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Synopsis

xform [-absolute] [-boundingBox] [-boundingBoxInvisible] [-centerPivots] [-euler] [-matrix float float float float float float float float float float float float float float float float] [-objectSpace] [-pivots linear linear linear] [-preserve boolean] [-relative] [-rotateAxis angle angle angle] [-rotateOrder string] [-rotatePivot linear linear linear] [-rotateTranslation linear linear linear] [-rotation angle angle angle] [-scale float float float] [-scalePivot linear linear linear] [-scaleTranslation linear linear linear] [-shear float float float] [-translation linear linear linear] [-worldSpace] [-worldSpaceDistance] [-zeroTransformPivots] [objects...]

xform is undoable, queryable, and NOT editable.

This command can be used query/set any element in a transformation node. It can also be used to query some values that cannot be set directly such as the transformation matrix or the bounding box. It can also set both pivot points to convenient values. All values are specified in transformation coordinates. (attribute-space) In addition, the attributes are applied/returned in the order in which they appear in the flags section. (which corresponds to the order they appear in the transformation matrix as given below) See also: move, rotate, scale

Notes

The transformation matrix for a node is built by post-multiplying the following matrices in the given order (Note: rotations are applied according to the rotation order parameter and the 6 different rotation possibilities are not shown below)
-1                       -1
[M]  = [sp]x[s]x[sh]x[sp]x[st]x[rp]x[ar]x[ro]x[rp]x[rt]x[t]

where:

[sp] = |  1      0        0       0 | = scale pivot matrix
|  0      1        0       0 |
|  0      0        1       0 |
| -spx   -spy     -spz     1 |


[s]  = |  sx     0        0       0 | = scale matrix
|  0      sy       0       0 |
|  0      0        sz      0 |
|  0      0        0       1 |


[sh] = |  1      0        0       0 | = shear matrix
|  xy     1        0       0 |
|  xz     yz       1       0 |
|  0      0        0       1 |

-1
[sp] = |  1       0       0       0 | = scale pivot inverse matrix
|  0       1       0       0 |
|  0       0       1       0 |
|  spx     spy     spz     1 |


[st] = |  1       0       0       0 | = scale translate matrix
|  0       1       0       0 |
|  0       0       1       0 |
|  stx     sty     stz     1 |


[rp] = |  1       0       0       0 | = rotate pivot matrix
|  0       1       0       0 |
|  0       0       1       0 |
| -rpx    -rpy    -rpz     1 |


[ar] = |  *       *       *       0 | = axis rotation matrix
|  *       *       *       0 |   (composite rotation,
|  *       *       *       0 |    see [rx], [ry], [rz]
|  0       0       0       1 |    below for details)


[rx] = |  1       0       0       0 | = rotate X matrix
|  0       cos(x)  sin(x)  0 |
|  0      -sin(x)  cos(x)  0 |
|  0       0       0       1 |


[ry] = |  cos(y)  0      -sin(y)  0 | = rotate Y matrix
|  0       1       0       0 |
|  sin(y)  0       cos(y)  0 |
|  0       0       0       1 |


[rz] = |  cos(z)  sin(z)  0       0 | = rotate Z matrix
| -sin(z)  cos(z)  0       0 |
|  0       0       1       0 |
|  0       0       0       1 |

-1
[rp] = |  1       0       0       0 | = rotate pivot matrix
|  0       1       0       0 |
|  0       0       1       0 |
|  rpx     rpy     rpz     1 |


[rt] = |  1       0       0       0 | = rotate translate matrix
|  0       1       0       0 |
|  0       0       1       0 |
|  rtx     rty     rtz     1 |


[t]  = |  1       0       0       0 | = translation matrix
|  0       1       0       0 |
|  0       0       1       0 |
|  tx      ty      tz      1 |

Return value

None

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

Related

move, rotate, scale

Flags

absolute, boundingBox, boundingBoxInvisible, centerPivots, euler, matrix, objectSpace, pivots, preserve, relative, rotateAxis, rotateOrder, rotatePivot, rotateTranslation, rotation, scale, scalePivot, scaleTranslation, shear, translation, worldSpace, worldSpaceDistance, zeroTransformPivots
Long name (short name) Argument types Properties
-absolute(-a) create
perform absolute transformation (default)
-relative(-r) create
perform relative transformation
-euler(-eu) create
modifer for -relative flag that specifies rotation values should be added to current XYZ rotation values.
-objectSpace(-os) createquery
treat values as object-space transformation values (only works for pivots, translations, rotation, rotation axis, matrix, and bounding box flags)
-worldSpace(-ws) createquery
treat values as world-space transformation values (only works for pivots, translations, rotation, rotation axis, matrix, and bounding box flags)
-worldSpaceDistance(-wd) createquery
Values for -sp, -rp, -st, -rt, -t, -piv flags are treated as world space distances to move along the local axis. (where the local axis depends on whether the command is operating in local-space or object-space. This flag has no effect for world space.
-preserve(-p) boolean create
preserve overall transformation. used to prevent object from "jumping" when changing pivots or rotation order. the default value is true. (used with -sp, -rp, -roo, -cp, -ra)
-scalePivot(-sp) linear linear linear createquery
scale pivot point transformation (when used with the -p flag the overall transformation is preserved by modifying the scale translation)
-scale(-s) float float float createquery
scale transformation
-shear(-sh) float float float createquery
shear transformation. The values represent the shear <xy,xz,yz>
-scaleTranslation(-st) linear linear linear createquery
scale translation
-rotatePivot(-rp) linear linear linear createquery
rotate pivot point transformation (when used with the -p flag the overall transformation is preserved by modifying the rotation translation)
-rotateOrder(-roo) string createquery
rotation order (when used with the -p flag the overall rotation is preserved by modifying the local rotation to be quivalent to the old one) Valid values for this flag are <xyz | yzx | zxy | xzy | yxz | zyx>
-rotateAxis(-ra) angle angle angle createquery
rotation axis orientation (when used with the -p flag the overall rotation is preserved by modifying the rotation to compensate for the axis rotation)
-rotation(-ro) angle angle angle createquery
rotation transformation
-rotateTranslation(-rt) linear linear linear createquery
rotation translation
-translation(-t) linear linear linear createquery
translation
-matrix(-m) float float float float float float float float float float float float float float float float createquery
Sets/returns the composite transformation matrix. *Note* the matrix is represented by 16 double arguments that are specified in row order.
-boundingBox(-bb) query
Returns the bounding box of an object. The values returned are in the following order: xmin ymin zmin xmax ymax zmax.
-boundingBoxInvisible(-bbi) query
Returns the bounding box of an object. This includes the bounding boxes of all invisible children which are not included using the boundingBox flag. The values returned are in following order: xmin ymin zmin xmax ymax zmax.
-pivots(-piv) linear linear linear createquery
convenience method that changes both the rotate and scale pivots simultaneously. (see -rp -sp flags for more info)
-centerPivots(-cp) create
Set pivot points to the center of the object's bounding box. (see -p flag)
-zeroTransformPivots(-ztp) create
reset pivot points and pivot translations without changing the overall matrix by applying these values into the translation channel.

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 object to manipulate
sphere -n sphere1;

// set rotation of sphere
xform -r -ro 0 90 0;

// change the rotate order but preserve the overall transformation
xform -p true -roo yzx;