Class 2 Notes



  1. Familiarization with MAYA UI

         o Maya has some very unique interface features (IE hotbox and HUD)
         o Refer to: VTMs 1 - 4
         o UI - VTM 1
               + Menu Bar (Typical File, Edit etc)
               + Status Line(Animation, Modeling, Dynamics Rendering)
               + Hiding/Displaying menu options
               + Shelf - Shift + Ctrl to add items to the shelf
               + Middle Mouse click to delete object from shelf
               + Channel Box
                     # Virtual Slider
               + Layers - Similar to PhotoShop
               + Animation toolbar - show only
               + Change Preferences - specifically change number of
                 "undos" in the cue from 10 to infinite (personal
                 experience)
                     # Window -> Settings/Preferences ->
                       Preferences...-> Undo
               + Tool Box
                     # Select
                     # Lasso
                     # Move
                     # Rotate
                     # Scale
                     # Show Manipulator Tool
               + View Tool Box
                     # Single Perspective
                     # 4-panel view
         o Help Line
         o View Panel - VTM 2
               + Orthographic vs non-orthographic views
               + Spacebar to switch between perspective view and 4-view
               + Moving around in the view panel
                     # Alt-Left Mouse = Rotate
                     # Alt-Middle Mouse = Pan/Track
                     # Alt-Left Mouse-Middle Mouse = Move camera in and
                       out (zoom)
               + Turn off grid
                     # Display -> uncheck grid

  2. Create basic shapes

         o Refer to: VTMs 5 - 7 - MANY more tips and tricks buried in
           these videos. Very important to watch.
         o Intro to Objects
               + Create Menu Bar
                     # Options box
               + Naming an object
                     # NurbsSphere1 -> Ball1
               + Shift key to select multiple objects
                     # VTM 5 - many more selection techniques
               + Transforming Objects
                     # Move Tool
                           * Constrain movement to a specific axis
                     # Rotate Tool
                           * Rotate around individual axis
                     # Scale Tool
                           * Scale along specific axis
                     # Ctrl Key to deselect an axis
               + Other important features if time permits
                     # Snap to grid, object, point etc
                     # Pick Masks
                     # Show Options
         o Anatomy of an Object - VTM 6
               + Nurbs
                     # CV
                           * Press 1, 2 or 3 to change resolution
                             (important for slower computers.
               + Polygons
                     # Vertices
                     # Edges
                     # Faces
                           * Extrude face
                                 o Found within Edit Polygons menu
               + Creating a project - more important than you realize!                  - VTM 9
                     # File -> New - by default, Maya inserts a new
                       folder during installation in My
                       Documents\maya\projects
                           * Use Defaults button



  3. Play Time!
  4. It is strongly recommended that you watch the "cannon" VTM to see
     how a small project is conceived from beginning to end.