How To Move The Camera In Maya 2018

viii Ultra useful Maya tips for beginners in Under 4 minutes!

At first glance Autodesk's Maya tin can exist extremely daunting, the countless options and massive user interface.  Today I'grand going to bear witness yous viii workflow tips to help overcome some necessary basics that volition help y'all get started as a 3d modeller or animator.  All y'all demand is 4 minutes of your time!

Easily pick and choose which tips are near helpful for y'all with the easy to watch tutorial video I've created.  If y'all need more explanation read below for a written breakdown which goes into more than particular, plus a few bonus tips!  You ready? Permit's do this.

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Tabular array of contents

click whatsoever content below to jump to that tip

TIP 01:  Focus the camera on one area  | Video timecode: 0.05
Finding information technology hard to rotate the camera around a pocket-size area and stay on it?

TIP 02:  Snapping similar a pro| Video timecode: 0.22
Learning to marshal one object to another or motility a unmarried vertex to another edge is essential

TIP 03:  Movement multiple keyframes| Video timecode: 0.54
Learn hither to move multiple keyframes quickly and by an exact amount

TIP 04:  Move the pivot bespeak| Video timecode: i.15
Acquire here to move multiple keyframes quickly and past an exact amount

TIP 05:  Soft selection| Video timecode: ane.36
Learn to movement a selection of vertices with a soft autumn off to get smooth results

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

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

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

TIP 01: Focus the camera on a pocket-sized expanse

Sometimes when moving the camera effectually a model it can jump around or the motion be too large, you lot just want to pinpoint the camera on a sure expanse and have the view rotate effectually this.

This is simple by using the "F" fundamental.  Try selecting any object in your scene, then press the "F" central, the photographic camera will zoom straight into that object.  Let's accept this further like in the video.

1. Correct click your model and cull "vertices" or "faces" so select a single or few vertices or faces
2. hit the "F" central

.. Voila!  The camera jumps to that signal and now when you lot dolly the camera around if stays focused on that area.

Back to the video

Right mouse button click your model to bring up the options

TIP 02: Snapping like a pro

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

The controls are:

Snap to Filigree:

Snap to Curves & Edges:

Snap to Vertex:

Snap to grid

Filigree snapping. - The filigree in Maya is the airplane on the floor, information technology's divided into units. Each unit equals one unit which can be set equally 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 signal on the grid

1. Select your object
2. Actuate the move tool or use the quick key "W"
3. HOLD the "10" central then Eye mouse button click any point on the grid and your object will spring to it "Snapping"

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

1. Right eye mouse button on your geometry > so select vertices option (TIP - right clicking on your object is the quick way of choosing whether you want to edit Vertices, Edges or Polygon faces)
2. Actuate the motility tool or apply the quick key "West"
3. Centre mouse button click any point on the filigree and that single vertex will snap to the grid

Correct mouse push button click your model to bring up the options

Snap to Curve / Edges

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

1. Correct middle mouse button on your geometry > then select vertices choice
2. Select a vertex yous desire to move
3. Concord the "C" fundamental and then center mouse button click on whatever border.  You can click and hold and then move around to your leisure whilst being constrained to that edge.

Snap to Vertex

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

1. Correct middle mouse push on your geometry > then select vertices option
2. Select a vertex yous want to move
3. Concur the "5" key then middle mouse button click on whatever other vertex.  This vertex yous are snapping to can be on the same geometry or a completely unlike object

TIP 03: Move multiple Keyframes with ease

Moving multiple keyframes in the time slider tin can get very tricky,  let me show you lot a quick tip to movement keys hands and speedily and by an exact amount.

1. Navigate to> Windows >Animation editors >Graph editor
2. Select the animated geometry or control curves that contain the animation you lot would like to change timings.  You volition see all the animation curves appear in the Curve Editor (TIP – the bend editor is where you can really edit the timings and smoothness of any animation)
3. Select all the keyframes or but a section of keyframes

The next pace involves typing a very short bit of mel script.   Mel is the programming language that Maya runs on.  There is a mel command for everything fifty-fifty when you simply move or rotate an object, that is converted to a mel control.

4)  The last step is to but type  "+=numberofkeyframes" so for example+=50 would motility all the keys 50 frames frontward, +=203 would motility them 203 frames.

Yous type this is the second input box next to the word "Stats"

Every bit you progress you volition notice mel can assistance speed upward and automate complex processes, simply don't worry you tin can unremarkably just find enough of already written mel scripts you but re-create and paste

This also works the other way using the minus instead of plus symbol.
And then  -=l  would motion the keyframes backwards in time by 50 frames

This technique is then quick and useful, in one case y'all start using information technology you volition rely on it daily!
An instance would be you lot may desire to delay but one arm of a character by 8 frames, select the arm controls then  type +=8 and your done!  And it's much easier to visualise.

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

TIP 04: Movement the pivot point

1. Select the object
2. Printing the "Insert" key and you volition run across the gismo change modes
3. Either snap the gismo to the the objects ede, some other vert, or but simply move it further away
4. Press the "Insert" cardinal over again
5. Select rotation style or hit the quick cardinal "R"  now y'all can rotate using your new pivot indicate

Dorsum to the video

TIP 05: Soft selection

If you were to select a few vertices then motility them it would non be smoothen, there would be no "fall off" to your pick. Using a style chosen "Soft Choice" allows this and command the exact amount of fall off yous require.

1. Select a single or agglomeration of vertices on your model. (call back from before y'all can just right click and go into the quick marking menu to select vertices manner speedily)
2. Press the "B" primal to enter Soft Selection mode.  You will run across the option change where yellow is the strongest and it falls off to Red which is the weakest, showing you how it well alloy and smooth out the selection.
3. To edit exactly how much "Fall Off" you lot want simply printing and this time Concord the "B" key, and so y'all can click the middle mouse push and gently drag right ti increment the option or left to decrease how much is selected.
4. Now striking the W cardinal for motion if you not already in motion mode and motion the vertices out to meet it.

This is great for making quick hills in terrain, organic modelling, like pulling the cheeks or nose out further on a character etc.

Back to the video

TIP 06: Duplicate special

Duplicate special is a fun and very useful tool.  Unlike normal duplicate it allows you to add an incremental transform to each indistinguishable, you can add, a move in any direction, rotation and or scale.

1. To really run into its ability move the pivot point of your object away.  In the video I move the object to the left and so snap the pivot signal (Every bit per tip 02) back to the center grid using theX key
2. Select the object then navigate to the menuEdit > Indistinguishable special then hit the picayune box to the correct, this little box opens up the options, this applies to ALL menu items
3. Ok this is where we have some fun.  The starting time cavalcade is the X airplane, the second the Y and third the Z.  Endeavour changing the Y rotation to 15 degrees and slide the number of copies upwardly to approx 25 then hittingEmploy

Instantly y'all will come across it makes a ring of your object

Dorsum to the video

Instantly y'all will see information technology makes a ring of your object

1. Undo that by hit "Control Z" on the keyboard.  Now go back into the Duplicate special carte du jour again and this time add a little height eg0.5 to the interpretY
2. Change the number of copies to much more like lxx or 80 and strikingAPPLY

Instantly you will encounter it makes a band of your object

BONUS TIP !

Instead of changing the number of copies yous can but do it with 1, then afterwards hit Utilize merely repeatedly hit the "D" key and information technology volition only keep repeating with the increments added.

Y'all tin use this to create a grid of objects, brand many duplicates evenly spread out, spiral staircases, fences, just play with it!

TIP 07: Texture to polys

This is a useful characteristic not widely know, it allows you to utilise an image texture to a plane then simply convert that texture to actual geometry polygons, it can salvage on modelling circuitous shapes.

To go started:

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

one) Select your polygon airplane, the navigate to:Modify >  Convert > Texture to polygons click the options box

ii) Y'all tin choose here to modify the colour of the new material that gets created, you will see it added to the hypershape with the name of your texture file.

3) It's at present been converted to geometry but its flat, a quick mode of selecting the right poly faces is in the hypershade Right mouse button click the new material you lot will come across and choose "Select objects with material"  This is a really useful tip for selecting faces with a certain fabric instead of ane by one

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

5)  This extrude happens but remains in the aforementioned identify, simply use the move tool to move the faces up by dragging the blue axis , and that'due south it!

Now you lot have a full polygon model of your texture

TIP 08: Combine 2 objects & Bridging

Very frequently when modelling yous volition need to combine two pieces of dissever geometry.  Whether you're joining a head to a body or a leg to a table peak information technology's essential.   Here are the basics plus a great manner of bridging to grade perfect arches.

ane)  Select both objects and under the "Polygons Bill of fare set" navigate to:Mesh > Combine
This will now combine the objects so they are as ane.

2) Right mouse button click and choose "Faces" mode

four) Right mouse push button click again this time enter "Edges" way

four) Right mouse button click again this time enter "Edges" mode

five) Double click 1 edge and it will automatically select the whole ring of edges.
To select the other sides edges do the same holding downward "Shift" to add to the selection

6)  Navigate toEdit Mesh > Span

7)  Change the "Bend Type" option to: "Blend"  ( Don't worry if you lot don't become this popular up yous can make the same changes on the right in the attribute editor) it just means you are not choosing to show the HUD in the show submenu

8)  You will run across its flat, that's because nosotros haven't prepare any divisions.  Yous tin click and set this manually but the more intuitive interactive mode in Maya is toMiddle mouse button click and elevate in the divisions window to the correct to increase.   Now you will see a perfect archway beingness formed

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

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