What is the Euler Filter in Maya?

Dr Leonhard Euler

Look under the Curves menu in the Graph Editor in Maya and you will see a button marked Euler Filter. Not knowing what it does (or even how to pronounce it), you have probably never used it - why would you?

But don't be deceived by the odd name. The Euler Filter is a very useful tool in Maya, one which can solve - almost magically - some of the most common problems we get in the rotations of curves, problems which can seriously mess up your character animation. If the rotations on your character's arms are going wild, and no amount of keyframing seems to help - you probably need a little help from Dr Euler.

What is the Euler filter?
It is a tool used to unscramble rotation curves in Maya.

When should you use it?
Use it when you are getting weird rotations in your curves. Most commonly this occurs when you are animating a character's arms, especially if there is a lot of motion, say if the character is jumping, or throwing something. If your rotations are wildly crossing one another in the Graph Editor, and you can't seem to make the motion smooth and appealing, you may need assistance from Dr Euler.

Dr Euler even had his own postage stamp

Why the funny name?
The Euler filter is named after Dr Leonhard Euler, a Swiss mathematician. He has a Wikipedia page, so you can find out more about his life and work. It's all maths though - no animation.

How Does the Euler Filter Work in Maya?
It works with a single click of your mouse or Wacom pen.  Find the Euler Filter under Curves>Euler Filter. The filter resets the rotational curves so that the values do not exceed 360 degrees.

It is a very elegant solution (when it works) and is far less work than trying to fix your curves frame by frame, one keyframe at a time.

To find out more about Animation Apprentice, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions. To sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link. For more information on finding work and surviving in the animation and visual effects business, read our post on how to find a job in the animation industry, and check out our post about what not to do at a job interview. Also see our post on starting your own small animation business, learn how to create an invoice, and see how we are helping our students find work through our film co-operative Nano Films. Download the free Escape Studios Careers in VFX Handbook. Take a look at how awn.com can help you find a job, and read our piece about how to survive as a freelance animator. Also, find out what Cinesite look for in a student's demo reel, and read our post on setting up your own animation business. Also see our post about freelancers and taxes.