Maya tips 004 - Custom button 002

Create custom button for 4 panel display with preffered camera view and shading

Everytime i open my assignment, the panels always mixed up. So this is to safe time setting up the right camera views i usually work with.

Script is this :

lookThroughModelPanel persp modelPanel1;
modelEditor -edit -displayAppearance smoothShaded -activeOnly false modelPanel1;
modelEditor -e -displayTextures false modelPanel1;

lookThroughModelPanel side modelPanel2;
modelEditor -edit -displayAppearance smoothShaded -activeOnly false modelPanel2;
modelEditor -e -displayTextures false modelPanel2;

lookThroughModelPanel front modelPanel3;
modelEditor -edit -displayAppearance smoothShaded -activeOnly false modelPanel3;
modelEditor -e -displayTextures false modelPanel3;

lookThroughModelPanel shot_cam modelPanel4;
modelEditor -edit -displayAppearance smoothShaded -activeOnly false modelPanel4;

modelEditor -e -displayTextures True modelPanel4;


Panel 11 is Perspective View, All shaded without texture.
Panel 12 is Side View, All shaded without texture.

Panel 13 is Front View, All shaded without texture.

Panel 14 is shot_cam View, All shaded with texture.

Maya tips 003 - bhGhost

Maybe i should record this so that it will be faster then watching the videos and reading elsewhere.

Installing

1. Download the rar file from here : bhGhost and more.
2. Put the mel file into :  C:\Users\User\Documents\maya\2015-x64\prefs\scripts.
3. Open or restart Maya.
4. Copy and paste below mel script :
select -cl;
bhGhost; select -cl;
5. Highlight the script and hold middle mouse button on the script and bring it into the shelf.
6. A small window will appear. Click MEL.
7. A custom button will be created.

Setting up

1. bhGhost panel will open once the mel script is executed.
2. Open Outliner and find the geometry name of the thing to ghost. Click the geometry name and click "Add meshes" button in bhGhost panel. Multiple geometry can be added in order to ghost together.
3. Click "Tools" in bhGhost panel. Click "+Shelf Button". It will add a custom button in current maya shelf for this settings. Remember to go custom shelf panel in maya first.
4. Right click the custom button created and click edit.
5. Three things i will edit. Icon Name, Tooltip, Icon Label. Icons can be found in the bhGhost folder.

Basic function

1. Click Meshes to go to ghosting menu.
2. Switch visibility of ghost on/off.
3. Delete current ghost.
4. Delete all ghost.
5. Create ghost of current frame.

If ghost created cannot be seen, make sure stroke is visible in show tab.

If ghost cannot be deleted even after clicking "BustAll", go Outliner and delete it manually.

Maya tips 002 - Ghosting

There are 2 methods to do ghost that i use. One is "Ghost selected" that Maya provided, the other is "bhGhost".

Ghosting 1

I started with using "Ghost selected" by using the curves. What it does is it creates many curves before and after the key it is in. It can show quite a good representation of the movement arc. An example is here: Simple walk cycle (Animation Mentor Assignment)

Ghosting 2

But something even better that was shared on Facebook, which i used all the time till now is "bhGhost". It can be found here : bhGhost and more. Installation is same as the video for another tool. Great Thanks to Brian Horgan!

I use it for variety of uses. Sometimes for some reason IK is not used for the hands when it is in contact on the ground, any movement from the body or arm will create popping for the palm. So "bhGhost" can be used to move the palm back to the original position for each frame. Below the top image shows the frame at which a ghost is created, the bottom image shows another frame where the body moves and i am able to move back the palm to the same position.

I also use "bhGhost" to help when switching a control from FK to IK. Everytime the switch is done the arm will suddenly snap to another position, because FK or IK arm will remain at its last position when not used. Below image shows frame 108 where the ghost is created. Another image below shows frame 109 where the ghost has helped me position back the arm at the exact position. Switching back from IK to FK can use the way.

Well the best use for "bhGhost" is for checking for spacing, and path of action. It helped me so much! Of course with higher number of ghost created, maya will be a little slow....

Maya tips 001 - Custom button 001

I will be recording all the tips that helped me at some point or another, so i can come back to recap whenever i need.

Create custom shelf button for quick adjusting what to show in panel.

Everytime i start a new shot i always have to adjust the stuff i want to show in all 4 panels. Panel number 11,12,13 with one setting and 14 with another settings.

The script for the 1st settings for panel 11 are:

modelEditor -e -allObjects 0 modelPanel1;
modelEditor -e -nurbsCurves true modelPanel1;
modelEditor -e -nurbsSurfaces true modelPanel1;
modelEditor -e -polymeshes true modelPanel1;
modelEditor -e -lights true modelPanel1;
modelEditor -e -cameras true modelPanel1;
modelEditor -e -locators true modelPanel1;
modelEditor -e -strokes true modelPanel1;
modelEditor -e -motionTrails true modelPanel1;
modelEditor -e -greasePencils true modelPanel1;
modelEditor -e -manipulators true modelPanel1;
modelEditor -e -hud true modelPanel1;
modelEditor -e -sel true modelPanel1;
modelEditor -e -grid false modelPanel1;


The 1st line is for "show None" function to clear all the ticks. Follow by whatever i want, with the respective panel number. For Panel number 14 which is my "Shot Cam" camera view, i only needed a few functions.

Just added

Also added in this script to enable select only "curves":

setObjectPickMask "All" 0;

setObjectPickMask "Curve" true;

I really like that there is a "Double Click" function. I can have a different setting simply by double clicking the same button.

After this is done just save the button then it is done!

Maya tips video

Just got a glimpse a Maya video tips. Got lots of great tips that even i can use.

Here it is: Meet the Experts: 45 Maya Tips and Tricks in 45 Minutes   

I will still post maya tips that i find it useful to me.

Test Post

As usual for anything I create, a Test Post!

This picture is from a Facebook Group I create with an Animation Mentor friend

Mike Pindara for the purpose of practicing animation shots during our Term break. It is a public group called AniMashUp. Trying it out, if it works well for everyone then maybe next break we can do it again!