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Synopsis

orientConstraint( [target ...] [object] , [createCache=[float, float]], [deleteCache=boolean], [layer=string], [maintainOffset=boolean], [name=string], [offset=[float, float, float]], [remove=boolean], [skip=string], [targetList=boolean], [weight=float], [weightAliasList=boolean])

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

orientConstraint is undoable, queryable, and editable.

Constrain an object's orientation to match the orientation of the target or the average of a number of targets.

An orientConstraint takes as input one or more "target" DAG transform nodes to control the orientation of the single "constraint object" DAG transform The orientConstraint orients the constrained object to match the weighted average of the target world space orientations.

Return value

string[] ( name of the created constraint node)

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

Related

aimConstraint, geometryConstraint, normalConstraint, parentConstraint, pointConstraint, poleVectorConstraint, scaleConstraint, tangentConstraint

Flags

createCache, deleteCache, layer, maintainOffset, name, offset, remove, skip, targetList, weight, weightAliasList
Long name (short name) Argument types Properties
name(n) string createqueryedit
Sets the name of the constraint node to the specified name. Default name is constrainedObjectName_constraintType
weight(w) float createqueryedit
Sets the weight value for the specified target(s). If not given at creation time, the default value of 1.0 is used.
remove(rm) boolean edit
removes the listed target(s) from the constraint.
targetList(tl) boolean query
Return the list of target objects.
weightAliasList(wal) boolean query
Returns the names of the attributes that control the weight of the target objects. Aliases are returned in the same order as the targets are returned by the targetList flag
layer(l) string createedit
Specify the name of the animation layer where the constraint should be added.
offset(o) [float, float, float] createqueryedit
Sets or queries the value of the offset. Default is 0,0,0.
maintainOffset(mo) boolean create
The offset necessary to preserve the constrained object's initial orientation will be calculated and used as the offset.
skip(sk) string createeditmultiuse
Specify the axis to be skipped. Valid values are "x", "y", "z" and "none". The default value in create mode is "none". This flag is multi-use.
createCache(cc) [float, float] edit
This flag is used to generate an animation curve that serves as a cache for the constraint. The two arguments define the start and end frames.
The cache is useful if the constraint has multiple targets and the constraint's interpolation type is set to "no flip". The "no flip" mode prevents flipping during playback, but the result is dependent on the previous frame. Therefore in order to consistently get the same result on a specific frame, a cache must be generated. This flag creates the cache and sets the constraint's interpolation type to "cache". If a cache exists already, it will be deleted and replaced with a new cache.
deleteCache(dc) boolean edit
Delete an existing interpolation cache.

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

# Orients cube1 to match cone1.
cmds.orientConstraint( 'cone1', 'cube1' )

# Uses the average of the orientations of cone1 and surf2.
cmds.orientConstraint( 'cone1', 'surf2', 'cube2', w=.1 )

# Sets the weight for cone1's effect on cube2 to 10.
cmds.orientConstraint( 'cone1', 'cube2', e=True, w=10. )

# Removes surf2 from cube2's orientConstraint
cmds.orientConstraint( 'surf2', 'cube2', e=True, rm=True )

# Adds surf3 to cube2's orientConstraint with the default weight
cmds.orientConstraint( 'surf3', 'cube2' )

# Constrain the y and z rotation of sph2 to sph1
cmds.orientConstraint( 'sph1', 'sph2', skip="x" )

# Modify the constraint so that it constrains all axes of sph2
cmds.orientConstraint( 'sph1', 'sph2', e=True, skip="none" )

# Create a cache for the orient constraint controlling cube2
cmds.orientConstraint( 'cube2', e=True, cc=(1, 1000) )