APEX Script is a code interface for building APEX graphs. It uses a Python-like syntax to generate graphs that represents the code logic. APEX Script snippets can be written in the APEX Script SOP, which can take in inputs, execute the code snippet, and output the results. The APEX AutoRig Component SOP also provides an interface for writing APEX Script snippets.

APEX Script snippets have a direct representation as an APEX graph. As you type APEX Script code, you can see its graph representation being generated in the APEX network view:

APEX Script can be used as a tool to build new graphs, modify existing graphs, and retrieve graph data. See the following pages for more information:

• Working with graphs shows how to use APEX Script to access and manipulate graph elements, add graph logic directly into another graph, and invoke other graphs from within a graph.

• Create your own functions in APEX Script or use the built-in APEX functions within your code snippet.

• Use APEX Script to create and customize interfaces for your graphs.

• The APEX Script language reference describes the syntax and language elements of APEX Script, including the provided types, operations, and statements.

In APEX Script, BindInput() is a special function that defines the inputs to a graph. It creates a parms node with ports that represent the graph inputs. The BindOutput() function defines the graph outputs and creates an output node with ports that represent the values that are output from the graph.

In this example, we write an APEX Script snippet that takes a value as an input, and outputs the same value:

1. Put the following snippet in an APEX Script SOP, Snippet parameter:

   a = BindInput(3.5)
   
   BindOutput(a)
   

2. To see the APEX Script snippet represented as a graph, open up the APEX network view. At the top of a pane, click the New Tab icon and select New Pane Tab Type ▸ Animation ▸ APEX Network View.

3. On the APEX Script SOP, Visualizer section, set Show to Component Script.

   

In this example, we use APEX Script to create a new graph that contains a single TransformObject node:

1. In an APEX Script SOP, add the following code to the Snippet parameter:

   # Initialize a graph
   graph = ApexGraphHandle()
   
   # Add a TransformObject node to the new graph
   graph.addNode('test_a', 'TransformObject')
   
   # Write out the graph as geometry
   geo = graph.saveToGeometry()
   BindOutput(geo)
   

2. See the graph representation of the APEX Script snippet in the APEX network view. On the APEX Script SOP, Visualizer section, set Show to Component Script:

   

3. To output the graph as a geometry, set Bind Output Geometry to <output_node>:<output_port>. In our case, it is output:geo.

4. To see the new graph created by the APEX Script snippet:

   • On the APEX Script SOP, Visualizer section, set Show to Output 1.

     or

   • Connect the 1st output of the APEX Script SOP to a Null SOP, and select the Null SOP.

     

In this example, we use APEX Script to add a TransformObject node to an existing graph:

1. On an APEX Graph SOP, create a graph that contains only an input and output node:

   

2. Connect the graph as an input to an APEX Script SOP:

   

3. In the APEX Script SOP, use the predefined headers to automatically add the APEX Script commands that take in and modify an input graph:

   • Turn on the Header parameter.

   • In the Header section, set Template to Graph, which adds the following code to the beginning and end of your APEX Script snippet:

     Header

     geo: Geometry = BindInput()
     graph = geo.loadFromGeo()
     

     Footer

     geo = graph.saveToGeometry()
     BindOutput(geo)
     

4. Specify the input to the APEX Script SOP. In the Invocation section, under Input1 Bindings, turn on Bind To Geometry Parameter and set the parameter to geo - geo is the graph geometry that is input to the APEX Script SOP, specified in the header from the previous step.

5. To output the updated graph, set Bind Output Geometry to output:geo.

6. The APEX Script SOP now takes in the input graph and outputs it unchanged. To see the graph that is output by the APEX Script SOP:

   • On the APEX Script SOP, Visualizer section, set Show to Output 1.

     or

   • Connect the 1st output of the APEX Script SOP to a Null SOP, and select the Null SOP.

7. To add a TransformObject node to the input graph, put the following code in the Snippet parameter:

   graph.addNode('test_a', 'TransformObject')