blendTwoAttr

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Synopsis

blendTwoAttr [-attribute string] [-attribute0 name] [-attribute1 name] [-blender name] [-controlPoints boolean] [-driver int] [-name string] [-shape boolean] [-time timerange] [objects]

blendTwoAttr is undoable, queryable, and editable.

     (1 - blendFunction) * input[0]  +  blendFunction * input[1] 

The blendTwoAttr command can be used to blend the animation of an object to transition smoothly between the animation of two other objects.

When the blendTwoAttr command is issued, it creates a blendTwoAttr node on the specified attributes, and reconnects whatever was previously connected to the attributes to the new blend nodes. You may also specify which two attributes should be used to blend together.

The driver is used when you want to keyframe an object after it is being animated by a blend node. The current driver index specifies which of the two blended attributes should be keyframed.

Return value

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

Flags

Long name (short name)	Argument types	Properties
-attribute(-at)	string
A list of attributes for the selected nodes for which a blendTwoAttr node will be created. In query mode, this flag needs a value.
-attribute0(-at0)	name
The attribute that should be connected to the first input of the new blendTwoAttr node. When queried, it returns a string.
-attribute1(-at1)	name
The attribute that should be connected to the second input of the new blendTwoAttr node. When queried, it returns a string.
-driver(-d)	int
The index of the driver attribute for this blend node (0 or 1) When queried, it returns an integer.
-blender(-bl)	name
The blender attribute. This is the attribute that will be connected to the newly created blendTwoAttr node(s) blender attribute. This attribute controls how much of each of the two attributes to use in the blend. If this flag is not specified, a new animation curve is created whose value goes from 1 to 0 throughout the time range specified by the -t flag. If -t is not specified, an abrupt change from the value of the first to the value of the second attribute will occur at the current time when this command is issued.
-time(-t)	timerange
The time range between which the blending between the 2 attributes should occur. If a single time is specified, then the blend will cause an abrupt change from the first to the second attribute at that time. If a range is specified, a smooth blending will occur over that time range. The default is to make a sudden transition at the current time.
-name(-n)	string
name for the new blend node(s)
-shape(-s)	boolean
Consider all attributes of shapes below transforms as well, except "controlPoints". Default: true
-controlPoints(-cp)	boolean
Explicitly specify whether or not to include the control points of a shape (see "-s" flag) in the list of attributes. Default: false.

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

// Assume we have animated a bouncing sphere, sphere1, and we would like
// the sphere to smoothly transition into following a second sphere's,
// sphere2, animation between time 15 and 20.
//
select sphere1;
blendTwoAttr -at tx -at1 sphere2.tx -t "15:20";
blendTwoAttr -at ty -at1 sphere2.ty -t "15:20";
blendTwoAttr -at tz -at1 sphere2.tz -t "15:20";

// You can use the "-at" flag to narrow the query. For example, if
// you wanted to know the names of the newly created blender curves
// for only the tx and tz attributes of sphere1, you could say:
//
blendTwoAttr -at tx -at tz -query -blender;

// You can now keyframe the sphere2's animation by changing the
// driver on sphere1.
//
blendTwoAttr -at tx -edit -driver 1;
// setKeyframe ...

// If you already had two objects, sphere1 and sphere2 animated, and
// you wanted to blend between their animation abruptly at time 15,
// you could do:
//
blendTwoAttr -t 15 -at0 sphere1.tx -at1 sphere2.tx  newObject.tx;