Global Differences

Unlike LightWave's Layout and Modeler modules, all scene creation and adjustment in Maya occurs in the same workspace. Objects are modeled, named, and edited at any time, concurrent with any other creating, editing, or animating. Because object creation is part of scene creation in Maya, you do not usually load individually modeled objects from outside files, as in LightWave. In Maya, you usually create a single scene file that contains all objects, animation, lights, and other scene elements. Only bitmap textures and audio files are external to the scene file. An exception is the use of references outside linked objects often used when working with groups of other Maya animators on a project. Referenced objects appear but cannot be edited, similar to LightWave's main Layout module.

In Maya, objects and groups of objects can be assigned to layers, but the philosophy of these layers is different from LightWave's modeling layers. LightWave forces each unique object to reside in one of several layers, and these layers are easily chosen and activated in a pushbutton-style selector, the standard modeling method in LightWave. In LightWave, the inactive layers are visible but can't be edited what is called Template or Reference mode in Maya. The layers in Maya are more like those used by CAD users to facilitate organizing the scene and to allow major sections of models to be hidden and displayed as needed.

In LightWave, the OpenGL shading settings for lights and texture detail levels are controlled globally in the Display panel. In Maya, each 3D panel can be set to display lights in a unique way. Texture detail in Maya is set on a per-texture basis, with the detail set in Maya's material editor, called Hypershade.

In Maya, all objects and scene entities (cameras, lights, curves, joints, and so forth) can be edited in detail at any time with the Attribute Editor. This is a floating panel (accessed with Ctrl+a) that you'll use often. It's similar to the Object Properties panel in LightWave, but is more thoroughly connected to every aspect of a selected scene entity. Navigating these scene entities can be done in schematic mode, just as in LightWave. Maya's Hypergraph panel is similar to LightWave's Schematic view. However, the interconnections in Maya's Hypergraph are more complex and flexible.

In Maya, you don't have a fast-pick list of scene entities as you do in LightWave. Maya's Outliner window is the most similar tool for selecting objects by name. Also, in LightWave, something is always selected, but in Maya, it's possible to have nothing selected.

Using LightWave's Layout module, you normally edit objects, lights, cameras, and the like by selecting a tab for the entity type at the top of the interface. This selection changes all the buttons displayed in the left (or optionally right) side of the interface. Maya does have a similar function, in that when you're using the full interface, a mode selector determines which menus appear in Maya. There are only four modes in Maya Complete: Modeling, Dynamics, Animation, and Rendering. All the menus other than the six to the far left change depending on the mode you're in.