Autodesk Maya is one of the most powerful 3D Software in the world. However, it has features which are not easy to learn. A smart way to work on this is by using Autodesk Maya Keyboard Shortcuts which saves a lot of time of 3D Artists.
Maya comprising of so many tools related to 3D Modeling, texturing, 3d Animation, Rigging, Lighting, Rendering, Particles, Dynamics, Hair and Fur and much more. With each of them having their own set of keys. It’s a daunting task to master all this. But there is a smart way to master shortcuts for this amazing software.
So let me explain how shortcuts can help you work smartly. Maya being the Best 3D Software in the market, offers a lot to become more efficient and productive, so people start using shortcuts to improve efficiency while working with its panel menus, graph editor, artisan paint operation etc.
Maya Keyboard Shortcuts
Let’s dive deep into this and see how Mastering Autodesk Maya Shortcuts can change your workflow and save a lot of time.
One-Key Shortcuts
Shortcut Commands by Category
2D Pan/Zoom
\ + Middle mouse button 2D Pan tool
\ + Right mouse button 2D Zoom tool
\ Enable/disable 2D Pan/Zoom
Animation Operations
I Insert Keys Tool (tool for Graph Editor) (press and release)
S Set Key
Shift + E Set key for Rotate
Shift + R Set key for Scale
Shift + W Set key for Translate
Alt + J Toggle Multi color Feedback
Shift + S With left mouse button for Keyframe marking menu
Also read: How to storyboard for animation
Display Settings
While working with Maya shortcuts, display settings are easy to master.
0 Default quality display setting
1 Rough quality display setting
2 Medium quality display setting
3 Smooth quality display setting
4 Wireframe
5 Shaded display
6 Shaded and Textured display
7 Use All Lights
Tip*:- If you are a Maya animator and want to learn this entertainment software, Don’t focus on Modeling keys, instead focus on navigation shortcuts that are used in the animation pipeline only.
Also, Learning keyboard shortcuts for the camera lens, edge loops can help in grabbing more command over 3d.
Displaying Objects (Show, Hide)
Ctrl + H Hide > Hide Selection
Alt + H Hide > Hide Unselected Objects
Shift + l Isolate Select > View Selected (in the panel menus)
Ctrl + Shift + H Show > Show Last Hidden
Shift + H Show > Show Selection
Edit Operations
Ctrl (or Cmd) + C Copy
Ctrl (or Cmd) + X Cut
Ctrl + D Duplicate
Ctrl + Shift + D Duplicate Special
Shift + D Duplicate with Transform
Ctrl + G Group
P Parent
Ctrl (or Cmd) + V Paste
Shift + Z Redo
G Repeat
Shift + G Repeat command at mouse position
Z Undo (also Ctrl z / +z)
Shift + P Unparent
Ctrl + R Create file reference
Ctrl + Q Exit
Ctrl + N New Scene
Ctrl + O Open Scene
Ctrl + S Save Scene
Ctrl + Shift + S Save Scene As
Tip*: Keep practicing with keyboard shortcuts by pressing Ctrl Z and working with arrow keys from time to time to have great command on Maya shortcuts.
Hotbox Display
Space (When pressed down) Show the hotbox
Modeling Operations
2 Cage + smooth polygon mesh display
Ctrl + F10 Convert polygon selection to Edges
Ctrl + F9 Convert polygon selection to Vertices
Ctrl + F11 Convert polygon selection to Faces
Ctrl + F12 Convert polygon selection to UVs
Page Down Decreases Division Levels for Smooth Mesh Preview or Subdiv Proxy
1 Default polygon mesh display (no smoothing)
~ Displays both the original (proxy) and the smoothed mesh
Page Up Increases Division Levels for Smooth Mesh Preview or Subdiv Proxy
l Lock/unlock length of curve (press and hold)
3 Smooth polygon mesh display
Moving Selected Objects
Alt + Down Move down one pixel
Alt + Left Move left one pixel
Alt + Right Move right one pixel
Alt + Up Move up one pixel
Tip*: A great 3d artist has excellent command on keyboard shortcuts and have a deep understanding of topics like save scene, scroll wheel maya, editor pane, poly brush tool, playback control, edge rings.
Painting Operations (To learn Paint Effects)
Ctrl + B Edit Paint Effects template brush settings
Alt + F Flood with the current value
Shift + B Modify lower brush radius (press and release)
M Modify maximum displacement (Sculpt Surfaces and Sculpt Polygons Tool)
N Modify paint value
B Modify upper brush radius (press and release)
O + Left mouse button Poly Brush Tool marking menu
O + Middle mouse button Poly UV Tool marking menu
/ Switch to pick color mode (press and release)
Alt + R Toggle Reflection on or off
Alt + C Turn Color Feedback on or off
Alt + A Turn Show Wireframe on or off
U With left mouse button for Artisan Paint Operation marking menu
Pick Walk*
Down Walk down current
Left Walk left in current
Right Walk right in current
Up Walk up current
Playback Control
Alt+Shift + V Go to Min Frame
. Go to Next key
, Go to Previous key
Alt + , Move backward one frame in time
Alt + . Move forward one frame in time
Alt + V Turn Playback on or off
K + Middle mouse button Virtual Time Slider mode (press and hold and scrub timeline)
Rendering
Ctrl + Left Render view next image
Ctrl + Right Render view previous image
Selecting Menus
F2 Show Animation menu set
F5 Show Dynamics menu set
F4 Show Modeling menu set
F3 Show Polygons menu set
F6 Show Rendering menu set
Ctrl + M Show/hide main menu bar
Shift + M Show/hide panel menu bar
Ctrl + Shift + M Show/hide panel toolbar
Selecting Objects and Components
F10 Edge
F11 Face
> Grow polygon selection region
F8 Object/Component (Switch between object and component editing)
Ctrl + I Select next intermediate object
< Shrink polygon selection region
F12 UV
F9 Vertex
Alt + F9 Vertex Face
Snapping Operations
Shift + J Move, Rotate, Scale Tool relative snapping (press and release)
J Move, Rotate, Scale Tool snapping (press and release)
C Snap to curves (press and release)
X Snap to grids (press and release)
V Snap to points (press and release)
Tool Operations
Return Complete current tool
– Decrease manipulator size
Insert Enter tool Edit mode
=, + Increase manipulator size
W Move Tool, or with left mouse button for Move Tool marking menu
J Move, Rotate, Scale Tool Snapping (press and release)
E Rotate Tool, or with left mouse button for Rotate Tool marking menu
R Scale Tool, or with left mouse button for Scale Tool marking menu
Shift + Q Select Tool, or with left mouse button for Component marking menu
Alt + Q Select Tool, or with left mouse button for Polygon marking menu
Q Select Tool, or with left mouse button for Selection Mask marking menu
Y Selects the last used tool that is not one of Select, Move, Rotate, or Scale
T Show manipulator tool
Ctrl + T Show universal manipulator tool
Insert Switches between move pivot and move object (Move Tool)
D With left mouse button Move pivot (Move Tool)
Tumble, Track or Dolly
Alt + Right mouse button Dolly Tool (press and release)
Alt + Middle mouse button Track Tool (press and release)
Alt + Left mouse button Tumble Tool (press and release)
Window and View Operations
Space (When tapped) Switch between the active window in multi-pane display and single pane display
Alt + Ctrl + Middle mouse button Fast pan in the Outliner
A Frame All in active panel, or with left mouse button for History Operations marking menu
Shift + A Frame All in all views
F Frame Selected in active panel
Shift + F Frame Selected in all views
F1 Maya Help
Alt + Middle mouse button Pan in the Attribute Editor
Alt + Middle mouse button Pan in the Outliner
] Redo view change
Alt + B Switch between a gradient, black, dark gray, or light gray background color
Ctrl + Space Switch between the standard view and full-screen view of the current panels
Ctrl + A Switches between Attribute Editor or Channel Box–displays the Attribute Editor if neither is shown
[ Undo view change
Shift + } View next layout
Shift + { View previous layout
Pane Specific Commands
Key Tools For Graph Editor
1 Absolute View
A Frame All
T Frame Center View
G Frame Playback Range
F Frame Selected
H Lock Channel
3 Normalized View
2 Stacked View
D Tangents Auto
M Toggle Curve Selection
J Unlock Channel
HyperGraph Panel
Alt + T Decrease Depth
Alt + G Increase Depth
Hypershade
> Graph Downstream
Ctrl + . Graph Remove Downstream
Ctrl + L Graph Remove Selected
Ctrl + / Graph Remove Unselected
Ctrl + , Graph Remove Upstream
? Graph Up Downstream
< Graph Upstream
1 Hypdershade Hide Attributes
Down Arrow Pick Walk Down
Left Arrow Pick Walk Left
Right Arrow Pick Walk Right
Up Arrow Pick Walk Up
P Pin Selected
# Remove Material Soloing
/ Select Connected
. Select Down Stream
, Select Up Stream
3 Show All Attrs
2 Show Connected Attrs
4 Show Custom Attrs
! Solo Last Output
@ Solo Material
5 Toggle Node Title Mode
= Toggle Zoom In
– Toggle Zoom Out
Also, learn – Who Invented Animation
Node Editor
Up Arrow Back to Parent
Enter Dive Into Compound
> Graph Downstream
Ctrl + . Graph Remove Downstream
Ctrl + L Graph Remove Selected
Ctrl + , Graph Remove Upsream
? Graph Up Downstream
< Graph Upstream
X Grid Toggle Snap
1 Hide Attributes
Down Arrow Pick Walk Down
Left Arrow Pick Walk Left
Right Arrow Pick Walk Right
Up Arrow Pick Walk Up
Ctrl + / Remove Unselected
/ Select Connected
. Select Down Stream
3 Show All Attrs
2 Show Connected Attrs
4 Show Custom Attrs
S Toggle Attr Filter
P Toggle Node Selected Pins
V Toggle Node Swatch Size
5 Toggle Node Title Mode
C Toggle Synced Selection
= Toggle Zoom In
– Toggle Zoom Out
, Up Stream
Outliner
Enter Rename Selected Item
F Reveal Selected
Pose Editor
Ctrl + G Pose Interpolator New Group
Profiler
1 Category View
2 CPU View
3 Thread View
Ctrl + R Toggle Recording
Shape Editor
Ctrl + D Duplicate Target
Ctrl + G New Group
Alt + D Select None
Time Editor
L Additive Layer
Y Clip Hold Toggle
T Clip Loop Toggle
W Clip Razor
Shift + H Clip Scale End
Shift + G Clip Scale Start
R Clip Scale Toggle
H Clip Trim End
G Clip Trim Start
E Clip Trim Toggle
Shift + I Create Audio Clip
O Create Clip
Ctrl + G Create Group From Selection
Shift + L Create Override Layer
P Create Pose Clip
Ctrl + X Cut Clips
Ctrl + Shift + G Explode Group
Ctrl + E Export Selection
A Frame All
F Frame Selected
B Ghost Track Toggle
I Import Animation
U Ripple Edit Toggle Press
U Ripple Edit Toggle Release
Q Scene Authoring Toggle
S Set Key
D Set Zero Key
M Toggle Mute Selected Tracks
X Toggle Snap to Clip Press
X Toggle Snap to Clip Release
N Toggle Solo Selected Tracks
K Toggle Time Cursor Press
K Toggle Time Cursor Release
Final Thoughts
So, This was the article over Autodesk Maya Hotkeys. If you want a complete pdf file on it, Click Autodesk Maya keys (Source and Rights reserved to Autodesk) to download it. Learning interface to master 3d animation entertainment software can take time, so make sure to practice these keys.
