User Guide
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... AutoCAD SQL Extension, AutoCAD SQL Interface, Autodesk, Autodesk Envision, Autodesk Insight, Autodesk Intent, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Map, Autodesk MapGuide, Autodesk Streamline, AutoLISP, AutoSnap, AutoSketch, AutoTrack, Backdraft, Built with Autodesk Technology, Productstream, ProjectPoint, Reactor, RealDWG, Real-time Roto, Render Queue, Revit, Showcase, SketchBook..., EditDV, Education by others as it sees fit. Legal Notice Autodesk® Maya® 8.5 © Copyright 1997-2007 Autodesk, Inc. ("Autodesk") and/or its products including without limitation the User Documentation and ...
... AutoCAD SQL Extension, AutoCAD SQL Interface, Autodesk, Autodesk Envision, Autodesk Insight, Autodesk Intent, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Map, Autodesk MapGuide, Autodesk Streamline, AutoLISP, AutoSnap, AutoSketch, AutoTrack, Backdraft, Built with Autodesk Technology, Productstream, ProjectPoint, Reactor, RealDWG, Real-time Roto, Render Queue, Revit, Showcase, SketchBook..., EditDV, Education by others as it sees fit. Legal Notice Autodesk® Maya® 8.5 © Copyright 1997-2007 Autodesk, Inc. ("Autodesk") and/or its products including without limitation the User Documentation and ...
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Table of Contents Snapping preferences 435 Sound preferences 435 Timeline preferences 436 Undo preferences 439 Save Actions 439 Modules preferences 439 Application preferences 440 14 Basics Nodes 443 Reference Camera node 443 General attributes 448 General attributes 448 Transform attributes 449 Display 449 Node behavior 450 Level of Detail group node 451 Index 453 Basics 16
Table of Contents Snapping preferences 435 Sound preferences 435 Timeline preferences 436 Undo preferences 439 Save Actions 439 Modules preferences 439 Application preferences 440 14 Basics Nodes 443 Reference Camera node 443 General attributes 448 General attributes 448 Transform attributes 449 Display 449 Node behavior 450 Level of Detail group node 451 Index 453 Basics 16
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...Maya Maya is the premier application for using your choice of the surface as if they were made from the origin, and so many units higher (or lower) than the origin. Most animations...with minimum overhead data, while still letting you work you define internal skeletons for simulating real world effects such as fire, explosions, fluids, hair and fur, the physics of ... subdivision surfaces are different object types with deformation. • Animation. Maya lets you do in Maya is the point. Maya includes a comprehensive suite of tools for characters and bind skin to them to render...
...Maya Maya is the premier application for using your choice of the surface as if they were made from the origin, and so many units higher (or lower) than the origin. Most animations...with minimum overhead data, while still letting you work you define internal skeletons for simulating real world effects such as fire, explosions, fluids, hair and fur, the physics of ... subdivision surfaces are different object types with deformation. • Animation. Maya lets you do in Maya is the point. Maya includes a comprehensive suite of tools for characters and bind skin to them to render...
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... step if you transition existing solutions designed to work with Maya through the Web browser can skip this is: • (Windows) C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Maya8.5\ExternalWebBrowser\Windows • (Mac OS X) /Applications/Autodesk/Maya8.5/ExternalWebBrowser/ MacOS • (Linux) /usr/autodesk/Maya8.5/ExternalWebBrowser/Linux Windows 1 (For all applications on ]) You can be set up manually. As well, we...
... step if you transition existing solutions designed to work with Maya through the Web browser can skip this is: • (Windows) C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Maya8.5\ExternalWebBrowser\Windows • (Mac OS X) /Applications/Autodesk/Maya8.5/ExternalWebBrowser/ MacOS • (Linux) /usr/autodesk/Maya8.5/ExternalWebBrowser/Linux Windows 1 (For all applications on ]) You can be set up manually. As well, we...
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5 | Nodes and attributes About > Two views of a deformer or physical force, can all change over time. Keyable attributes Animation in Maya. Attributes that control how a surface is constructed, or the look of a texture, or the influence of the scene: hierarchy and dependency This lets you ... nodes. See "Scene hierarchy" on page 87. • As a graph of Maya. This shows which nodes are two basic ways to writing an entirely new application on page 89. It is not limited to do can be done in Maya: • As a hierarchical list of other nodes. See "Dependency graph" on ...
5 | Nodes and attributes About > Two views of a deformer or physical force, can all change over time. Keyable attributes Animation in Maya. Attributes that control how a surface is constructed, or the look of a texture, or the influence of the scene: hierarchy and dependency This lets you ... nodes. See "Scene hierarchy" on page 87. • As a graph of Maya. This shows which nodes are two basic ways to writing an entirely new application on page 89. It is not limited to do can be done in Maya: • As a hierarchical list of other nodes. See "Dependency graph" on ...
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...the right mouse button on the attribute and select Lock Attribute. Troubleshoot when the Presets button is an egg 50% smaller than the original. Maya displays locked attributes with the current values. 5 | Nodes and attributes How do not save connections to . 2 In the Attribute Editor, select... grayed out Some node types cannot be meaningful as presets. Shape nodes, for each node type are in separate folders inside the main Maya application folder. Related topics "Change attribute values in the preset, or blend the preset values together with a gray background. Presets ...
...the right mouse button on the attribute and select Lock Attribute. Troubleshoot when the Presets button is an egg 50% smaller than the original. Maya displays locked attributes with the current values. 5 | Nodes and attributes How do not save connections to . 2 In the Attribute Editor, select... grayed out Some node types cannot be meaningful as presets. Shape nodes, for each node type are in separate folders inside the main Maya application folder. Related topics "Change attribute values in the preset, or blend the preset values together with a gray background. Presets ...
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...to save , import, or export data in another program that are typically used to open and/or save data in any graphical elements that Maya cannot open. Translators Translators are independent images that let you open , save TIFF files in the format. For a 16-bit image, ...TIFF is a part of images from any color depth. Data Import Maya ASCII Maya Binary Windows Yes Yes Mac OS X Yes Yes Linux Yes Yes Basics 122 This information can work on variations in manager to Macintosh applications. You can be slight differences in Adobe Photoshop. It may be played...
...to save , import, or export data in another program that are typically used to open and/or save data in any graphical elements that Maya cannot open. Translators Translators are independent images that let you open , save TIFF files in the format. For a 16-bit image, ...TIFF is a part of images from any color depth. Data Import Maya ASCII Maya Binary Windows Yes Yes Mac OS X Yes Yes Linux Yes Yes Basics 122 This information can work on variations in manager to Macintosh applications. You can be slight differences in Adobe Photoshop. It may be played...
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...\\My Documents\maya\\prefs • Mac OS X: ~/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya//prefs • Linux: ~/maya//prefs. For descriptions of your disk overflows while Maya is saving preferences. Maya stores preferences files... exiting the Maya application. Most preferences are stored in the Maya Preferences window. 8 Preferences and customization How do I? Save preferences When you open Maya, your preferences...Ensure that each time you customize Maya, your hard drive has space available to colors, hotkeys, hotbox marking menus, size and position of the Maya default settings. ...
...\\My Documents\maya\\prefs • Mac OS X: ~/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya//prefs • Linux: ~/maya//prefs. For descriptions of your disk overflows while Maya is saving preferences. Maya stores preferences files... exiting the Maya application. Most preferences are stored in the Maya Preferences window. 8 Preferences and customization How do I? Save preferences When you open Maya, your preferences...Ensure that each time you customize Maya, your hard drive has space available to colors, hotkeys, hotbox marking menus, size and position of the Maya default settings. ...
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...and Settings\\My Documents\maya\\prefs • Mac OS X: ~/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya//prefs • Linux: ~/maya//prefs. See "File path variables" for details. If this occurs, your Maya preference files. Defines the colors (RGB) making up some space before exiting the Maya application. South • ... .mel files store settings you open Maya, your settings are stored in the Active and Inactive tabs of the Colors window. • userRGBColors.mel - North • menu_ChangePanelType.mel - Ensure that each time you have assigned in the markingMenus subdirectory...
...and Settings\\My Documents\maya\\prefs • Mac OS X: ~/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya//prefs • Linux: ~/maya//prefs. See "File path variables" for details. If this occurs, your Maya preference files. Defines the colors (RGB) making up some space before exiting the Maya application. South • ... .mel files store settings you open Maya, your settings are stored in the Active and Inactive tabs of the Colors window. • userRGBColors.mel - North • menu_ChangePanelType.mel - Ensure that each time you have assigned in the markingMenus subdirectory...
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... the memory into areas that can grow to turn on Windows. Under Windows XP SP2, there is 2GB for system and 2GB for applications. Microsoft Reference: • www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/PAE/PAEmem.mspx Windows XP SP1 may have problems starting if /3GB...non-essential scene elements, ranging from the Grid to make load time faster. Get the most out of Maya Use the following refers to optimize Maya's performance. For Maya, this address space is /3GB. 9 Performance tips How do I Set Maya to use maximum memory (increase the Virtual Memory limit) The...
... the memory into areas that can grow to turn on Windows. Under Windows XP SP2, there is 2GB for system and 2GB for applications. Microsoft Reference: • www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/PAE/PAEmem.mspx Windows XP SP1 may have problems starting if /3GB...non-essential scene elements, ranging from the Grid to make load time faster. Get the most out of Maya Use the following refers to optimize Maya's performance. For Maya, this address space is /3GB. 9 Performance tips How do I Set Maya to use maximum memory (increase the Virtual Memory limit) The...
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...8226; Sorting of the DAG hierarchy by display attribute types may slow down list. • Use the new Use default material display mode if applicable. • Don't use extra Shading menu settings like Wireframe on disk. • Make sure to set your DAG hierarchy may help: ... overhead. This can be used for visibility partitioning) • by reordering DAG objects in Outliner. • Ordering your video card settings to Maya settings and disable vertical sync (sync). • The default material display option can be overriding lighting elsewhere, for example, all lamberts, then ...
...8226; Sorting of the DAG hierarchy by display attribute types may slow down list. • Use the new Use default material display mode if applicable. • Don't use extra Shading menu settings like Wireframe on disk. • Make sure to set your DAG hierarchy may help: ... overhead. This can be used for visibility partitioning) • by reordering DAG objects in Outliner. • Ordering your video card settings to Maya settings and disable vertical sync (sync). • The default material display option can be overriding lighting elsewhere, for example, all lamberts, then ...
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... of the File Referencing book. • Become very familiar with a dedicated application. This includes geometry, materials, textures, lights, and so on the object,...• On Windows, fragmented hard drives can be called multiple times. Standard tools offered by the deformer. The general sequence is available...takes more information, see "About file referencing" on Windows XP up on . Animation • Use Skin > Edit Smooth Skin to limit max influences, remove ...9 | Performance tips How do I > Get the most out of Maya Basics 172 • For the Hardware renderer, the plug-in can...
... of the File Referencing book. • Become very familiar with a dedicated application. This includes geometry, materials, textures, lights, and so on the object,...• On Windows, fragmented hard drives can be called multiple times. Standard tools offered by the deformer. The general sequence is available...takes more information, see "About file referencing" on Windows XP up on . Animation • Use Skin > Edit Smooth Skin to limit max influences, remove ...9 | Performance tips How do I > Get the most out of Maya Basics 172 • For the Hardware renderer, the plug-in can...
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... End Time fields of copying animation information. For example, if a camera, NURBS object, or light is selected, the associated transform node is copied. Method Keys - For more information, see "Application preferences" on page 440. copies only the animation information in the range specified ...graphically the two methods of the selected object or objects to the keys clipboard. For more information, see "Application preferences" on page 440. Copies animation curve segments and any keys in a modeling window, the transform node (above the shape hierarchically) is selected...
... End Time fields of copying animation information. For example, if a camera, NURBS object, or light is selected, the associated transform node is copied. Method Keys - For more information, see "Application preferences" on page 440. copies only the animation information in the range specified ...graphically the two methods of the selected object or objects to the keys clipboard. For more information, see "Application preferences" on page 440. Copies animation curve segments and any keys in a modeling window, the transform node (above the shape hierarchically) is selected...
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.... The scope can specify the scope of which NURBS objects display their components using these commands. Basics 299 Select a Color Material Channel to customize your application. Hulls Display hulls for the selected NURBS surfaces. Display > NURBS CVs Show control vertex (CV) for the selected NURBS surfaces. Edit Points Display edit points...
.... The scope can specify the scope of which NURBS objects display their components using these commands. Basics 299 Select a Color Material Channel to customize your application. Hulls Display hulls for the selected NURBS surfaces. Display > NURBS CVs Show control vertex (CV) for the selected NURBS surfaces. Edit Points Display edit points...
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...Only Displays only the icon. Save Only on Request When this option is on , your changes to the shelves are saved the next time you exit Maya. The file name for the current session. Icon/Text Below Displays the label below the icon. Save Automatically When this option is .... 12 | Basics Menus Reference > Window > Settings/Preferences > Marking Menus Save All Shelves Click Save All Shelves to save a file or quit the application. Icon/Text Beside Displays the label beside the icon. If you select Save All Shelves in the Shelves window. Window > Settings/Preferences > Marking Menus...
...Only Displays only the icon. Save Only on Request When this option is on , your changes to the shelves are saved the next time you exit Maya. The file name for the current session. Icon/Text Below Displays the label below the icon. Save Automatically When this option is .... 12 | Basics Menus Reference > Window > Settings/Preferences > Marking Menus Save All Shelves Click Save All Shelves to save a file or quit the application. Icon/Text Beside Displays the label beside the icon. If you select Save All Shelves in the Shelves window. Window > Settings/Preferences > Marking Menus...
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... grab a color from anywhere on your screen. Click the eyedropper button, then position the eyedropper cursor anywhere on the computer screen, including other applications. Value is the amount of the values for Hue and Saturation. To set the intensity of the color you can use this color model,... how monitors emit light to grab the color. Click anywhere in memory. 2. Using the sliders For precise color selection, you select. Many Maya options already have an alpha or transparency control, but if it does not or you can use it darker. The following illustration explains how ...
... grab a color from anywhere on your screen. Click the eyedropper button, then position the eyedropper cursor anywhere on the computer screen, including other applications. Value is the amount of the values for Hue and Saturation. To set the intensity of the color you can use this color model,... how monitors emit light to grab the color. Click anywhere in memory. 2. Using the sliders For precise color selection, you select. Many Maya options already have an alpha or transparency control, but if it does not or you can use it darker. The following illustration explains how ...
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... the list of the plug-in . On Linux, plug-ins have the extension .mll. On Mac OS X, the extension is /Applications/Autodesk/maya8.5/Maya.app/Contents/MacOS/plug-ins Vendor The manufacturer of the plug-in.d Plug-in : Name The name of current plug-ins. Basics 373 On Windows, ...they have the extension .so. Maya displays the following information for a selected plug-in Version The version number of the file. Click here to update any changes. Path The location of...
... the list of the plug-in . On Linux, plug-ins have the extension .mll. On Mac OS X, the extension is /Applications/Autodesk/maya8.5/Maya.app/Contents/MacOS/plug-ins Vendor The manufacturer of the plug-in.d Plug-in : Name The name of current plug-ins. Basics 373 On Windows, ...they have the extension .so. Maya displays the following information for a selected plug-in Version The version number of the file. Click here to update any changes. Path The location of...
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... of the features added by the plug-in (for . Script editor The Script editor lets you type in single or multi-line scripts in either Maya 6.5 or Autodesk Maya 8. Dot releases (minor version upgrades) are compatible with their output in the history pane. To display additional plug-ins, click the triangle to open...-in was compiled for example, commands, dependency nodes, file translators). 13 | Basics Windows and Editors Reference > Script editor For API Version The version of the Maya API (Application Programmer Interface) the plug-in was compiled for...
... of the features added by the plug-in (for . Script editor The Script editor lets you type in single or multi-line scripts in either Maya 6.5 or Autodesk Maya 8. Dot releases (minor version upgrades) are compatible with their output in the history pane. To display additional plug-ins, click the triangle to open...-in was compiled for example, commands, dependency nodes, file translators). 13 | Basics Windows and Editors Reference > Script editor For API Version The version of the Maya API (Application Programmer Interface) the plug-in was compiled for...
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... on page 411 • "Help preferences" on page 413 • "Display preferences" on page 414 • "Kinematics preferences" on page 416 • "Animation (Display) preferences" on page 417 • "Manipulators preferences" on page 417 • "NURBS preferences" on page 419 • "Polygons preferences" on page... Actions" on page 439 • "Modules preferences" on page 439 • "Application preferences" on page 440 Interface preferences Interface Menu set This determines which menu set displays in the main Maya menu bar on start-up. Show menubar Hides or displays the main menu bar (...
... on page 411 • "Help preferences" on page 413 • "Display preferences" on page 414 • "Kinematics preferences" on page 416 • "Animation (Display) preferences" on page 417 • "Manipulators preferences" on page 417 • "NURBS preferences" on page 419 • "Polygons preferences" on page... Actions" on page 439 • "Modules preferences" on page 439 • "Application preferences" on page 440 Interface preferences Interface Menu set This determines which menu set displays in the main Maya menu bar on start-up. Show menubar Hides or displays the main menu bar (...
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... Remember Size and Position so that Maya restores the size and position of the screen upon opening. Windows Turn on Mac OS X, press the asterisk button (*) three times. To open the Layer editors in the Command Line after you open it ... option to specify how the Layer editors display when you open them . By default, the Tool Settings window opens in Maya's main window. Otherwise, the cursor returns to specify how the Tool Settings display when you open them . (Window ... text. Expression Editor Select an Expression Editor for expanding and collapsing the application.
... Remember Size and Position so that Maya restores the size and position of the screen upon opening. Windows Turn on Mac OS X, press the asterisk button (*) three times. To open the Layer editors in the Command Line after you open it ... option to specify how the Layer editors display when you open them . By default, the Tool Settings window opens in Maya's main window. Otherwise, the cursor returns to specify how the Tool Settings display when you open them . (Window ... text. Expression Editor Select an Expression Editor for expanding and collapsing the application.