Trouble with the shape node under the channelbox/layer editor

[Anonymous]

I am following along with a Gnomon workshop tutorial "maya 2017" and i have the 2018 version.  I cannot see the information from an object in the shape node like it's shown in the tutorial.  I don't think this has to do with me having a different version.  If anyone can help I'd be very grateful.  

[sean.heasley]

Hi @Anonymous and welcome to the community!

Do you mean this information in the node editor? If so simply press the button with the 3 white squares to show all of the information related to the object.

Please let me know if this helps or if you need any more assistance!

If one or more of these posts helped answer your question, please click Accept as Solution on the posts that helped you so others in the community can find them easily.

Kudos are greatly appreciated. Everyone likes a thumbs up!

[sean.heasley]

Hi @Anonymous

I'm just checking in again to see if you need more help with this. Did the suggestion I provided yesterday work for you?

If so, please click Accept as Solution on the posts that helped you so others in the community can find them easily.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

The shapes section in the channel box is not showing information like the videos do for the gnomon workshop tutorial I've been following along with.  I downloaded the project files to the Maya 2017 tutorial, and I feel like my 2018 version should match in that section I circled to the tutorial's version.  I'll post a picture of what it should look like.  

[Anonymous]

[mspeer]

Hi!

That view changed several time within the last 2 years.

- Before Maya 2017 this was empty, as you see it. That's the common and familiar look.

- First Maya 2017 release, this info was shown

- Then it was removed with an update for Maya 2017 (i think, based on user request)

- Then it came back up again with Maya 2018

So this info is shown dependent on your Maya version.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

This is what popped up along with opening my trial version of Maya 2018.  It says 2016 in the version area though, maybe that's why I have this issue?

[mspeer]

Hi!

No.

This is info about Viewport 2.0.

Use

Help -> About Maya

to check your Maya version.

I cannot say at which exact update versions the display changed, but with

- Maya 2017 update 4 it's not shown

- Maya 2018 update 3 it's shown

Do you really need this info display?

In my personal opinion it's just a waste of space and i never used it.

[Anonymous]

I'm just trying to learn the program by following along with the tutorial so I'm like ADD in not seeing the same thing.  If it's not that important I'll move on.  

[mspeer]

Hi!

All these Attributes are available in Attribute Editor too.

A fast access to Attributes of history nodes is far more important (at least for me) and for this more space at Channel Box is a big benefit.

To sum it up:

It's not that important to have this info shown here.

I don't recommend to chose the Maya version based on this feature, if it's not more important for you than everything else.

[Anonymous]

What I don't get though is why there is the shape section but its just blank.  Seems weird.  

[Anonymous]

.

[mspeer]

Hi!

That's a good question.

I would prefer a more "logical" functionality, for example:

The current selected node will be shown at top with Attributes expanded and other nodes will be expanded when clicked on them. So i would prefer the shape node to behave the same like all the other nodes shown in Channel Box.

I have no idea why it's not working like that.

[Anonymous]

You're having the same problem? mspeer?

[mspeer]

Hi!

Yes.

Currently you have either a Maya version showing nothing and you can't even expand the view, or

you have a Maya version where all these Arnold Attributes are shown constantly and you can't shrink it, so it occupies a lot of space in Channel Box the whole time.

However, you can control which Attributes are shown for a currently selected node by using in Channel Box menu:

Edit -> Channel Control , so even if your shape node shows nothing by default you can add Attributes here.

But you can't expand/collapse the view, so they will be shown all the time in Channel Box then.

[Anonymous]

I don't have the channel control option in the edit menu tab.  I searched for channel control and what it showed didn't seem to have much there.  The reason I'm even trying to learn Maya is to become a character artist for games.  This is however getting confusing with the lack of consistency among the different versions.  I can't even follow along with a tutorial from a version just one year ago.  

[mspeer]

Hi!

Use menu in Channel Box (not main menu)

https://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2018/ENU/?guid=GUID-4C954FB2-8B6A-4BBD-9695-DF432616D0D2

or

in main menu:

Windows -> General Editors -> Channel Control

https://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2018/ENU/?guid=GUID-5636D755-8FA3-4E72-83AD-A67956727D55

However this shape info should not be necessary to accomplish a tutorial, especially for animation.

Also tutorials are made for specific software versions and with software upgrades features and menus changes, that's normal (not only for Maya). Use the Maya online help to search for information about the current version you use.

If the Channel Control is not available for you then please try a reset of your preferences.
Rename the folder prefs in folder 2018 to something like prefs_backup, or to reset everything, the folder 2018 to 2018_backup (or even the maya folder to maya_backup). Maya creates new folders (don't copy preferences from previous Maya versions). Detailed at:
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/maya/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Reset-May...