How To Change Units In Maya 2018

eight Ultra useful Maya tips for beginners in Under iv minutes!

At first glance Autodesk's Maya can be extremely daunting, the endless options and massive user interface.  Today I'm going to show you eight workflow tips to aid overcome some necessary basics that volition help you become started as a 3d modeller or animator.  All you need is 4 minutes of your time!

Easily pick and choose which tips are most helpful for you with the easy to lookout man tutorial video I've created.  If y'all need more explanation read beneath for a written breakdown which goes into more detail, plus a few bonus tips!  You ready? Permit's practice this.

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Table of contents

click whatsoever content below to jump to that tip

TIP 01:  Focus the camera on i expanse  | Video timecode: 0.05
Finding it difficult to rotate the camera effectually a minor surface area and stay on it?

TIP 02:  Snapping similar a pro| Video timecode: 0.22
Learning to align one object to another or move a single vertex to some other border is essential

TIP 03:  Move multiple keyframes| Video timecode: 0.54
Learn here to motility multiple keyframes chop-chop and past an verbal corporeality

TIP 04:  Move the pivot point| Video timecode: 1.xv
Learn here to move multiple keyframes speedily and by an exact amount

TIP 05:  Soft option| Video timecode: 1.36
Learn to move a selection of vertices with a soft fall off to get smooth results

TIP 06:  Duplicate special| Video timecode: one.53
This is a fun and very useful tool.  Unlike normal duplicate it allows you to add an incremental transform to each indistinguishable, you tin add together, a move in any management, rotation and or scale

TIP 07:  Texture to polys| Video timecode: 2.24
Convert a solid texture to actual polygon geometry speedily

TIP 08:  Combine two objects & Bridging| Video timecode: 2.58
A 3d modelling necessity to combine objects hither we have i further and create archways with the span tool

TIP 01: Focus the camera on a small area

Sometimes when moving the camera around a model it can jump around or the movement be too large, y'all just want to pinpoint the camera on a certain area and have the view rotate around this.

This is uncomplicated by using the "F" key.  Try selecting any object in your scene, then press the "F" key, the camera volition zoom straight into that object.  Allow'south have this further similar in the video.

1. Right click your model and choose "vertices" or "faces" then select a single or few vertices or faces
2. hit the "F" key

.. Voila!  The camera jumps to that betoken and at present when y'all dolly the camera around if stays focused on that area.

Dorsum to the video

Correct mouse button click your model to bring up the options

TIP 02: Snapping similar a pro

Learning the different snapping modes is fundamental to working in 3d.  Snapping is the procedure of aligning the position of an object or objects vertex to another location.

The controls are:

Snap to Grid:

Snap to Curves & Edges:

Snap to Vertex:

Snap to grid

Grid snapping. - The grid in Maya is the plane on the floor, it's divided into units. Each unit equals one unit of measurement which tin can exist gear up as millimetres, centimetres or metres which are set in your preferences.  Snapping to the grid is very useful for modelling.

To snap an object to any bespeak on the grid

1. Select your object
2. Activate the motility tool or utilise the quick fundamental "W"
3. HOLD the "X" key and then Middle mouse button click whatsoever signal on the grid and your object will jump to it "Snapping"

Now lets snap a unmarried vertex of your geometry to the grid.

1. Right middle mouse button on your geometry > then select vertices choice (TIP - right clicking on your object is the quick mode of choosing whether y'all want to edit Vertices, Edges or Polygon faces)
2. Activate the move tool or use the quick key "W"
3. Eye mouse button click whatsoever point on the grid and that unmarried vertex will snap to the grid

Right mouse button click your model to bring up the options

Snap to Bend / Edges

Edge or Curve snapping –  align / snap whatsoever object or vertex to any curve or any geometry edge

1. Right middle mouse button on your geometry > so select vertices selection
2. Select a vertex you want to move
3. HOLD the "C" fundamental and so middle mouse button click on any edge.  You can click and agree then movement around to your leisure whilst being constrained to that edge.

Snap to Vertex

Vert snapping –  align / snap whatever object or vertex to a bend or any geometry edge

1. Right middle mouse push on your geometry > and so select vertices selection
2. Select a vertex you want to move
3. Concur the "V" central then middle mouse button click on any other vertex.  This vertex you lot are snapping to can exist on the aforementioned geometry or a completely dissimilar object

TIP 03: Move multiple Keyframes with ease

Moving multiple keyframes in the time slider tin can get very tricky,  allow me prove you a quick tip to motility keys hands and quickly and by an verbal amount.

1. Navigate to> Windows >Animation editors >Graph editor
2. Select the animated geometry or control curves that incorporate the animation you would similar to modify timings.  You will encounter all the blitheness curves appear in the Curve Editor (TIP – the curve editor is where y'all tin actually edit the timings and smoothness of any animation)
3. Select all the keyframes or just a section of keyframes

The next footstep involves typing a very short fleck of mel script.   Mel is the programming language that Maya runs on.  There is a mel command for everything even when you merely motion or rotate an object, that is converted to a mel command.

iv)  The concluding step is to simply blazon  "+=numberofkeyframes" and then for example+=fifty would move all the keys 50 frames forward, +=203 would motility them 203 frames.

You type this is the 2d input box side by side to the word "Stats"

As you lot progress you will notice mel can help speed up and automate circuitous processes, simply don't worry you can normally just observe plenty of already written mel scripts y'all just copy and paste

This besides works the other fashion using the minus instead of plus symbol.
So  -=fifty  would move the keyframes backwards in fourth dimension past 50 frames

This technique is so quick and useful, in one case you start using it you volition rely on information technology daily!
An example would be you may want to delay just ane arm of a character by viii frames, select the arm controls then  type +=eight and your done!  And it'south much easier to visualise.

You can see the project I used this on from the video hither:  http://fullrotation.com/portfolio/pip-the-squirrel-3d-animated-series/

TIP 04: Motility the pivot signal

1. Select the object
2. Press the "Insert" key and you will meet the gismo alter modes
3. Either snap the gismo to the the objects ede, another vert, or just simply move it further away
4. Printing the "Insert" cardinal again
5. Select rotation mode or hit the quick primal "R"  now you tin rotate using your new pivot point

Dorsum to the video

TIP 05: Soft selection

If you were to select a few vertices then move them it would not be smooth, in that location would be no "autumn off" to your choice. Using a style chosen "Soft Selection" allows this and control the exact corporeality of fall off y'all require.

1. Select a single or bunch of vertices on your model. (remember from earlier you can but right click and go into the quick marker card to select vertices fashion rapidly)
2. Printing the "B" key to enter Soft Selection style.  You will see the pick change where yellow is the strongest and it falls off to Red which is the weakest, showing you how information technology well alloy and shine out the selection.
3. To edit exactly how much "Fall Off" you want simply press and this time Agree the "B" key, so you can click the heart mouse push and gently drag right ti increment the option or left to decrease how much is selected.
4. Now striking the W primal for move if you not already in move mode and move the vertices out to see it.

This is great for making quick hills in terrain, organic modelling, similar pulling the cheeks or olfactory organ out further on a graphic symbol etc.

Back to the video

TIP 06: Indistinguishable special

Duplicate special is a fun and very useful tool.  Unlike normal indistinguishable it allows y'all to add together an incremental transform to each indistinguishable, you lot can add, a motion in whatsoever direction, rotation and or calibration.

1. To really run into its ability move the pin point of your object away.  In the video I move the object to the left and so snap the pivot betoken (As per tip 02) back to the centre filigree using the10 key
2. Select the object and then navigate to the menuEdit > Duplicate special then hit the little box to the right, this petty box opens up the options, this applies to ALL card items
3. Ok this is where we accept some fun.  The showtime column is the X plane, the second the Y and tertiary the Z.  Try changing the Y rotation to 15 degrees and slide the number of copies up to approx 25 then hittingUtilise

Instantly you volition see it makes a ring of your object

Back to the video

Instantly you will see it makes a ring of your object

1. Undo that by hitting "Control Z" on the keyboard.  Now go back into the Duplicate special bill of fare again and this fourth dimension add a trivial acme eg0.5 to the translateY
2. Change the number of copies to much more similar 70 or 80 and hitEmploy

Instantly you will see it makes a ring of your object

BONUS TIP !

Instead of changing the number of copies you tin just practice information technology with 1, then after hitting APPLY merely repeatedly hit the "D" key and information technology will merely continue repeating with the increments added.

You can use this to create a grid of objects, make many duplicates evenly spread out, screw staircases, fences, just play with it!

TIP 07: Texture to polys

This is a useful feature not widely know, it allows you to employ an image texture to a aeroplane then simply convert that texture to bodily geometry polygons, it can save on modelling circuitous shapes.

To go started:

1. Open the hypershade,Windows > Rendering editors > Hypershade, this is where all materials are made and edited, and create a new lambert or blinn material.
2. If you don't already know how to employ a texture to a textile only select your texture file (jpeg, png etc)  in windows explorer and drag and drop information technology onto to your cloth in the hypershade
3. Middle mouse push button drag the fabric onto your geometry

1) Select your polygon plane, the navigate to:Alter >  Catechumen > Texture to polygons click the options box

ii) You tin choose hither to change the colour of the new material that gets created, you volition see it added to the hypershape with the proper name of your texture file.

3) It's at present been converted to geometry merely its flat, a quick fashion of selecting the correct poly faces is in the hypershade Right mouse button click the new material y'all will meet and choose "Select objects with material"  This is a really useful tip for selecting faces with a certain material instead of one by ane

4)  Hit the extrude button in the polygons shelf, or a longer way, navigate toEdit mesh > Extrude

v)  This extrude happens but remains in the same place, simply utilize the move tool to move the faces up past dragging the blue axis , and that'due south it!

Now you accept a full polygon model of your texture

TIP 08: Combine two objects & Bridging

Very frequently when modelling you will need to combine two pieces of split up geometry.  Whether y'all're joining a head to a body or a leg to a table acme it's essential.   Here are the basics plus a great way of bridging to class perfect arches.

one)  Select both objects and under the "Polygons Carte du jour fix" navigate to:Mesh > Combine
This volition now combine the objects and then they are every bit i.

2) Correct mouse push click and choose "Faces" way

4) Right mouse button click again this fourth dimension enter "Edges" style

4) Right mouse button click again this fourth dimension enter "Edges" mode

5) Double click i edge and it will automatically select the whole ring of edges.
To select the other sides edges do the same holding down "Shift" to add to the selection

six)  Navigate toEdit Mesh > Bridge

7)  Modify the "Curve Blazon" option to: "Blend"  ( Don't worry if you don't become this pop up y'all can make the same changes on the correct in the attribute editor) it merely means you are not choosing to testify the HUD in the show submenu

viii)  You will see its flat, that'southward because nosotros haven't set any divisions.  You can click and set this manually but the more than intuitive interactive fashion in Maya is toCentre mouse push button click and drag in the divisions window to the right to increase.   Now you will see a perfect archway being formed

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Source: https://fullrotation.com/maya-tips-for-beginners/

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