Back to basics

A list of tools and where they are on Maya. I will update this as and when.

Shortcuts 

Alt W = Move tool

Alt E = Rotate tool

Alt R = Scale tool

Shift E – Set keyframe rotate

Shift R – Set keyframe scale

Shift W – Set keyframe translate

Shift and drag = Highlight timeline and right click snap

E & left mouse button = choose different rotate settings

Useful settings

Show > Nurb curves on

Preferences > Settings > keep keys at current frames = when the framerate is changed it adjusts it to match and keep to a whole frame.

Key Modified Attributes = Will only keyframes in the selected controller (ie translate X or Rotate Z)

Rotation Interpolation > New curve default > Quaternion = to prevent gimble lock where the rotation axis overlaps

Tangents > change tangents like auto, linar, stepped

Camera Sequencer > good selections for camera cuts in a scene.

Time Slider > Key ticks > selection for channel box will show only selected controller.

>Tick span = set to 1 and can see all frames numbered, 4 every 4^th frame and 0 is default.

Playback > All = playback animation in all views

Set key options > Set keys at: prompt will transfer a key to another frame(s)

Graph editor

pin rotate or translate to keep showing on graph editor

Shift, Alt & right mouse button to stretch view in GE (like using F)

View > Buffer curves = outlines the last place the graph editor was

Breaking tangent – tangent > break tangents

Re-timing tool (stop watch icon) > double click to create a timer handle = space out to speed up an animation or slow down

Preferences > Settings > Animation > Graph editor: Snap value to adjacent keys

Cycle animation tips:

• First and last frame the same
• playback range – last frame off timeslider
• 33 frames is good for breathing cycle, halfway (frame 17) for down
• Graph editor – shift click on both first and last keys and hold shift to grab both out tangents and adjust
• more important to get look rather than have clean values

Bake Cycle Animation

Getting an animation to stop after a walk cycle:

1. highlight all character's controls and go to graph editor
2. Graph editor > Curves > Baked Channel > reset settings
3. set start and end time
4. sample by > click sparse curve bake channel – to match the keys done already
5. Bake
6. Curves > Pre and post-infinity >constant
7. done

Motion Trails

Animate > Create editable motion trail > reset settings > create

Highlight key on the screen to change keyframe of position

Turn on modify keys > put to 1 > click on screen to add a key frame > don't forget to turn off

Pinning keeps the control in view when de-selected

Beads on are useful