ZOO TOOLS PRO – GETTING STARTED

Welcome to Zoo Tools Pro, on this page you’ll see how to install and start using the tools.
 
 

Install Zoo Tools Pro
Install Assets Presets
Install Zoo Hotkeys
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Assets Quick Start
UI Tips And Tricks
Change Window Colors
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Finding Help
New Features And Updates
Download Previous Versions
Known Issues
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Uninstall Hotkeys
Uninstall Zoo Tools Pro
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Note About Our Courses
Managing Subscription
Site Map

INSTALL ZOO TOOLS PRO

To Install or Upgrade, download the Zoo Tools Pro install files on the Zoo2 Install Page . The Drag And Drop installer both installs and upgrades/downgrades Zoo Tools Pro.

To upgrade or downgrade, drag the same installer into Maya and the installer will automatically upgrade. Upgrades and downgrades require a Maya restart.

1. Unzip the installer into any folder on disk.
2. Drag and Drop the file dragdropinstall.py into Maya
3. Press Install or change the custom path options.
4. If in Maya 2022 click Apply To All and Ok in the security settings.

Zoo Tools will be installed and the shelf will appear.

For more detailed instructions about the install process please see the Zoo2 Install Page for more information.

INSTALL ASSETS AND PRESETS

Download the Presets, Assets Zip and the Maya Scenes Zip from the Zoo2 Install Page .

These packs contain over one gigabyte of data and so should be installed separately.

1. Find the zoo_preferences folder location on your OS.
Zoo Preferences (cog icon) > General > Dots Menu > Open Folder Location

2. Copy/replace the contents of each zip into the location of the zoo_preferences\assets\.

Close and reopen any Zoo Windows or in a browser dots menu > refresh.

ASSETS QUICK START

This video shows how to load and light Model Assets, open the Rhino Maya Scene and it also shows some browser basics.

Please note in Maya 2022 the Color preferences have changed, to view Model Assets please use:

Render (Clapperboard Icon) > Set Linear/SRGB Color Space

To change back to 2022 color defaults use:

Render (Clapperboard Icon) > Set ACES/SRGB Color Space

To learn about more each tool click on the Help Icon to go to it’s help page.

INSTALL HOTKEYS

The Zoo Hotkeys are a optional and can be toggled back and forth from Maya’s default hotkeys with the ; hotkey.

The hotkeys are one of our biggest features!

You can create your own hotekys too, see the Hotkey Help Page for more (coming soon).

To install the Zoo Hotkeys:

1. Open the Zoo Hotkey Editor (Keyboard Icon on the shelf).
2. Click OK.

Zoo Tools adds new hotkey sets to Maya. We do not change hotkeys in another way.

Toggle Maya Zoo Hotkey Sets
Use the ; semi colon hotkey to between the Zoo Tools, Maya and Custom hotkey Sets.

Any existing hotkey sets remain and you can also return to those using Maya’s native Hotkey Editor.

For more information regarding installing, creating custom hotkey sets, and uninstalling the Zoo hotkeys on the Hotkey Page (coming soon).

CHANGE WINDOW COLORS

You can change the Zoo window colors by opening the Zoo Preferences Window, it’s the cog icon on the shelf.

See Theme Colors > Theme. Be sure to hit save before you close the window.

WHERE TO FIND HELP

Overall Help
Help is found on the Question Mark icon on the main shelf. You will see a list of help topics and links to the course material too.

The main Zoo Tools Contents Help Page is here .

Individual Tool Help
Each tool features a question mark icon which links directly to its help page. Please login to see all help, some help is hidden on the pages if you are not logged in.

Tooltip Help
Zoo has extensive tooltips which describe each button and textbox when you hover over a UI item.

Make sure Maya’s tooltips are on by clicking on the top left Z Icon on any window and check Toggle Tooltips on. This is a global Maya setting and will affect Maya’s tooltips too.

USING THE WINDOWS

The Zoo Tools 2 UIs are dynamic and can be used in a number of ways.

Drag out the Z Icon to dock a window.

You can move windows by alt middle mouse clicking anywhere on the window.

Scale window by alt right mouse clicking anywhere on the window, and drag in a direction.

Zoom in and out inside the browsers with ctrl-middle-scroll.

UI TIPS

Once a tool is open, you can left-click on the top dots menu to change the toolset shelf.

Middle-mouse-click the dots menu to show all icons in a compact pop-out window with search. (recommended)

Right-click the dots menu to list all the tools in a single list with search.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT OUR COURSES

Most of our current courses have been created in Zoo Tools version 1 and version 2 is quite different. Please read our Welcome Page for more information.

We will continue the training with Zoo 2 shortly, right now we’re concentrating on updating all the individual tool training.

NEW FEATURES/UPDATES

See what’s new on the Changelog Page , this page tracks all new tools and features.

DOWNLOAD OLD ZOO VERSIONS

Download old versions of Zoo 2 on the Changelog Page .

Download Zoo Tools Pro Version 1 here (limited support).

KNOWN ISSUES

All known issues are found on the Issues and Fixes Page .

MANAGING YOUR SUBSCRIPTION

Unsubscribe and resubscribe by following this page .

SITE MAP

See our Site Map Page for a general site overview.

UNINSTALL ZOO HOTKEYS

You can uninstall the Zoo Hotkeys in the Zoo Preferences window.

Zoo Preferences Window (Cog Icon) > Zoo Hotkey Editor > Delete Default Hotkeys

UNINSTALL ZOO TOOLS

You can uninstall Zoo Tools Pro at anytime by clicking the

Zoo Tools menu > Developer > Uninstall ZooToolsPro

FURTHER QUESTIONS

If you’ve any questions, please email us at info@create3dcharacters.com or post on the Facebook Group.

This page will continue to be updated with videos.