Navigating the view within the Maya Graph Editor allows you to pan and zoom across your animation curves to inspect and modify them effectively.
Panning (Moving) the View
To move the visible area (pan) within the Graph Editor window, you typically use the standard Maya navigation control:
- Hold down the Alt key.
- Press and hold the Middle Mouse Button.
- Drag your mouse in the direction you want to pan the view (left, right, up, or down).
This allows you to shift the display to see different parts of your animation curves along the time axis (horizontal) and value axis (vertical).
Scaling and Zooming the View
Scaling or zooming lets you see more or less of your curves in the view. Standard Maya controls also apply here:
- Standard Zoom: Hold down the Alt key and the Middle Mouse Button, then drag left/right (zooms horizontally) or up/down (zooms vertically).
- Alternative Zoom: Hold down the Alt key and the Right Mouse Button, then drag the mouse.
Additionally, the provided reference indicates another shortcut for scaling the graph editor view:
- Hold down Alt and Shift simultaneously.
- This combination is used for scaling your graph editor view, as demonstrated in the reference video around the 1:47 mark. This might provide specific scaling functionality related to fitting curves or adjusting the overall view scale.
Other Useful Navigation
- Frame All: Press the 'A' key to frame all curves in the view.
- Frame Selected: Select specific curves or keyframes and press the 'F' key to frame just the selected elements.
Using a combination of panning, zooming, and framing tools helps you efficiently work with your animation curves in the Maya Graph Editor.
| Action | Keyboard Shortcut | Mouse Button | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pan View | Alt | Middle Mouse | Move the view left, right, up, or down |
| Zoom View | Alt | Middle Mouse | Drag left/right (horizontal) or up/down (vertical) |
| Zoom View | Alt | Right Mouse | Drag to zoom |
| Scale View | Alt + Shift | (Not specified in reference for this) | Used for scaling the graph editor view (as per reference) |
| Frame All | 'A' | - | Fit all curves within the view |
| Frame Selected | 'F' | - | Fit selected curves/keyframes within the view |
Mastering these navigation techniques is key to smooth and efficient animation workflow in Maya.
