Status line (toolbar)

The Status line (just below the main menus) looks like a tool bar – but it’s called the Status line because it shows you the current state of various important interaction modes that affect how you can manipulate objects.

The Status line lets you:

Change the menu set
Access common functions
Control the selection mask
Set various options
Change the contents of the sidebar

Tip: By default, parts of the Status line are collapsed. Click the show/hide buttons

to expand hidden sections.

Menu set menu

File buttons

These buttons let you start a new scene file, open an existing scene file, or save the current scene file.

Create, open, or save a scene file

Selection mask

The Status Line (toolbar) contains several different controls to change the selection mask. The selection mask determines what type of objects or components you can select.

The selection mode menu lets you select common preset selection masks.

The selection mode buttons let you switch between Select by hierarchy and combinations mode, Object mode, and Component mode.

The selection mask buttons let you make specific object/component types selectable or unselectable.

Select objects or components

Selection options

Lock /unlock current selection: Click the lock to lock the selection so the left mouse button operates the manipulator instead of selecting. Click the lock again to unlock the selection.
Highlight Selection mode: When you are selecting components in any component mode, object selection is disabled, so that you can stay in component selection mode; for example, to select multiple components (vertices, faces, and so on). To override this setting, so that clicking on a non-component part of your object selects the entire object (putting you back in object mode), turn Highlight Selection off.

Select objects or components

Snapping buttons

Snap to grids: Snaps a vertex (CV or polygonal vertex) or pivot point to a grid corner. If you select Snap to grids before you create a curve, its vertices snap to the grid corners.
Snap to curves: Snaps a vertex (CV or polygonal vertex) or pivot point to a curve or curve on surface.
Snap to points: Snaps a vertex (CV or polygonal vertex) or pivot point to a point. This can include face centers.
Snap to Projected Center: When enabled, snaps an object (joint, locator) to the center of the selected mesh or NURBS surface.
Note: Snap to Projected Center overrides all other snapping modes.
Snap to view planes: Snaps a vertex (CV or polygonal vertex) or pivot point to a view plane.
Make the selected object live: Converts the selected surface to a live surface. The name of the live surface displays in the field next to the Make Live icon.

Construction buttons

Inputs to the selected object/Outputs from the selected object: Opens a pop-up menu that lets you select, enable, disable, or list the construction inputs and outputs for the selected object.
Construction History toggle: Toggles construction history on or off for all objects in the scene.

Edit completed commands (construction history)

Render buttons

Click these buttons to open the Render View window, perform a normal render, perform an IPR render, or open the render settings window.

Input box

Use the Input box to quickly select, rename, or transform objects and components within the Maya scene without having the Channel Box displayed. Click the arrow to the left of the input fields to choose an Input mode; Absolute transform, Relative transform, Rename, or Select by name. The default setting is Absolute transform. The Input mode is saved with your user preferences.

Input Mode	How to use
	Absolute transform Type numbers in the X, Y, Z fields to move, scale, or rotate, based on the currently selected transformation tool. The objects or components are transformed with reference to their original creation position (the scene's origin). You can also enter a single value in one field (for example, X) without affecting the other transformation values.
	Relative transform Type numbers in the X, Y, Z fields to move, scale, or rotate based on the currently selected transformation tool. The objects or components are transformed with reference to their current position. You can also enter a single value in one field (for example, X) without affecting the other transformation values. Transform objects and components
	Rename Edit the name of the currently selected object. When more than one object is selected, Maya increments a number at the end of the name for each object. Change the name of one or more objects
	Select by name Type the name of an object to select it. You can use wildcard characters (* and ?) to select multiple objects. Select objects or components

Sidebar buttons

These icons open up tools that you will use frequently. From left to right, click on each icon to toggle its opening and closing: