What you'll learn

In this series of Maya tutorials, you will learn how to create tools and user interfaces using MEL to help you and other artists work more productively in Maya. We'll first learn how to create a basic layout that allows us to run various commands. From there we will explore more complicated examples and learn how layouts can be used in tandem to create user-friendly UIs. We'll learn how to swap geometry and drive textures with custom attributes to access a repository of items more efficiently, and then how to integrate this system into our interface. We'll learn how to set up window icons to create a visual aid for artists. We'll discuss how to troubleshoot code, and also learn how custom shelves and global procedures can be used to access tools faster. By the end of the tutorials, you will learn how to create your very own interface to help you and other artists on your team work more productively. Software required: Autodesk Maya 2013.