ghosting

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Synopsis

ghosting([action=string], [allGhostedObjects=boolean], [allInRange=boolean], [customFrames=int], [enable=boolean], [farOpacity=float], [frames=boolean], [geometryFilter=boolean], [ghostedObjects=boolean], [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=boolean], [useDriver=boolean])

Note: Strings representing object names and arguments must be separated by commas. This is not depicted in the synopsis.

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)	boolean
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)	boolean
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)	boolean
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)	boolean
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 have multiple arguments, passed either as a tuple or a list.

Python examples

import maya.cmds as cmds


import maya.cmds as cmds

# Turn off all ghost drawing
cmds.ghosting( enable=False )

# Change the default actions to prevent walking down the DAG hierarchies when finding objects to ghost/unghost
cmds.ghosting( hierarchy=False )

# Ghost the selected objects
cmds.ghosting( action='ghost' )
# Result: "OBJECT1" #

# Unghost the selected objects
cmds.ghosting( action='unghost' )
# Result: "OBJECT1" #

# Unghost all objects
cmds.ghosting( action='unghostAll' )
# Result: "OBJECT1" #

# Set the mode to use only keyframes as specified, rather than every one in the playback range for ghosts
cmds.ghosting( mode='keyframes' )
cmds.ghosting( allInRange=False )

# Set three custom ghost frames
cmds.ghosting( mode='custom' )
cmds.ghosting( customFrames=-9999999 )
cmds.ghosting( query=True, customFrames=True )
# Return: [] #
cmds.ghosting( customFrames=[1,2,50] )

# Set the opacity of the ghost farthest from the current frame
cmds.ghosting( farOpacity=0.01 )

# Query the current list of ghost frames using the ghost parameters on OBJECT1
cmds.ghosting( OBJECT1, query=True, frames=True )
# Return: [1.0, 2.0, 50.0] #

# Make future ghosting actions skip geometry objects (e.g. meshes)
cmds.ghosting( geometryFilter=True )

# Get the list of currently ghosted objects
cmds.ghosting( query=True, ghostedObjects=True )
# Return: OBJECT1 #

# Change the number of ghosted frames after the current time to 2
cmds.ghosting( postFrames=2 )

# Change the number of ghosted frames before the current time to 5
cmds.ghosting( preFrames=5 )

# Change the step between ghosts to be 2
cmds.ghosting( ghostsStep=2 )

# Make future ghosting actions skip joints
cmds.ghosting( jointFilter=True )

# Make future ghosting actions skip locators
cmds.ghosting( locatorFilter=True )

# Change the ghosting mode to only have ghosts before the current frame
cmds.ghosting( mode='pre' )

# Set the opacity of the ghost closest to the current frame
cmds.ghosting( nearOpacity=0.1 )

# Set the color of ghosts after the current time to be green
cmds.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
cmds.ghosting( edit=True, allGhostedObjects=True, preColor=[1.0, 0.0, 0.0] )
# Return: OBJECT1 #

# Set the preset to show every other ghost
cmds.ghosting( preset='2s' )

# Set the preset to show 5 pre frames, 2 post frames, at every 5th frame
cmds.ghosting( preset='Custom' )
cmds.ghosting( preFrames=5 )
cmds.ghosting( postFrames=2 )
cmds.ghosting( ghostsStep=5 )
cmds.ghosting( mode='preAndPost' )

# Reset all cmds.ghosting(  parameters to their default values
cmds.ghosting( resetAll=True )
# Return: True #

# Set the use-driver default for the ghosts
cmds.ghosting( useDriver=True )