Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
When you're using the keyboard shortcuts discussed in this subsection, don't press the Shift
key to generate the letter A or F. Keyboard shortcuts in Maya are described as case sensitive
because in many cases, pressing a single letter key has a different effect than pressing Shift
+ that letter (which makes the letter uppercase). This topic shows all single letters as capitals
in the text (the same way they appear on your keyboard). The Shift key is included in the text
only when it's part of an uppercase shortcut. So if you find yourself wondering why press-
ing a hotkey isn't working, make sure you aren't pressing Shift or that the Caps Lock isn't
enabled, capitalizing your entries when they should be lowercase.
The Manipulators
The next thing you should know about the interface
deals directly with objects. Manipulators are onscreen
handles that you use to manipulate the selected
object. Figure 3.14 shows three distinct and common
Manipulators for all objects in Maya: Move, Rotate, and
Scale. You use these Manipulators to adjust attributes
of the objects visually and in real time. In addition,
the fourth icon shown in Figure 3.14 is the Universal
Manipulator, which allows you to move, rotate, or scale
an object all with one Manipulator. Additionally, you
can use special Manipulators, or special manips , to
adjust specific functions while using certain tools or
with some objects, such as a spotlight.
You can access the Manipulators using either the
icons from the Tool Box or the following hotkeys:
Figure 3.14
Using Manipulators
Key
FunctIon
W
Activates the Move tool
E
Activates the Rotate tool
R
Activates the Scale tool
Q
Deselects any Translation tool to hide its Manipulator,
and reverts to the Select tool
It may seem strange for the default hotkeys to be W,
E, and R for Move, Rotate, and Scale; but because the
keys are next to each other on the keyboard, selecting
them is easy. These are without a doubt the hotkeys you'll
use most often, because they activate the tools you'll use
the majority of the time.
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