Maya 2017 decimal input issue. Win Region&Language Settings change does not fix

[Evil.Kitten.Studios]

Hi!

I can't input float values the same way in the channel box like I do in the transform position.

I use a plain German Layout (qwertz and üöä) Microsoft Keyboard 600.

I use the comma of my numpad: 2,3

The channel box seems to only accept the period: 2.3 All other number input fiels I used so far in Maya accept both , and . for floats.

Why is this inconsistent?

I've found that in the following Forum Topic dated back a YEAR ago they have found a workaround (which is workjing for a select few) setting the OS additional language setting "decimal point" to a period instead of a comma. A support employee ( @Nadja.Bueckmann, maybe you can retrigger a investigation? ) has also forwarded this issue to the devs in 2016.

However this does simply not work. I still type commas with the comma key on the numpad and the normal comma key.

Whichever language setting I choose, even if I manually set the decimal point setting, I always type commas.

So please, Autodesk, fix this for Maya 2017. I don't want to dowload 2018, I don't even think they fixed it there.

PS: As other people mentioned in the original post, this is not an issue of the OS, even if mine can't manually correct it, it's a problem of Maya.

[sean.heasley]

Hi @Evil.Kitten.Studios

I'm asking around our support channel to see if there is a different workaround then the one from the thread you shared.

Also I have what might be a dumb question. While you mentioned using the coma on your numpad if you use the regular period key on your keyboard does that work or no?

[Evil.Kitten.Studios]

Hi!

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, the US decimal (period) input works fine, but the key is located above the right Windows key, which is impossible to work together with the numpad, even with my piano playing hands ^^

PS: Remember I said I didn't want to try Maya 2018 because I didn't believe it was fixed there?

Well I installed it, and now I can't even type the position coordinates in the modelling toolkit with the comma key, now everything will solely accept only the period! So it's even worse.

Really dissatisfying to say the least. Is it too much to ask to make 1500$ software customizable for non-US keyboard use?

Maya uses centimeters as standard units, and does support imperial units, but the number input is US style only. Weird, right?

A simple option right in the Settings:General Application Settings where you specify the default fps, system units, etc..

A checkbox "Accept comma as decimal point [x]"

That's very easily done.

I often wonder how extremely inconsistent and not thought through the development of major products is.

PPS: Would there be a difference if I chose to install a German version of Maya? Are there even German versions of 3ds max or Maya?

I only see English, Japanese and Simple Chinese at the download page.

I get that there are a billion of Asians and compared to people speaking European languages, they are outnumbering them by far.

Then again, it can't be harder to localize for German, French or Spanish than to fit Chinese Characters into menus.

[sean.heasley]

Hmm I understand this is frustrating. Its rare we see issues like this across something as specific as a keyboard which is probably why it may not be a major issue for the dev team to work with.

Out of curiosity, when you followed the steps in the link you provided. If you type in Notepad for example, do you still see commas or periods?

[Evil.Kitten.Studios]

Yes, it's very frustrating, especially since I changed from 3ds Max to Maya because Max's features do not include Stability on my machine 😉

I understand that the issue of not being able to write periods with my numpad is the fault of my OS, and not Autodesk, however Autodesk intentionally removed the comma from being a decimal point, which is ungraspable to me.

To answer your questions:

I can choose any language setting, English (UK), for example, and I can successfully change the decimal symbol to period, and apply it, but the actual output of the numpad comma key is still a comma on this machine.

Maybe this has to do with my Win 7 being a German version? I couldn't find any information about the language settings being changed, but not working anywhere online 😕

It seems to be a very specific, very rare problem.

It works fine on my notebook, which has an English version of Win 7 installed, but a German Keyboard..

When I change the decimal symbol setting to period and I hit the numpad comma key, it writes a period.

Here's my current Desktop settings:

I understand this issue seems to be unsolvable since it doesn't stem from Autodesk int he first place. I guess we can close it, if nobody else has any ideas how to fix it.

PS: I just had some HDDs gifted to me, I can try to install my english win 7 and Maya there and see if it fixes this..then I'll have a "only for work" OS version if it does.

Thanks.

[mspeer]

Hi!

I highly recommend to use "." instead of "," everytime in Maya. This is the only character that works the same across the whole interface including scripting.

(It's common to use "." with English software. A global setting should be preferred to keep every consistent (Maya scenes and scripts) around the whole world).

[Evil.Kitten.Studios]

Yes, thank you, I know that the English Decimal symbol is the period.

I also have no problem adjusting to English customs.

However, commas worked in Maya 2017, and now in 2018 they are completely ignored.

Also, like I described, it is easily possible to have any "foreign" keyboard produce a period using the dedicated decimal key.

BUT this does not work on my OS, for whatever reason.

That's the reason I was creating this thread, asking if the ignorance towards foreign decimal writing is intentional in Maya, or by mistake.

Like I said, I don't understand what the problem would be to accept both period and comma.

Every English software I use does that. Without changing OS settings.

Autodesk seems to be the inconvenient exception in many such cases.

[Anonymous]

I have tried to find proper for long time. I have strange memory from past that I have somehow managed to do this by tweaking windows settings but I haven't been able to do it for years so my new solution for this is app called sharpkeys http://www.randyrants.com/category/sharpkeys/

I hate three buttons in windows.. Windows button, Caps lock and now the decimal button in numpad for the reason this post is about.

With sharpkeys i have mapped windows button to caps lock button then alt button to windows button so I don't accidentally press windows button anymore. Now i mapped the . from keyboard to , in numpad and it seems to work perfectly.

I added image of my sharpkeys settings because in my mind i always first try to map button in reversed order, really don't know why. Image shows the correct way.