topic Re: How do I save custom viewport gradient color themes for easy shelf button switching? (MEL script needed) in Maya Forum

How do I save custom viewport gradient color themes for easy shelf button switching? (MEL script needed)

Meliko — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 23:06:39 GMT

Hi,

I want to create preset color gradients for my Maya Viewport that I can click and change from my shelf instead of going into Windows/Settings-Preferences/ColorSettings every time I want to change the viewport gradient colors.

The closest I found after searching was this post in the forum that had an awesome MEL script that allowed for solid color viewport presets as shelf buttons.

How do I register the color of the viewport in the shelf?

But I need the MEL script that would allow me to input the RGB 0-10 values for TOP and BOTTOM Gradient colors and keep them as shelf button presets?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Mel

Re: How do I save custom viewport gradient color themes for easy shelf button switching? (MEL script needed)

amaterasu-qbb — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 06:33:36 GMT

Hi! @Meliko .

I thought this was closer to your question so I'm suggesting it. I hope it will be useful for you.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/maya-forum/how-do-i-register-the-color-of-the-viewport-in-the-shelf/td-p/9633897

Also, I'm proposing an idea to make it possible to change this in real time, so please vote if you'd like.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/maya-ideas/change-viewport-background-color-real-time/idc-p/9853867#M3396

Best,

Re: How do I save custom viewport gradient color themes for easy shelf button switching? (MEL script needed)

Meliko — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 17:17:19 GMT

Hi @amaterasu-qbb,

Thanks for the reply. In my post, I actually linked to your post about BG colors as shelf buttons. It's a good solution that I'll use for quickly changing BG colors with shelf buttons. I'm hoping there's a way to save Gradient BG themes as shelf buttons also.

I like your idea of real time color changes in viewport like Blender.

Cheers

Re: How do I save custom viewport gradient color themes for easy shelf button switching? (MEL script needed)

amaterasu-qbb — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 06:37:16 GMT

Hi! @Meliko .

I just saw that you put the link to my question in your original post. I apologize for that. Unfortunately, I can't solve this problem, but I've summarized everything I've researched.

This is the command when you change Background from 3D View in Color Setting.

updateRGBColor background; updateColorPrefUI; from maya.plugin.evaluator.cache_ui import cache_ui_colour_preferences_update cache_ui_colour_preferences_update() // I tried both with different colors and the same command returned. updateRGBColor background; updateColorPrefUI; from maya.plugin.evaluator.cache_ui import cache_ui_colour_preferences_update cache_ui_colour_preferences_update()

This is the command when changing Gradient Top from 3D View of Color Setting.

// Result: scriptEditorPanel1Window|scriptEditorPanel1|formLayout112|formLayout114|paneLayout2|cmdScrollFieldReporter1 updateRGBColor backgroundTop; updateColorPrefUI; from maya.plugin.evaluator.cache_ui import cache_ui_colour_preferences_update cache_ui_colour_preferences_update() // I tried both with different colors and the same command returned. // Result: scriptEditorPanel1Window|scriptEditorPanel1|formLayout112|formLayout114|paneLayout2|cmdScrollFieldReporter1 updateRGBColor backgroundTop; updateColorPrefUI; from maya.plugin.evaluator.cache_ui import cache_ui_colour_preferences_update cache_ui_colour_preferences_update()

This is the command when changing Gradient Bottom from 3D View of Color Setting.

// Result: scriptEditorPanel1Window|scriptEditorPanel1|formLayout112|formLayout114|paneLayout2|cmdScrollFieldReporter1 updateRGBColor backgroundBottom; updateColorPrefUI; from maya.plugin.evaluator.cache_ui import cache_ui_colour_preferences_update cache_ui_colour_preferences_update() // I tried both with different colors and the same command returned. // Result: scriptEditorPanel1Window|scriptEditorPanel1|formLayout112|formLayout114|paneLayout2|cmdScrollFieldReporter1 updateRGBColor backgroundBottom; updateColorPrefUI; from maya.plugin.evaluator.cache_ui import cache_ui_colour_preferences_update cache_ui_colour_preferences_update()

You can see that there are commands that are common to each.

from maya.plugin.evaluator.cache_ui import cache_ui_colour_preferences_update
cache_ui_colour_preferences_update()
updateRGBColor

Checking these with the whatIs command is as follows.

from maya.plugin.evaluator.cache_ui import cache_ui_colour_preferences_update // Result: Unknown cache_ui_colour_preferences_update() // Result: Unknown updateRGBColor // Result: Mel procedure found in: C:/Program Files/Autodesk/Maya2023/scripts/others/colorPrefWnd.mel // updateRGBColor command global proc updateRGBColor (string $colorName) { string $widgetName = rgbSliderWidget($colorName); float $col[]; $col=`colorSliderGrp -q -rgb $widgetName`; float $alpha[]=`colorSliderGrp -q -alphaValue $widgetName`; displayRGBColor $colorName $col[0] $col[1] $col[2] $alpha[0]; // If the User Defined Color Palette window is up, update it // We don't check what colour is being updated here because // the checking is slower than actually doing the work // global string $gObjColorPalette; if (`palettePort -exists $gObjColorPalette`) { initObjColorPalette(); } }

It might be a good idea to ask the same question on the Maya Programming forums.

Also, I think this will involve using an API that does more complex processing than MEL, so it may be difficult to get an answer.

Best,

Re: How do I save custom viewport gradient color themes for easy shelf button switching? (MEL script needed)

Meliko — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 06:45:18 GMT

Hi @amaterasu-qbb

Wow. Thanks very much for getting this code!

I echoed commands in script editor but there was nothing when I changed colors in the Color Settings pref panel. How did you get this code?

I will play around with this and see if I can affect the gradient colors but since I'm not a coder, I don't have high hopes. Your suggestion to ask in the programmers forum is a good one.

Thanks for taking the time to dive into this. Much appreciated!

Re: How do I save custom viewport gradient color themes for easy shelf button switching? (MEL script needed)

brian.kramer — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 15:59:29 GMT

Hi Meliko,

If I understand correctly you want want to change the viewport background colour using shelf buttons?

Here are 4 little MEL scripts snippets that I think may help:

// Solid 1
displayPref -displayGradient false;
displayRGBColor "background" 0.7 0.7 0.6;

// Solid 2
displayPref -displayGradient false;
displayRGBColor "background" 0.6 0.7 0.7;

// Gradient 1
displayPref -displayGradient true;
displayRGBColor "backgroundTop" 0.4 0.4 0.5;
displayRGBColor "backgroundBottom" 0.7 0.8 0.7;

// Gradient 2
displayPref -displayGradient true;
displayRGBColor "backgroundTop" 0.5 0.3 0.6;
displayRGBColor "backgroundBottom" 0.5 0.8 0.6;

Paste everything into the Script Editor then select each snippet one at a time. Drag each selection to your shelf.

You should wind up with 4 buttons on your shelf which will change the viewport background.

Hope this helps,

-Brian

Re: How do I save custom viewport gradient color themes for easy shelf button switching? (MEL script needed)

Meliko — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 16:11:05 GMT

Hi @brian.kramer

THANK YOU!! This was exactly what I wanted and it's working flawlessly now.

Much appreciated!