You can set the following preferences in the Animation sub-category below the Settings category in the Preferences window. (There are also Animation preferences under the Display category. See Animation (Display) preferences.)
Specifies whether Maya will automatically set keys on a previously animated object’s attributes when you change the values of those attributes. This preference has the same effect as the Animation Controls’ Auto Keyframe Toggle button next to the Animation Preferences button. This option is off by default.
On character sets
These options are available only when Auto Key is on.
For more information, see What are character sets?.
To set the rotation interpolation options, see Set rotation interpolation for curves in the Keyframe chapter of the Animation guide.
New curve default
Specifies the type of rotation interpolation used when creating curves. These options are the same as those available in the Change Rotation Interp menu item in the Graph Editor. For more information on rotation interpolation, see Animated rotation in Maya.
Calculates the rotation using three angles representing rotations about the X, Y, and Z axes, and an order or rotation. In this mode, the curves that define the rotation for a given node are represented in Euler-angles, interpolation is performed on each curve independently in Euler space, and keyframes may occur at your discretion—they are not synchronized with the other sibling rotation curves at the node. You can also animate a single rotation ordinate. This is the default setting.
Creates curves that have keyframes on sibling curves locked together as in Synchronized Quaternion Curves but the interpolation between keyframes is performed in Euler-space.
It’s useful to keep rotation keyframes synchronized because rotation is a composition of the three separate rotate values. Deleting just one key on a curve can have a dramatic and unexpected effect on the interpolation.
Calculates the rotation interpolation using three orientations about the X, Y, and Z axes, and an angle of rotation. The interpolation between keyframes is defined using quaternion interpolation. Keyframes on related curves are locked together. When you add, delete, or move a keyframe on one curve, the corresponding key is also updated in the sibling curves.
For example, if you drag a keyframe on the X curve to frame 14, the corresponding keys on the Y and Z curves also move to frame 14. The Graph Editor displays a quaternion key as a solid diamond shape.
Tangents determine the status of curve segments when they enter and exit from a key.
Weighted tangents represent the amount of influence a tangent has on an animation curve segment. When on, all new tangents are automatically weighted. Weighted Tangents is off by default. See Edit tangents in the Keyframe chapter of the Animation guide.
Default in tangent
Specifies the default in tangent type. The In Tangent setting controls the shape of the animation segment before a key.
The clamped tangent smoothly rounds the animation curve (like the Spline selection) before a key unless the next key is very close. If so, the In Tangent and the previous key’s Out Tangent are both straight (like the Linear selection), making the animation curve between the keys straight. Clamped is the default In tangent type.
Default out tangent
Specifies the default out tangent type. The Out Tangent setting controls the shape of the animation curve right after a key.
Specifies the animation curve is smoothly rounded (like the Spline selection) after a key unless the next key is very close. If so, the Out tangent and the previous key’s In tangent are both straight (like the Linear selection), making the animation curve between the keys straight. Clamped is the default Out tangent type.
The Animation Blending preferences let you specify the types of blends that can occur between object connections. For example, when you turn on the Always Blend with Existing Connections Animation Blend preference, you can then both animate and constrain a single object.
Always blend with existing connections
Blend with all except constraints
Never blend with existing connectionsi
Shot Double Click
This preference lets you set what you want to occur when you double-click a camera shot in the Camera Sequencer.
Set the frame range in the Time Slider to match the Maya start frame and Maya end frame of the selected shot. (See Camera shot overview.)