Namespace editor in Maya 2011 is very nice, but if an additional filter box was available, it would be even nicer. When working with large scenes, it can be hard to find the namespace you are after.

Also namespace editor needs ability to delete all empty namespaces “Delete All Empty”

Nicer interace for applying and turning off offline edits. Offline edits should somehow be visually linked to reference it is applied to.

References in viewport should have display option to show text labels in a nice format like “REF: ManRigged_6”, and “REF: HelicopterRigged_22”

I would like to see some nice tools for modelers. Particularly a complete workflow for retopology, this would include intuitive tools for quickly drawing edge loops (or sketching or filling areas with quads) over an existing model, and Maya automatically generating polygon meshes. Once these meshes are drawn user should be able to slide components along underlying surface (also sliding user defined edge loops accurately), or average detail out in relation to underlying surface. Also smoothing out edge loops - averaging vertex path along 3D space to give straighter loop, but constrained to model, to give models are very clean and refined look. Also a few simple improvements like extruding complex edge perimeters inwards, without odd distortions (I believe this is known as inset in other applications). Insert edge loop tool, with “Retain Surface Tangency”, basically offsetting edge loops in relation to curvature of model, if it was smoothed a couple of times.

Also simply having a more integrated render view window, so we can switch between render passes within Maya. Basically just a faster, more feature complete implementation of 16bit - 32bit multi-pass workflows, which are becoming very standard.

Playblast to a video format that is more compressed, but retains most of the quality (h264). Many playblasts currently take up a huge amount of space - generally playblasts should not be uncompressed. Current compression implementation creates nasty artifacts.

Allow multiple references with different paths to all be set to new path location.Example:
Prop_11, Prop_12 and Prop_18 are referenced into scene
I want all “Prop” references to be updated to Prop_19
So select these references (using shift to add), in Reference Editor, then simply type in new path -or edit paths based on last reference selected. Or use Replace reference button, and find new file to load into all previous references. This way if you have multiple references that are the same character/prop, but your file has a few different versions of the prop loaded, the user can set all references to the latest version.

When relinking references in the “Reference file could into be found” window, the user must almost always radically scale window to the right. Most references have a much longer file path, and as it happens the most important part of the file path is at the end, which is clipped off. This window seems to always pop back to a small size the next time it opens. It would be great, if this window dynamically scaled before appearing to better match the length of the file path.

Translate tool to have new option to “Make first Move Discrete Step Size”, the user could then offset an object(s) a specified distance (interactively without snapping active), the discrete tool would then update with correct step size, allowing a user to repeat this exact offset to other object(s).

EDIT: Actually a better name for this option is “Set Discrete Move Interactively”, which would temporarily deactive the other discrete settings, until the user moves selected object, when they let go of mouse, discrete tool becomes active, with selected settings.

How about adding aim axis to sprite particle type. That would make crowd simulation much easier (think spectators on stadium ...)

Expand and shrink component selection on curve(s) - similar to vertices expand and shrink selection.

Expand and shrink component selection on Lattice(s) - similar to vertices expand and shrink selection. Particularly handy once lattices becoming extremely deformed, and you can’t find neighboring lattice point relative to the points you have selected.

Need ability to convert multiple edge loops, including overlapping edge loops into multiple curves. This could be an option added to Convert Polygon Edges to Curve tool, the option could be called “Edge Loops”. One additional option could be “Cut Curves”, which would cut curves up automatically if curves intersect. Obviously this also requires the tool to support multiple curves. This would be useful for instance, for modelling the overall form of interlocking ropes, using a polygon plane, then converting all edge loops to curves, then extruding all the curves along a circular profile, to make ropes.

Hold shift down when clicking drop down arrow in Attribute editor or tool settings window, to expand all collapse all arrows, in current tab.

	Attachment

Given Maya’s traditional expertise in animation, and the additional of new animation tools in the last couple of versions - I think a cool feature would be procedural motion effects.

This would allow animators to quickly add jiggles, sine curves, and other procedurally generated animation either as the primary driver of an animation, or blended with user set key frames. These motion effects should be editable as a node in construction history and allow multiple motion effects stacked on a single object, while preserving user set key frames.

This would give animators an additional tool set that can save a lot of time, and allow experimentation - also this would make Maya more appealing to motion graphic artists.

An example of the feature is here.
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&Itemid=322&id=1449

Procedural motion effects should also come as effectors, such as Sound effector, spine effector, delay effector etc. Basically these effectors would allow you to define animation, or animation offsets based on another object’s animation or sound information.

This would help immensely in key framing object’s in time to music, or purposeful delayed from music etc. An example of this feature can be found here
http://maxonpodcast.de/video/products/new/mograph_2/polyfx/polyfx_en.mov

Braden99 22 May 2010 07:08 PM

Particularly a complete workflow for retopology, this would include intuitive tools for quickly drawing edge loops (or sketching or filling areas with quads) over an existing model, and Maya automatically generating polygon meshes. Once these meshes are drawn user should be able to slide components along underlying surface (also sliding user defined edge loops accurately), or average detail out in relation to underlying surface. Also smoothing out edge loops - averaging vertex path along 3D space to give straighter loop, but constrained to model, to give models are very clean and refined look. Also a few simple improvements like extruding complex edge perimeters inwards, without odd distortions (I believe this is known as inset in other applications). Insert edge loop tool, with “Retain Surface Tangency”, basically offsetting edge loops in relation to curvature of model, if it was smoothed a couple of times.

i second that…
retopo tool are on top of my list..!!

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/christoph-schaedl/6/558/73b

Add option to Transfer attributes tool called “Switch with Source”. This would allow the user for example to switch the root transform of two characters easily.

Add option to Duplicate Reference to “Include offset from selected transform”, also have option to “Include reference edits”.

Add options to List Reference Edit window to copy and paste selected reference edits, between multiple references.

Ability to change “Shared Reference Options” after file is already referenced into file. For example I have five identical characters that were referenced in, but not sharing shader network nodes. I now want to share these shader network nodes with each other. You should be able to tick on or off for each sharing option, on main reference window where it says “Sharing:” (currently this just gives you an indicator of sharing options, but no control).

Add option to file browser (Open, Set Project etc) for single click folder opening similar to Nuke - definitely aids in saving a little bit of time.

Some method of adjusting the transparency of many materials simultaneously - in a simple and elegant manner. This would be useful for instance to fade out an entire character, or fade out a prop, or part of prop.

New layer panel called “Rigging”. This would allow riggers to save and experiment with multiple iterations or completely different rigs, while protecting source geometry and nodes. User’s could easily speed up file by deactivating all rigging temporarily.

My ideas are pretty far fetched, but, here it goes.

If I were Autodesk, I would put ICE and Facerobot in Maya and 3ds max also. It would be nice to have that powerful environment or at least something similar to that in Maya 2012. I use Softimage only for the ICE and FaceRobot really, and I think they should make that something in all of Autodesk’s main entertainment creation software. And if they put those two things into Maya, it would be the most powerful 3d program known to… well Me. Also maybe a built in powerful destruction simulator, so that we don’t have to wait for or develop a fracturing plugin for the newest Maya. Also, Slow down with all the new Mayas so that Pixar’s renderman can stay up to date,

I do not want to have Maya 2014 and have to keep going back to Maya 2009 to use renderman.

Khari

My self is also completly in afavour of Having excellent and powerfull tools in MAYA 2012 for Polygon Modeling as Great one Braden and oglu has already demanded it should be the part of next awesome package

well its good that braden starts Maya 2012 Wishlist the initiative is highly respectable

MAYA My love