January 02, 2012
The froTools are a set of script and tools for Autodesk maya to speed any modeling related task. The tools are presneted as dockable window for quick and easy acces of various functionalities.
Some of the available features are:
- A quick exporter for the FBX and OBJ format
- Custom hotkeys dedicated to the functions inside the froTools
- New UV window with custom tools
How to Install ?
Put the content of the folder "froTools" inside your Documents" folder. Example: "My Documents\maya\2011-x64"
This script has been tested and should work with:
- Maya 2013
- Maya 2014
- Maya 2015
- Maya 2016
- Maya 2017
- Maya 2018
How to Launch ?
Call the command below in the mel command line for the first time. You can use the "Make Shelf Button" to make a shelf button in your current shelf.
source froTools3.mel; froTools3();
You can also add the froTools to launch when Maya start, to do so, open the userSetup.mel file (create it if it doesn’t exist) inside your script folder (where froTools3.mel is located) and put the following line inside it:
Release Notes
3.3.3
- Fixed Attribute editor being ignored when using "CTRL+A"
3.3.2
- Updated the "CTRL+A" shortcut to cycle and raise only hidden docks
- Fixed UV rotation functions not working properly (including in Maya 2018)
3.3.1
- Added new hotkey "CTRL+A" and "CTRL+SHIFT+A" to cycle between existing docked widgets/windows
- Updated FBX export settings to disable Tangent/Binormals by default (UE4 friendly)
- Updated UV window "Move UVs" step field to allow more precise values
- Updated UV window with new "Move UVs" quick step buttons
- Updated UV window with new quick ratio scale buttons
- Updated UV set exporter to not move meshes anymore
- Fixed UV set exporter channel name being ignored
- Fixed some compatibility issues with Maya 2018
3.3
- Added support for Maya 2015/2016/2017 (fixed bugs and broken functions)
- Added Edge Outline/Border selection from selected faces
- Added a mesh analyzer (polycount, mesh size, and so on)
- Added a system that store the previous state of the Frames when the script is reloaded
- Added a checkBox to dock/undock the window (which will remember the setting)
- Added new pivot tool : select a face and move an object on it (helper for floating geometry)
- Added new pivot tool : min/max based on world space bounding box
- Added new pivot tool : copy a pivot point from one object to one another
- Added the "groups" option for the OBJ exporter
- Added new Normal tool : copy a vertex normal to other vertices
- Added new button to toggle the x-ray mode per (selected) object
- Updated export function to be more robust
- Updated FBX export compatibility (deprecated commands from Maya 2014/2016)
- Updated FBX combined export to support Triangulation
- Updated the "move to ori" button, now also splitted into separate axis (available with other pivot tools)
- Updated every icons as a "shelf button" to allow drag'n'drop to the shelf (and Maya 2014 modeling toolkit)
- Updated the selection conversion, now available by double-clicking on a component icon
- Updated the "toggle normals" visibility (now cycling between face and vertex normals)
- Updated the "look at me" normal tool, now each vertex normal is individual
- Updated the Mesh creation buttons to set the vertex normals on "Unweighted" by default
- Updated the combine and merge tool to set the mesh control on "Unweighted"
- Updated the combine and combine merge tool to avoid the transform creation (aka delete history)
- Updated the grid subdivision shortcut for the UV window (now changing the main grid)
- Updated the default FBX version for the quick exporter to 2013 (was on 2011)
- Updated the UV window (the screen size is now stored per maya session, making it faster to load)
- Fixed triangulation function during export (could fail and bring up an error sometimes)
- Fixed the froTools Window position preferences when using the "floating" mode
- Fixed the float field in the UV window when setting a custom scale (now accepting multiple decimals)
- Fixed the Orient face normals tool (error with specific geometry configuration, thx to Passerby)
- Fixed the abs() function error with the "BestOrtho" tool (function withing a function error).
- Fixed "Unhide all meshes" function (which was disabled for no reason)
- Fixed a conflict between the froTools3 and the froXnormal when creating a shelfbutton
- Fixed the UI size in the "Settings" tab (export path was too big)
- Fixed the "Vertex size" slider to allow to go back to Maya default vertex size (3 instead of 6)
- Removed the UV focus when opening the UV window (not working properly)
- Removed FBX Triangulation setting (because different from Maya Triangulation)
- Removed support for Maya version older than 2011
Documentation
Selection
| Parameter |
Description |
| Mesh Buttons |
Locator, Cube, Plane, Cylinder and Sphere mesh creation shortcuts. |
| Clear |
Clear current selection. |
| Component Modes |
Vertices, Edges, Face and Object selection mode shortcut. |
| Transform Tool |
Shortcut to the transform selection tool. |
| Invert |
Invert current selection. |
| Grow + |
Expand current selection on the mesh surface. |
| Shrink + |
Reduce current selection on the mesh surface. |
| Edge Ring |
Perform an edge ring selection (parallel edges). |
| Edge Loop |
Perform an edhe loop selection (continuous edges). |
| Face Border |
Convert faces selection into selection of perimeter edges. |
| Check for nGons |
Isolate and select n-gon faces on the currnetly selected mesh. |
| Cycle Axis |
Cycle orientation mode on the current tool (local, object, world) |
| Border Edge |
Display edge borders in bold for non-attached faces. |
| Display Tri |
Display face triangulation for quads and n-gons as dotted lines. |
| + |
Add current selection to the selection memory. |
| - |
Remove current selection from the selection memory. |
| Select Mem |
Select what is currently saved in the selection memory. |
| Clear Mem |
Empty the selection memory. |
| Selection Precision |
Adjust the selection sensibility of components/objects in the viewports. |
| Vertex size |
Change the display size of vertices in the viewport. |
| Tweak Select |
Enable tweak select mode (click and drag to move components). |
| Preserve UVs |
Enable UV preservation when editing mesh components. |
| Disable Backface |
Enable camera based selection to avoid selecting mesh backfaces. |
| Face Together |
If enabled, extruded faces are welded together. |
| Ctrl+d manipulator |
If enabled, switch to move tool after an extrude. |
| Retain Spacing |
Retain spacing between components when moving them with snapping. |
| DeltHist ExtVtx |
If enabled, delete construction history after using edge extrude to improve performances. |
| Interactive |
If enabled, allows to adjust extrudes/bevels by dragging in the viewport. |
| Unhide All Meshes |
Iterate over all the scene objects and unhide them. |
| Mesh Analyzer |
Open a new window that displays stats about the currently selected object. |
| X-ray |
Enable x-ray view mode for currently selected objects. |
