Maya Basics: Meet Moom

Moom is a prepared rig that I need to animate for the brief  'acting up' and to gather the basics of the 3-D software Maya. The Moom model and its rig, are very simple to use, through rotating and moving the joints to change the pose that the model is in, as well as changing the facial expressions via the facial control panel.

To animate in Maya, you need to set the key frames on the timeline, in which it adds the inbetweens for you. I found it was easier to organise the key frames by selecting all of the models rig, once you have finished with the pose, before you set the key frame. This stops any problems in the future with the inbetween frames as the animation plays out. Then you have moved the selected rig, press 's' to place the key frame on the timeline. Only the key frames for the particular rig selected will show on the timeline at once. A small icon on the bottom right corner of the timeline, shaped like a key, 'auto-key', will automatically change the key frame for you as you adjust the rig. To delete key frames right click on the timeline in the location of the key frame and select delete.

To view your progress so far via video, you can make a preview by clicking on the window menu, and selecting the check box next to Playblast or right clicking on the timeline. The preview will show the rig as it is not the fully rendered outcome. Playblasts are an easy way of seeing the progress made so far, without having to wait for the fully rendered outcome, making it more time efficient.