FIX VIEWPORT – OVERVIEW

 

The Fix Viewport Tool makes an aesthetically pleasing Maya viewport.

Add real-time reflections and soft shadows to your models with our “light rig” and fine-tune with our HDRI Skydome Browser .

Upgrade your viewport to the modern Standard Surface Shader and leave Maya’s outdated Lambert and Blinn shaders behind.

Don’t let the technical details of ACES and Linear Color Space hinder your artistic vision (Maya 2022 and above); manage your colors with ease.

Eliminate blandness from your viewport by using our view space presets and exposure/contrast sliders for grading.

Plus, there are many other features, such as preventing unsightly shimmering intersections and more!

Simplify your life and optimize your viewport instantly with the Fix Viewport tool.

 
 

NEW STANDARD SURFACE SHADERS

 

About Surface Standard (Maya 2020+)
The new standard surface shader in Maya has several benefits, including improved realism, user-friendly controls, faster rendering times, advanced features like subsurface scattering and anisotropic reflections, compatibility with other PBR workflows, and efficient handling of complex materials.

Unfortunately the shader may appear too dark in Maya’s viewport. The Fix Viewport tool solves this issue by adding a light-based rig with an HDRI Skydome for reflections, ensuring accurate rendering.

Note: Using Lamberts/Blinns/Phongs
If you’re using Lamberts and Blinns in Maya 2020 or newer versions, you should make adjustments to our tool:

– Fix Viewport > Advanced Mode > Camera viewport > Intensity (drop down) > Intensity Lambert/Blinn

 
 

IMPORTANT: 2022 ACES/LINEAR FIXES

 

Overview
ACES is a standardized color space used in the film and video production industry for consistent and accurate color management, providing a wide gamut and high dynamic range.

Despite the transition to the new ACES format (Maya 2022+), there are still issues to address, including confusion when upgrading old scenes and Adobe products lacking native ACES support.

The Fix Viewport Tool allows for easy switching between ACES and the older Linear Color modes, and we provide an additional tool called Match Swatch Color Space for correcting shader colors between the two modes.

The Fix – Switch To Linear
Switching back to Linear Color Space can help resolve color issues with imported files and your model/assets:

– Press the Linear (sRGB) button
– Press the No Tone-Map button

These settings can resolve wireframe anti-alias issues and map-painting problems, like skin-weight painting.

Switch Back To ACES
To return to Maya 2022 defaults color space:

– Press the ACES (sRGB) button
– Press the SDR-Video button

Wireframe and weight painting can be addressed in ACES by clicking on the following:
– No Tone-Map button

 
 

KNOWN ISSUES & FIXES

 

Viewport Renderer Support
Fix Viewport requires Arnold to be loaded though you do not need to be rendering in Arnold. HDR Skydomes in the viewport are only supported by using Arnold skydomes, though we hope that will change in the future.

Most shaders types of all renderers are supported, see below.

Shader Support
Most shaders (all renderers) are supported though we recommend Maya’s generic standardSurface shader (2020 and above) or Arnold’s aiStandardSurface (2017 and above).

Other shaders such as blinn/phong/lamberts work too but the specular/reflective properties of these shaders are not as good as standardSurface and aiStandardSurface.

Maya 2020 Circle Hole Issue
Maya 2020 can show with a big circle hole in the middle of the screen. To fix, refresh the viewport by running the following code twice or more. This code will be added in Zoo 2.5.5. In Zoo 2.5.5 you will also be able to hit the new refresh button (planned) and that will run this code too.

cmds.ogs(reset=True)

This issue due to an Autodesk bug and is not related to Zoo Tools Pro. You can also upgrade to 2022 where this issue is solved.

Maya 2020 Chrome Ball HUD Hidden
In Maya 2020 the chrome ball may be hidden, this is a known Autodesk bug and has been fixed in Maya 2022 and above.

To fix you can also wiggle the HDRI control or the code:

cmds.ogs(reset=True)

Unfortunately moving the viewport will hide the chrome ball again.

Rendering With The Setup
This light setup does not currently render in any renderer, Arnold or other renderers; this is because we are using Maya’s native directional lights. We plan to add a renderer switch so the light rig will work with all of our supported renderers soon.

I Can’t See The HUD Light Setup
To see the HUD controls you must have polygons, and NURBS Curves displayed in the show menu.

– Viewport Menu > Show > Polygons and NURBS Curves (on)

The HUD currently works with a 35 mm focal length on the camera.

If you’re zoomed in with a long lens, use the \ hotkey (hold and right-click zoom drag) until you see the HUD control and move it into frame then tap \ again to return to the correct lens zoom. We will solve this issue in a later version.

To hide the HUD Light display use Maya’s Layers under the Channel Box and turn off the visibility (v) of the layers named vpLight_geo_lyr and vpLight_ctrls_lyr.

Hide HDRI Light Viewport
To hide the HDRI and directional lights in the viewport, turn off lights in the viewport display menu.

– Viewport Menu > Show > Lights (on or off)

Switch The Light rig To Another Camera
Press Create/Reparent Light Button and any existing setup will reparent and constrain to the active viewport camera.

– Change your viewport camera to a new camera, make sure the viewport is active (grey line around it)
– Press the Create/Reparent Light Button in the Fix Viewport tool

 
 

COMPACT SETTINGS

 

Viewport Light Presets Combo Dropdown
Builds a light rig for the viewport and sets viewport settings.
Builds/updates automatically while changing the dropdown options.

– None: Does nothing

– Viewport Off: Removes light rigs and turns all viewport settings off.

– Low Model: Modeling mode. Single directional light that matches Standard Surface shaders.

– Low Shadows: Shadows are on with Low Model (above) settings.

– Medium Sharp 4k: Single directional light 4k shadows and HDRI Skydome. Viewport settings medium.

– Medium Soft 1k: Seven directional lights with a single 1k soft shadow with specular and HDRI light.

– High Sharp 8k: Single directional light with 8k shadows and HDRI Skydome. Viewport settings high.

– High Soft 2k: Fifteen directional lights with a single 2k soft shadow each with specular and HDRI Skydome.

Clip Planes Combo Dropdown
Set the near and far clipping planes on the active viewport’s camera.
Recommended to Medium in most cases, regular scene size.
Reduces viewport flicker of objects/surfaces close together.

Exposure Slider
Set Maya’s Exposure viewport setting to have brighter/darker exposure.
Default is 0.0.

Contrast Slider
Faked contrast using the both the viewport’s Exposure and Gamma settings.
Default is 0.0.

Linear (sRGB) Button (2022)
Sets the viewport to be Linear Color Space.
Matches 2020 and below versions of Maya and matches all Zoo Tools assets.
Assumes a sRGB monitor.

Aces (sRGB) Button (2022)
Sets the viewport to be ACES Color Space.
Newer color space and default in 2022 and above.
May not match some compositing programs like After Effects.
Assumes a sRGB monitor.

No Tone-Map Button (2022)
Removes the tone-map, so no color grade is applied.
Matches 2020 and below, also fixes wireframe aliasing in 2022.

Unity Neutral Button (2022)
Use the SDR-Video view transform (Grade/Tone-Map)
Default for 2022, also distorts wireframe aliasing.

SDR-Video Button (2022)
Use the Unity Neutral view transform (Grade/Tone-Map)
Also distorts wireframe aliasing.

Directional Slider
Adjust the intensity of the directional light in the viewport light rig.

All lights will combine to equal this setting.

Intensity is automatically multiplied by 1.7 if set to Standard Surface.

Auto-updates existing setups while changing.

HDRI Arnold Slider
Adjust the intensity of the HDRI Skydome.

This light must be an Arnold Skydome to affect the viewport.

Auto-updates existing setups.

Cursor Icon Button
Selects the master light control of the light rig in the scene.

Directional Light Icon Button
Selects the directional light control of the light rig in the scene.

HDRI Skydome Button
Selects the hdri skydome light control of the light rig in the scene.

Create/Reparent Light Button
Creates or recreates a viewport light rig with soft shadows, specular and HDRI Skydome controls.

Maya 2020+: Adjusts to compensate for darker Arnold and surfaceStandard shaders.

With a light rig already in the scene, click to switch rigs to a new camera.

Link/Unlink Icon Button
Breaks or links the rotation of the viewport light from the camera.

– Broken: The light rig will not rotate with the camera viewport.
– Linked: The light rig will rotate with the camera viewport.

Delete Trash Icon Button
Deletes the viewport light rig setup, including controls and chrome ball.

 
 

MAINTAIN FAST ANIMATION PLAYBACK

 

Certain viewport light setups can slow down Maya’s playback speed (frames per second).

For fast playback we recommend adjusting the following settings for a fast viewport.

– Fix Viewport > Advanced Mode > Viewport 2.0 Settings > Anti-Alias > 8
– Fix Viewport > Advanced Mode > Viewport 2.0 Settings > Max Lights > 8
– Fix Viewport > Advanced Mode > Camera Viewport > Light Count > 7 or below

 
 

ADVANCED SETTINGS

 

Create Light Automatically Checkbox
With preset changes if checked then create the viewport light rig and constrains it to the current camera.

Grid Checkbox
Display the viewport grid on/off.

Textures Checkbox
Toggles viewport textures on/off.

Show UDIM Textures Button
Show UDIM (multi-tile) texture in the viewport, default is off.

Background Color Swatch and Slider
Change the background color of the viewport.

Reset with the alt b hotkey to cycle through default colors.

Lights Checkbox
Toggle viewport lights, lights on/off in the scene.

Shadows Checkbox
Toggle depth map shadows on/off in the scene.

Screen AO Checkbox
Toggle ambient occlusion on/off in the viewport.

Anti-Alias Checkbox
Toggle anti-aliasing on/off in the viewport.

Anti-Alias Samples Combo Dropdown
Set the anti-alias samples to 8 (low) or 16 (high) samples.

Max Lights Combo Dropdown
Set the maximum viewport lights to be 8 or 16.

Maya does not include skydome lights in this count.

Extra lights above the limit won’t affect the viewport.

Renderer Combo Dropdown
Currently only supports viewport lights, renderer support is coming soon.

StandardSurface/Lambert Blinn Combo Dropdown
Multiplies the viewport light rig intensity to match:

– Standard Surface shaders (1.7)
– Lambert/Blinn/Phong shaders (1.0)

Specular Slider
The intensity of the specular contribution to the viewport light.
This setting is multiplied (overblown) to better match rendered settings.
Auto-updates existing setups in the scene.

Light Count
Set the number of directional lights in the viewport light rig for soft shadows.

More lights will create more accurate softness but may slow the scene and consume texture memory.

Auto-updates existing setups. The Max light count is 15.

Soft Angle
Adjusts the softness of shadows on setups with more than one light.
Auto-updates existing setups in the scene.

DMap Res
Adjusts the depth map shadow (pixel resolution) setting for directional lights.

Shadow resolution is calculated based on the entire scene from the angle of each light.

Sharp shadows are created with larger sizes, will depend on scene scale.

Softer shadows are created with smaller sizes but may also introduce pixelation.

Auto-updates existing setups in the scene.

Shadow Color Swatch and Slider
Set the shadow color of the directional light.

Auto-updates existing setups in the scene.

Camera Textbox and Arrow Icon Button
The name of the camera that the light will be constrained to.

Leave empty to set to the active camera.