Animation Tips from a Dummy #2

Shift - Click - Lift

This tip is to save your carpal bones.

In Maya, when you are panning and zooming with the alt and/or shift keys and the left/middle button on your mouse or pen, you don't have to hold the shift or alt keys down while you pan or zoom. Once you click you can let go of the key(s).

It works with the camera and in the graph editor and in any window view.

I'm going to start posting tips from time to time. These tips aren't your normal *Track your arcs* or *watch your spacing* type of tips. If you want those, read The Illusion of Life and check around on the internet, they're everywhere. I'll post these as they come to me. Take it or leave it. I don't claim to know crap about animation, but I am learning every day. Hope it helps you out. If you have anything to add or you want to call me a dumbass, please feel free to do so in the comments section.
-ONE

Animation Tips from a Dummy #1

Watch while your playblast is playblasting.

I find that when I watch my screen during the playblast I often see things that I wouldn’t normally see. Unless I step through the entire animation, which is something I do anyway, but watching a playblast is easier than stepping through.

So instead of running to grab a Red Bull every time you playblast, sit there with a notepad and watch it. Or change your playback settings to 6FPS and play that through. Which I don't like to do.

I'm going to start posting tips from time to time. These tips aren't your normal *Track your arcs* or *watch your spacing* type of tips. If you want those, read The Illusion of Life and check around on the internet, they're everywhere. I'll post these as they come to me. So here's the first tip from your Friendly Animating Dumb455. Take it or leave it. I don't claim to know crap about animation, but I am learning every day. Hope it helps you out. If you have anything to add or you want to call me a dumbass, please feel free to do so in the comments section.
-ONE