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Autodesk 663B1-05A111-1001 User Guide - Page 24

How do I?, Get help

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1 | Interface overview How do I? > Get help If Autodesk Maya quits unexpectedly on Windows, the Autodesk Maya Error Report appears. In this dialog box, you can enter your email address to get notifications regarding this error report. As well, you are encouraged to enter the steps that caused the problem so that Autodesk developers can reproduce it and help solve it. How do I? Get help To... Show the online help in a browser. Show the help for a window. Do this Select Help > Maya Help, or press F1. Select an item in the window's Help menu. Basics 24

Section	Page
Table of contents	3
1 Interface overview	17
About	17
Working in Maya	17
3D coordinates	17
Y-up and Z-up	18
Objects and components	18
Selection, tools, and actions	19
Selection	19
Tools and actions	19
Related topics	19
Main window	19
Status line (toolbar)	20
Related topics	21
Menus and menu sets	21
Tear-off menus	22
Related topics	22
Marking menus	22
Related topics	22
Shelves	23
Related topics	23
Maya Web browser plug-in	23
Related topics	23
Autodesk Maya Error Report	23
How do I?	24
Get help	24
Print the Maya Help	25
Select tools and actions	25
Related topics	26
Set the options for a tool or menu item	26
Select actions from marking menus	26
Related topics	27
Select actions from the hotbox	27
Related topics	28
Select actions on a shelf	28
Load the default shelves	28
Related topics	29
Start Maya from the command line	29
Running Maya in batch or prompt mode	29
Additional Maya startup flags	30
-optimizeRender flags	31
Install the Maya Web browser plug-in	31
Related topics	31
Automatic installation	31
Manual installation	32
Examples	32
2 Selecting	33
How do I?	33
Select objects or components	33
Selecting specific component types	33
Related topics	34
Select a node	34
Related topics	34
Select only certain types of objects or components (selection masks)	34
Related topics	35
Save and reuse a selection	36
Related topics	36
Select objects based on hierarchy	36
Related topics	37
Select components by painting	37
Change one type of selection to another	37
Related topics	38
Grow, shrink, or change the selected region of CVs or polygon components	38
Polygon components	38
NURBS CVs	38
Related topics	39
3 Viewing the scene	41
How do I?	41
Tumble, track, dolly, or tilt the view	41
Related topics	42
Use the mouse to control camera azimuth, elevation, yaw or pitch	42
Related topics	43
Center the view on selected or all objects	43
Related topics	43
Return to previous views	43
Related topics	44
Change the panel layout	44
Related topics	45
Create a window from the contents of a panel (tear off)	45
Control what camera is shown in a view	46
Show, hide, or change the grid	46
Related topics	46
Show information over top of a view (heads-up display)	47
Related topics	47
Change the look and smoothness of the selected objects	47
Related topics	48
Show or hide objects	48
Related topics	49
Show or hide components	49
Related topics	49
Show or hide object-specific UI	50
Related topics	50
Show an isolated subset of objects or components in a panel	50
Related topics	51
Change an object’s wireframe color	51
Related topics	52
4 Transforming objects	53
About	53
Transformations	53
Related topics	53
The pivot point	53
Related topics	54
World space, object space, and local space	54
Related topics	54
Construction history	55
Related topics	55
Construction planes	55
Related topics	55
Copies vs. instances	56
Limitations	56
Related topics	56
How do I?	56
Use manipulators	56
Position manipulator	57
Rotation manipulator	57
Scale manipulator	58
Combined move/rotate/scale manipulator	58
Complex manipulators	59
Partial curve manipulators	59
Related topics	59
Lock a manipulator to the current selection	59
Move, rotate, or scale objects and components	59
Related topics	61
Move, rotate or scale components proportionally	61
Related topics	62
Use the Universal Manipulator	62
Move, rotate, or scale components with reflection	64
Change the pivot point	66
Related topics	67
Flip objects	68
Related topics	68
Transform along different axes	68
Move Tool	68
Move along live object axis	69
Orient the Move axis towards a point	69
Align the Move axis with an edge or face	70
Move along custom axis	70
Rotate Tool	71
Related topics	71
Set transformation values to zero	71
Related topics	72
Snap to the grid, a curve, points, or a view plane	72
Related topics	72
Snap all creation tools to a surface or construction plane	73
Related topics	73
Align objects	73
Related topics	75
Snap one object to another	75
Related topics	76
Undo, Redo, and Repeat	77
Related topics	77
Edit completed commands (construction history)	77
Related topics	78
Show a custom manipulator for the selected node	78
Related topics	78
Create geometric primitives	78
Create text	78
Notes	79
Related topics	79
Cut, Copy, and Paste	80
Related topics	80
Delete	80
Related topics	80
Duplicate	80
Related topics	81
Edit component numeric values directly	82
Related topics	83
5 Nodes and attributes	85
About	85
Nodes and attributes	85
Nodes	85
Attributes	85
Related topics	86
Construction history	86
Direct manipulation	86
Keyable attributes	87
MEL	87
Two views of the scene: hierarchy and dependency	87
Scene hierarchy	87
Example 1	88
Example 2	88
“Parenting”	88
Grouping	88
Organizing	88
Related topics	89
Dependency graph	89
Related topics	89
The Outliner	90
Related topics	90
The Hypergraph	91
Related topics	91
Node types	92
Transform node	92
Shape nodes	92
Auxiliary nodes	92
Hidden nodes	92
Underworld nodes	92
Rendering nodes	92
Container nodes	92
Utility nodes	93
Script nodes	93
Examples	93
Related topics	94
How do I?	94
Change attribute values in the Attribute Editor or Channel Box	95
Related topics	96
Show or hide the manipulator for an attribute in the Channel Box	97
Inline numeric calculation in multiple cells	97
Examples	98
Related topics	99
View and edit multiple attributes on multiple nodes	99
Related topics	101
Save and reuse attribute presets	101
Notes	102
Troubleshoot when the Presets button is grayed out	102
Related topics	102
Lock the value of an attribute	102
Create, edit, or delete custom attributes	102
Open multiple Attribute Editors	103
Related topics	104
Control the display of attributes in the Channel Box	104
Related topics	104
View and edit the hierarchy of nodes	105
Tips	105
Related topics	105
Change the visual layout of nodes in the Hypergraph	106
Related topics	106
Change the order of nodes	107
Related topics	107
Organize nodes into logical groupings	107
Show inputs and outputs (dependency graph)	111
Show or hide extra connections	112
Related topics	112
Connect input and output attributes	112
Related topics	113
Connect attributes with an expression	113
Related topics	113
Break connections between attributes	113
Related topics	114
Set a node’s update state	114
Notes	114
Show or hide nodes	115
Related topics	115
Control which objects or attribute types appear in an editor	115
Related topics	116
Save and reuse object or attribute visibility filters in editors	116
Related topics	117
6 File management	119
About	119
Managing your files	119
Related topics	119
Supported image formats (rendering)	120
Supported file formats	122
Translators	122
How do I?	126
Create, open, or save a scene file	126
Related topics	127
Open recently saved files	127
Related topics	128
Import files	128
Export objects to a new file	128
Export objects as a referenced file	129
Related Topics	129
Organize files into projects	129
View images or animations	130
Related topics	130
Recover data after a crash	130
7 Scene management	131
About	131
Managing complex scenes	131
Related topics	131
Organizing objects	132
Groups	132
Display layers	132
Related topics	132
Sets and partitions	132
Sets	132
Partitions	133
Related topics	133
Layers	133
Related topics	133
How do I?	134
Optimize scene size	134
Related topics	134
Change the name of one or more objects	134
Make an object unselectable (template)	135
Related topics	136
Organize objects on display layers	136
Related topics	137
Edit all objects on a layer at once	137
Related topics	138
Group objects together	138
Related topics	138
Create and edit sets	138
Related topics	138
Keep a collection of sets from having overlapping membership	139
Related topics	140
Annotate or document objects	140
Related topics	140
Measure the distance between two points	140
Related topics	141
Show parameter or arc-length values on a curve or surface	141
Related topics	141
8 Preferences and customization	143
How do I?	143
Save preferences	143
Related topics	143
Show or hide user interface elements	144
Related topics	144
Change user interface colors	144
Related topics	145
Create a custom panel layout	145
Related topics	145
Add a new panel to the list of available panels	145
Change the length (scale) of normals in the display	146
Create, rename, rearrange, or delete a shelf	146
Related topics	147
Add a tool, action, or MEL script to a shelf	147
Related topics	148
Edit the MEL script associated with a shelf item	148
Related topics	148
Edit the contents of a shelf	148
Related topics	149
Use a custom name or icon for a shelf item	149
Related topics	150
Change the display of shelves	150
Related topics	150
Custom menu sets	150
Related topics	151
Manage custom menu sets	151
Related topics	153
Create or edit a marking menu	153
Related topics	154
Assign a marking menu to a hotkey	155
Related topics	155
Add a marking menu to the hotbox	155
Related topics	156
Customize the hotbox	156
Related topics	157
Assign a predefined command to a hotkey	157
Related topics	158
Assign a MEL script to a hotkey	158
Example MEL scripts	159
Related topics	159
View a list of all assigned hotkeys	159
Related topics	159
Switch operations between actions and tools	160
Tool options	161
Load or unload Maya plug-ins	161
Related topics	162
Improve performance, quality, or interactivity	162
Related topics	162
Switch between Y-up and Z-up	162
Related topics	162
Directly modify the settings files	162
Color and hotkey files	163
Default hotbox marking menus	163
User preferences	164
Run MEL commands whenever Maya starts up	164
Run MEL commands whenever a scene is opened or closed	164
Create a custom heads-up display readout	164
Related topics	165
Ingredients	165
Example	166
9 Performance tips	169
How do I	169
Set Maya to use maximum memory (increase the Virtual Memory limit)	169
Get the most out of Maya	169
Interactive drawing	169
Hardware Shaders	171
Memory	172
Animation	172
Fur	172
Miscellaneous	172
Modeling	173
Dynamics	173
Classic Cloth	173
Rendering	173
Artisan	173
Paint Effects	173
10 Running Maya in Japanese	175
About	175
Japanese Maya Overview	175
How do I	176
Run Maya with a Japanese user interface	176
Run Maya in English within a Japanese environment	177
Prepare Maya files containing Japanese text	178
11 Basics Tools	179
Reference	179
Status line (toolbar)	179
Menu set menu	179
File buttons	179
Selection mask	179
Selection options	180
Snapping buttons	180
Render buttons	181
Input box	181
Sidebar buttons	182
Command line	183
Tool Box	183
Select Tool	183
Related topics	183
Lasso Tool	183
Lasso Tool options	184
Related topics	184
Paint Selection Tool	184
Related topics	184
Paint Selection Tool options	184
Move Tool	186
Related topics	186
Move Tool options	186
Rotate Tool	190
Related topics	190
Rotate Tool options	190
Scale Tool	192
Related topics	192
Scale Tool options	192
Universal Manipulator	193
Universal Manipulator options	194
Soft Modification Tool (toolbox)	194
Show Manipulator Tool	194
Incremental snap options	194
Related topics	196
Quick layout buttons	196
Related topics	196
Hotkeys	196
View hotkeys	197
Related topics	198
Tool and action hotkeys	198
Related topics	199
12 Basics Menus	201
Reference	201
File	201
File > New Scene	201
File > New Scene > r	201
Related topics	201
File > Open Scene	202
Related topics	202
File > Open Scene > r	202
File > Save Scene	204
Related topics	205
File > Save Scene > r	205
File > Save Scene As	205
Related topics	205
File > Save Scene As > r	206
File > Save Preferences	207
Related topics	207
File > Optimize Scene Size	207
Related topics	208
File > Import	208
Related topics	208
File > Import > r	208
Move file options	210
Adobe Illustrator and EPS options	211
Animation curve options	211
File > Export All, Export Selection	212
Related topics	212
Maya native file (.ma and .mb) options	213
mental images (.mi) file options	214
Move file options	214
Animation curve options	214
File > View Image	216
File > View Sequence	216
File > Create Reference	217
Related topics	217
File > Create Reference > r	217
File > Reference Editor	221
Related topics	221
File > Project > New	222
Related topics	222
Options	222
File > Project > Edit Current	222
Related topics	222
File > Project > Set	223
Related topics	223
File > Recent Files	223
Related topics	223
File > Recent Projects	223
Related topics	223
File > Exit	223
Edit	223
Edit > Undo, Redo, Repeat	224
Edit > Recent Commands	224
Edit > Cut	224
Related topics	224
Edit > Copy	224
Related topics	224
Edit > Paste	224
Related topics	224
Edit > Delete	224
Edit > Delete by Type > History	224
Related topics	224
Edit > Delete by Type > Channels, Static Channels, Non-particle Expressions	225
Edit > Delete All by Type	225
Related topics	225
Edit > Select	225
Related topics	225
Edit > Lasso Select	226
Related topics	226
Edit > Paint Selection	226