Hi There,

I am trying to learn maya for future projects and I have some questions about the hotkeys I try to setup so hope you can help me out!
First I must say that I am a 3ds max/Softimage user (in case you want to make reference I'll understand)

Ok lets go then:

1) I noticed there is no "shift" option in the keyboard shortcuts by default, is there anyway to overcome this? I am very used to using the shift key for some shortcuts, is there a way around if not possible?

2) Is there a shell modifier in maya? extruding polygons while keeping backfaces.

3) how do you set up a shortcut for "inset polygons" can t seem to find it in the shortcut editor. I ve got a plugin called "Nex" which kinda copies softimage workflow in maya, but I cant seem to find that option there neither.

4) How do you "edge loop" and "ring loop" is there a way to assign a shortcut?

5) how do you set pivot to local, parent, world etc?

6) Is there a way to do adjacent selection? meaning for example selecting a polygon and then switching selection to the edges surrounding that polygon instead.

Thanks in advanced for your help!

1. Yeah shift is used to do the marking menu shortcut stuff, not sure if there is a way around this

2. Found this script http://hugobozzshih007.blogspot.com/...-modifier.html

3. Believe they fixed inset in 2012. But if you're using an older version, Robot Gilardi released an inset tool (http://www.creativecrash.com/maya/do...scription#tabs)

4. Do you want something like connect from max or the graphite version of edge loop. Insert edge loop works and you can change options to have x number of equal edges being cut.

hey thanks a lot man, I ll look into those!!

As for #4, what I meant was simply how to select edges as "ring loop" (parallel edges) and edge loop (edge loop!)

I'm making the switch, too...

1) Put a capital letter in the hotkey box

2) dunno yet

3) Just use extrude, keep 'Local Z' at 0 and just modify 'Offset'.

4) Edge loop = double click an edge. With NEX: edge ring = select an edge and then ctrl+shift+double click on the next edge in the ring. Without NEX: edge ring is in your ctrl+right click marking menu.

5) NEX has all this in the transform options. In 'vanilla' Maya, double click on whichever transform tool in the tool box, or click on the box next to the transform tool in the 'Modify' > 'Transformation Tools' menu.

6) in NEX: ctrl+click on the different component buttons. (i prefer hotkeys for this). Without NEX: use your ctrl+right click marking menu.

Originally Posted by maze

hey thanks a lot man, I ll look into those!!

As for #4, what I meant was simply how to select edges as "ring loop" (parallel edges) and edge loop (edge loop!)

To Select an edge ring you can just double click an edge to select that loop.

For the ring select the edge, then hold ctrl and right click, then Hover over "Edge Ring Utilities" then over "To Edge Ring" and release and it will select an edge ring.

I wish there was a quicker way for selecting edge rings like there is for loops, but it isn't too bad.

2) You could probably use extrude, in Maya 2012 there is a thickness option, in previous versions you can go into your channel info and modify the Z Translate for the same sort of effect.


5) Tool Settings of Translate/Rotate/Scale Tools have these options.


6) Select face and then go to the Select Menu - Convert Selection - To Edges.

I wish there was a quicker way for selecting edge rings like there is for loops, but it isn't too bad.

Make a hotkey. Don't have Maya handy just now but I'm pretty sure I just copied the command from the script editor and assigned it to a hotkey.

Also, a quick way to access options for transform/scale/rotate is to press and hold the hotkey + left click. If you like to work with minimal interface all the marking menu stuff + hotkeys will allow for it. Ctrl+Space toggles between full interface and minimal. It also restores any UI elements you may have accidentally hidden.

Originally Posted by m4dcow

6) Select face and then go to the Select Menu - Convert Selection - To Edges.

or CTRL + F10

Convert selection shortcuts are CTRL +
F9 = verts
F10 = edges
F11 = faces
F12 = uvs

Originally Posted by m4dcow

I wish there was a quicker way for selecting edge rings like there is for loops, but it isn't too bad.

the marking menus become very quick after a week or 2 of maya.

i already know edge ring is in the bottom left of the select marking menu, so i can just activate the menu and flick to the bottom left in one action, and it happens sofast you don't even see the marking menu, this works for multi-level actions too, if you do it in one quick motion it acts like a mouse gesture instead of a menu.

also not sure if it's possible in maya, but silo and voidworld have a double middle mouse click for rings.

also using the arrow keys on your keyboard turn an edge selection into ring or loop.

I think left and right are loops and up down is for rings.
pressing again selects the next loop or ring


Also selecting an edge then double click on another edge in the same loop will select all edges in-between on that loop
(also works with faces and verts)

Thanks again for your help guys, I am using 2011 trial but I think I'll upgrade to 2012, I still have the autodesk student code luckily. I'll post back once I install it as it looks like the "shell" and "inset" options have been fixed in 2012 as you mention.

Pinkbox, I was just looking for that... But do you think is possible to change f9, f10, f11...
to simply "1" , "2", "3", "4" I think it is setup for smoothing as default. But I'll prefer to have my smoothing to "+" & "-" [numpad] as in softimage ideally or as nurms toggle in max (jumping from 0 to "level 2" smoothing) Is some of that possible?

also I just noticed how annoying are "nex" input values it does not have an arrow increase/decrease or either a slider, I have to manually set the values, I find this sucks but
maybe I am doing things wrong?

Also when I said :
is possible to change f9, f10, f11...to simply "1" , "2", "3", "4"

I was refering to Nex icons, are they the same as maya defaults? I am bit confused.

see image here:


there is also the last mode in the icons which I am not sure what it stands for?

And lastly, once I am using any operation such as bevel, connect, extrude, etc... how do I go back to object mode? I looks like I have to "click back" the operation button to go out of that mode, can't I simply right click or a assign a keyboard shortcut to "object mode" ?

Thanks again for your help!!!

http://allhotkeys.com/maya-hotkeys.html

Just'a Reference link in case ya need it

you probably could.. but 1,2,3,4 are already mapped keys for
1 normal display
2 smooth preview plus bounding box?
3 smooth preview
4 wireframe
5 shaded
6 texture
7 lights

that last icon may be for UVs?

upgrade to maya 2012 and flag nex tools. i only found nex useful for quaddraw.
maya2012 can pretty much do all those things without needing nex now?

also as to your "no slide or arrows" try hold CTRL and then hovering over the box you would type the value in hold LMB (left mouse button) and drag to left or right.
also MMB and RMB do the same but MMB is faster and RMB is even fast at raising value

Hey Maze, i wrote this a while back for Autocon. Switches between the 1 and 3 subdivision level though I could hack it up tomorrow to work as + or -.

 string $sel[] =`ls -sl`;    
    for ($thisObj in $sel){ 
        int $displaylevel[] = `displaySmoothness -query -polygonObject $thisObj`;
        if ($displaylevel[0] == 1) 
        {
            //Go to 3
            displaySmoothness -polygonObject 3;
        }
        if ($displaylevel[0] == 3) 
        {
            //Go to 1
            displaySmoothness -polygonObject 1;
        }
        
    }

Here's the script code for + and - hotkey as subdivision levels. Just remembered the + and - control the manipulator size so you would have to map it to different keys. Anywho heres the code for the + hotkey

 string $sel[] =`ls -sl`;    
    for ($thisObj in $sel){ 
        int $displaylevel[] = `displaySmoothness -query -polygonObject $thisObj`;
        if ($displaylevel[0] == 1 || $displaylevel[0] == 2) 
        {
            //Going up
            int $increment = $displaylevel[0] + 1;
            displaySmoothness -polygonObject $increment;
        }
    }

And the code for to go down subdivison levels mapped it to -

 string $sel[] =`ls -sl`;    
    for ($thisObj in $sel){ 
        int $displaylevel[] = `displaySmoothness -query -polygonObject $thisObj`;
        if ($displaylevel[0] == 3 || $displaylevel[0] == 2) 
        {
            //Going down
            int $decrement = $displaylevel[0] - 1;
            displaySmoothness -polygonObject $decrement;
        }
    }

hey thanks for the help guys, sorry about the delay answering I wasnt at home yesterday.

Haiddasalami, thanks a lot man!! that ll help a lot for sure!! I have a noob question, how do I enter that code in maya?? !!

I ll be back with more questions, I am still playing around with the interface, I dont know if there is a way to remove a lot of the buttons. I feel that the ui is cluttered with stuff, maybe is because I am not use to it yet..

To assign it to a hotkey, go to window -> Setttings/Preferences -> Hotkey Editor

Change the category to user(Just to find it easier down the road) and click new. Change name etc and in the command box make sure MEL is ticked and copy and paste the code for the respective key in there. Once done hit accept, then in the assign box type the key and assign the command you saved in the user category to the key. Hope that helps.

Also you can remove the buttons you dont want through the shelf editor (Window -> settings/preferences -> Shelf editro)

hey thanks again! Although I tried setting it up, but it is not working, I might be doing something wrong, here is an image of the viewport:
Its maya 2012 btw.


Also Iam having a bit of trouble finding this simple options in the hotkey editor (looking in the "edit poly" category)

-simple polygon extrude?
- inset? (again I am using 2012)
-Also cant seem to find the controls for polygon, vertex, edge.. As I wanted to set them to 1,2,3...

Please bare with me, I have one week learning maya.

Thanks !!

Hey Maze,

My bad. The code was at fault. Apparently Maya by default sets the subdivision level to 0 so that's why the if was not working. Fixed up the code and this should work

Incrementing

string $sel[] =`ls -sl`;    
for ($thisObj in $sel){ 
   int $displaylevel[] = `displaySmoothness -query -polygonObject $thisObj`;
   if ($displaylevel[0] == 1 || $displaylevel[0] == 2 || $displaylevel[0] == 0 ) 
   {
   //Going up
   int $increment = $displaylevel[0] + 1;
   displaySmoothness -polygonObject $increment;
   }
}

Decreasing

string $sel[] =`ls -sl`;    
    for ($thisObj in $sel){ 
        int $displaylevel[] = `displaySmoothness -query -polygonObject $thisObj`;
        if ($displaylevel[0] == 3 || $displaylevel[0] == 2) 
        {
            //Going down
            int $decrement = $displaylevel[0] - 1;
            displaySmoothness -polygonObject $decrement;
        }
    }

Polygon extrude is under the Edit Polygons. You can map either the face or edge and doesnt really matter as they run the same command (PolyExtrude)

Not sure about inset, I know they have a pop up gui that shows up when you extrude. Dont have 2012 on me

For the polygon vertex edge uv's etc they are underneath Status Line. SelectToggleMode is a toggle between object mode and the last mode you were in, and the rest should be self explanatory. EdgeMask is for edges, facetmask for faces etc.

For inset you would use the extrude command like haiddasalami said and just manipulate the offset slider (for 2012 that is).

hey haiddasalami, thanks now it works! (although it goes to level 1 sub div, it ll be cool to jump straight to level 2) I do appreciate your time this is gonna help me a lot!

as for selection, yeah cool I went to set up that and works fine as well, thanks.

m4dcow, yeah I use the offset although I am having a couple issues with the default values in the extrude operator and the pivot.

Also, is snap enabled by default in "translation mode"? I have the impression that when translating (x,y,z) polygons are jumpy as if it tries to snap or something??

-Ok As I was saying I am not sure if there is a way to set default of extrude to "0" I find it a bit annoying to have such random? high values, if not I ll have to get used to. See image:


And for scaling I am also a bit confused, I am attaching a quick image I did comparing the three main apps.


I like softimage the best because you can scale without touching the pivot. Max is ok but you need to drag from the triangle. And Maya, handles are too long, and the pivot square is really small. I am probably doing someting wrong, how do you guys deal with this?

thanks again for your time!!

hey Maze, yeah the reason why the handles are long is cause you assigned +/- to the subdivison which used to be mapped to make the manipulator or scale/move/rotate handle smaller and bigger. So you would just have to remap that and it should fix that issue. (Manipulator category)

Also regarding the level 2 subdivision, you basically just want it to go to the highest sub-d right? If so the script I posted up top will be perfect for that as it just toggles between 1 and 3. If not, I can definitely make any changes you want, its pretty simple.

Also that softimage scaling should be doable. Will look into it.

Regarding the snapping, is snapping on? Maya by default has divisions and offset to 0. Just tried it and you might have changed the settings through the option box. Just go to Edit Mesh -> Extrude -> option box and reset the settings.