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Flags. MEL
examples.
currentUnit [-angle
string] [-fullName] [-linear string] [-time string] [-updateAnimation
boolean]
currentUnit is undoable, queryable, and NOT editable.
This command allows you to change the units in which you will work
in Maya. There are three types of units: linear, angular and time.
The current unit affects how all commands in Maya interpret their
numeric values. For example, if the current linear unit is
cm, then the command:
move 5 -2 3;
sphere -radius 4;
will be interpreted as moving 5cm in X, -2cm in Y, 3cm in Z, and as
creating a sphere with radius 4cm. Similarly, if the current time
unit is Film (24 frames per second), then the command:
currentTime 6;
will be interpreted as setting the current time to frame 6 in the
Film unit, which is 6/24 or 0.25 seconds. You can always override
the unit of a particular numeric value to a command be specifying
it one the command. For example, using the above examples:
move 5m -2mm 3cm;
sphere -radius 4inch;
currentTime 6ntsc;
would move the object 5 meters in X, -2 millimeters in Y, 3
centimeters in Z, create a sphere of radius 4 inches, and change
the current time to 6 frames in the NTSC unit, which would be 0.2
seconds, or 4.8 frames in the current (Film) unit.
| string |
The new current unit that has been set |
In query mode, return type is based on queried flag.
displayAffected, displayColor, displayCull, displayLevelOfDetail, displayPref, displayRGBColor, displaySmoothness, displayStats, displaySurface, hide, refresh, showHidden, toggle
angle, fullName, linear,
time, updateAnimation
| Long name (short name) |
Argument types |
Properties |
-linear(-l) |
string |
  |
|
Set the current linear unit. Valid strings are:
[mm | millimeter | cm | centimeter | m | meter | km | kilometer |
in | inch | ft | foot | yd | yard | mi | mile]
When queried, returns a string which is the current linear
unit |
|
-angle(-a) |
string |
|
|
Set the current angular unit. Valid strings are:
[deg | degree | rad | radian]
When queried, returns a string which is the current angular
unit |
|
-time(-t) |
string |
|
|
Set the current time unit. Valid strings are:
[hour | min | sec | millisec | game | film | pal | ntsc | show |
palf | ntscf]
When queried, returns a string which is the current time unit Note
that there is no long form for any of the time units. The
non-seconds based time units are interpreted as the following
frames per second:
- game: 15 fps
- film: 24 fps
- pal: 25 fps
- ntsc: 30 fps
- show: 48 fps
- palf: 50 fps
- ntscf: 60 fps
|
|
-fullName(-f) |
|
|
|
A query only flag. When specified in conjunction with any of
the -linear/-angle/-time flags, will return the long form of the
unit. For example, mm and millimeter are the same
unit, but the former is the short form of the unit name, and the
latter is the long form of the unit name. |
|
-updateAnimation(-ua) |
boolean |
|
|
An edit only flag. When specified in conjunction with the -time
flag indicates that times for keys are not updated. By default when
the current time unit is changed, the times for keys are modified
so that playback timing is preserved. For example a key set a frame
12film is changed to frame 15ntsc when the current time unit is
changed to ntsc, since they both represent a key at a time of 0.5
seconds. Specifying -updateAnimation false would leave the key at
frame 12ntsc. Default is -updateAnimation true. |
|
| 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. |
// What is the current linear unit?
currentUnit -query -linear;
// What is the current angular unit in its long name form?
currentUnit -fullName -query -angle;
// Change the current time unit to ntsc
currentUnit -time ntsc;
// Change the current linear unit to inches
currentUnit -linear "in";