maya to remember component selection, when changing component?

maze

Hi,

I've just found out that maya does not remember component selection by default, which makes the workflow really annoying.

I am sure there's something that can be done, or that you guys use as workaround and I'll like to know if someone can share some tips on this.

Ideally, lets say I have some vertexes selected, then I switch then to edge mode and select some edges, then back to vertex mode and my past vertex selection is still active (given I haven't deselected the vertex points before selecting the edges) and back to edges again...

Maya does forget what was selected when changing component...
I found out there is something called "selection sets" which its ok for complex selections, but for simple, quick and smooth interaction, I find it really annoying, specially since those selections (selections sets)are temporary, because geo changes while modeling.

xsi and max do this by default.

Hope someone has a better clue than me on this,


thanks

maze

any .mel or.py, is also welcome!

Froyok

I have something like that in one of my script. I have called that the memory selector.
You can add/remove some components selected and reselect them later.

If you can't wait, you can download it here (the +/- buttons and the select/clear button) : http://www.froyok.fr/blog/2012-05-frotools-3-0-a-better-ui-for-a-better-workflow
Otherwise let me a few minutes and I will make a standalone version.

However, I voluntary chose to only handle one type of component. So if you select edges, save them and the try to add vertice, the vertice will be added but the edges will be lost.

Froyok

Here is the standalone version : https://dl.dropbox.com/u/13564647/maya/froMemory.mel




You can also convert your selection when you switch from one component to one another... When your use ctrl + right-click on the pop-up menu you will get what you want.

maze

Hi Froyok,

that looks amazing, thanks for taking the time helping me out!
Really appreciate it.

your tool looks exactly what I ll like to have, although I just tried to run the script and I am getting this line of error:

"# Error: SyntaxError: invalid syntax #
// Result: scriptEditorPanel1Window|TearOffPane|scriptEditorPanel1|formLayout75|formLayout77|paneLayout2|formLayout78|tabLayout2|formLayout80|cmdScrollFieldExecuter2 // "

do you know what that might be?

the pop up isnt appearing

Froyok

Hmmm, do you use a version of maya which is anterior to Maya 2011 ?
(Use this command in a shelf button to run my script : source froMemory.mel; froMemory(); )

Joopson

maze, unless I'm misunderstanding you, I don't have the same issue.
Maya remembers all selections even when switching between component types.
I mean, as long as you hold ctrl or ctrl+shift (which just lets you select things additively.)

maze

@Froyok, Awesome, got it working now, thanks, I really like the popup with the plus and minus.

@Joopson, oh you are right I didn't know about that! thanks for letting me know. Only thing that bothers me is that the other component keeps selected while you change to select a different component.

I guess a mix between froyok tool and maya's default was what I needed,

thanks again guys,
this forum rocks!

gray

@maze

maya has two types of selection history and conversion. to do component conversion use the convert selection tools. they are in the menu and i think ctrl+f9-f12 are the default hot keys. also note that menu has convert to loop/ring uv shell etc so you can do partial edge loop selection and many other conversions other the simple component conversion.

the second type is a separate selection stack for each component. so if you have 20 faces selected you can also have 30 vertices selected from another part of the mesh, along with some edges from another part of the mesh. you can also switch to object mode and select other objects without losing any of your selection stacks. this is immensely powerful once you understand how to use it. to do this use the selection switching modes.

gray

maya uses the hotbox and marking menus. you should start to use them. they will increase your speed immensely. they can also be customized once you need to do that.

hotbox: spacebar. its a mirror of the main menu + menu mode. you can get to any function in maya through it.

hotbox" rmb, rmb+ctrl, rmb+shift. it gives you different levels of context sensitive tools depending on what mode your in what selection mode and what tool. its an extensive system. deep within maya. they even have pattens on the way it works.

PolyHertz

"FB Save Selection" is probably what you're looking for:
http://www.funkybunnies3d.com/tools.php

maze

Hi guys,

Thanks again for the help, and sorry for the delay to answer.

@grey, yes I am slowly digging onto marking menus and trying to adjust to maya's workflow. Although to be sincere, I have most of the stuff (actually lots of stuff!)
mapped to hotkeys, so I am barely using the hotbox. Not that I do not like it, but I prefer to use hotkeys when possible, as I am more used to. Maybe that'll change...we'll see.

Also as I use 3ds max/xsi and now maya, I try to keep a uniform workflow as much as I can, so 90% of the hotkeys I have translate well between apps, with a 10% difference due to their different nature in some aspects.

@Polyhertz, awesome dude, you nailed it. Thanks.

Bal

Uh... If you're using Maya 2012 or more, Maya remembers component selections when switching component types, exactly like in 3dsMax, no need for any additional scripts anymore to do this.

gray

marking menus will not replace a good hokey set up. you always want to throw your most used tools on hot keys. where marking menus shine is for the tools you don't have mapped. generally if you need a tool and you don't have it mapped a tap on the marking menu will bring it up. its much quicker then digging around in the menus. especially if you start to customize them. but if your switching around to different packages then it might not be worth it. if your in maya all day it will speed things up tho.

shogunato

Hi guys !

Check out the Chris Whitaker 's script called FB save selection

http://www.funkybunnies3d.com/tools.php

maze

@Bal, yeah it looks like I can use ctrl+shift but the components stay "visually selected" while changing component mode to use another component, this is a bit uncomfortable. Using a mel script gets closer to 3dmax and xsi interaction imo.

@Gray, yeah, I still use some marking menus, to change pivot mode, and some adjacent selections, but yes most of the stuff is already mapped to hotkeys. I mostly use xsi at work, but I want to learn maya, because many studios use it as well.
(I do work doing environments in film though) 3ds max is still king in the videogames market.

@shogunato, yes I took a look, works ace, thanks.