GENERAL TIPS FOR MAYA NEWBIES

# 1 19-05-2011 , 09:59 PM

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I would like to make a separate thread for the newbies with some very very basic tips...., like which format its better to save Maya projects in...., you know, stuff like that.

I have looked at the stickie-d thread by Mhcannon which is cool but some of the stuff is beyond me- still good to read even though I don't understand most of it yet.

I look forward to getting some really tips here- Every building should start with a solid foundation.

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# 2 19-05-2011 , 10:06 PM

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maybe the FAQ thread should be renamed to something simliar to this thread. that thread basically does what you've ask, at least i think so.
or is there something more you're wanting?

i think the problem with calling a thread FAQ is that it's highly unlikely to be seen. I saw once a thread named FAQ and it got very little views. The named got changed to something else and suddenly there were more views and posts to it...
i don't know what it is about FAQ but i think it's a cursed title....

that's a "Ch" pronounced as a "K"

Computer skills I should have:
Objective C, C#, Java, MEL. Python, C++, XML, JavaScript, XSLT, HTML, SQL, CSS, FXScript, Clips, SOAR, ActionScript, OpenGL, DirectX
Maya, XSI, Photoshop, AfterEffects, Motion, Illustrator, Flash, Swift3D

Last edited by Chirone; 19-05-2011 at 10:27 PM.

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# 3 19-05-2011 , 10:24 PM

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There is a Maya FAQ already: https://simplymaya.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35308
which you can add to, if you think something is frequently asked (like "Should I save as .ma or .mb?"). I guess a lot of the FAQ is troubleshooting too, very frequently occuring problems. Regarding tips, there's no need for tips to be advanced. Something like "hit f to frame the selection" can go in the tips and tricks thread (in fact it's already there). Hope that makes sense.

-stwert

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Last edited by stwert; 19-05-2011 at 10:31 PM.

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# 4 19-05-2011 , 10:32 PM

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Chirone, what if it was called "FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS" ? user added image

-stwert

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# 5 19-05-2011 , 10:42 PM

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calling it Frequently Asked Questions would have the same effect as calling it FAQ, maybe you'd get more views because some people don't know what FAQ means

if you're new to a software and you were faced with two threads, one named FAQ and the other Tips and Tricks, it's possibly unlikely that you'd think that FAQ has any tips and tricks.

perhaps if FAQ was renamed to Beginners Tips and Tricks and the Tips and Tricks was renamed to Advanced Tips and Tricks or something it could improve the situation.

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# 6 19-05-2011 , 11:27 PM

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Maybe so... but turning off soft select or enabling mental ray isn't really a tip or a trick, it's just a "what the heck is going on?... Oh, that's what's going on." The views aren't really critical, because newbies generally won't read the faq even if it's called "super awesome fun time now!" if they're suddenly stuck with a very common problem. They will post a new thread and someone can easily post a link to the FAQ.

Personally (maybe I'm the odd one out) if I was very new to software, I would read the FAQ, and leave the "tips and tricks" for when I was a bit more comfortable with the interface.

-stwert

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-->How to Effectively Ask Questions on Forums<--

Last edited by stwert; 19-05-2011 at 11:29 PM.

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# 7 20-05-2011 , 12:14 AM

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I took a look at the Maya FAQ thread a while back and saw that it was not very well responded to but has lots of views.

There is great info in there so you can get rid of this thread if you wish- Maybe more people can throw some basic tips in there like very standard best practices that can get newbies off on a good foot.

BTW: what is the best format (less corruptible) to save a Maya file?

Cheers for the responses all!

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# 8 20-05-2011 , 12:21 AM

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I took a look at the Maya FAQ thread a while back and saw that it was not very well responded to but has lots of views.

Originally Posted by me2011

By not very well responded to, do you mean not too many posts? That's because it was started not too long ago (the tips and tricks is from the old forum, and I thought there was a FAQ back then too, but either it went missing or I'm making it up).

Maybe more people can throw some basic tips in there like very standard best practices that can get newbies off on a good foot.

Originally Posted by me2011

That's a great idea, as long as it's something that comes up pretty often. Other tips/tricks (even very basic ones) that aren't essential or problem areas can probably go in the tips/tricks thread.

BTW: what is the best format (less corruptible) to save a Maya file?

Originally Posted by me2011

Good question, I'll try to answer it in the FAQ. (By the way, I don't have the power to change the thread name, so I'll leave that decision up to a moderator I guess)

-stwert

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-->How to Effectively Ask Questions on Forums<--

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# 9 20-05-2011 , 12:31 AM

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I was just thinking, best practices (like incremental saving or referencing scenes or arranging UVs) don't really fit in FAQs or tips and tricks. It might be handy to have another thread just for Sound Advice. Maybe that's what you're thinking of me2011? What do people think?

-stwert

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-->How to Effectively Ask Questions on Forums<--

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# 10 20-05-2011 , 11:07 AM

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I was just thinking, best practices (like incremental saving or referencing scenes or arranging UVs) don't really fit in FAQs or tips and tricks. It might be handy to have another thread just for Sound Advice. Maybe that's what you're thinking of me2011? What do people think?

Originally Posted by stwert

This is exactly what i meant- one of the things about being a newbie is not knowing how to word a request- thanks for reaching into my (confused) head and taking this out.

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