mhAnimTools

mhGraphEditor

Added 2024-09-06 02:54:29 +0000 UTC

Feel free to use this tool for free, and if it enhances your workflow, consider making a small donation. Your support is highly appreciated! Don't forget to share your honest feedback on how the tool performs for you by giving it a rating!

This graph editor has been designed to enhance your animation workflow, particularly when dealing with animation curves. While certain commands already existed in the drop-down menus, I've integrated them into buttons for easier access, saving you the trouble of searching through the menus. Additionally, I've incorporated some valuable tools from Softimage (XSI) that I personally found extremely useful, as they significantly expedited my workflow.

** Maya 2024 comes with the following built-in tools; however, these can still be valuable for quicker access or potentially offer additional features that Maya's native functions do not provide.

Buttons

Align Time

Adjusts selected keys to align with the time.

Align Value

Aligns all selected keys to a single value.

Copy and Paste Keys

With a single click, this action duplicates and pastes the selected keys, aligning the first copied key precisely at the current frame, and positioning all pasted keys behind it.

Curve Infinity

Toggles infinity view on the GraphEditor.

Curve Constant

Switches the pre and post-infinity curves to constant.

Curve Cycle

Switches the pre and post-infinity curves to cycle.

Curve Cycle Offset

Switches the pre and post-infinity curves to cycle offset.

Curve Linear

Switches the pre and post-infinity curves to linear.

Delete Animation

Deletes all animation on selected objects.

Delete Key

Deletes all selected keys or if none are selected the key on the current frame.

** Delete Redundant

Delete all keys that do not affect the curve shape.

Delete Static Curves

Delete all anim curves that may have keys but do nothing. Maya commands as a button.

Euler Filter

Applies Maya Euler Filter on curves.

Find Curve

With curve(s) selected it will isolate just the selected curve(s). If no keys are selected, then every curve is shown.

Find Object

With curve(s) selected, it will first isolate all the curve(s) on the object (selecting only the objects that have the selected curves).

Find Smart

With curve(s) selected, it will first isolate all the curve(s) on the object (selecting only the objects that have the selected curves). If the object(s) is already isolated, running the tool again will isolate just the selected curve(s). If nothing is selected, then every curve is shown.

** Float Keys Delete

Searches the selected object for float keys (keys with decimal points) and deletes those keys.

Float Keys Find

Searches selected objects for float keys (keys with decimal points) and selects those keys.

Float Keys Smart Snap

Searches selected objects for float keys (keys with decimal points) and keys for the next and previous keys, which preserves the curve and deletes that float key.

Match Time Keys

Shifts selected keys to align with the current time position, with the first key at the current time and the rest following suit.

Match Value Keys

Adjusts the values of selected keys to match the value of the first selected key, following the changes to subsequent keys.

Mirror Keys

Flips the selected keys with the user settings to be used as the pivot point.

Move Keys

Move selected keys left or right.

Move Value

Move selected keys up or down.

Swap Keys

Swaps the positions of two selected keys with each other.

** Tangent Left or Right Angle

Adjust the Tangent Angle by the amount in the field. Press Enter on 'Number Pad' to apply to the selected key. Also can use the orange arrows to adjust the tangent by increments of 1.

** Tangent Left or Right Length

Adjust Tangent Length by amount in the field. Press Enter on 'Number Pad' to apply to the selected key. Also can use the orange arrows to adjust the tangent by increments of 0.5.

Tangent Weighted

Turns tangents to weighted.

Tangent Zero

Makes the tangent length and angle 0.

HOTKEY

To add a command as a hotkey, Left-Click the mhGraphEditor text on the toolbar. This will open a menu. Then select the About mhGraphEditor option. This will open up a window that you can then press the hotkey button and it will add it to Maya and open up Maya's Hotkey editor. Setup hotkeys as you normally would do in Maya.

TROUBLESHOOT

If you have the error "Unrecognized File Type", you need to update your Maya. Maya 2017 doesn't support drag & drop

You will have to manually move the mhGraphEditor folder into the maya/scripts folder.

After you have added the files to the maya/scripts you can add this code to the Maya scriptEditor in a Python tab and it will open the tool window.

from mhGraphEditor import launcher
launcher.open()

Missing Files

When installing more than one of the mhAnimTools at a time you might get an error saying Missing Files. You will need to restart Maya and install the tool that was not working.

Download

DOWNLOAD

mhGraphEditor-1.6.7.zip

INSTALLATION:

Unzip the contents of the file to anywhere on your PC (e.g. desktop or download folder).
Drag and drop the install.py file onto the Maya viewport.
The button will be added to your current Maya shelf.