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Curve Toolkit v1.0#

What does it do#

The Curve Toolkit offers several functions to support and streamline your workflow with curves in Maya.

Interface#

Screenshot

Compatibility#

Maya 2017 2018 2019 2020
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Installation#

  1. Copy CurveToolkit.py to :

    \Users\USERNAME\Documents\maya\MAYAVERSION\prefs\scripts

    $HOME/maya/MAYAVERSION/prefs/scripts

    $HOME/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya/MAYAVERSION/prefs/scripts

  2. Launch / Restart Maya

  3. In Maya, open a Python Tab in the Script Editor and execute :

    1
2
    import CurveToolkit as CrvTK
CrvTK.MainClassCrvKit()

    Warning

    Please make sure that there are no Space characters in front of the code lines.

Video Overview#

Tool Menu#

Info

The Tool menu is located in the top right corner of the toolkit.

  • Up arrow closes all tabs

  • Down arrow opens all tabs

  • Stack icon opens a new window with information about the tool

Analysis#

Info

Helps to inspect curves.

  1. With a single curve selected, Get Curve(s) lists the:

    • Length of the curve
    • CV count
    • Span count
    • Degree count

  2. With multiple curves selected, Get Curve(s) lists the length of the Shortest and the Longest curve.

    • Use the little S buttons to select the respective curve.

Note

Use R next to the Get Curves(s) button to reset the analysis tab.

Utility Box#

  1. Pivot To Curve Origin sets the Pivot of every selected curve to their origin.

  2. Snap Curve Origin To Surface snaps selected curves to the closest point on a specified surface.

    • First select your curves
    • then Shift select the surface you want to snap to

  3. Reverse Curve Direction reverses the direction for every selected curve.

Select Point Range#

Info

Select a specific point range on one or multiple curves.

Screenshot

Note

When the range is higher than the curves point amount, the curve will be ignored.

  1. Enter a start and end point
  2. Select curve(s)
  3. Click on the Select button to run the script

Rebuild Curve#

  1. Rebuild curves based on their length.

    • Works in conjunction with the Analysis tab
    • Select all your curves and get the length of the shortest curve with the Get Curve(s) function
    • Set the Division value accordingly
    • When all is set, select all curves and click Rebuild By Length

  2. Open Rebuild Tool is a shortcut to Maya's internal tool

Extruder#

Info

Converts curves to geometry.

Screenshot

  1. Choose an Output type:

    • Nurbs

    • Polygon

  2. Section defines the circular subdivision amount.

  3. Radius specifies the size of the profile.

  4. Taper defines if the extrusion becomes smaller towards the end point.

  5. Extrude Curve(s) converts curves to Nurbs or Polygons and groups the created objects.

Tip

To optimise the height subdivisions of your object, rebuild the curve(s) before using the Extruder.