My first Maya Node

We will create a Kurtis node in order to build a solid in Maya. (You must have Maya installed on your computer to follow this tutorial)

First, we create a simple node :

•  Create an animation block in the vartree. A graph is automatically created.
  
  
• Open the graph (ctrl + o)
  
  
• Press the tab key and select "MayaNodeTemplate". The parameters are preset to easily integrate Python commands to Maya.

• (If you import it as a referenced node, right click on it and choose "Unlink Reference" to modify it.).

Next, we build a graph in an animation department block in order to check the result of this node :

• Import the Maya node "Init" to initialize the software in order to send commands.
  
  
• Connect its output "next" to the input "previous" of the "MayaNodeTemplate" node .
  
  
• Import the node "SaveMayaFile" to save the scene.
  
  
• Connect the "next" output of the "MayaNodeTemplate" node to the input "previous" of the "SaveMayaFile" node.

• Double-click on the "SaveMayaFile" node and set the "Save path" parameter of the "SaveMayaFile" node.
  
  

We will now write the script of our node:

• Right-click on the "MayaNodeTemplate" and pick "Edit Node"
  
  
• Go to the "General" tab and rename it "polyPlatonicSolid".
  
  
• Go to the "Scripts" tab and add in its script the command: "polyPlatonicSolid()".

• Execute the graph by right-clicking on the "SaveMayaFile" node and choose "Execute".

• When the Execute is finished, right-click again on this node and choose "Maya" to open the saved scene to check the result.

The command "polyPlatonicSolid()" has different arguments. They allow to :

• Choose its name.
  
  
• Select the type of solid to create.
  
  
• Define its radius.

Create these parameters in the node interface :

• Create a new input plug to define the name of the solid.
  Rename it "name".
  
  
• Create a new input plug to define the type of solid to create.
  Rename it "solidType".
  Change its type into "list".
  Set its default value as "[0]".
  
  
• Create a last input plug to set the radius of the solid.
  Rename it "radius".
  Change its type into "float".
  Set its default value as "1.0".
  
  
• Click on "Apply"
  
  

• Next, integrate these plugs in the node script. Assign value to each command argument.
  cmds.polyPlatonicSolid(name=plugs.name, solidType=plugs.solidType[0], radius=plugs.radius)

These plugs need a user interface :

• Navigate to the tab "Plug UI".
  
  
• Create a new widget of type "Line Edit".
  
  
• Connect it to the "name" plug.

• Next, create a new widget of type "List".
  
  
• Connect it to the plug "solidType". Label it as you like.
  
  
• Add to its parameters the list of possible solid creation :
  Dodecahedron / Icosahedron / Octahedron / Tetrahedron
  
  
• Then change the "Output mode" setting in "Indices".
  
  
• Click on "OK"  to validate

• Create a type "Slider" widget.
  
  
• Connect it to the plug "radius".
  
  
• Click on "OK" to validate

• Double-click on the polyPlatonicSolid node and change the settings of the command from the node interface.
  
  
• Execute the "SaveMayaFile" node and open the file in Maya to see the different results.

You can also experiment with multiple "polyPlatonicSolid" nodes with different  parameters for each polyPlatonicSolid node.