thanks man, I appreciate the comment. It's the first and only car I've made and it's still incomplete.

can somone help me im having trouble with how you people make these i dont have a download on how to make these like the mail page so if one of you feel like helping me plz post a coment or e-mail me at saintsarmy@hotmail.com

heres a quick tip :


to open a previous version maya scene file in 2008 or 8.5 , just click options box next
to open scene, and make sure ignore version is selected.

Sorry if this was mentioned. I'm still at page 6. Thanks a lot for everyone :bow: .

Thought I'll add something I use a lot:
Create a sensitivity hotkey for TTD(tumble, track and dolly) -
I set these to 's' hit and release:
EDIT:
You can probably add manipulator sensitivity too - check my next post and one of the posts at the beginning of this thread. It's been mentioned how to change manipulator tool's sensitivity.

For the last post-
To create your own hotkeys:
1) Go to 'Window'>'Settings/Preferences'>'Hotkey Editor'.
2) (optional)Go to 'User' under categories to view your hotkeys.
3) Press 'New' and enter desired name and description. Make sure you select 'User' under category.
4) For 'Command' you can either write your own Mel code or for those of us who don't know anything about programing (now that I think of it the other type won't find this tip useful) continue reading(?goto MyInstructions[5]; //zero based - :lmao: couldn't resist).
5) You can use changes you do on regular basis (eg. change tool settings) and then copy the command from script editor.
5.1)Open script editor and turn 'History'>'Echo all commands' on.
5.2)Enter "/*mark*/" in the command line and hit Ctrl+Enter to help see where you left.
5.3)Make the changes you want for the hotkey, advisably one by one.
5.4)Check script editor and copy the relevant command(s)
5.5)Paste the command(s) into 'Command' in the hotkey editor.
6)Click 'Accept' in the hotkey editor and click 'List all' in top-right corner to view available hotkeys.
7)Once you found a hotkey you like go back to hotkey editor and enter the key in the 'Assign new hotkey' part. then click assign. See dropdown list for hotkeys that are more then one button.

Hope it helps.
I'd post credit but I don't remember where I learned this. hope you don't mind :)
Benny

Great Thread !!!

:beer:

Thanks guys

thx..this very helpfull :attn:

thx:attn:

nice thread
here i'm giving some shortcuts
alt+b = cycle background colour
shift+a = frame all in all views
shift+i = show isolate/view selected
thanq.
:attn:

Tutorial for AO
http://www.game-artist.net/forums/sp...hemist101.html

hello plz enter d plugin link i really want this...........

elephantinc ur search engine takes me 2 this link when I press search........
http://www.dreamstock.com/dreamtemplate-offer.shtml

ah, I see what ive done, when i redesigned it last week I forgot to create a search results page
thanks, ill fix it asap ;)

EDIT: should be working now ;)

and since im posting anyway
performance tips: http://elephantanimations.110mb.com/...mancetips.html
general tips: http://elephantanimations.110mb.com/tips.html
glow with mental ray: http://elephantanimations.110mb.com/mrglow.html

melt
 

how to melt the object

Re: melt
 

In 3dsmax there is a melt modifier,with that we can easily melth the object,
but I don't know in maya

Modeling with Blendshapes
 

Hey All

Ive been having to model alot of same objects recently at work and it can as we all know become a bit tedious when it comes to it.

Now in my case Ive been modelling buildings with as I said alot of repetative parts. I have to create proxy objects first, put on their uv's then go back dupe the object and then create a hi res one from it. This is all great but when you have to add loops to the same object over and over it gets a bit crap, and I really dont want to be moving stuff about once its in position, so here's what Ive figured out and have been doing....

Now I like to try different stuff, and not just use commands or options for what they are originially intended, so its good to think outside the box and push things forward a bit quicker

So first off all image1 Ive created a pillar and duplicated it across a few times:

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/7319/73618514.jpg

Ive then fed the extra objects into the original as blendshapes on the default setting. In image 2:

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/8789/41647863.jpg

Then on the original object with the shapes all fed in I then add my edge loops to the original topology. Image 3...

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/3506/50260304.jpg

Then image 4 is where we add the magic. By going to the edit deformer menu> Blendshape> Bake topology and with the original shape selected watch all your other pillars take on the new geometry. Image 4:

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/2443/41306962.jpg


give it a try.

Jay

Jay that's a cool tip... but what keeps you from creating it the way you want it the first time then just duplicating the finished product instead of duplicating it before you add all the loops?

edit: Keep in mind I don't know anything about proxy's maybe that's what I'm not getting from this?

Rhetoric -
I Believe from this
it would seem that the workflow requirements of the current project require Low poly "proxies" to be in place and completed before he adds the appropriate edge loops.

Though I would ask the question Mate.
Why not just Instance all the duplicates with each other, after you layout the uv's then you could add the edge loops to any one of them and they would all update...?

Non the less, that is a nice trick to know with the blend shapes.

g-man

Hey Guys

Rhetoric:

Proxy models are a very blocky version or a representation of the hi res version. Usually used as a place holder for animation either on characters or other animate things, even cameras running thru an environment so the playback is instant. Then at rendertime the proxy is then replaced by a script or switch which will enable the final hi res model to get rendered out.

Yeah as Legend says, its a requirement for things to be in place for the proxy, and I also tried creating the hi res first then go around deleting stuff again to make a proxy, its a real pain. So its faster and far easier to do a proxy, create uvs, then add hi res loops.

No you cant use instances either, because they can cause issues in the pipe line, rendering etc and so on. I did actually ask about them but they arent as 'practical' in a pipeline as you think. Well not where Im working at the moment anyway, other places might be different.


Anyway I hope the tip works out useful for you all, its not just for traditional blendshapes. I have another cool tip that I'll post later.

Jay

Resolution of UV spacing
 

okay so...those of us who create alot of uvs generally output the map at the usual resolutions of 1024, 2048 and 4096 from the uv snapshot menu, but how many of you think about the resolution of the map in the first place in accordance to the uv grid?? I know I didnt.

Well since I was introduced to this little nugget a little while ago Ive since really considered the way I output my uv's from maya before heading into painting them.


What you want to achieve or for a better word is avoid bleeding between the uv shells.

So here in Image 1 we have the standard and default settings of the editor prior to output of a uv map. I've use two cubes as an example.

http://img576.imageshack.us/img576/329/17051986.jpg

Okay so heres the cool bit. Lets say you want to output a 2048 map of your uvs and you need to make sure you have a good amount of room between the shells. Simply adjust the Subdivision slider to two pixels less than the output, in this case it will be 2046. This number allows for cut off of 2 pixels that are actually your grids edges. Also check the subdivisons line radio box and put the other two sliders to 1 for now just to keep it simple as we are not creating multiple uv maps.

So then by zooming into the shells you can see how many pixels are going to be between each shell once in PS or Zbrush. and if you feel they are too close then you can move them. from a map of 2048 I would suggest judging the distance you feel comfortable and is adequate enough as in Image 2 to give you ample enough room for any occuring bleed that may happen.


http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6163/18413704.jpg


try putting in 1022 on the subdivisions for a 1024 map and watch how the grid spacing differs, again you can then judge the distance again before outputing to a 1024 map.

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/9573/46640662.jpg

and also a 4k map. Note how the pixel spacing increases and decreases on both the new settings, so its time to move those shells in either direction to avoid the bleeding areas.

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/1200/71460751.jpg

hope this helps

Jay

UV layout using marking menus
 

Tip for increased speed in laying out UVs:

For fast cutting, moving and sewing UVs, try this workflow. These instructions just involve clicking the mouse buttons and dragging in a certain direction quickly then releasing.

Turn on edge selection: RMB + drag_up
Select the edges to cut: (click or lasso) Shift, Ctrl, Shift+Ctrl LMB as usual
Cut edges: Shift + RMB + drag_left
Select edges to move and sew: See above
Move and sew edges: Shift + RMB + drag_up

Repeat as necessary.

If you're not familiar with these marking menus, if you hold down the mouse button until the labels pop up you can easily see which options are available. However, as you get familiar, and let me tell you with UVs it's so monotonous it takes 30 seconds, you can just drag and let go without giving the labels time to appear. You'll never hit those panel icons again!

Disclaimer: Having said that, I don't have Maya here and so I may have forgotten whether it was Ctrl or Shift, but I think Ctrl + RMB allows you to expand selections to shells etc.

Moving objects for more precision in increments
 

Simply with any axis on the move tool selected, hold down the alt key whilst tapping the arrow key in the direction you want to go.....


Jay

Cool tip Jay... just to add to that, the increment size depends on distance from object, and it doesn't appear to work in single axes, at least in persp, as XYZ all change regardless of axes selected (i.e. it appears to be camera based in the perspective view).

I dont know how often this happens for people but every so often (but very rarely) I duplicate a mesh and go to rotate it and it rotates really weirdly like its being scaled at the same time. It even ignores you when your rotate tool it turned on to discrete rotation. I think someone long ago had this issue but since it's so rare (at least I think it's rare) it's hard to resolve such issue. Found the way to solve it (don't know what causes it), just opened up the hypergraph to see if there were any odd inputs and it just turns out that the mesh is grouped weirdly, despite never having been explicitly grouped and all sources having their transforms frozen and all history deleted...
Just middle mouse drag it out of the group and it'll start rotating properly.
Below is a screen cap of the funny effect and the weird hierarchy that it came from...


and because of that everyone is deceived by the title of this thread "Maya tips & tricks" and hates us for it because it has tips and tricks like the title said, and we should all be posting threads with non descriptive titles like 'help me' and 'i'm stuck'. Yeah. Right.

Hey Chirone...I have had that before too...and my rotate manip went all weird as well...it went elliptic???....aaaaahhhhhh Maya.

Whether or not they are 'tricks and tips' or whatever people want to call them...they are all part of the knowledge base guys....and ANYTHING that can help a noob like me become a complete amateur in Maya is good for me. Dialogue is great...and I think does encourage people to experiment. There is NOTHING worse (trust me) than having a mate that does EVERYTHING by the book...this is a boring approach and finite in its end result.

I have to train people to be Surveyors and the first thing I say is this..."what did you learn in school??" pupil " well I know how to calc this and do that and wizzbang Im a Surveyor" me " throw NEARLY all the crap you learnt in the bin...its no good here..this isnt theory..this is real world money etc etc ". I never went to school to learn how to Survey...I learnt on the ground, in the dust and dirt the hard way...and I have been told I am a good Surveyor...because I dont follow the books.

So in finishing, I will say 'thank you' to ANYONE that will post some titbit of info...its the only way to truly learn sometimes (no Im not knocking those who have studied) I studied in a different way and it worked.

cheers bullet

in the script editor
type gatherWoWGoldUI;

Yeah I noticed the sig. Deleted.

Serendipity
 

Here's a good ol' general one:
To find new hotkeys and workflows, mash the keyboard every now and again. You will be surprised at the results. Just save prior to experimentation.

Every now and then we find it necessary to switch between local, object, world, etc for our rotate, translate, and scale tools. A quick and easy way is hold down the shortcut key and then the LMB.

For example
w + LMB lets you change the move settings
e + LMB lets you change the rotate settings
r + LMB lets you change the scale settings

Virtual sliders
 

Alternately Perfecto, Ctrl+Shift+RMB works for any of those tools.

Virtual sliders are pretty well known (Ctrl + LMB drag in any field in the AE). However, you can get faster sliding using Ctrl+MMB and even faster sliding using Ctrl+RMB.

Changing selection priorities
 

If you ever use a curve to extrude, you might find it's a pain to select the curve again because it's in the middle of the geometry. You could use selection masks (turn off select polys or NURBS or whatever). However since this is a frequently occuring annoyance for me, this trick seems to work pretty well.
Window > Settings/Preferences > Preferences > Selection tab > Priority Presets Custom > set NURBS Curve Priority higher, like 5 or 10. Now the selection priority is higher so I can more easily grab that elusive curve. A higher number seems to indicate a higher priority (kinda backwards, since I think 'this is my #1 priority'... anyway). You can also set priorities for pretty much anything else you can think of... locators, clusters, bones etc. Hope it's useful to people.

One of the first things i learned in Maya was snapping..since then an invaluable tool i never used but now cant live without when moving vertices is the set move tool to edge, it really helps to keep things planar when i am having a good fiddle!

Press W then left click, just choose axis, then when sub menu pops choose set to edge, the move manip alignes with the edge you picked so if you need to move it it keeps the normals neat!

What are you trying to make/achieve jacketshen?

verions?
 

is there some way to find out what versions are being used for these tips? I know that there are several versions out there and some of the tips and tricks for older versions won't work in the newer ones and vice verse (newer won't work on older)

What particular tip or trick is of interest to you, maybe we can update few of the posts

Jay

I did not have any one particular tip/trick in mind I just noticed as I was glancing through that none of them stated which version they referred too and being relatively new to both the program and the site I thought it would be useful to know which trick's may or may not be compatible with the version each user is using...I guess my main thought was that new posts should have this information included if updates to "old" posts could add the information that would be wonderful; however, I do realize that would be a monumental undertaking for just one or two people to do.

Well just having a quick scan thru the old posts, theres not really anything thats changed much. Maya has changed from the core really and not the tertiary stuff such as hotkey and commands -maybe one or two things but generally not. So you should be safe.

If you find something has changed then post your findings here......

thanks
Jay

I'm wondering if there is anyway to make something like this in the UV maps? it would be a big help if I could add an annotation that would be readable in photoshop or other program when I'm applying textures to my maps even something as simple as "this is bottom of object" or "this is front of object" could make things SO MUCH easier :D

As far as I remember there is a T-Rex VIP training video on this site. It shouldn't take too much effort to change certain bit 's to make it into a dragon.



__________________
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