Scripting: StoreShapeKey

StoreShapeKey

Description

Stores a shape key. When you store shape keys, a shape key is created for the current shape and added to the model's list of shape sources (in the model's Mixer > Sources > Shape folder) but it does not create a shape clip in the mixer.

Storing shape keys is a good way to build up a library of shapes that you can use later. The first shape created on a geometry installs a cluster shape combiner operator and serves to define the reference shape.

With shape animation (sometimes called morphing), you can change the shape of an object over time, animating the geometrical shape of an object using clusters of points (clusters made of polygons or edges are not supported). You can use surface (NURBS) or polygon objects to create shape animation, or even curves and lattices--any geometry that has a static number of points.

In Softimage, all shape animation is done on clusters. This means that you can create different clusters on an object and create shape keys for each of them; or you can treat a complete object as one cluster and save shape keys for it. For more information on clusters in general, see the Softimage user guide.

A shape key is static if the duration specified is zero. Otherwise, the deformation of the geometry is captured at the sampling specified.

Scripting Syntax

oReturn = StoreShapeKey( [InputObj], [Name], [RefMode], [Frame], [Duration], [Sampling], [Content], [Force deform stripping] );

Return Value

Returns the ShapeKey.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
InputObj	String	Points, clusters, or an object. Default Value: Current selection
Name	String	Name of the shape key.
RefMode	siShapeReferenceMode	The reference mode of the shape key created Default Value: siShapeObjectReferenceMode
Frame	Double	Frame for which to store the shape key. Default Value: Current frame
Duration	Double	The duration of the shape key in frames. When the duration is non-zero we plot deformations into the shape key, otherwise the shape key will contain only the deformation at the provided frame. Default Value: Zero duration. Store the shape key as a static shape at the provided frame.
Sampling	Double	The sampling at which to plot the deformations. The sampling the the number of frames in between samples. Default Value: Zero sampling. Store the shape key as a static shape at the provided frame.
Content	siShapeContent	Determines which deformations should get stored in the shape. Default Value: siShapeContentSecondaryShape
Force deform stripping	Boolean	Forces the removal of any deformations above the shape combiner. Default Value: false

Examples

VBScript Example

NewScene , false
CreatePrim "Sphere", "NurbsSurface" 
SetSelFilter "Point" 
AddToSelection "sphere.pnt[(5,4),(6,4),(7,4),(0,5),(1,5),(2,5),(3,5),(4,5),(5,5),(6,5),(7,5),(0,6),(1,6),(2,6),(3,6)]" 
CreateCluster 
StoreShapeKey "sphere.surfmsh.cls.Point", "MyShape", siShapeObjectReferenceMode