Great summary Martin but I'd like to add two little timesaving tips:

1) Tab hotkey temporarily activates raycast selection mode

2) Backtick hotkey (the key above Tab) temporarily activates tweak mode

--
Brent

From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com 
[mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Martin Yara
Sent: 27 March 2014 09:53
To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: humanize Maya, SOFT top 5

Maya has a Modeling Toolkit since 2014 and it is quite similar to Softimage 
Move Tool. And it is IMHO the best addition Maya has had in the last few years 
from a Modeler POV. I mean it is now pretty close to Softimage (without the

The GUI is not as simple and straight forward as the M key, but it does the job 
done and I guess a simple script to change the options automatically and assign 
it to a hotkey may do the trick.

- Move Tool
Select your object, Active Multi-Component in the MTK, press W to change the 
mode to Translate,  Activate Tweak/Marquee option and now you have your Move 
Tool.

- Slide Components
If you want to slide like the magnet tool, Change the Transform Constraints. I 
asked this in another thread.

- Weld point
Although you have the Merge Vertex Tool for this, MTK has also it's own Target 
Weld. Pretty similar to the M key + weld, but this one works with edges too.

- Split Edges
The equivalent to Split Edge would be MTK Connect, MMB to control the number of 
segments. The same Connect tool has an option of Slide that would be the 
equivalent to Split Edge with split Control (slide with MMB).

- Raycast
This MTK also has a selection mode with a Raycast Option that would work just 
like SI raycast.

The good thing is that now with MTK, unlike the previous Maya preferences, you 
can select backfaces that you are seeing in wireframe mode ala Softimage.

The problem with the Raycast/Marquee option is that the Marquee only works if 
you start to drag outside the object. So if you want to do a drag select a 
bunch of polygons in the center of your object just like you could with Lasso 
or Raycast Rectangle in SI, you can't. You'll have to do it with a Raycast.

I miss SI Lasso tool.


Martin



On Thu, Mar 27, 2014 at 3:48 PM, Tim Leydecker 
<bauero...@gmx.de<mailto:bauero...@gmx.de>> wrote:
Can I trade the MMB functionality against the "M" key workflow?

Personally, I don´t use MMB much because when modeling, I will usually
resort to using either the "M" key or rick-clicking to access polygon 
operations.

Sliding a component (selection) around on a polygon surface is a wonderful 
feature
in Softimage.

I would say that using a combination of variations of the M key settings, add 
edge,
and extrude is covering 65% of my work for modeling, with a Split Edge (with 
split control)
here and there. I tend to model my bevels due to legacy shortcomings in tools.

A good 15% is the ease of using "U"/"T"/"E" with raycast perference options 
that prevent
selecting unwanted (backfaced) areas.

10% is viewport interaction. Tumbling around and view modes.

10% is unfold3d. (It´s a lot more this brings but it´s become so easy :-)

Using wheighting edges in subD models I refuse to use until it is consistenly 
supported
in something as reliable as a blank *.obj format in any other app available.

There´s no point in wheighting a (subD style) edge hardness when you realize 
you can´t import/export it anywhere
like that.

Cheers,

tim

P.S: Merging vertices in Maya is nicer, with it´s treshhold options.

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