USD Selection Mode doesn't work with translated prims via mayaUsdEditAsMaya command

[NickWu]

Describe the bug
USD Selection Mode ( you can access it by going to Maya's main menu Select -> USD Selection Mode) works fine with prims loaded with mayaUsdProxyShape. But once a prim is translated to Maya via cmds.mayaUsdEditAsMaya command, USD Selection Mode doesn't work with the translated prim anymore.

Steps to reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Load the attached "usdkindselection.usda" file with mayaUsdProxyShape. At this point, you can select the mesh prims individually by selecting any of them from the viewport.

2. Select Maya's main menu Select -> USD Selection Mode -> Group
3. Now, when you select any of the mesh prims from the viewport, their parent box prim will be selected instead because its kind value is group. From now on, you are not able to select individual mesh prims from the viewport.

4. Next, with box prim selected, right-click in the Outliner and select "Edit As Maya Data" to translate the box prim and its children prims to become Maya native objects.

5. Now when you select any of the translated mesh prims from the viewport, you are able to select them individually. That means USD Selection Mode doesn't work with translated prims. However, USD Selection Mode should be able to tell a translated prim's kind by accessing its kind attribute.

Expected behavior
USD Selection Mode should work with USD prims as well as translated prims via cmds.mayaUsdEditAsMaya because they both can be accessed by UFE and a translated prim's kind value is accessible from its kind attribute.

Attachments
usdkindselection.usda

#usda 1.0

def Xform "root"
{

    def Xform "house" (
        kind = "environment"
    )
    {
        def Xform "box" (
           kind = "group"
        )
        {
            def Mesh "Mesh1" (
                kind = "component"
            )
            {
                float3[] extent = [(-0.5, -0.5, -0.5), (0.5, 0.5, 0.5)]
                token faceVaryingLinearInterpolation = "all"
                int[] faceVertexCounts = [4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4]
                int[] faceVertexIndices = [0, 1, 3, 2, 2, 3, 5, 4, 4, 5, 7, 6, 6, 7, 1, 0, 1, 7, 5, 3, 6, 0, 2, 4]
                token interpolateBoundary = "edgeOnly"
                point3f[] points = [(-0.5, -0.5, 0.5), (0.5, -0.5, 0.5), (-0.5, 0.5, 0.5), (0.5, 0.5, 0.5), (-0.5, 0.5, -0.5), (0.5, 0.5, -0.5), (-0.5, -0.5, -0.5), (0.5, -0.5, -0.5)]
                color3f[] primvars:displayColor = [(0.13320851, 0.13320851, 0.13320851)] (
                    customData = {
                        dictionary Maya = {
                            bool generated = 1
                        }
                    }
                )
                texCoord2f[] primvars:st = [(0.375, 0), (0.625, 0), (0.625, 0.25), (0.375, 0.25), (0.625, 0.5), (0.375, 0.5), (0.625, 0.75), (0.375, 0.75), (0.625, 1), (0.375, 1), (0.875, 0), (0.875, 0.25), (0.125, 0), (0.125, 0.25)] (
                    interpolation = "faceVarying"
                )
                int[] primvars:st:indices = [0, 1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 4, 5, 5, 4, 6, 7, 7, 6, 8, 9, 1, 10, 11, 2, 12, 0, 3, 13]
            }

             def Mesh "Mesh2" (
                kind = "component"
            )
            {
                double3 xformOp:translate = (2, 0, 0)
                uniform token[] xformOpOrder = ["xformOp:translate"]
                float3[] extent = [(-0.5, -0.5, -0.5), (0.5, 0.5, 0.5)]
                token faceVaryingLinearInterpolation = "all"
                int[] faceVertexCounts = [4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4]
                int[] faceVertexIndices = [0, 1, 3, 2, 2, 3, 5, 4, 4, 5, 7, 6, 6, 7, 1, 0, 1, 7, 5, 3, 6, 0, 2, 4]
                token interpolateBoundary = "edgeOnly"
                point3f[] points = [(-0.5, -0.5, 0.5), (0.5, -0.5, 0.5), (-0.5, 0.5, 0.5), (0.5, 0.5, 0.5), (-0.5, 0.5, -0.5), (0.5, 0.5, -0.5), (-0.5, -0.5, -0.5), (0.5, -0.5, -0.5)]
                color3f[] primvars:displayColor = [(0.13320851, 0.13320851, 0.13320851)] (
                    customData = {
                        dictionary Maya = {
                            bool generated = 1
                        }
                    }
                )
                texCoord2f[] primvars:st = [(0.375, 0), (0.625, 0), (0.625, 0.25), (0.375, 0.25), (0.625, 0.5), (0.375, 0.5), (0.625, 0.75), (0.375, 0.75), (0.625, 1), (0.375, 1), (0.875, 0), (0.875, 0.25), (0.125, 0), (0.125, 0.25)] (
                    interpolation = "faceVarying"
                )
                int[] primvars:st:indices = [0, 1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 4, 5, 5, 4, 6, 7, 7, 6, 8, 9, 1, 10, 11, 2, 12, 0, 3, 13]
            }

        }
     }
   
}

Specs (if applicable):

• OS & version : CentOS 7.8
• Compiler & version : GCC 9.3.1
• Maya version: Maya-2023.2.0-11.0.PFIX & Maya 2022.4.0-24.0.PFIX
• Maya USD commit SHA: latest dev at 4bbc17f
• Pixar USD: official 22.11

[santosg87]

hi @NickWu thanks for reporting this.

I believe the workflow you have described here is simply not supported at the moment. basically due to the fact that when you are using the "edit as Maya" option, your cube is in the Maya Data model. given that some of the USD attrs. are not mapped as the same in maya, this would be something we would need to implement support for.

I am not 100% sure on the viability of implementing this capability, tbh. I will bring it to the team :)

I am tempted to move this to a discussion thread instead to see what is the opinion of other users on the topic, is that ok with you?

[NickWu]

Thank you for your reply @santosg87. Does it mean we won't see this in development soon? No worries @santosg87. Please feel free to move it.

[wallworm]

Hi @NickWu . This item is not on our near-term roadmap. The team will keep it in consideration as we move forward.

[NickWu]

No worries @wallworm .