Storing a shader as a Python's variable in Maya

Question

I have a script in Maya that looks for a shader and creates it if this shader doesn't exist. So far, so good. The problem is, that I can't seem to make Maya store it from its name, when it is found.

import maya.cmds as cmds

findShd = cmds.objExists( 'shd_' + str( udim ) )

    if findShd:
        print 'shader exists'
        shaders = cmds.ls( 'shd_' + str( udim ) )
        print shaders[ 0 ] # this prints the name as I would expect
        shaderSG = mc.listConnections( shaders[ 0 ], type = 'shadingEngine' )

    else:
        shader = cmds.shadingNode( 'blinn', asShader = True, name = ( 'shd_' + str( udim ) ) )
        shaderSG = cmds.sets( shader, renderable = True, noSurfaceShader = True, empty = True, name = shader + "SG" )
        cmds.connectAttr( shader + ".outColor", shaderSG + ".surfaceShader", force = True )         
        cmds.select( shellUVs )
        lFaces = cmds.ls( cmds.polyListComponentConversion( tf = True ) )

        for face in lFaces:         
            cmds.sets( lFaces, e = True, forceElement = shaderSG )

When the shader exists, I need to store both it and the shading group it is attached to, so that I can assign it outside of the condition.

This line though:

shaderSG = cmds.listConnections( shaders[ 0 ], type = 'shadingEngine' )

gives me: Module object has no attribute listConnections

How should I store it, if not with list?

Thanks.

Answer 1

I think you messing up with maya module namespaces Try with cmds

shaderSG = cmds.listConnections(shaders[0],type='shadingEngine')