Sculpt curves with the Graph Editor Curve Sculpting tools

You can use the Graph Editor Sculpting tools to perform intuitive modifications to keys on curve segments using a brush-style tool.

The Curve Sculpting tools used to modify animation (demo courtesy Jim Donovan)

To open the Graph Editor Curve Sculpting tools, do one of the following:

Tip: Watch the Animation Curve Sculpting video on the Maya learning Channel!

Push keys up or down on a curve (Grab tool)

Select the Graph Editor Grab tool and drag over the area of the curve you want to shape key value in the Graph View.

Flatten keys on a curve (Smooth tool)

Select the Graph Editor Smooth tool and drag over the part of the curve you want to smooth in the Graph View.

Nudge keys on a curve within a configurable brush radius (Smear tool)

Select the Graph Editor Smear tool from the Graph Editor toolbar and drag over the area of the curve you want to influence in the Graph View.

Select curves to sculpt

The Sculpt tool brush radius affects keys, that is, any key inside the brush circle is changed, unless the key or channel is locked. The selection area is defined by the location where you click the mouse, so clicking in empty areas and then dragging in the Graph View, changes nothing, even when moving over curves. If more than one curve falls within the brush radius, they are all affected at the same time.

Resize a Graph Editor Sculpt Brush

Press B and drag to expand or shrink the size of the Sculpt ring.

Adjusting the size of the Sculpt brush

See Sculpt Curve tools for more on the tool settings.

Increase the strength of a Graph Editor Sculpt Brush

Press M to change the strength of the action. The Strength indicator inside of the sculpt ring resizes to display the intensity of the tool.

Adjusting the strength of the Sculpt brush

See Sculpt Curve tools for more on the tool settings.

Parent topic: Edit curves