mayaUSDExport with exportRoots issue

[neilrubie]

We recently upgraded our MayaUsd plugin from v0.19 to v0.22 and I'm noticing some different behaviour in how the exportRoots flag is working. I used to be able to extract certain roots, while respecting a list of nodes requested for export. But this appears to no longer work properly. For example, here is what is in my maya scene:

-outer_group
    -master
        -group1
        -group2
        -group3

My end goal is to output a usd file with the following hierarchy:

-master
    -group1

I used to be able to accomplish this with:

nodes_to_export = ["|outer_group|master|group1"]
export_roots = ["|outer_group|master"]

cmds.mayaUSDExport(
    nodes_to_export,
    exportRoots=export_roots,
    file=output_filepath,
)

but now as of v0.22 it seems to be including the entire subtree beneath the roots, essentially ignoring the "nodes_to_export" list:

-master
    -group1
    -group2
    -group3

Is this a bug, or has this functionality changed?

Using:
Maya 2023.3
MayaUsd v0.22

[g-k-s-g-k-s]

It appears that the way you have to do it now is actually select your nodes_to_export and then export with selection = True.

I'd much prefer it if it still worked the way you're describing it used to work. Having to actually select things on an export feels gross to me.

[santosd]

I have logged this issue internally for the team to take a look at. I don't think this behavior should have changed. Thank you @g-k-s-g-k-s for the workaround though.

[santosd]

Created this issue from this discussion: #2968

[neilrubie]

Thanks @santosd, much appreciated.

I agree with @g-k-s-g-k-s, having to select stuff in order to export is not ideal. This is actually a longstanding gripe I have the exportSelected functionality in the cmds.file() command... Would be great to achieve this by passing a list of items, rather than relying on selection. But that's a battle for a different day.