New user, hating the view controls

[Mirth]

Hi, I'm doing a university course and got told to use 3Dcoat to do my model and it looks simple to use. I've never used this kind of program before, only a little bit on maya, but the thing that really really really frustrates me (putting it kindly) is the controls on the view.

In maya to move the camera I have to hold alt. It stops me accidently selecting and moving other objects while I'm looking around This one I don't, so trying to resize the brush can sometimes move the camera if I'm slightly in the wrong place or if I'm trying to move the camera I do something to my model. This becomes extremely annoying when one simple thing I want to do, means ctrl z, Or having to re-resize the brush because I had it in the wrong place when I needed to change my view.

I am seriously hating on this program for this simple thing, I can't do anything without making sure my arrow is where I want it or if I've selected a tool that can make an object in any space I have to click off it and find something else to click that doesn't ruin my model until I've got the view in the right place.

Is there a way to change this??

Also is there a tutorial on making simple hands?

[Javis]

Hi, you can fully customize the navigation to your liking.

On the top right corner of the 3D viewport is a "camera" button, click it. Camera>Customize Navigation.

For all of the navigation settings, turn on (check it) both "Inside the object" and "Outside the object". You'll be creating conflicts with other functions (such as brush size and depth) and need to change them to another function if you want to use them without hotkeys. You might also have some other conflicts that I'm unaware of, but that should set you on the right path to customizing the controls how you want them.

[Javis]

Or;

You could just select the Maya preset (it's the one I use too). It functions just like maya navigation. Though I can't promise it will work exactly as you're expecting.

[ajz3d]

What Javis said. No need to hate it. You can tailor 3D Coat navigation, as well as almost all shortcuts, to your needs. There's even Maya preset already present in the, already mentioned, Camera->Custom Navigation menu, although I personally prefer a slightly modified ZBrush navi for all but Retopo rooms.

EDIT: Oops, a little to late.

[Mirth]

Thanks, the maya preset is what I needed, just something that I need to press to move the camera. Should make my workflow easier especially struggling with this hand, didn't need another thing to get annoyed about!

[alvordr]

Oh...and welcome to the world of 3D modeling. I use 3ds Max, Maya, ZBrush, 3D Coat, Cheetah, UDK, Unity, Marmoset, Sculptris, and others...some of which on a daily basis. It gets confusing at first, but you're hands start to learn what to do.

[ajz3d]

It gets confusing at first, but you're hands start to learn what to do.

Yes, but after you establish a certain pipeline with many applications involved, having a uniformed navigation interface in all of them helps a lot. I find that two different interfaces is the most I can take. I'm accustomed to Maya and Zbrush navigation and anything more just hinders my productivity.

For example, recently I was looking for a better alternative to Silo (navi completely customizable - Maya's included) as a subdivision modelling application. I've tried a free Hexagon from Daz3D, but the default mouse navigation is simply out of this world for me. Most of the 3D packages, even the free ones, like Wings3D and Blender, allow one to use Maya's navigation. Hexagon doesn't allow any navi customization. This is really bad. I probably could get accustomed to it after a long practice, but I just don't have time for this. And I'm pretty pissed off, because it seems to be a nice application otherwise. I heard it does have transformable workplanes - something I find Silo to be lacking. Also, it does remember transformations while Silo drops them immediately after you apply them to an object.