Changing the Layout


The main window in Maya can display from one to four panels, with each panel showing a different view of the current scene (Figure 2.12). A panel can show a visual display of the objects in your scene, commonly referred to as a view, or any one of a number of other Maya windows that allow you to view and modify your scene in various ways.

Figure 2.12. This custom layout consists of a perspective view as well as panels containing the Outliner and the Hypergraph.


The number and size of these panels, as well as the views they're set to display, are called the layout. You can switch between preset layouts, modify the current layout, and even create and save your own custom layouts. Also, when using a layout with multiple panels, you can temporarily expand one of them to fill the main window.

To change the panel layout:

  • From the Panels menu in any panel, select Layouts and choose the preset layout name you wantTwo Panes Side by Side, for example (Figure 2.13).

    or

    Figure 2.13. You can pick any of the possible panel layouts from the Panels > Layouts menu.


  • Select the icon of the layout you want from the toolbar of quick layout buttons on the lower-left side of Maya's interface (Figure 2.14).

    Figure 2.14. The quick layout buttons let you quickly switch the panel layout to a number of different preset options.


Tip

  • You can change the contents of your chosen layout by holding down the arrows at the bottom of the layout toolbar. Doing so lets you choose what will be displayed in the corresponding panel. The number of arrows varies with the number of panels in the current layout (Figure 2.15).

    Figure 2.15. You can change the contents of each view of your layout by clicking the arrows below the quick layout buttons. This contextual menu allows you to change the contents of the corresponding panel.

  • You can adjust the relative sizes of the panels in your layout by clicking and dragging the frame that separates them (Figure 2.16).

    Figure 2.16. It can be helpful to resize your panels to make the size of each one comparable to its use. For instance, you might want to make your Perspective panel larger so that you always have more working area in that view.


To save a layout:

1.

Set up the layout you would like to save and use later.

2.

Choose Window > Save Current Layout.

3.

Enter a name for the layout, and click OK.

You can now access the new layout from the Panels > Saved Layouts menu.

To access a saved layout:

  • From the Panels menu in any panel, select Saved Layouts and choose the name of the saved layout you would like to use.

To edit a layout:

1.

From the Panels menu in any panel, select Saved Layouts > Edit Layouts.

2.

Under the Layouts tab, select the name of the layout you would like to edit (Figure 2.17).

Figure 2.17. Because the layouts accessible through the quick layouts toolbar are also editable, you need to scroll down to find your saved custom layouts.


3.

Under the Edit Layouts tab and the Configurations subtab, select your desired configuration from the pop-up menu.

4.

Pull any of the center dividers for the numbered blocks to adjust the panels' relative size (Figure 2.18).

Figure 2.18. Click and drag the divider to adjust the relative size of the numbered blocks.


5.

On the Contents subtab, use the numbered drop-down boxes to specify the contents of your panels (Figure 2.19).

Figure 2.19. Each numbered block in the Configurations tab has a corresponding drop-down box in the Contents tab.


6.

Click the Close button to close the window.

To expand a panel:

1.

Move the mouse over the panel you would like to make larger (Figure 2.20).

Figure 2.20. You can expand any panel of a multipanel interface by holding your mouse over it and tapping the .


2.

Tap the once. Be sure to tap it rather than hold it down (which brings up the Hotbox rather than expanding the panel).

The panel expands to fill the main window, hiding the other panels (Figure 2.21).

Figure 2.21. You'll get more working space when you expand a panel. To return to your multi-panel view, tap the again.


Tips

  • Tap the again to reset the panel's size (uncovering the other panes).

  • Press to hide most of Maya's interface as the panel expands, so that the panel uses the maximum screen space.


About the default layouts

By default, Maya displays a single panel set to a Perspective view (Figure 2.22). To switch from this view to the default four-view layout, place your cursor over the view and tap the . The Perspective view shrinks to fit in the upper-right corner, making room for the Front, Side, and Top views (Figure 2.23).

Figure 2.22. The default layout in Maya is a single Perspective view.


Figure 2.23. A four-view layout lets you view your scene from four different angles at the same time.


These views are orthographic, which means they present a 2D view of the scene from a fixed angle. The three orthographic views combine to provide an accurate portrayal of the objects' placement relative to the rest of the scene. Users new to 3D often forget to check their objects in multiple views, which can cause placement problems: Objects that look perfectly positioned in one view may be completely off when viewed from another angle (Figure 2.24).

Figure 2.24. In the Perspective view, this apple appears to be in the center of the plate. In the orthographic views, you can see that the apple is actually floating above the edge of the plate.


Changing individual panels

You can use the View Compass to temporarily switch the Perspective view to any of the six possible orthographic views: Top, Bottom, Left, Right, Front, and Back. Simply click the corresponding point of the View Compass in the Perspective view's upper-right corner. The view will rotate to that angle. (Figure 2.25). Click the cube at the center of the View Compass to return to a Perspective view.

Figure 2.25. Using the view compass, you can switch a Perspective view to any orthographic view (Front, Back, Right, Left, Top, or Bottom).


Maya also lets you change any panel to display a different view of your scene, whether perspective or orthographic. Panels can also provide convenient access to other tools within Maya. These tools include animation editors, like the Graph Editor, and node-based representations of your scene, like the Outliner.

You can also view all of these tools as separate windows (Figure 2.26) by selecting them from the Window menu rather than a Panel menu. As you learn more about Maya, you'll discover how each of these tools fits into your workflow, and you'll develop your own preferences for arranging them in your layout.

Figure 2.26. The Outliner can be displayed in a panel, or you can view it in a separate window that appears on top of your layout.


To change a panel into a Perspective view:

  • From the Panels menu at the top of the panel you want to change, select Perspective > persp (Figure 2.27).

    Figure 2.27. You can change any panel into a Perspective view from its Panels menu.


To change a panel into an orthographic view:

  • From the Panels menu at the top of the panel you want to change, select Orthographic > front, side, or top (Figure 2.28).

    Figure 2.28. You can change any panel into an orthographic view from its Panels menu.


To change a panel to display a non-view tool:

  • From the Panels menu in any panel, select Panel and choose the tool you wantOutliner, for example (Figure 2.29).

    Figure 2.29. The Panels > Panel menu provides access to all of the Maya tools that can be displayed in a panel.





Maya 7 for Windows and Macintosh(c) Visual Quickstart Guide
Maya 7 for Windows & Macintosh
ISBN: 0321348990
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 185

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