Quad Draw 2015 Notes

The Quad draw has had a big update in 2015, very handy new features…

Autodesk Maya 2015:Streamlined Retopology Toolset

[iframely]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_SjkHBibcw[/iframely]

Dense Meshes GPU Caching (25 sec)
This tool is great for retopologising dense meshes, by passing maya in terms of poly calculation…

Pipeline Cache > GPU Cache > Export Selection (options)

Make Live (2mins 10sec)
Make live now replaces the old toolkit constrain section for retopology.
– select the mesh you want to retopologise
– press the magnet icon (make live)

The mesh is now ready to be retopologised.

– click the magnet off to disable
– right clicking on the magnet icon will bring up a selection of recently used objects if objects are hidden.

Quad Draw Updates (1min)
Drop dots (Click the reference surface or grid)
Delete Dots (ctrl shift click)
Make quad polygon from dots (shift click)
Triangular Fill (shift and drag)

Relax (shift + drag)
Relax selection of verts (shift + middle click)
Relax Marking menu (mac: command shift right click, PC: ctrl shift right click)
Relax Soft Selection (be in soft selection mode, shift middle click drag left, and right for undo)

Insert Edge Loop (ctrl click)
Insert Edge Loop Snap Center (ctrl + middle click)
Move Edge Loop (Ctrl Shift + Middle click drag)

Delete Components (Ctrl Shift Click)

Extend and Edge (tab + drag)
Extend Edge Loop (tab + middle click drag)

Auto weld option (on by default can be turned off)
Construction history option (can be turned off)
Can change the hotkey mappings for quad draw under preferences

Be sure to check options under the quad draw in the toolkit

OTHER MODELLING IMPROVEMENTS 2015

And there’s a lot more modelling updates in 2015
Here’s a nice video about the other improvements in modelling in Maya 2015 by Steven Roselle

Maya 2015 Modelling Improvements

[iframely]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJTC0YCrylo[/iframely]

Tilde Key
` (tilde key) hold it down to select the profile of an object (1 min). Only for edge and vertex modes.

Symmetry
Symmetry now supports modelling edits based on selection
alt m is still symmetry on off (andrews prefs) be sure to be in the right type of symmetry (double click on move tool)
Unfortunately this won’t mirror many functions like edge loop splits, only selection based edits. We still need to use the mirror hotkey shift m (andrew’s prefs)

Topological symmetry (3mins 30)
– select and edge and go
– in symmetry select topological (mac: command shift + right click or pc: ctrl +shift + right click)
– symmetry > topological

Selecting loops (5mins 20)
Selecting loops is much improved can unselect loops too, ctrl double click edge.

Selecting face loops (14mins 40)
We can now select face loops with shift double click

Drag Select
Hold the tab key to drag select (similar to paint select)

Bevel (6mins 20sec)
Bevel has been updated, is on by default. (ctrl b) andrews prefs

Multi Cut (7mins30sec)
Multi Cut tool combines all of the cutting tools in one, and insert edge loop. Is also more robust.
I’ll be changing qtrl q to this in the new prefs (modelling toolkit under hotkeys) (shift + right click > multicut too)
– left click is split polygon tool
– hold shift for snap
– left click is also make changes after before committing
– right click or enter to commit
– hold ctrl for insert edge loop
– hold ctrl shift for insert edge loop snap
– hold ctrl middle click for edge loop center
– click in the grey for the knife tool (twice to mark cut, or drag to cut immediately)
– middle click anywhere on the mesh will activate the knife inside the mesh

Edge Flow (13 mins)
When multi cutting we can keep curvature
Is found in the toolbox options under multi cut > edge flow
I leave edge flow on for multi cut and use regular edge loop (ctrl alt e andrews prefs) if we don’t want it.

Booleans (10mins 30sec)
Booleans have much improved

command (mac) cntrl (pc) click and hold

Create Primitive MM
Create primitive MM is shift and right click in grey