xform

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Synopsis

xform [-absolute] [-boundingBox] [-boundingBoxInvisible] [-centerPivots] [-deletePriorHistory boolean] [-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] [-preserveUV] [-reflection] [-reflectionAboutBBox] [-reflectionAboutOrigin] [-reflectionAboutX] [-reflectionAboutY] [-reflectionAboutZ] [-reflectionTolerance float] [-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

-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

Flags

Long name (short name)	Argument types	Properties
-absolute(-a)
perform absolute transformation (default)
-relative(-r)
perform relative transformation
-euler(-eu)
modifer for -relative flag that specifies rotation values should be added to current XYZ rotation values.
-deletePriorHistory(-dph)	boolean
If true then delete the construction history before the operation is performed.
-objectSpace(-os)
treat values as object-space transformation values (only works for pivots, translations, rotation, rotation axis, matrix, and bounding box flags)
-worldSpace(-ws)
(works for pivots, translations, rotation, rotation axis, matrix, and bounding box flags). Note that, when querying the scale, that this calculation is cumulative and is only valid if there are all uniform scales and no rotation. In a hierarchy with non-uniform scale and rotation, this value may not correspond entirely with the perceived global scale.
-worldSpaceDistance(-wd)
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
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
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
scale transformation
-shear(-sh)	float float float
shear transformation. The values represent the shear <xy,xz,yz>
-scaleTranslation(-st)	linear linear linear
scale translation
-rotatePivot(-rp)	linear linear linear
rotate pivot point transformation (when used with the -p flag the overall transformation is preserved by modifying the rotation translation)
-rotateOrder(-roo)	string
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
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
rotation transformation
-rotateTranslation(-rt)	linear linear linear
rotation translation
-translation(-t)	linear linear linear
translation
-matrix(-m)	float float float float float float float float float float float float float float float float
Sets/returns the composite transformation matrix. *Note* the matrix is represented by 16 double arguments that are specified in row order.
-boundingBox(-bb)
Returns the bounding box of an object. The values returned are in the following order: xmin ymin zmin xmax ymax zmax.
-boundingBoxInvisible(-bbi)
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
convenience method that changes both the rotate and scale pivots simultaneously. (see -rp -sp flags for more info)
-preserveUV(-puv)
When true, UV values on rotated components are projected across the rotation in 3d space. For small edits, this will freeze the world space texture mapping on the object. When false, the UV values will not change for a selected vertices. Default is false.
-reflection(-rfl)
To move the corresponding symmetric components also.
-reflectionAboutOrigin(-rao)
Sets the position of the reflection axis at the origin
-reflectionAboutBBox(-rab)
Sets the position of the reflection axis at the geometry bounding box
-reflectionAboutX(-rax)
Specifies the X=0 as reflection plane
-reflectionAboutY(-ray)
Specifies the Y=0 as reflection plane
-reflectionAboutZ(-raz)
Specifies the Z=0 as reflection plane
-reflectionTolerance(-rft)	float
Specifies the tolerance to findout the corresponding reflected components
-centerPivots(-cp)
Set pivot points to the center of the object's bounding box. (see -p flag)
-zeroTransformPivots(-ztp)
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;