName(string $dragControl, int $x, int $y, int $mods)

The proc returns a string array that is transferred to the drop site. By convention the first string in the array describes the user settable message type. Controls that are application defined drag sources may ignore the callback. $mods allows testing for the key modifiers CTRL and SHIFT. Possible values are 0 == No modifiers, 1 == SHIFT, 2 == CTRL, 3 == CTRL + SHIFT.

In Python, it is similar, but there are two ways to specify the callback. The recommended way is to pass a Python function object as the argument. In that case, the Python callback should have the form:

def callbackName( dragControl, x, y, modifiers ):

The values of these arguments are the same as those for the MEL version above.

The other way to specify the callback in Python is to specify a string to be executed. In that case, the string will have the values substituted into it via the standard Python format operator. The format values are passed in a dictionary with the keys "dragControl", "x", "y", "modifiers". The "dragControl" value is a string and the other values are integers (eg the callback string could be "print '%(dragControl)s %(x)d %(y)d %(modifiers)d'")

-dropCallback(-dpc) script createedit
Adds a callback that is called when a drag and drop operation is released above the drop site. The MEL version of the callback is of the form:

global proc callbackName(string $dragControl, string $dropControl, string $msgs[], int $x, int $y, int $type)

The proc receives a string array that is transferred from the drag source. The first string in the msgs array describes the user defined message type. Controls that are application defined drop sites may ignore the callback. $type can have values of 1 == Move, 2 == Copy, 3 == Link.

In Python, it is similar, but there are two ways to specify the callback. The recommended way is to pass a Python function object as the argument. In that case, the Python callback should have the form:

def pythonDropTest( dragControl, dropControl, messages, x, y, dragType ):

The values of these arguments are the same as those for the MEL version above.

The other way to specify the callback in Python is to specify a string to be executed. In that case, the string will have the values substituted into it via the standard Python format operator. The format values are passed in a dictionary with the keys "dragControl", "dropControl", "messages", "x", "y", "type". The "dragControl" value is a string and the other values are integers (eg the callback string could be "print '%(dragControl)s %(dropControl)s %(messages)r %(x)d %(y)d %(type)d'")

-enable(-en) boolean createqueryedit
The enable state of the control. By default, this flag is set to true and the control is enabled. Specify false and the control will appear dimmed or greyed-out indicating it is disabled.
-enableBackground(-ebg) boolean createqueryedit
Enables the background color of the control.
-enableKeyboardFocus(-ekf) boolean createqueryedit
If enabled, the user can navigate to the control with the tab key and select values with the keyboard or mouse. This flag would typically be used to turn off focus support from controls that get it by default, like Edit and List controls. If disabled, text in text fields can still be selected with the mouse but cannot be copied (except on Linux when "Middle Click Paste" is enabled).
-exists(-ex) create
Returns whether the specified object exists or not. Other flags are ignored.
-fullPathName(-fpn) query
Return the full path name of the widget, which includes all the parents.
-height(-h) int createqueryedit
The height of the control. The control will attempt to be this size if it is not overruled by parent layout conditions.
-highlightColor(-hlc) float float float createqueryedit
The highlight color of the control. The arguments correspond to the red, green, and blue color components. Each component ranges in value from 0.0 to 1.0.
-isObscured(-io) query
Return whether the control can actually be seen by the user. The control will be obscured if its state is invisible, if it is blocked (entirely or partially) by some other control, if it or a parent layout is unmanaged, or if the control's window is invisible or iconified.
-lastClickedNode(-lcn) query
Returns a string with the last clicked node
-lastMenuChoice(-lmc) string query
Returns the text of the most recent menu selection.
-longNames(-ln) boolean queryedit
Controls whether long or short attribute names will be used in the interface. Note that this flag is ignored if the niceNames flag is set. Default is short names. Queried, returns a boolean.
-manage(-m) boolean createqueryedit
Manage state of the control. An unmanaged control is not visible, nor does it take up any screen real estate. All controls are created managed by default.
-menuCommand(-mc) script edit
Attaches the given command to each item in the popup menu.
-menuMultiOption(-mmo) boolean queryedit
Sets whether a menu option labelled "next available" will appear as the first option on any multi-attribute's right mouse button menu. Defaults to True.
-multiSelect(-ms) boolean queryedit
Allow multiSelect; more than one thing to be selected at a time
-niceNames(-nn) boolean queryedit
Controls whether the attribute names will be displayed in a more user-friendly, readable way. When this is on, the longNames flag is ignored. When this is off, attribute names will be displayed either long or short, according to the longNames flag. Default is on. Queried, returns a boolean.
-noBackground(-nbg) boolean createedit
Clear/reset the control's background. Passing true means the background should not be drawn at all, false means the background should be drawn. The state of this flag is inherited by children of this control.
-noConnectivity(-nc) edit
Reset the node outliner to not show any connectivity, ie, redraw all rows normally.
-nodesDisplayed(-nd) query
Returns a string array containing the list of nodes showing in the node Outliner
-numberOfPopupMenus(-npm) query
Return the number of popup menus attached to this control.
-parent(-p) string createquery
The parent layout for this control.
-popupMenuArray(-pma) query
Return the names of all the popup menus attached to this control.
-pressHighlightsUnconnected(-phu) boolean queryedit
Sets whether clicking on an unconnected plug will select it or not. Default is True.
-preventOverride(-po) boolean createqueryedit
If true, this flag prevents overriding the control's attribute via the control's right mouse button menu.
-redraw(-r) edit
Redraws the displayed space
-redrawRow(-rr) edit
Redraws the given row
-remove(-rm) string editmultiuse
remove the given object from the display
-removeAll(-rma) edit
remove all objects from the display
-replace(-rpl) name queryedit
replace what's displayed with the given objects
-selectCommand(-sc) script queryedit
Command issued by selecting. Different from the c flag in that this command will only be issued if something is selected.
-showConnectedOnly(-sco) boolean queryedit
show (true) or hide (false) only attributes that are connected matching input/output criteria
-showHidden(-sh) boolean queryedit
show (true) or hide (false) UI invisible attributes that match the input/output criteria
-showInputs(-si) boolean queryedit
show only UI visible attributes that can be connected to
-showNonConnectable(-snc) boolean queryedit
show (true) or hide (false) non connectable attributes that match the input/output criteria
-showNonKeyable(-snk) boolean queryedit
show (true) or hide (false) non keyframeable (animatable) attributes that match the input/output criteria
-showOutputs(-so) boolean queryedit
show only UI visible attributes that can be connected from
-showPublished(-sp) boolean queryedit
Show only published attributes for an asset or a member of an asset. This flag is ignored on nodes not related to assets.
-showReadOnly(-sro) boolean queryedit
show only read only attributes attributes that can be connected from
-statusBarMessage(-sbm) string createedit
Extra string to display in the status bar when the mouse is over the control.
-useTemplate(-ut) string create
Forces the command to use a command template other than the current one.
-visible(-vis) boolean createqueryedit
The visible state of the control. A control is created visible by default. Note that a control's actual appearance is also dependent on the visible state of its parent layout(s).
-visibleChangeCommand(-vcc) script createqueryedit
Command that gets executed when visible state of the control changes.
-width(-w) int createqueryedit
The width of the control. The control will attempt to be this size if it is not overruled by parent layout conditions.
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

string $mywindow = `window`;
    string $myform = `formLayout -numberOfDivisions 100`;

    // Create an outliner that will print the name of
    // every object added to it to history pane of the
    // script editor, then display all available input
    // plugs on the node.
    string $myoutliner = `nodeOutliner
                              -showInputs true
                              -addCommand "print(\"%node \\n\")"`;

    // Attach the nodeOutliner to the layout
    formLayout -edit
        -attachForm $myoutliner "top"    5
        -attachForm $myoutliner "left"   5
        -attachForm $myoutliner "bottom" 5
        -attachForm $myoutliner "right"  5
        $myform;

// Display the window with the node Outliner
showWindow $mywindow;

// Create a sphere
string $objectName[] = `sphere`;

// Have the outliner display the sphere
nodeOutliner -e -a nurbsSphere1 $myoutliner;