Maya - Constrains

• Moving Pivot - Hold down [insert], select and move pivot.
• Parent objects - Select Child shift select parent then press [P].

Constrain

• Position - Select Parent first, then child, drop-down tab (Constrain - Point)
• Maintain Offset - Select Parent / Child (Point Options) Press [Add]
• Rotation - Select Parent first, then child, drop-down tab (Constrain - Orent)
• Pos / Rot - Select Parent first, then child, drop-down tab (Constrain - Parent)
• UnConstrain - Select all objects, drop-down (Constrain - Remove Target)

Constrain Multiple objects and animate

• You can constrain the child to multiple parents, then adjust the weighting to favored which side to follow.
• Link the child to both parents with Zero Offsets.
• The child will favor both sides 50/50, but you can adjust the wight in the channel box.
• And you can animate the weights by right clicking weight constrain, and set key.

Constrain Props to characters

• Its best to create a Locator "kinda like a dummy box in max" and use it for more flexibility.
• Locator - drop-down tab (Create - Locator) then align it to prop.
• Link the locator to the character, during the contact points in the animation.
• Parent Constrain the prop to Locator.
• If your animation is popping, then try to set a rest position on the frame before or after the pop.

Damn I spent the whole day trying to fix Maya's Hot Key bug.

• When ever I make a change it reverts back to default at some point.
• Here is a fix I found on a website
• http://www.the-area.com/forum/autodesk-maya/autodesk-maya-2012/maya-2012-hotkeys-swap-to-default/
• Went with option 2.