Plugging PyMel
I was trying to think of a scripting related topic that would be useful to talk about and thought I should show my support toward PyMel. Maya’s python integration in my opinion falls short of what it should be. They blended syntax of object oriented programming with the procedural style of MEL. Which, for me, does not make any sense since there is no real advantage in using python except the ability to create and use other python modules. But luckily someone already decided to step up and develop a python package that is a lot closer to what Maya’s python should have been. Its name, of course is PyMel. Best of all its free and open source so you can download it and enjoy it for no cost.
I use to be a die hard MEL fan since I was working with it for so long, and when Maya added python support I didn’t see too big of an advantage but when I made the switch and was shown PyMel, I no longer use Maya’s native modules and instead I use PyMel’s. Sure there are still a few bugs and has not released an official ‘version 1’, but its already made my code easier and cleaner. It has also improved my knowledge of python by breaking down the code and understanding how it all works.
My thanks to everyone involved with developing it. I encourage anyone who is using Maya’s python to stop and give this a try and see what it can offer you and make your life easier.
