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Tutorials to Becoming the Best Level Designer and Game Environment Artist (since 2008)

Maya Beginner Tutorial Series 4/17: Viewport View Options and How to Setup Viewports for Modeling

Category: Maya
January 13, 2025

The following tutorial series is directly from Module 1 of 3 of "Maya Foundation: Home-Study Course" tutorial course.

I've released this entire first Module completely free. It is focused on teaching you how to get started learning Maya completely from scratch in just 4 hours.

The full "Maya Foundation: Home Study Course" contains 3 Modules and 18+ hours of tutorials.

  • Module 1 is focused on interface overview for game environment modeling.
  • Module 2 is focused on environment modeling techniques (27 videos, 8+hrs).
  • Module 3 is focused on UV mapping and UVing (21 videos, 5+hrs).

In this tutorial we will cover various panel viewport toolbar options to improve modeling and working in Maya.

Video Tutorial

Panel Viewport Toolbar

Each viewport contains various options to help you customize that viewport for modeling.

Setting Up Viewport for Modeling

First thing you should enable is Wireframe on Shaded. This is very useful for modeling.

Click Wireframe on Shaded icon in Perspective Viewport and keep this on:

Next 3 important viewing options are "Wireframe", "Smooth Shade All" and "Shaded View Textured":

You can left click on each icon to activate it but shortcut keys are faster for workflow:

  • 4 = Wireframe View
  • 5 = Smooth Shaded View
  • 6 = Shaded View with Texture Maps
  • 7 = Lighting View
  • Alt + 5 = Wireframe on Shaded

Wireframe View:

Smooth Shade View:

Shaded View Textured:

There is also Use All Lights view, but you won't be lighting your scenes in Maya, as it will be done inside the game engine.

For environment modeling activate the following:

Perspective Viewport:

  • 5 = Smooth Shaded View
  • Alt + 5 = Wireframe on Shaded

Orthographic Viewports:

  • 4 = Wireframe

Important Note: 1, 2 or 3 keys will enable Subdivision Preview. If you click on them by accident your object will change shape drastically. Select the object and press 1 to set it back to normal.

X-Ray View

Unlike Wireframe, X-Ray view will make your objects in the scene semi-transparent.

Activate X-Ray view from viewport toolbar:

X-Ray view is often used for modeling objects.

Orthographic Viewports - Wireframe

By default, orthographic viewports will be set to Smooth Shade All:

I recommended to switch all orthographic views to Wireframe.

Switch to Four Viewport layout, hover your mouse over each orthographic viewport and press 4 for Wireframe:

Adjust Viewport Background Color

Default viewport background may not be what you like. Press Alt + B to switch between 4 different options:

  • Alt + B = switch between different background viewport options

For more customization go to Window > Settings/Preferences > Color Settings:

And look under 3D Views:

Enable/Disable Grid: On/Off

Sometimes you'll need to disable grid from displaying in viewport to better see your model such as when you need to check bottom of the object.

Click on Grid icon to cycle it on/off:

Next Tutorial in the Series

Maya Beginner Tutorial Series 5/17: Geometry Modeling Basics and How to Work With Polygon Objects

Maya Foundation: Home-Study Course

Learn environment modeling. Pick Maya go all in. Learn how to model and UV with it better than anyone else. Become a modeling master with it. In "Maya Foundation: Home Study Course" I will show you how.

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About World of Level Design

My name is AlexG. I am self-taught level designer, game environment artist and the creator of World of Level Design.com. I've learned everything I know from personal experimentation and decades of being around various online communities of fellow environment artist and level designers. On World of Level Design you will find tutorials to make you become the best level designer and game environment artist.

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