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Synopsis

nodeOutliner [-addCommand string] [-addObject name] [-attrAlphaOrder string] [-connectivity name] [-currentSelection] [-lastMenuChoice string] [-longNames boolean] [-menuCommand string] [-menuMultiOption boolean] [-multiSelect boolean] [-niceNames boolean] [-noConnectivity] [-nodesDisplayed] [-pressHighlightsUnconnected boolean] [-remove string] [-removeAll] [-replace name] [-selectCommand string] [-showConnectedOnly boolean] [-showHidden boolean] [-showInputs boolean] [-showNonConnectable boolean] [-showNonKeyable boolean] [-showOutputs boolean] [-showReadOnly boolean] [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, attrAlphaOrder, connectivity, currentSelection, lastMenuChoice, longNames, menuCommand, menuMultiOption, multiSelect, niceNames, noConnectivity, nodesDisplayed, pressHighlightsUnconnected, remove, removeAll, replace, selectCommand, showConnectedOnly, showHidden, showInputs, showNonConnectable, showNonKeyable, showOutputs, showReadOnly
Long name (short name) Argument types Properties
-addCommand(-ac) string createqueryedit
Command executed when the node outliner adds something. Uses 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\")"
-addObject(-a) name edit
add the given object to the display
-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
-showInputs(-si) boolean queryedit
show only UI visible attributes that can be connected to
-showOutputs(-so) boolean queryedit
show only UI visible attributes that can be connected from
-showReadOnly(-sro) boolean queryedit
show only read only attributes attributes that can be connected from
-showHidden(-sh) boolean queryedit
show (true) or hide (false) UI invisible 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
-showNonConnectable(-snc) boolean queryedit
show (true) or hide (false) non connectable attributes that match the input/output criteria
-showConnectedOnly(-sco) boolean queryedit
show (true) or hide (false) only attributes that are connected matching input/output criteria
-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
-noConnectivity(-nc) edit
Reset the node outliner to not show any connectivity, ie, redraw all rows normally.
-multiSelect(-ms) boolean queryedit
Allow multiSelect; more than one thing to be selected at a time
-selectCommand(-sc) string queryedit
Command issued by selecting. Different from the c flag in that this command will only be issued if something is selected.
-currentSelection(-cs) query
Retruns a string array containing what is currently selected
-nodesDisplayed(-nd) query
Returns a string array containing the list of nodes showing in the node Outliner
-menuCommand(-mc) string edit
Attaches the given command to each item in the popup menu.
-lastMenuChoice(-lmc) string query
Returns the text of the most recent menu selection.
-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.
-pressHighlightsUnconnected(-phu) boolean queryedit
Sets whether clicking on an unconnected plug will select it or not. Default is True.
-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.
-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.
-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.

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;