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Synopsis

timeControl( string , [animCurveNames=boolean], [animLayerFilterOptions=string], [annotation=string], [backgroundColor=[float, float, float]], [beginScrub=boolean], [defineTemplate=string], [displaySound=boolean], [docTag=string], [dragCallback=script], [dropCallback=script], [enable=boolean], [enableBackground=boolean], [endScrub=boolean], [exists=boolean], [forceRefresh=boolean], [fullPathName=string], [globalTime=boolean], [height=int], [isObscured=boolean], [mainListConnection=string], [manage=boolean], [noBackground=boolean], [numberOfPopupMenus=boolean], [parent=string], [popupMenuArray=boolean], [pressCommand=script], [preventOverride=boolean], [range=boolean], [rangeArray=boolean], [rangeVisible=boolean], [releaseCommand=script], [repeatChunkSize=float], [repeatOnHold=boolean], [resample=boolean], [showKeys=string], [showKeysCombined=boolean], [snap=boolean], [sound=string], [tickSize=int], [useTemplate=string], [visible=boolean], [visibleChangeCommand=script], [waveform=string], [width=int])

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

timeControl is undoable, queryable, and editable.

This command creates a control that can be used for changing current time, displaying/editing keys, and displaying/scrubbing sound.
Note: only one timeControl may be created. The one Maya creates on startup can be accessed from the global string variable $gPlayBackSlider. Also, it is not a good idea to delete it.

Return value

stringName of created or edited control

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

Flags

animCurveNames, animLayerFilterOptions, annotation, backgroundColor, beginScrub, defineTemplate, displaySound, docTag, dragCallback, dropCallback, enable, enableBackground, endScrub, exists, forceRefresh, fullPathName, globalTime, height, isObscured, mainListConnection, manage, noBackground, numberOfPopupMenus, parent, popupMenuArray, pressCommand, preventOverride, range, rangeArray, rangeVisible, releaseCommand, repeatChunkSize, repeatOnHold, resample, showKeys, showKeysCombined, snap, sound, tickSize, useTemplate, visible, visibleChangeCommand, waveform, width
Long name (short name) Argument types Properties
exists(ex) boolean create
Returns true|false depending upon whether the specified object exists. Other flags are ignored.
defineTemplate(dt) string create
Puts a command in a mode where any other flags and args are parsed and added to the command template specified in the argument. They will be used as default arguments in any subsequent invocations of the command when templateName is set as the current template.
useTemplate(ut) string create
Force the command to use a command template other than the current one.
parent(p) string createquery
The parent layout for this control.
enable(en) boolean createqueryedit
The enable state of the control. By default, this flag is set to true and the control is enabled. Specify false and the control will appear dimmed or greyed-out indicating it is disabled.
width(w) int createqueryedit
The width of the control. The control will attempt to be this size if it is not overruled by parent layout conditions.
height(h) int createqueryedit
The height of the control. The control will attempt to be this size if it is not overruled by parent layout conditions.
visible(vis) boolean createqueryedit
The visible state of the control. A control is created visible by default. Note that a control's actual appearance is also dependent on the visible state of its parent layout(s).
visibleChangeCommand(vcc) script createqueryedit
Command that gets executed when visible state of the control changes.
isObscured(io) boolean query
Return whether the control can actually be seen by the user. The control will be obscured if its state is invisible, if it is blocked (entirely or partially) by some other control, if it or a parent layout is unmanaged, or if the control's window is invisible or iconified.
manage(m) boolean createqueryedit
Manage state of the control. An unmanaged control is not visible, nor does it take up any screen real estate. All controls are created managed by default.
numberOfPopupMenus(npm) boolean query
Return the number of popup menus attached to this control.
popupMenuArray(pma) boolean query
Return the names of all the popup menus attached to this control.
preventOverride(po) boolean createqueryedit
If true, this flag disallows overriding the control's attribute via the control's right mouse button menu.
annotation(ann) string createqueryedit
Annotate the control with an extra string value.
backgroundColor(bgc) [float, float, float] createqueryedit
The background color of the control. The arguments correspond to the red, green, and blue color components. Each component ranges in value from 0.0 to 1.0.
When setting backgroundColor, the background is automatically enabled, unless enableBackground is also specified with a false value.
noBackground(nbg) boolean createedit
Clear/reset the control's background. Passing true means the background should not be drawn at all, false means the background should be drawn. The state of this flag is inherited by children of this control.
enableBackground(ebg) boolean createqueryedit
Enables the background color of the control.
docTag(dtg) string createqueryedit
Add a documentation flag to the control. The documentation flag has a directory structure like hierarchy. Eg. -dt render/multiLister/createNode/material
dragCallback(dgc) script createedit
Adds a callback that is called when the middle mouse button is pressed. The MEL version of the callback is of the form:

global proc string[] callbackName(string $dragControl, int $x, int $y, int $mods)

The proc returns a string array that is transferred to the drop site. By convention the first string in the array describes the user settable message type. Controls that are application defined drag sources may ignore the callback. $mods allows testing for the key modifiers CTL and SHIFT. Possible values are 0 == No modifiers, 1 == SHIFT, 2 == CTL, 3 == CTL + SHIFT.

In Python, it is similar, but there are two ways to specify the callback. The recommended way is to pass a Python function object as the argument. In that case, the Python callback should have the form:

def callbackName( dragControl, x, y, modifiers ):

The values of these arguments are the same as those for the MEL version above.

The other way to specify the callback in Python is to specify a string to be executed. In that case, the string will have the values substituted into it via the standard Python format operator. The format values are passed in a dictionary with the keys "dragControl", "x", "y", "modifiers". The "dragControl" value is a string and the other values are integers (eg the callback string could be "print '%(dragControl)s %(x)d %(y)d %(modifiers)d'")

dropCallback(dpc) script createedit
Adds a callback that is called when a drag and drop operation is released above the drop site. The MEL version of the callback is of the form:

global proc callbackName(string $dragControl, string $dropControl, string $msgs[], int $x, int $y, int $type)

The proc receives a string array that is transferred from the drag source. The first string in the msgs array describes the user defined message type. Controls that are application defined drop sites may ignore the callback. $type can have values of 1 == Move, 2 == Copy, 3 == Link.

In Python, it is similar, but there are two ways to specify the callback. The recommended way is to pass a Python function object as the argument. In that case, the Python callback should have the form:

def pythonDropTest( dragControl, dropControl, messages, x, y, dragType ):

The values of these arguments are the same as those for the MEL version above.

The other way to specify the callback in Python is to specify a string to be executed. In that case, the string will have the values substituted into it via the standard Python format operator. The format values are passed in a dictionary with the keys "dragControl", "dropControl", "messages", "x", "y", "type". The "dragControl" value is a string and the other values are integers (eg the callback string could be "print '%(dragControl)s %(dropControl)s %(messages)r %(x)d %(y)d %(type)d'")

fullPathName(fpn) string query
Return the full path name of the widget, which includes all the parents
globalTime(gt) boolean createqueryedit
"true" means this widget controls and displays the global, dependency graph time. "false" means time changes here do NOT affect the dependency graph. Query returns int.
snap(sn) boolean createqueryedit
"true" means this widget is constrained to having values that are integers representing the current time unit.. "false" means the current time indicator is "free floating" and not constrained.
sound(s) string queryedit
Name of audio depend node whose data should display in the sound-display widget. Query returns string.
displaySound(ds) boolean queryedit
Turn sound display off. Query returns int.
waveform(wf) string queryedit
Determines what part of the sound waveform to display, when -displaySound is "true". Valid values are "top", "bottom", and "both". Default is "top". Query returns string.
resample(r) boolean edit
Resample the sound display to fit the widget
repeatOnHold(roh) boolean queryedit
Repeat sound during mouse-down events
repeatChunkSize(rcs) float queryedit
How much sound (in the current time unit) is repeated when -repeatOnHold is true. Default is 1.0.
beginScrub(bs) boolean edit
Set this widget up for sound scrubbing. Subsequent changes to current time will result in "sound scrubbing" behavior, until the "-endScrub" command is issued for this widget.
endScrub(es) boolean edit
End sound scubbing for this widget. This stops sound scrubbing behavior and should be issued before any subsequent "-beginScrub" flags
showKeys(sk) string createqueryedit
"active" will show tick marks for keyframes on all active objects. "none" shows no tick marks. Any other name is taken as the name of a channel box whose selected attributes will display tick marks. Default "active". Query returns string.
showKeysCombined(skc) boolean createqueryedit
This flag can be used in conjunction with the showKeys flag to enable a combination of "active" + "channel box" behavior. Specifically, if channel box attributes are selected, tick marks will be shown for those attributes. If no channel box attributes are selected, tick marks will be shown for keyframes on all active objects.
animCurveNames(acn) boolean createquery
When "showKeys" is not "none", querying this flag will return the names of all the animCurves for which keyframe ticks are being displayed. Query returns string[].
range(rng) boolean createquery
Returns string representing the currently highlighted range visible on the time slider. A range from 10 to 20 would be returned as "10:20". When there's no range visible on the time slider, the query returns a range spanning the current time: for example, "10:11". These values are in the current time unit.
rangeArray(ra) boolean createquery
Returns a float array representing the currently highlighted range visible on the time slider. A range from 10 to 20 would be returned as { 10.0, 20.0 }. When there's no range visible on the time slider, the query returns values spanning the current time: { 10.0, 11.0 }. These values are in the current time unit.
rangeVisible(rv) boolean createquery
Returns true if a currently highlighted range is visible on the time slider, false if no.
pressCommand(pc) script createedit
script to run on mouse-down in this control.
releaseCommand(rc) script createedit
script to run on mouse-up in this control.
mainListConnection(mlc) string createqueryedit
Specifies the name of a selectionConnection object which the time slider will use as its source of content. The time slider will only display keys for items contained in the selectionConnection object.
animLayerFilterOptions(alf) string createqueryedit
Specifies whether a filter is to be applied when displaying animation layers. If so, the options can be "allAffecting" (no filter), "active" (only the active layers on the object will be displayed) and "animLayerEditor" (the settings will be taken from the animation layer editor).
tickSize(ts) int createqueryedit
Specifies the witdth of keyframe ticks drawn in the time slider. The value will be clamped to the range [1, 63].
forceRefresh(fr) boolean createedit
Force a refresh of the time control UI.
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

# To display sound in the time slider, there must first be a sound
# node in the scene. We'll create one and give it the name "ohNo".
# Note that the argument to the -file flag must be a path to a valid
# soundfile.
#
cmds.sound( file='C:/My Documents/maya/projects/default/sound/ohNo.aiff', name='ohNo' )
# To display sound in the time slider, you must specify
# the sound node to display and turn display of sound "on."
# First we need to get the name of the playback slider from
# the global mel variable called gPlayBackSlider
#
import maya.mel
aPlayBackSliderPython = maya.mel.eval('$tmpVar=$gPlayBackSlider')
cmds.timeControl( aPlayBackSliderPython, e=True, sound='ohNo', displaySound=True )
# To hear sound while scrubbing in the time slider, set the press and
# release commands to begin and end sound scrubbing.
#
cmds.timeControl( aPlayBackSliderPython,edit=True,pressCommand='cmds.timeControl(aPlayBackSliderPython,edit=True,beginScrub=True)')
cmds.timeControl( aPlayBackSliderPython,edit=True,releaseCommand='cmds.timeControl(aPlayBackSliderPython,edit=True,endScrub=True)')