Attaches in Maya - The "Cheat Method"

In this short video above we demonstrate how to do Attaches and Parenting in Maya, using "The Cheat Method". It's a very simple approach which involves parenting an object to another - in this case, Monty's hat, using the simple Shift Select P method. Then, rather than un-attach the hat, we simply replace the hat with a new identical hat, which looks exactly the same.  This way, we don't have the bother of un-attaching the original hat - we can just remove it from the scene and replace it with a new one. 

Attach and Un-Attach a Hat in Maya

Attach & Un-attach a Hat in Maya Using the Parent Master

In this short (just under ten minutes) tutorial for animation beginners we show how to attach and un-attach a hat in Maya using the free ZV Parent Master Plugin. 

The ZV Parent Master Plugin is a very useful tool that we recommend for attaching and un-attaching objects in Maya.  To see how to download and install the Parent Master, read this blog post and watch this video.  

How to Install and Use the Parent Master Plugin

In this short video we show how to install and use the free Parent Master Plugin for Autodesk Maya. The Parent Master plugin is a useful tool that allows animators to attach and un-attach objects easily and quickly.  Here at Animation Apprentice we've been using it and recommending it since 2014.  The plugin is a Python script created by Paolo Dominici and has recently been updated for py3.  Watch the video above to see how to install it. You can also read our original blog post here from 2014.  You can find the PM official site here, and also find the latest version at Paolo Dominici's site here.

How to Install the ParentMaster Plugin

Installing plugins in Maya can be a fiddly process, and often needs troubleshooting. And, worse, every time Maya updates their software, you have to re-install all the plugins you installed a year ago. Above is a handy short video showing how to install the free ParentMaster plugin by Paolo Dominici to the latest version of Maya - Maya 2019. The Parentmaster plugin is very useful for attaching and un-attaching objects. Say you have a character who picks up a phone, and then puts it down again. For this, you need the ParentMaster. To see more about how to install the Parentmaster plugin, see this blog post.

Mac vs PC - Which is Best for Animation?

 

Anyone thinking of starting with us at Animation Apprentice is September might be asking themselves - What platform is best for animation in Maya - a PC or a Mac? The good news is - you can use either one.  The bad news (for Mac users anyway) is - the PC is probably better.

The Top Three Free Maya Plugins Every Animator Should Use

Maya 2016

What free plugins do Maya animators need? Each time Autodesk release a new version of Maya they fix many things that don't appear to need fixing - such as the design of the overall interface, but leave many traditional weaknesses in place.  Luckily for us, there are a number free plugins that can easily be accessed by Maya animators to make our lives easier. Here is our shortlist.

The ParentMaster - a Great Free Plugin for Maya

Parent Master

Autodesk Maya is free to students, and now has a huge user base around the world. Many Maya users have sought to improve the software, developing free plugins that can be plugged in to your free copy of Maya, adding to its usability.

The ParentMaster is a plugin created by Paolo Dominici which greatly simplifies the business of attaching and un-attaching objects in Maya. Say you want to animate a character picking up a ball and then dropping it. This free tool will make your life much, much easier.