Working in layers anyone?
 

Hi,

Does anyone know how to work on layers with Maya like working on layers with Photoshop? I was watching one of the tutorials and this guy use the layer menu on the right hand side of the interface...Didn't really understand.

Would that make the workflow much faster if we are to use subdivision with layers since Subdivision makes the process so slow.

Thansk,
tvholic

yes... layers help me a LOT... they can really help in heavy scenes where you have a lot of things you dont need all at the same time... and like you said, they work almost the same as in Photoshop :D

-Emo

The question is how do I go about doing it? And if the model is done, how do I "merge visible" like in Photoshop?

Click the layer icon in the layer or double click to open the options and you can name your layer and assign a color. It looks like 3 planes layered on top of each other. You can then select an object, right click on the layer you want it placed in and choose add selected object.

There's no need to merge layers in Maya, it's more for organizing your scene. Read the documentaion to see the options the layer editior offers. It's a very handy option to use.

Layers in Maya are not quite like layers in Photoshop. In Photoshop, layers are spatial, meaning that the order in which you stack the layers affects the final look of the image. Layers in Maya are more of a grouping system, and there are two different kinds: Display Layers and Render Layers. You assign objects to Display Layers so that you can hide and show them quickly or set them to template or reference modes. Render Layers allow you to specify which objects are rendered and which are not.