Autodesk Maya UI
The main window where you can view and interact with your 3D scene.
Viewport
A tool that smooths out sharp edges by replacing an edge with a face.
Bevel
A single point in 3D space, often used as the basic building block for 3D models.
Vertex
The preparation before a major action, which builds tension and makes the action more believable.
Anticipation
A specific and important frame in an animation sequence where the position, rotation, or other attributes of an object are defined.
Keyframe
A panel that shows keyable attributes of the selected object, such as position, rotation, and scale.
Channel Box
A modeling technique that extends a face or edge outward from the model's surface to create new geometry.
Extrude
A line that connects two vertices in a 3D model.
Edge
The exaggeration of a character's body mass to emphasize movement, speed, and weight.
Squash and Stretch
A visual plan or blueprint of the animation, where key scenes are sketched out to plan the narrative. It will also resemble a comic book - like document.
Storyboarding
A customizable toolbar where you can create and store shortcuts to frequently used tools and commands (You'll find your main polygon objects here).
Shelf
A tool used to duplicate geometry across a chosen axis, useful for creating symmetrical models.
Mirror Geometry
A flat, multi-sided shape made up of edges and vertices, typically forming the surface of 3D models.
Polygon or Face
The continuation of movement after the main action has stopped, adding realism to animations.
Follow Through and Overlapping Action
The process of creating a skeleton for a 3D model so it can be animated.
Rigging
A panel where you can view and modify the attributes of selected objects.
Attribute Editor
A tool that connects two separate edges new geometry, creating a seamless transition between them.
Bridge
A collection of vertices, edges, and faces that define the shape of a 3D object.
Mesh / Geometry / 3D Object
The amplification of actions, expressions, and poses to enhance the impact and readability of an animation. It usually makes animations feel "over the top".
Exaggeration
The number of frames displayed per second in an animation, affecting the smoothness of the motion.
Frame Rate
A panel that displays a hierarchical view of all the objects in the scene.
Outliner
An operation that combines two 3D objects by adding, subtracting, or intersecting their geometries.
Boolean
The process of projecting a 2D texture onto a 3D model's surface.
UV Mapping
The control of the speed and duration of an action, critical for conveying weight and emotion.
Timing
A technique that allows animators to see multiple frames at once, typically the previous and next frames, to help maintain consistency in motion.
Onion Skinning