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Below are some MEL scripts written for a character rigging 101 workshop hosted by Rigging Dojo..

Rename Offset Groups

To automate the creation of parent offset groups to place NURBS control curves under, I wrote the following MEL script to do the following:

1. Get the name of the currently selected joint
2. Replace the “_JNT_” substring with “_GRP_” to follow project naming conventions
3. Create a null group under the new name (transform will be at the scene origin)
4. Make the group a child of the currently selected joint
5. Zero out translate and rotate values

    # name the group
    string $ls[] = `ls -sl`;
    string $jname = $ls[0];
    string $jregex = "_JNT_";
    string $gname = `substitute $jregex $jname "_GRP_"`;

   # create the group
   string $grp = `group -empty -name $gname`;
   parent $grp $jname;

    # zero translate and rotate values
    string $t = $jname + "|" + $gname + ".translate";
    setAttr $t -type "double3" 0 0 0;
    string $r = $jname + "|" + $gname + ".rotate";
    setAttr $r -type "double3" 0 0 0;

Parent a NURBS Curve Under an Offset Group

Below is a similar script to rename a NURBS curve, parent it under a correctly named offset group, and zero out its translate and rotate values:

    string $ls[] = `ls -sl`;
    
    # validate selected
    if (size($ls) != 2) {
        error "Please select a nurbs curve and a group transform";
        
    } else {
        string $crel[] = `listRelatives -shapes $ls[0]`;
        string $grel[] = `listRelatives -shapes $ls[1]`;
        if (`size($crel)` != 1 || `objectType $crel[0]` != "nurbsCurve") {
            error "First selected object should be a nurbs curve";
            
        } else if (`size($grel)` != 0 || `objectType $ls[1]` != "transform") {
            error "Second selected object should be a group";
            
        } else {
            # rename curve
            string $gname = $ls[1];
            string $gregex = "_GRP_";
            string $cname = `substitute $gregex $gname "_CTRL_"`;
            rename $ls[0] $cname;
            
            # parent ctrl under group
            parent $cname $gname;
            reorder -front $cname;
            
            # zero translate and rotate values
            string $t = $gname + "|" + $cname + ".translate";
            setAttr $t -type "double3" 0 0 0;
            string $t = $gname + "|" + $cname + ".rotate";
            setAttr $t -type "double3" 0 0 0;
        }
    }

Automate Parent Constraints

Given the following objects:

1. one or more correctly named (and selected) NURBS control curves
2. one or more correctly named corresponding joints

The below script automates creating parent constraints in which the translation and rotation values of the NURBs control curve(s) drives those of the corresponding joint(s):

    # find the corresponding joint
    string $objs[] = `ls -sl`;
    string $obj;
    for($obj in $objs) {
        string $shapes[] = `listRelatives -shapes $obj`;
        if (`size($shapes)` > 0 && `objectType $shapes[0]` == "nurbsCurve") {
            string $cname = $obj;
            string $cregex = "_CTRL_";
            string $jname = `substitute $cregex $cname "_JNT_"`;
            
            # add parent constraint
            parentConstraint -maintainOffset $cname $jname;
            print("Added parent constraint from " + $cname + " to " + $jname + "\n");
        }
    }