The Status line lets you:
These buttons let you start a new scene file, open an existing scene file, or save the current scene file.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Snaps a vertex (CV or polygonal vertex) or pivot point to a curve or curve on surface.
Snaps a vertex (CV or polygonal vertex) or pivot point to a point. This can include face centers.
Snaps a vertex (CV or polygonal vertex) or pivot point to a view plane.
Converts the selected surface to a live surface. The name of the live surface displays in the field next to the Make Live icon. You can click the drop-down button to display a list of previously live surfaces, or middle-click it to make the most recently live surface live again.
Click these buttons to open the Render View window, perform a normal render, perform an IPR render, or open the render settings window.
Opens the Hypershade window, which lets you build shader networks by creating and connecting render nodes, like textures, materials, and lights.
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 |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Select by name
Type the name of an object to select it. You can use wildcard characters (* and ?) to select multiple objects. |
These icons open up tools that you will use frequently. From left to right, click on each icon to toggle its opening and closing: