Maya Modelling Secrets

In this Maya modelling tutorial, learn some of our top tips for speeding up your modelling work in Autodesk Maya. We cover the use of custom hotkeys, marking menus and general modelling tips. Stay tuned for more!
Hotkey list with MEL commands:
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[@k0ffa]

Hold "D" and RMB to reset the pivot (Center Pivot) ... or hold "A" and LMB to delete the history or freeze transformations. :)

[@shinobirigger6487]

...while mouse is over top of object

[@chibamoon6410]

Wow…need a cape? I sew one for you

[@XpLiCiiTMedia]

that circularize tool has just changed my life holy shit

[@FlippedNormals]

Indeed! The uses for it is almost unlimited.

[@danielgroenewald3006]

I didn't know how much i needed this tool! Im really impressed with the 2018 release of Maya

[@FlippedNormals]

Maya has really turned the ship around for modelling! It used to be, well, crap - but over the last years they have really pulled themselves together. /H

[@ronak8637]

Jake Cross yes same

[@orphydiancg7759]

they refined the tools per se but they lack the workflow and the nondestructive modeling. Multi cut prolly the best "knife" In the industry lol, same for bevel and this freaking circularize tool (late to the party but so damn refined). Hope one day MASH editor will substitute the lack of a modifier stack . And we need some spline updates lol. Max got a a ridiculous update on thos ein the last relases even though nobody asked for those and it already handling them better than maya.lol

[@marktovstyga5460]

This is crucial. Like, there has to be a "quick tips loading screen" inside the program, like in video games. yeah, tips during loading screen... that'd be nice...

[@WheyLandFitness]

Almost shed a tear after seeing the circularize tool. Cant believe there was such a quick solution, ive been doing it the old fashioned way for years

[@madmodder]

SAME

[@CristalysmediaMain]

Thank you so much for this tips/tutorial. Having 2 guys at the same time commenting on their favorite shortcuts makes it even more profound and really helps covering EVERYTHING that helped you guys beeing better modelers. I love it.

[@dankloops1359]

very informative and helpful. I have a lot of experience in Blender and was looking for the shortcuts and tools I was familiar with. This tutorial showed me a lot of those. Thank you!!!

[@tralthamidor]

Very cool, learned a few things. A suggestion: when you are throwing a lot of similar sounding keyboard shortcuts a mile a minute like B, V, D etc. Can you show the letter on the screen? Thanks.

[@FlippedNormals]

Thats a good idea! We could enable this on the more basic videos in the future.

[@mattbarkerart]

been using Maya forever and still learnt a few things. Great tuts guys.

[@domdidit]

Absolutely brilliant tips and comments from others here - thank you wholeheartedly - just beginning my journey and you guys are brilliant. Love that you don’t talk over one another and great pace with the tips…

[@patthekat66]

I did a Maya course 4 yrs ago and I’m rusty. But your guys have put me right back on track. And made me feel confident about my modelling abilities especially. 🙏🏾 Thank you

[@Tech-Tempest]

Wow, the Tab paint select and circularize tool is game-changing!! Thanks!

[@FlippedNormals]

They really are! Tab Paint is one of those features which sounds trivial, but ends up speeding your work up so much.

[@Benjieb15]

The axis normal transformation will be a huge time saver! Thanks!

[@nickzardiashvili624]

This has been thoroughly useful. Some of these tools I use in my daily work, some were a pleasant surprise to me. I will definitely recommend your channel to my students!

[@FlippedNormals]

Thank you very much! Really appreciate you taking the time. :)

[@JoeBissell]

"super illegal topology" i love it

[@flint3Dx]

Great video guys, solid down to earth advice. I'd love to see you do some normal use cases where you chat about what your doing, like you just model Morten's wallet or something over a half hour and describe what tricks you're using!

[@nodesofnature603]

(Ctrl 1) for isolate, and (D right click downwards) for center pivot. Thanks for the video I learnt some new tricks :)

[@ledf2012]

THANK YOU I feel like these are also my most used shortcuts in blender and I really need to learn maya for work... and this video made it a bit easier!

[@Chucklgeist]

i am still watching, but so far its a great addition to what i have learned in school. I dunno if you already knew but there is a handy hotkey for isolate an object its ctrl + 1. so u don't really need that one hotkey. I'll continue watching now :D

[@CeciTRJ]

Awesome video! I just started learnig Maya and this video helped me a lot! Honestly, that circularize tool just taugh me a way trough my current lesson

[@ronak8637]

Circularize is the only thing I have been searching for so long thanks for sharing it

[@FlippedNormals]

Glad it helped! :) It's super useful.

[@Giovanni00831]

omg, thanks SO MUCH! Finnally some shortcuts I need!

[@FlippedNormals]

Glad it helped!

[@BrimstoneBeard]

In edge select mode with the move tool you can hold ctrl and shift to slide edges as well.

[@tionanima]

A video like this was exactly what i needed what i needed !

[@FlippedNormals]

Awesome, glad it helped!

[@CLASHwithAARON]

I Really Liked That Circularize Tool 😃 Thanks For Introducing Me To It ❤ I Was Making Circle With Changing Vertices Before

[@tentakeljugend]

I used to have the same problem with personalised hotkeys, but a while ago, I put all my regular use stuff, like X-Ray (selected), Toggle Grid, Toggle Backface Culling, etc, into a marking menu that I toggle with a Hotkey. Shift+A with LMB in my case, so it flows very well into the regular Maya workflow. And whenever I have to change my workstation, I'll just copy the marking menu into the user folder and assign the one Hotkey to toggle the menu.

[@mozzarellaarc]

oh my god this vid just made me love maya even more, thanks for the tuts guys

[@FlippedNormals]

Awesome :D

[@mariiazatorska]

I also have one favorite Select -> Similar, saves a lot of time

[@ruok3351]

one of the few good Maya channels on YT!

[@FlippedNormals]

Thanks!

[@orphydiancg7759]

still no high profile modelers around like for 3ds Max.

[@SandroSanakoti]

Cool trick: While a component is selected (edge or face) hold shift and drag with LMB to extrude or ctrl+shift+LMB to slide! This is neat!

[@FlippedNormals]

Neat! Thanks for sharing.

[@charlyvega4545]

Thank you guys for this cool tips. I was searching in your channel for a tutorial of how to render wireframe in Maya (for reel or portfolio), maybe you can do one. There's a bunch of tutorials out there but non of them shows a clean wireframe, all of them show a level 3+ of smoothness, with thousands of polys, but no one as clean as the models of your reels for example. Thanks for all and keep it up the amazing work you do.

[@benediktornhjaltason7948]

Loving the transform on normals + soft select :D

[@FlippedNormals]

It's super powerful!

[@DominikV235]

The "G key" best friend of Maya!:)

[@FlippedNormals]

It's amazing!

[@DominikV235]

Yea I just used it on a practice right now. Mostly Paint selection of faces and Edge flow tool. Something new to add to my work flow.:)

[@akskazama8465]

G is last tool used, and Y is last command used. You're welcome.

[@crimsonBen]

that is the real O.G.!

[@xBanD3l]

Bro I really do appreciate you for this help, Thanks! I subscribed and Liked the video.

[@EliaForce1984ita]

Since I use a whole bunch of different softwares, it’d be useful for me to find a way to make all of the hotkeys the same across programs, so I’m taking a bit of here, a bit of there and basically make all my programs to work with the exact same hotkeys! And some of the ones you mentioned here, well, most of them since I have never used maya that much, are extremely comfortable and I think I’ll port them over in blender as well! Thanks guys!

[@EliaForce1984ita]

I’ve been trying Maya a bit more recently and I didn’t know that shift + RMB context menu! Very useful too!

[@douka3993]

i'm intermediate/advanced maya user and i know all this stuff but for some reason i just kept watching all the video 😃, nice as always!

[@FlippedNormals]

Great! :D We'll see if we can make some pretty advanced stuff in the future too.

[@dudemd4873]

I'm glad your using maya 2018. AT LEASED SOMETHING BESIDES MAYA 2013!!!!!!!

[@kira_15_R3D]

I love your work and you guys have been helping me out so much with your zbrush tutorials, is there any possibility that you'll do a basics beginner tutorial with maya like the one you did with zbrush? I mean you explained it so well in the zbrush one, I feel the flow in my workflow, I no longer feel so damn confused, you guys rock!

[@giaco89]

PLZ MOREEEEEE! Great Job Guys :)

[@FlippedNormals]

Thanks!

[@JohnBack]

Fantastic vid guys. Thanks heaps!

[@obsoquasi]

really cool guys! Just started with Maya and so these handy tricks will really help me. I'm stepping up from Cinema4D. I did love C4D, but that 2 million poly limit has been bugging me for years. I always thought that Maya would be a pain in the ass to learn (like ZBrush), but I actually think it's very logical and I love the speed modelling options. Keep it up, guys!

[@FlippedNormals]

Thanks John! Maya used to be a proper pain in the ass to use, but over the last 3-4 years, it's improved a lot - to the point where it's almost user friendly :D

[@liscarscott]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! You guys rock!

[@nenadbacic]

Really nice work guys, keep on..

[@nodesofnature603]

While u r in multi cut, u can press (ctrl shift) so that a box will appear where u can tick edge flow on or off for every loop u r adding next.

[@FlippedNormals]

Neat! Thanks.

[@MauroSanna]

Nice video guys. Though the "isolate selection" hot key already exists, its "CTRL + 1" (on the numpad). Also from Maya 2016.5 (which is Extension 2 if memory serves me well...) you don't need to hold "D" to get into "edit pivot" mode, instead just press "D" once and you are in. To get out press "D" again. LMB to align the pivot to any component direction, and MMB to snap the pivot to any component by holding "X" for the grid, "C" for edges and curves, "V" for vertices and control vertices. I would also add the basic shortcut to maximize your work area: "CTRL + SPACE BAR" to get rid of almost the whole UI, and same to go back to full UI. "CTRL + M" to hide/show the main menus, "SHIFT + M" to hide/show Pane menus, "CTRL + SHIFT + M" to hide/show the Pane icons. One last thing which I think is very handy: "ALT + P" to make the perspective window temporarily orthogonal. :-)

[@FlippedNormals]

Awesome, thanks for your 'corrections' and additional tips! The hotkeys you're mentioning are incredibly handy. I didnt actually know Alt-P. Neat! /H

[@inkman002]

Been using maya since 2011, still haven't shook the habbit of holding "d" for pivot mode lol. Thanks for the other tips!

[@TheCrimson147]

Same here, it goes weird when i try to snap it to grid or sth, I feel like i'm playing the piano, "let's hold d while holding down c and also change the viewport to ortho while trying to snap it in"

[@thyhuynh8399]

thank you my good sir

[@romelotolentino9926]

OMG So excited n happy I found this Channel!!! Eeeeekk

[@FlippedNormals]

Awesome! Thank you so much

[@chaitraacchu4820]

thank you so much. this video was so helpful

[@kelvinzer0614]

First, Thank you so much for the tips! /// I have a very "basic" question that seems like a bug, using the "V" shortcut key to snap verteces in the top-view. I was trying to align stuff that was on the top of a mesh with the bottom vertex of that same mesh, on the Z and X direction (excluding Y). I selected the top of my mesh, then from the top-view, I selected the move tool (W), then held the "V" key to align with the bottom vertex ; to move it in a single operation, I used the yellow square handle (that is supposed to combine the X and Z axis, excluding the Y axis). It aligned wth the bottom vertex, however, when coming back to Persp view, the top elements had snapped AT THE BOTTOM, in the Y direction too, even though the yellow-square handle is supposed to exclude the Y axis. The only workaround was to cancel my last action, go back to top-view, press'n-hold the "V" key, and then align in 2 operations, moving the X arrow, then the Z arrow. Am I the only one with that bug? Why isn't that square-yellow handle in top-view working to align stuff in only 2 directions? Thanks

[@ryanpeters534]

Mind blown, just subscribed. Thank you!

[@FlippedNormals]

Awesome! Thanks Ryan.

[@LEHtJong]

Hey, great tutorial.... I believe in maya 2017 they added the functionality to move verts edges etc back and forth along their normal "n" direction by holding ctrl and middlemouse drag left and right!

[@FlippedNormals]

Ah nice! Didnt know that one. Thanks. /H

[@steventa6543]

cool vid! btw idk if you guys know this, but I believe if you do ctrl + 1, thats the hotkey to isolate an object instead of assigning a new hot key.

[@joisangluiscansingsaltos5432]

I want to make Lo-Fi soft and today i started to soft soft tutorials. I see that you are teacNice tutorialng us very carefully and simple, i like that

[@arnolsosa7623]

Thanks for this video, i am a beginner and this video is really useful

[@Tritoon710]

Great tutorial, Please make more.

[@FlippedNormals]

Thanks! Can do, can do.

[@guesminabil588]

Nice work and thx for the tips,

[@anishoe9287]

Learned a couple new tricks, thanks!

[@FlippedNormals]

Awesome :D

[@contrapasta2454]

Packed video. Took me like an hour to watch it while tabbing back and forth.

[@svivan20]

Excellent tips mate! Tks ;)

[@sanderh4600]

2:31 been looking for a way to do this. 4:58 is black magic. 6:30 why did I not know this before. Really appreciate these tips!

[@goheenbiswas1901]

This is really helpful

[@lifedrawing7062]

this was a life saver... thanks so much.

[@FlippedNormals]

Awesome, thanks! More Maya secrets in the future.

[@SakuraNana09]

Thank you!! loved it

[@FlippedNormals]

Thanks!

[@kinami37]

Hey guys, just found your channel, starting with maya modelling because of you, heard bad news about autodesk wanting 3ds max to die, and no "big" improvements with new iterations of max.. so yeah maya it is. Would be cool to see some tutorials from you for maya, just weird, special tutorials for weird stuff

[@talent103]

great tips! Thanks

[@JungleAdventure0330]

Dude, this is magic

[@noyanrezai567]

god damn ! another video from flippednormals. loving it :) keep it up lads

[@arunvikram347]

thanks brother.it was very useful....thanks a lot

[@badondebadonde267]

Thanks guys, very good vídeos!!

[@FlippedNormals]

Thank you!

[@AceMaijin]

Thx for the config, fellas!

[@satyamkumar-gw6ss]

thank u helped me a lot

[@AllDayBikes]

2:04 In and I learned about the axis feature I've been ignoring lmao, thankyou. 4:27 And another one.

[@pacovazquez8591]

good job! i bet you are great at making s! good luck

[@dimensional7915]

that edge flow tool is some dark magic

[@eliasdegasperi_art]

Great video!

[@kwachabodysculptors]

That was amazing

[@duncanrudd348]

Nice video - thanks guys. FYI ctrl + 1 is mapped to isolate selection by default

[@FlippedNormals]

There more you know! Didnt know that one :) Thanks for sharing!

[@morazul3d]

@@FlippedNormals Also they introduced (I think in maya 2015) shift + i for Isolated. ctrl +1 is for toggle and shift i Isolate the selection :D. Very nice Video man

[@alzajel1]

amazing tutorial. :) thanks

[@FlippedNormals]

Thanks a lot!

[@ikbo]

Great stuff! A Modo version would be awesome 😁

[@FlippedNormals]

On our list :D

[@dudynator1]

Nice video guys, but as a junior starter, I new all this stuff and use them quite frequently XD I was hoping some easter eggs or real secret things :s nice tutorial though, I love yoir channel!

[@FlippedNormals]

We'll do a couple of those as well :D

[@yarugatyger1603]

Knew 90% of these, but the one for scaling down thickness was new :D

[@ehtshamahmed5]

you deserve a LIKE man ,,

[@PoseidonArts]

Really useful tips! :D

[@FlippedNormals]

Thanks!

[@TheDorianTube]

Shift-Control-Right Click mouse doesn't give me the same menu as you guys. However, I found another way. Holding W and left click on the arrow of the pivot, gives me your menu lol

[@briantraughber5821]

Painting the faces by holding tab made me give the biggest 'shocked pikachu' face. Can't believe I didn't know about that!

[@davidmonteiro6822]

Awesome as always. One quesion about how to reset the pivot point of a selection (polys, verst etc)?

[@FlippedNormals]

You can reset everything in the tool-options for the tool :) There's a button all the way on the top.

[@santodkewl]

Thank you!!

[@Farrukh3D]

Very useful and good video :)

[@FlippedNormals]

Thanks!

[@luf7y556]

multi tool - ctrl + shift + x

[@OriHadar]

holy shit circularize tool where have you been all my life

[@nourghafarji]

hold ctrl+alt to rotate your camera around your object like a turn table ;)

[@nopeee500]

I was startled when his voice change then I realize there are two of them hals

[@FlippedNormals]

:D

[@nopeee500]

@Ali hassan Kinda😂

[@threecolonist]

ctrl+1 is the default hotkey for Isolate Toggle.

[@nyashahove8129]

Bro, you're a great teacher and explainer! Thank you for tNice tutorials tutorial!

[@SrSeed]

This has the same feeling as when you found a cheat code list for a game. God damn this is helpful

[@scaramcnamara689]

if you want to move hotkeys from computer to computer they are saved as a mel script under documents/ maya/ 2019/ prefs/ hotkeys/

[@lacroixcamille6075]

thanks, very usefull !

[@FlippedNormals]

Thanks!

[@fitzgerardoliamot9173]

In soft One, there is relatively little although I will say soft One has so fantastic features and I tNice tutorialnk it is going places (Rated No 2

[@krisCrashTV]

The rotate tool has the J function but there are similar stepping functions for Scale and Move (and extrude) that are worth trying.

[@FlippedNormals]

Great, thanks for sharing!

[@krisCrashTV]

Likewise. I learned something new (wtf there's a CTRL SHIFT menu too??).

[@Kaiz3rNet]

great ! thanks guys

[@FlippedNormals]

Thanks!

[@TarunSDhiman]

Thanks buddy

[@lenneth1188]

just carry a flash drive and copy ur pref file in document/maya. Ur hotkey, shelf, scripts, layout, etc. can easily be transfered to other pcs