Module 1: Animation windows and Editor

Session 1: Dope Sheet

Q1. What is dopesheet?
Ans: The Dope Sheet is another animation editor in Maya. Instead of displaying curves, the Dope Sheet
displays key times as coloured rectangles and lets you edit event timing in blocks of keyframes and
synchronize motion to a sound file.
In the main menu bar: Window>Animation Editors>Dope Sheet In scene view: Panels > Panel > Dope
Sheet (in Graph Editor Window)

Q2. Write a short description on dope sheet menu bar.

Ans: Edit Menu- : The Dope Sheet, the Edit > Keys menu selection, and Time Slider all share a common
keys clipboard. Keys copied or cut to the clipboard using one tool are available to the other tools.
Undo/Redo
Copy:
Paste:
Delete:
Scale:
Snap:
View menu: This menu controls the layout of the Dope Sheet view area.
Curves menu: The Curves menu items are functions for processing animation curves.

Q3. Difference between

Ans:
(a) Pre and Post infinity animation curves
In Maya, animation curves are extrapolated outside the first and last keys of the curve. Curves before
the first key and after the last key will be flat (no change in value over time) unless you set the pre and
post tangent controls to anything other than constant. You can use these options to automatically
generate specific types of repeating animation.
(b)Mute key and Unmute key
Mute Key: Mutes the selected keys. Keys that are muted do not contribute to the animation on their
channels. When keys are muted, the following occurs: A green symbol appears next to the names of the
muted keys channels in the Dope Sheet Outliner. Mute channels with keys appear under the muted keys
channels in the Dope Sheet. Mute channels have the same number of keys as the muted keys animation
channels, and their keys are positioned the same as those on the muted keys animation channels.
Unmute Key: Unmutes the selected keys. Keys that are not muted contribute to the animation on their
channels. . Unmuting keys disables their Mute channels but does not remove them.
Q4. Write the use of Bake channel in Autodesk Maya.
Ans: This operation calculates a new animation curve for an attribute using the input nodes that
contribute to its properties.
Bake Channel is useful to: • Edit a single animation curve instead of all the contributing attributes that
affect the behaviour of a single attribute, for example, an object affected by a driven key or an
Expression. • Add keys to an existing curve.

SESSION 2: ANIMATION CONTROL AND INTERFACE

Q1. What is Time Slider?
Ans: The Time Slider controls the playback range, keys, and breakdowns within the playback range.
Right-click the Time Slider to access the Animation controls menu, which has options for many elements
of the Time Slider.

Q2. What is Range Slider?

Ans: The Range Slider in Maya is a tool that controls the playback range of an animation in the Time
Slider:
Range Slider feature Description

Range Slider bar Drag either end of

the bar to shorten or
extend the playback
range

Playback Start Time Shows the current

start time of the
playback range

Playback End Time Shows the current

end time of the
playback range

Animation Start Time Sets the start time of

the animation

Undoable changes Changes to the

Range Slider are
undoable.

Q3. Describe the term Frame Rate.

Ans: Frame rate is the first aspect of animation. By default, Maya sets your
animation to Film, which plays at 24fps.
Q4. Define Path Animation.
Ans: In this method, you create a NURBS-based curve and then attach an object
to it in your scene. The object then follows the curved path to simulate motion.
You can choose at which time the object is positioned at any point along the
path, so the object can reverse itself, pause, or oscillate, if you want. The object
automatically rotates from side to side as the curve changes directions.

SESSION 3: NONLINEAR ANIMATION

Q1. What is Trax Editor?
Ans: The Trax Editor is a high-level animation tool that lets you select and control
characters and their animation clips, layer and blend animation sequences. The
trax editor is an inbuilt component in Maya similar to a video editing software
like Adobe Premier or Final Cut. There are many ways to get to the trax editor -
In the Panels tab – Panels – Saved Layouts – Persp/Trax - Windows – Animation
Editor – Trax Editor.
The Trax Editor window has four work areas:
(i) Trax menu bar: Contains character and clip or object and geometry
cache clip related options that let you perform all required actions for
creating and editing your animation or deformations nonlinearly.
(ii) Trax toolbar: Contains a selection of buttons that let you quickly access
some of the functionality contained in the Trax menu bar.
(iii) Track control area: Contains buttons that let you control the playback
of each track’s animation or deformations.
(iv) Track view area: Contains all the tracks, animation clips, geometry
cache clips, and audio clips for your loaded characters or objects.

Q2. What is Non linear Animation?

Ans: Nonlinear Animation is a more advanced method of animation. Unlike
keyframing, nonlinear animation is completely independent of time. You blend
and layer animation sequences—called clips—to set up the motion for objects.
For example-you can make the walking part of the animation a clip and then
adjust the leg motion without affecting the way the rest of the character moves.

Q3. Various types of menus in Graph Editor.

Ans: The Graph Editor is a helpful tool for tweaking values for keys you have set.
It gives you a visual representation—a curved line—of the attributes that are
animated.
To use it as a free-floating window, simply open it from the Hotbox (Window
>Animation Editors> Graph Editor).
Graph Editor Components
Menu Bar- The Graph Editor menu bar contains tools and operations for
manipulating animation curves and keys within the graph view of the Graph
editor.
The Edit Menu- The menu’s items appear under Edit menu behave in a similar
fashion to the main Edit menu in the modelling view.
The View Menu-This menu controls which components are visible, and therefore
editable, in the graph view of the Graph Editor.
The Select Menu These options control which component of an animation curve
is available for selection and editing.
The Curves Menu The Curves menu gives you control over how the curves are
set up with the keys in your scene.
The Keys Menu This menu includes Tangents which causes the manipulation of
an in or out tangent handle.
The Tangents Menu This describes the entry and exit of curve segments from a
key.
 The List Menu This menu Loads the objects.

SESSION 4: ANIMATION LAYER EDITOR

Q1. Various menus of Animation Layer Editor
The Animation Layer Editor lets you manipulate animation layers and change the
way they blend together to create your result animation. It includes three main
menus: (i) Layers menu (ii) Options menu (iii) Show menu

MODULE 2 : BASIC TOOLS IN MAYA

SESSION1 : TIMELINE AND KEY
Q1. What is Key Frame?
Ans: A key frame is basically a marker used to specify an object’s position and
attributes at a given point in time. To set a keyframe on the ball at the current
frame, select the ball and go to Animate.

AutoKey: Autokey automatically saves the changes you make to an object’s

keyframes. If the current frame already has a key, autokey will immediately
update the key with your changes.

SESSION 2: KEY FRAME

Tangents: In Autodesk Maya, tangents are handles on each Graph Editor key that
describe how a curve segment enters and exits a key.
 Purpose: Tangents adjust the angle of a keyframe's approach and departure,
which can smooth or sharpen the animation's movement.
Types: You can specify a tangent type for the In Tangent and Out Tangent.

SESSION3 : GRAPHIC EDITOR

Q1. Graph Editor

Ans: The Graph Editor displays several animation curves, one for each keyed
attribute of the ball. With the ball selected, select Window > Animation Editors >
Graph Editor.
Shift-Select only the Translate X and Translate Y attributes in the left column of
the Graph Editor.
SESSION4 : CREATING A BOUNCING BALL
STEPS OF CREATING A BOUNCING BALL
1. Create a ball by creating a simply polygonal sphere.
2. Change the view of the top panel to “side” view for the purposes of the
exercise by going to Panel > Orthographic > Side.
3. To set the ball bounce, you can set three keys: high, low, and high. You
position the ball where you want (either by moving with the move tool
or by changing values in the channel editor) at the frame you would like
(by selecting that frame on the timeline) and then hitting “S” to set key.
For this exercise, it is best to place the keys over as pan of about 100
frames to have the ball move more slowly for viewing purposes.
4. The up and down movement of the ball is determined by then-axis of the
 graph. We can view just this by selecting” Translate Y” in the graph
editor.
5. Change the tangent angle of the low position. You do this by left-clicking
the bottom point and selecting the “Break Tangent” button. Select the
end point of one side of the tangents, hit the W key (for the move tool)
and use the middle-mouse-button to change the steepness of that angle.
6. Add a deformer to the ball to create the “squash and stretch” attribute a
rubber ball has. To do this, select “Animation” from the menu drop
down, go to Create Deformer > Nonlinear > Squash.
Q. How to set keyframes to make the ball bounce in Maya? Write steps.
Ans: To make a ball bounce in Maya, you can set keyframes by following these
steps:
1. Delete frames: Delete all existing frames and move to the end of the Timeline.
2. Add keyframes: Select the sphere, right-click on Translate Y, and add a keyframe
at the beginning.
3. Add more keyframes: Add more keyframes at specific frames, such as when the
ball is lifted or hits the ground.
4. Select the curve: Drag a box through the curve to select all keyframes.
5. Post infinity cycle: Click the second last icon and select Post Infinity Cycle to
make the ball keep bouncing.

MODULE 3 : CAMERA AND MOTION PATH ANIMATION

SESSION 1: CREATING CAMERAS

Q1. What is Camera? Explain the three camera Perspectives used in

Autodesk Maya.
Ans: There are three types of perspective cameras in Maya.
Camera
With this camera type, you see only the camera icon. In general,
because this camera freely rotates and loses track of its “up” vector, you
should use it only when you’re linking the camera to another object for
movement and animation, or when you are placing a camera in one fixed
spot.
Camera and Aim
This camera includes a camera target and an aim handle for adjusting
the camera target. In addition, this camera automatically stays level in
relation to the horizon, so it is the one you will use most often. You can
make this camera roll if you want, but by default, it stays level except at
extreme straight-up or straight- down orientations.
Camera, Aim and Up
This camera type includes two handles: the aim handle, described for
Camera and Aim, and an up handle for banking (levelling) the camera.
This camera type is useful when you want to bank the camera during
your animation.

Q2. Attributes of Camera

 Angle of View and Focal Length: It controls the amount of perspective
exaggeration. Raising the angle of view attribute lowers the focal length
attribute
Camera Scale: You can change the camera size in relation to your scene,
which affects scene objects when you render. Camera Scale is like a
multiplier for the Angle of View setting.
Clip Planes: Only objects located within the values specified for the
camera’s clip planes appear in the scene. If distant objects are not
showing up in your scene, raise the Far Clip Plane value. If nearby objects
seem to be appearing in cross-section or not appearing at all, lower the
Near Clip Plane value.
Depth of Field Enable: The distance blurs with this attribute. It yields a
nice cinematic result because objects close to and far away from the
focus point are progressively blurred. You can view the calculated
distance of the camera from the object and apply that value to the Focus
Distance for the camera to achieve Depth of Field.
Background Colour: The background fill colour for images rendered from
this camera; you can also use this section of the Attribute Editor to add
an image or shader as the background.

SESSION 2: ANIMATING THE CAMERA

Q1. What is parametric Length?
Ans: Specifies the method Maya uses to position an object as it moves
along a curve. There are two methods: the parametric space method and
the parametric length method.
SESSION 4 : CREATING A PATH ANIMATION

Q1. Steps to create a Path Animation.

Ans: 1. Select the object you want to animate with the motion path and
move it to its starting position.
2. Set the current time to the start time of your path animation.
3. Select Animate > Motion Paths > Set Motion Path Key.