When editing a model with the transformation tools you often need to make changes symmetrically. For example, when modifying
a character's head, if changes are made to the top of the left ear, you may also want the top of the right ear to also be
affected. The setting lets you do this.
You can select a component(s) on one half of the model, and the setting will highlight the affected component(s) on the opposite half of the model with a white color. This is called the
color feedback.
To move, rotate, or scale components on an object using the setting
- In the scene view, select the components you want to move, rotate, or scale on one half of the surface mesh.
- Select the appropriate transformation tool by doing one of the following:
The tool settings for that transformation tool appear.
- In the , turn the setting on.
The corresponding component(s) across the reflection axis is highlighted in white.
- When you subsequently move, rotate, or scale the selected component(s), the corresponding highlighted component(s) are also
transformed on the opposite side of the reflection axis.
- With the other reflection settings you can specify:
- whether the Center of reflection is at the origin or based on the bounding box of the object.
- set the Tolerance for the reflection (that is, how closely the selected component and the component across the reflection
axis have to mirror each other in order for mirroring movement to occur).
- the Reflection axis which the reflection occurs across.
Note
Reflection settings stay consistent when switching between transformation tools. For example, if you turn on reflection when
the Move Tool is active and then you select the Scale Tool, reflection will still remain on.
The manipulator indicates the axis along which the reflection takes place:
Note
The position of the reflection plane on the manipulator doesn’t correspond to the actual origin of reflection (which may be
outside of the current view); it’s just a visual indication of the reflection plane (x, y, or z).
Reflection works differently depending on whether is turned on or off.
When is turned off and you select a component, Maya attempts to find a component on the opposite side of the seam and include
it in the current selection. You can use the to reflect transformations on a model that is not perfectly symmetrical.
When is turned on and you transform geometry, Maya mimics the same modification on the opposite side of the seam regardless of
whether or not a component exists there.
Notes on the using the setting
- The reflection color feedback automatically appears whenever the reflection setting is turned on and cannot be optionally
turned off. The color feedback will not display if you momentarily edit an attribute in the . The reflection color feedback will automatically update whenever the reflection center, axis, or tolerances are changed.
- The reflection color feedback only appears on NURBS surfaces when the surface is displayed in shaded mode. When textures are
applied to the shading material on a NURBS surface they will temporarily not display on the surface while the transformation
tool with reflection settings are in use.
- Reflection color feedback does not appear on subdivision surfaces.
- The Reflection color feedback indicates the components affected by the current selection. In some cases, components may or
may not appear with color feedback based on the original component selection, reflection center, axis, or tolerances. For
example, when the Center setting is set to Bounding box, when the object shape is irregular, there may not be a corresponding
component to highlight based on the shape of the bounding box. In this situation you should try setting the Center setting
to Origin, and set the Move setting to either Local or Object space.