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Synopsis

nodeCast [-copyDynamicAttrs boolean] [-disableAPICallbacks boolean] [-disableScriptJobCallbacks boolean] [-disconnectUnmatchedAttrs boolean] [-force boolean] [-swapNames boolean] [-swapValues boolean] stringstring

nodeCast is undoable, NOT queryable, and NOT editable.

Given two nodes, a source node of type A and a target node of type B, where type A is either type B or a sub-type of B, this command will replace the target node with the source node. That is, all node connections, DAG hierarchy and attribute values on the target node will be removed from the target node and placed on the source node. This operation will fail if either object is referenced, locked or if the nodes do not share a common sub-type. This operation is atomic. If the given parameters fail, then the source and target nodes will remain in their initial state prior to execution of the command. IMPORTANT: the command will currently ignore instance connections and instance objects. It will also ignore reference nodes.

Return value

int0 for success, 1 for failure.

Keywords

node, swap, cast

Related

createNode, nodeType

Flags

copyDynamicAttrs, disableAPICallbacks, disableScriptJobCallbacks, disconnectUnmatchedAttrs, force, swapNames, swapValues
Long name (short name) Argument types Properties
-disableScriptJobCallbacks(-dsj) boolean create
add comment
-disableAPICallbacks(-dsa) boolean create
add comment
-force(-f) boolean create
Forces the command to do the node cast operation even if the nodes do not share a common base object. When this flag is specified the command will try to do the best possible attribute matching when swapping the command. It is not recommended to use the '-swapValues/sv' flag with this flag.
-swapValues(-sv) boolean create
Indicates if the commands should exchange attributes on the common attributes between the two nodes. For example, if the nodes are the same base type as a transform node, then rotate, scale, translate values would be copied over.
-swapNames(-sn) boolean create
Swap the names of the nodes. By default names are not swapped.
-disconnectUnmatchedAttrs(-dua) boolean create
If the node that is being swapped out has any connections that do not exist on the target node, then indicate if the connection should be disconnected. By default these connections are not removed because they cannot be restored if the target node is swapped back with the source node.
-copyDynamicAttrs(-cda) boolean create
If the target node contains any dynamic attributes that are not defined on the source node, then create identical dynamic attricutes on the source node and copy the values and connections from the target node into them.

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

// Create two transform nodes and make a connection between them.
//
string $tr1 = `createNode transform`;
string $tr2 = `createNode transform`;
connectAttr -f ($tr1 + ".t") ($tr2 + ".t");
connectAttr -f ($tr2 + ".r") ($tr1 + ".r");
// We want to swap $tr1 out. Create a new node $swapNode that will
// replace $tr1. To prove that this is working, we will add a new
// dynamic attribute to $tr1 and connect it to the middle man.
// If nodeCast cannot find the corresponding attribute on the
// node to be swaped, it will either ignore the connection or
// disconnect the connection based on user input.
//
string $theT = $tr1;
select -r $theT;
addAttr -ln "unmatched" -at "long";
string $middle_man = `createNode transform`;
connectAttr ($theT + ".unmatched") ($middle_man + ".tx");
$swapNode = `createNode transform`;
nodeCast -disconnectUnmatchedAttrs true $theT $swapNode;