# Main UI
## Top Menu
* This is where you can access various functions.
## Information and Refresh
### **Info Field**
* Displays the layer name of current selected curves. Only the string after the last '\_' will be displayed in the info box. For example, if you have a layer renamed as hair\_short, 'short' will be displayed.
###  **Refresh Button**
* Sometimes a layer is deleted or when a new Maya scene is opened, if you do not see the layers in the Main UI, try clicking on this button to refresh the layer list.
* Clicking on the refresh button will go through your layer's shaders, one by one, and make sure they has the require nodes (\_cond nodes). It's basing on the naming of the shader, so if you have renamed (which you shouldn't), the shader, the refresh will not work for that layer.
***
## **Toggles and Creations**
###  Display Toggles
* Toggle display on strand geometry or curves.
* You can MMB click on this icon to reset the visibility state on selected, or all, if nothing is selected.
{% hint style="info" %}
Visit to learn more about [Display Toggles](/maya-groomers-tool/maya-tools/hair-strand-builders/display-toggles.md)
{% endhint %}
###  **Isolate Strand(s)**
* Isolate selected strands or layers.
###  **Preview Shader Toggle**
{% hint style="info" %}
Visit to learn more about [Shader and Layer Relations](/maya-groomers-tool/maya-tools/hair-strand-builders/shader-and-layer-relations.md)
{% endhint %}
###  **Geometry/Curve Selection Mode Toggle**
* When lock is green , geometry selection mode is active.
* activating geometry selection mode will allow you to view UVs easier in the UV editor.
* when lock is red , curve selection mode is active.
###  **PFX Draw Tool**
* Opens the PFX Draw UI that allows drawing with a strand preset.
{% hint style="info" %}
Visit to learn more about [Draw Strand Tool](/maya-groomers-tool/maya-tools/hair-strand-builders/draw-strand-tool.md)
{% endhint %}
## **Create**
* When curve(s) are selected, clicking on this button will create a new layer and a strand will be created.
* When multiple curve(s) are selected, you will be prompted to choose either create one layer for all curves or, a separate layer for each curve.
* When nothing is selected, clicking on this button will create an empty layer.
## **Strand Editor Button**
* This is the main control window for selected strands.
{% hint style="info" %}
Visit to learn more about [Strand Editor](/maya-groomers-tool/maya-tools/hair-strand-builders/strand-editor.md)
{% endhint %}
***
## Main Functions
### **Copy**
* Select a curve (or strand geometry if in geometry selection mode) to copy the curve settings.
### **Paste**
* After a strand or (strands) is copied, '**Left Click**' on the Paste button will display several pasting functions.
{% hint style="info" %}
Visit to learn more about [Copy/Paste](/maya-groomers-tool/maya-tools/hair-strand-builders/copy-paste.md)
{% endhint %}
### **Duplicate**
* Select curve, (or strand geometry if in geometry selection mode) and click on this button to duplicate the strand. Duplicated strand will be put in the same layer as the original selected curve.
* It offers three ways of duplicating:
* Duplicate - Simply duplicates selected strands into the same layer.
* Into New Layer - All selected strands will be duplicated into a new layer.
* Fill In-Betweens - Duplicate between selected strands. You can select more than 2 strands for this function. Selection order matters.
### **Mirror (Flip)**
* **Left-click** on the Duplicate button will give you the option to mirror or flip across x, y, or z.
{% hint style="info" %}
Visit to learn more about [Mirror and Flip](/maya-groomers-tool/maya-tools/hair-strand-builders/mirror-and-flip.md)
{% endhint %}
### **Deformers:**
{% hint style="info" %}
Visit to learn more about [Deformers](/maya-groomers-tool/maya-tools/hair-strand-builders/deformers.md)
{% endhint %}
### **Mesh**
* Mesh related functions such as Smoothing (Tube Only), Orient, and [Randomizer](/maya-groomers-tool/maya-tools/hair-strand-builders/multiple-strands-randomizer.md)
#### **Smoothing (Tube Only)**
* Enables the strand subdivision preview on selected strand curves. (This is the same function as hitting the default Maya hot key 3). This function is for previewing the tube strands if you have crease geometry set.
* If you are on geometry selection mode already, simply hit 3 will do.
#### **Orient**
* Select strands first, and shift select a base mesh, click on Orient. The tool will automatically set the rotation values so the cards are properly oriented to the base mesh.
{% hint style="info" %}
**(Card Only)** Adjust the "Orient Sample Distance %" in the Scene Presets Menu to change the location on the strand curve where orientation references are sampled.
{% endhint %}
#### **Randomizer**
* Tool to assign random values to strand attributes. See [Randomizer](/maya-groomers-tool/maya-tools/hair-strand-builders/multiple-strands-randomizer.md)
### **Normalize**
* Run a smooth operation to selected curves (or strand geometry if in geometry selection mode) so the CVs on the curves will be more evenly spaced out.
### **Delete**
* Cleanly delete selected strands.
{% hint style="warning" %}
To delete a strand, use this button instead of your keyboard's 'delete' key.
{% endhint %}
***
---
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