Maya and MIDI?

[Anonymous]

Hello all,

This is my first post so first of all hello to everyone on the forum :)

On to my question. I'm running Maya 2009 on a Linux machine, and I have a MIDI controller (device that transmits MIDI data to my computer via USB). Essentially I want Maya to be able to read the MIDI note/velocity/cc data coming from my controller so that I may route it as I please and control parameters of Maya with it (maybe for starters just simply controlling xyz coordinates?).
I have a command line tool called aseqdump (http://linuxcommand.org/man_pages/aseqdump1.html) which displays all the incoming MIDI data in real time as it is received from my MIDI controller. If I could somehow connect this program with Maya so that I could feed it the output of aseqdump, that would be great. I've been looking into the commandPort command but am still unsure how to proceed on this matter.

Thank you for any help

-Daniel

[Anonymous]

I am also trying to connect a MIDI Device to Maya, I'm using Maya 2011 and a Mac.

The place you should start is the MPxMidiInputDevice Class Reference in the API Documentation and the Sample Code (jlcVcrDevice.cpp: http://download.autodesk.com/us/maya/2011help/API/jlc_vcr_device_8cpp-example.html#_a0 ) is Linux-only so you are in luck.

I, however, am having little luck. If you have (or do) figured out any tricks to registerDevice (register the Plug-in) even with stubs for all the implemented methods, I would live to hear them. I can't get past the starting line. A very frustrating and un-helpful "...com.autodesk.Maya.2011registerDevice: (kFailure): Unexpected Internal Failure" is the wall I've come up against.

If you could share any successes you may have had with these classes, it would be much appreciated.

[randomd]

I have a Tangent Element that I use for editing and color correction and would love to port it to Maya for faster access to animation functions.  I am working in Maya 2013 on a Mac, so if you guys figure anything out I'd also be very interested in learning how you did it.  I'm still fumbling around with it but getting absolutely no where.

[Anonymous]

I don't know if or how often the folks at AutoDesk check these forums and threads, but if they happen to see this one, they outta write it down...they idea of a tactile hardware controller for animation is brilliant!

As a student animator who's currently learning character animation, who also happens to be a musician who does a moderate amount of home recording, yea...I have a nice little MIDI Tascam mixer sitting here and I could see using it for doing animation...I strongly suspect that would be a HUGE time saver.  My mixer is only an 8 channel, but I could see hooking in the IK handles for the feet to channels 1 & 2, hands on 3 & 4, hips on 5 and basic translations on the rest.  Even if you had to occasionally tweak a control manually, it would seriously speed up the bulk of a basic animation....and for animations of mechanical devices, it would be a serious blessing to say the least!

Also, I could see AutoDesk hooking up with a company like M-Audio or something and creating a hardware interface specifically for this...if they could make it reasonably plug & play, man...talk about some serious marketing potential!  A tactile hardware animation interface specifically designed to work with Maya...I could see the big boys out there (Pixar, Disney, etc) forking out some serious loot for that!  An "economy version" for the freelancers would just be icing on the cake.

Yea...that's a serious idea there.  Someone please post if they've made any headway on this!

[Steve_Curley]

I'm afraid there's only one place for making that kind of suggestion - and it isn't here... The 3ds Max Feedback Site is the place you need to post in order to have suggestions logged and investigated.

[randomd]

Hey Steve,

Thank you!  I have posted on the 3ds Max Feedback Site as you suggested.  Go here: Hardware control surface mapping for Maya / 3ds Max

It would be great for you other guys to follow the link and VOTE for it!

Thanks,

Randy

[Steve_Curley]

Sorry - that should have been the Maya feedback site, not the Max one. My apologies.
http://mayafeedback.autodesk.com/

[randomd]

Thanks Steve for catching that!  I have added it to the Maya Feedback board as well, check it out here:

http://mayafeedback.autodesk.com/forums/160514-ideas-for-maya-forum/suggestions/6756114-hardware-con...

AND VOTE!  Please.

Thanks,

Randy