Status Line- Top Horizontal menu    

     Select by hierarchy

     Select Objects type - This is the main one to use

     Select by Component - Picks object parts i.e. CVs

GOOD TRICK: Use Right mouse over anything in Maya to bring up mini menu, good way to pick CVs



Buttons from the Status Bar

      hold down  x while transforming = grid snap

     hold down  c while transforming = curve snap

     hold down  v while transforming = point snap

     snap to view planes

     live - first pick the object to live, others objects will snap to the live object.

Live is the only method to draw a curve on surface. Use this to sketch particles on a live surface too.


     Lock Button makes the left mouse button like the middle mouse.



Tool Box - manipulators

    pick

    move

    rotate

    scale

    show manipulator - this shows interest on lights, camera, or revolve

Use - and + on keyboard change the size of manipulator,
or use Window->Settings/Preferences
          Select  Manipulator
          Input a number for Global Scale.


    Rotate Manipulator

GOOD TRICK: If you highlight a channel like translate Y in the channel box, you can move an object with middle mouse. This is good for any floating point value.



Some More Keyboard Shortcuts
 type q = pick
 type w = move
 type e = rotate
 type r = scale
 type t = show manipulator
 type y = last tool used

type z = undo, the default is 10, you can raise this with:
Window->Settings/Preferences->Preferences...
     Select Undo
     input Queue Size  50


Shift + z = redo

1 with an active NURBS object = display wireframe smoothness,
          or Window Attribute Editor->NURBS Surface Display->Curve Precision 3
2 with an active NURBS object = display wireframe smoothness,
          or Window Attribute Editor->NURBS Surface Display->Curve Precision 7
3 with an active NURBS object = display wireframe smoothness,
          or Window Attribute Editor->NURBS Surface Display->Curve Precision 15

4 = display active window wireframe

5 = display active window shaded with default lights

6 = display active window shaded and textured with default lights

7 = display active window shaded with first 8 scene lights

Insert key switches a tool box manipulator to pivot manipulator. On the Mac it is the Home key.



Add Pick Nothing to Hotkeys:
Select Window->Settings/Preferences->Hotkeys...
     Under Key, input an l.
     Press Query Key button, to make sure the n key it is not in use.
     Find a category and a command, choose Assign.



Add Any Command to the Shelf:
Select the Custom Tab, hold down the Shift, Ctrl, and Alt buttons as you select the tool you want on the shelf.

For example: Hold down the Shift, Ctrl, and Alt buttons as you select the Display->NURBS Component->CVs into New Window tool.



Moving Around the Windows:

Alt + the left mouse button rotates the camera view or panel.
Alt + the middle mouse button tracks any view or panel.
Alt + the left and middle button dollys any view or panel.

Include shift to make the moves gestural, i.e. constrained to horizontal or vertical.



*** Lighting tip
Select a spotlight
In the camera view, select Panels->Look through selected
Use the camera controls to aim the spot. i.e. alt + left mouse button to rotate light.

Use Panels->Perspective->Persp   to put the view back.



Numerical Input Line:     
If you are using a manipulator tool, such as rotate you can input all three xyz values in the absolute or Relative Numeric Input line. It is located to the far right on the status line. Relative is hidden under the sel arrow. If you type a period instead of a number the object will not change. i.e. If an object is rotated 0, 45, 0, and you input . . 45, the object will be rotated 0, 45, 45.



Absolute or relative transformations button.
Have you noticed when you move an object it moves exactly as input. This is an absolute transformation. For example: Rotate an object 90 degrees, then rotate it 10 degrees. The object will be rotated 10 degrees. An object rotated with a relative transformation would have been rotated 100 degrees. Relative mode adds or multiplies the new transformation to the existing transformation. The software defaults to absolute transformations. Occasionally, you will find a need for relative, especially when working with exact measurements.  It is located to the far right on the status line. Relative mode is hidden under the sel arrow.



Fix the Channel Box
Window->Settings/Preferences->Preferences...
     Under Interface
         Select Open Attribute Editor • In Separate Window
         Select Open Tool Settings • In Separate Window

Locate these tools in upper right side of screen:

The one located  to the right will reset the channel box back to normal.