Softimage-Maya Bridge: Animation and Character Animation

The following table lists the Maya equivalents for terms and workflows related to animation and character animation in Softimage.

Note: Watch the Softimage Learning Channel video on how you can create and animate cameras in Maya: Softimage to Maya Bridge: Creating and Animating Cameras in Maya

In Softimage	...becomes in Maya
Playback visibility	P icon in Display Layer editor
Default and playback frame format	Playback Speed: right-click anywhere on the time slider and select an option. This is the same as the Playback Speed setting in Time Slider preferences, but with fewer options. Click the Animation Preferences icon in the lower-right corner to open the Preferences window with Time Slider settings displayed. Note: Clicking this icon is a quick way of opening the Preferences window, which is the same as choosing Windows > Settings/Preferences > Preferences.
Timeline length	Animation Start/End setting in Time Slider preferences.
Time range	Playback Start/End setting in Time Slider preferences.
Set a keyframe : K	Key > Set Key: S This sets a key on all attributes shown in the Channel Box. To set a key on specific attributes in the Channel Box or the Attribute Editor, select the attributes, right-click on one, and choose Key Selected. Use these hotkeys to set keys on specific Transform attributes: Shift+W sets keys on only Translate attributes Shift+E sets keys on only Rotate attributes Shift+R sets keys on only Scale attributes See Keys for more information on setting keyframes in Maya.
Setting keys on multiple objects	Attribute Spread Sheet (Windows > General Editors > Attribute Spread Sheet) to adjust the same attributes on multiple objects at once.
Path animation	Constrain > Motion Paths commands in the Animation menu set
Constraints	Constrain menu commands in the Animation menu set
Shape animation	Blend shapes: Open the Shape Editor, click the Create Blend Shape button, and then click Add Target several times to create multiple target shapes for the blend shape deformer. See Shape Authoring for general information. Note that you can create blend shapes only on objects, not point clusters. For adding corrective shapes (secondary shapes) to an enveloped (skinned) character, see Pose space deformations (PSD) and the Pose Editor.
Animation layers	Animation Layers Click in the Sidebar buttons in the upper-right corner to display the Channel Box / Layer Editor and click the Anim tab at the bottom. See Animation Layers for information.
Animation Editor (Fcurve Editor): 0	Windows > Animation Editors > Graph Editor See Graph Editor for more information.
Animation Mixer: Alt+0	Windows > Animation Editors > Trax Editor and Camera Sequencer The Trax Editor is a nonlinear animation tool that lets you manipulate and arrange animation or deformation sequences.
Dopesheet	Windows > Animation Editors > Dope Sheet Use the Dope Sheet Manipulator to select, move and scale, as well as copy, cut, and paste blank regions of time and regions of time that contain keys. See Dope Sheet toolbar for information on how to set and modify keys.
Expression Editor: Ctrl+9	Windows > Animation Editors > Expression Editor - see Expression Editor for more information. To evaluate an expression in an attribute in the Attribute Editor, right-click it and select Create New Expression. The Expression Editor appears from which you can create an expression.
Parameter Connection Editor	Windows > General Editors > Connection Editor to connect attributes - see Connection Editor for information.
Linked Parameters	Keys > Set Driven Keys in the Animation menu set

Character Animation

In Softimage	...becomes in Maya
Character animation tools	HumanIK, also known as HIK. HIK tools provide a complete character keyframing environment with full body and body part keying and manipulation modes and a retargeting engine that lets you easily retarget animation between characters of differing size, proportions and skeletal hierarchy. Click the HumanIK icon in the upper-right corner to open its panel.
Effector	IK handle - see IK handles overview. You can also watch these videos for more information: Using the IK Spline Handle in Maya and Creating a Dynamic IK Tail in Maya
Bone	Joint - see Joints and bones. You can also watch these videos for more information: Basics of Joints in Maya, Joint Orientation and IK in Maya, and Labeling and Mirroring Joints for Rig Building in Maya
Envelopes	Skinning - see Skinning. You can also watch this video for more information: Smooth Binding Skin to Joints
Character key set	Character sets - see Create character sets
Constraint Compensation (constraining an object by position or distance)	Once you have set a constraint, select Constrain > Parent > > Maintain Offset. Tip: To modify the offset, move the object, select Constrain > Modify Constrained Axis, and enable Maintain Offset. See Modify Constrained Axis in the Modify section of the Constrain menu.

Weights/Weight Painting

Weighting information is found in Paint Skin Weights Tool. You can also watch this video for more information: Painting Skin Weights in Maya

In Softimage	...becomes in Maya
Select all points influenced by a deformer.	Right-click the bone or use the Paint UI. See Paint attribute values.
Select all deformers from point.	Select a vertex, copy and paste weights from point to point. See Deformable objects points and sets.
Copy / Paste weights from point to point.	Select a weighted point, copy and paste weights. See Skin Menu.
Transfer weights from one deformer to another.	Use the Move weights button in the Paint Skin Weights Tool.
Swap deformers (create a new deformer, and remove the old one from the list).	Use the Move weights button in the Paint Skin Weights Tool to manually swap the deformers. Transfer the weight, and remove the influence.