class MTime

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public members:

enum	Unit kInvalid kHours 3600 seconds kMinutes 60 seconds kSeconds 1 second kMilliseconds 1/1000 of a second kGames 15 frames per second kFilm 24 frames per second kPALFrame 25 frames per second kNTSCFrame 30 frames per second kShowScan twice the speed of film (48 frames per second) kPALField twice the speed of PAL (50 frames per second) kNTSCField twice the speed of NTSC (60 frames per second) k2FPS 2 frames per second k3FPS 3 frames per second k4FPS 4 frames per second k5FPS 5 frames per second k6FPS 6 frames per second k8FPS 8 frames per second k10FPS 10 frames per second k12FPS 12 frames per second k16FPS 16 frames per second k20FPS 20 frames per second k40FPS 40 frames per second k75FPS 75 frames per second k80FPS 80 frames per second k100FPS 100 frames per second k120FPS 120 frames per second k125FPS 125 frames per second k150FPS 150 frames per second k200FPS 200 frames per second k240FPS 240 frames per second k250FPS 250 frames per second k300FPS 300 frames per second k375FPS 375 frames per second k400FPS 400 frames per second k500FPS 500 frames per second k600FPS 600 frames per second k750FPS 750 frames per second k1200FPS 1200 frames per second k1500FPS 1500 frames per second k2000FPS 2000 frames per second k3000FPS 3000 frames per second k6000FPS 6000 frames per second kUserDef user defined units (not implemented yet) kLast
	MTime ()
	MTime ( const MTime & )
	MTime ( double time_val, Unit = kFilm )
	~MTime ()
Unit	unit () const
double	value () const
MStatus	setUnit ( Unit new_unit )
MStatus	setValue ( double new_value )
double	as ( Unit other_unit ) const
static Unit	uiUnit ()
static MStatus	setUIUnit ( Unit new_unit)
MTime &	operator = ( const MTime & rhs )
bool	operator == ( const MTime & rhs ) const
bool	operator != ( const MTime & rhs ) const
bool	operator <= ( const MTime & rhs ) const
bool	operator >= ( const MTime & rhs ) const
bool	operator < ( const MTime & rhs ) const
bool	operator > ( const MTime & rhs ) const
MTime	operator + ( const MTime & rhs ) const
MTime &	operator += ( const MTime & rhs )
MTime	operator + ( double rhs ) const
MTime &	operator += ( double rhs )
MTime &	operator ++ ()
MTime &	operator ++ (int)
MTime	operator - ( const MTime & rhs ) const
MTime &	operator -= ( const MTime & rhs )
MTime	operator - ( double rhs ) const
MTime &	operator -= ( double rhs )
MTime &	operator -- ()
MTime &	operator -- (int)
MTime	operator * ( double rhs ) const
MTime &	operator *= ( double rhs )
MTime	operator / ( double rhs ) const
MTime &	operator /= ( double rhs )
friend ostream&	operator << ( ostream& os, const MTime & t )

Documentation

Description

The MTime class provides a fundamental type for the Maya API to hold and manipulate animation timing information in various unit systems. All API methods that require or return timing information do so through variables of this type.

If one desires to manipulate time in such a way that integer changes in an MTime instance result in integer changes in the frame displayed by the timeslider, then an MTime instance should be created that uses UI units. This can be done either by using the default constructor, or by passing the return value of the static method uiUnit to the normal constructor. Once such an MTime instance is created, its value will be equivalent to a frame on the timeslider.

It should be noted that while the timeslider displays frames, a seemingly unitless value, Maya internally is operating based on the desired frameRate (one of those specified by the MTime::Unit enum. It is necessary for the API programmer to be aware of this as MTime instances are not unitless and allow the manipulation of time in any desired units.

Functions

MTime:: MTime ()

Description

Default class constructor. Sets the initial time to 1 (the first frame) in the UI units currently in effect.

MTime:: MTime (const MTime & src)

Description

Copy Constructor.

Arguments

• src the instance to copy

MTime:: MTime (double newValue, MTime::Unit newUnit )

Description

Constructor that sets the current time to the given value in the given units. If the parameter, newUnit, is not specified, it defaults to kFilm (24 frames/second).

Arguments

• newValue the initial time value, in the newUnit system
• newUnit the unit system to be used in this instance

MTime:: ~MTime ()

Description

The class destructor.

MTime::Unit MTime:: unit () const

Description

Returns the current units in effect for this instance.

Return Value

• an element of the MTime::Unit enum

double MTime:: value () const

Description

Returns the current time value in the units that are currently in effect for this instance.

Return Value

• the current time value

MStatus MTime:: setUnit ( MTime::Unit newUnit )

Description

Set the current units in effect on this MTime instance. Note that this method only changes the current units in the instance, it does not affect the value. So, calls to the value method before and after a call to setUnit will return the same number, however, the interpretation of that number will be different due to the change in unit systems.

Arguments

• newUnit an element of the MTime::Unit enum

Return Value

• kSuccess if the given unit is valid, kInvalidParameter otherwise

MStatus MTime:: setValue ( double newValue )

Description

Set the current time value in the current units for this instance.

Arguments

• newValue The new time value.

Return Value

• kSuccess if the value is set successfully, kFailure otherwise

double MTime:: as ( MTime::Unit newUnit ) const

Description

Returns the current time value in the given units. This does not affect the current units for the instance.

Arguments

• newUnit an element of the MTime::Unit enum

Return Value

• the current time value in the given units

MTime::Unit MTime:: uiUnit ()

Description

Returns the Working Units (or UI units) chosen in the settings of the prefs window. Maya's timeslider displays frames in these units.

Return Value

• an element of the MTime::Unit enum

MStatus MTime:: setUIUnit ( MTime::Unit newUnit )

Description

Set the unit system to be used by the user in the UI. After the successful completion of this method, Maya's timeslider will be displaying frames in the specified units.

Arguments

• newUnit an element of the MTime::Unit enum

Return Value

• kSuccess if the given unit is valid, kInvalidParameter otherwise

MTime & MTime:: operator= ( const MTime & rhs )

Description

Assignment operator.

bool MTime:: operator == ( const MTime & rhs ) const

Description

Equality operator.

bool MTime:: operator != ( const MTime & rhs ) const

Description

InEquality operator.

bool MTime:: operator <= ( const MTime & rhs ) const

Description

Less than or equal to operator.

bool MTime:: operator >= ( const MTime & rhs ) const

Description

Greater than or equal to operator.

bool MTime:: operator < ( const MTime & rhs ) const

Description

Less than operator.

bool MTime:: operator > ( const MTime & rhs ) const

Description

Greater than operator.

MTime MTime:: operator + ( const MTime & rhs ) const

Description

Addition operator. The units of the returned MTime instance are those of the left hand argument to the + operator.

MTime & MTime:: operator += ( const MTime & rhs )

Description

In place addition operator.

MTime MTime:: operator + ( double rhs ) const

Description

Addition operator by a double. The double is interpreted as a number of frames in the units of the MTime instance to the left of the + operator. Thus, to increase time by five frames in the current units, add 5 to the instance.

MTime & MTime:: operator += ( double rhs )

Description

In place addition operator by a double. The double is interpreted as a number of frames in the units of the MTime instance. Thus, to increase time by five frames in the current units, add 5 to the instance.

MTime & MTime:: operator ++ ()

Description

Prefix increment operator.

MTime & MTime:: operator ++ ( int )

Description

Postfix increment operator.

Arguments

• int dummy argument to differentiate the prefix and postfix operators.

MTime MTime:: operator - ( const MTime & rhs ) const

Description

Subtraction operator. The units of the returned MTime instance are those of the left hand argument to the - operator.

MTime & MTime:: operator -= ( const MTime & rhs )

Description

In place subtraction operator.

MTime MTime:: operator - ( double rhs ) const

Description

Subtraction operator by a double. The double is interpreted as a number of frames in the units of the MTime instance to the left of the - operator. Thus, to decrease time by five frames in the current units, subtract 5 from the instance.

MTime & MTime:: operator -= ( double rhs )

Description

In place Subtraction operator by a double. The double is interpreted as a number of frames in the units of the MTime instance. Thus, to decrease time by five frames in the current units, subtract 5 from the instance.

MTime & MTime:: operator -- ()

Description

Prefix decrement operator.

MTime & MTime:: operator -- ( int )

Description

Postfix decrement operator.

Arguments

• int dummy argument to differentiate the prefix and postfix operators.

MTime MTime:: operator * ( double rhs ) const

Description

Multiplication by a scalar operator. Multiply the instance to the left of the * operator by the given double, and assign the result to a new MTime instance.

Arguments

• rhs the scalar to multiply by.

MTime & MTime:: operator *= ( double rhs )

Description

In place multiplication by a scalar operator. Multiply the current instance by the given double.

Arguments

• rhs the scalar to multiply by.

MTime MTime:: operator / ( double rhs ) const

Description

Division by a scalar operator. Divide the instance to the left of the / operator by the given double, and assign the result to a new MTime instance.

Arguments

• rhs the scalar to divide by.

MTime & MTime:: operator /= ( double rhs )

Description

In place division by a scalar operator. Divide the current instance by the given double.

Arguments

• rhs the scalar to multiply by.

ostream& operator << (ostream& os, const MTime & t )

Description

Print the contents of the given MTime on the given ostream. Prints the result of a call to the value() method on the given MTime instance.

Arguments

• os the ostream to print to
• t the MTime whose value is to be printed

Return Value

• the ostream reference, os, provided as the first parameter.

This class has no child classes.