how can search an outside file structure from inside of Maya using python

Question

I am an experienced Maya user but fairly new to programming and there is something I am trying to figure out. I am attempting to create a function for use inside of Maya that would allow me to search the file structure for a texture file.

What I want it to do is this:

if texture_name is missing:
    access folder containing this scene
    go up one file to character folder
    if textures folder exists:
        if object matching texture_name exists:
            set this folder as new texture path

alternatively it could do something like this:

texture path is A:B/C/D/texture_name
    if A:B/C/D/texture_name == False:
        if A:B/C/E/texture_name == False:
            if A:B/F/E/texture_name == False:

etc. replacing the texture path one layer at a time until it works

EDIT: I have found a workaround that generates the texture paths I need, but I am still looking for a way to Query whether a certain file exists. Like the objExists function but to check for files outside the maya scene.

Answer 1

You can use the os module to check if it exists. There is os.path, os.path.isfile()

extracting only texture filenames being used in maya file from the list of filename paths