Using The Interactive Curve Tools With Strand Builders

Combining The Work Flow with Interactive Curve Tools

The Interactive Curve Tools will greatly enhance your working experience when working with the Hair Strand Builders.

Visit to learn more about Interactive Curve Tools

It's highly recommended that you take 3 minutes to install the Marking Menu to make this workflow even faster!

Visit to learn more about Marking (Radial) Menu

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Sculpt

• Sculpt Brush LMB function, sculpts single strand, or multiple strands.

• CTRL + LMB - Root Snap a strand root to a defined base mesh. Duplicate a strand, and CTRL + LMB to move-to-snap a bit away from the original strand. Creating layers will be super easy and fun this way.

• MMB to smooth out any uneven strands.

In Maya 2022, if you manually set to use Python 2, the smoothing function will not work 'smoothly'. Please consider upgrading to Python 3 (default)

MMB to smooth curves

• With the Sculpt Brush active, now you can quickly adjust the scale and rotation/orientation of any tube/card strands!

You can quickly adjust the strands with the Sculpt Brush (SHFT + MMB (Rotate), or CTRL + MMB (Scale)

You can quickly adjust the strands with the Sculpt Brush (SHFT + MMB (Rotate), or CTRL + MMB (Scale)

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Cut

• With the drag-cut tool, you can now create layers of strands very easily.

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Attach

• Sample a section of the curve, and the sampled section will be attached to the end of the curve.

• You may need to increase the subdivision of the strand to accommodate for the extended curve.

Users have found usefulness on twisty, wavy, curly curves.

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Draw

• With the draw tool, you can also extend the hair strands the way you want it.

• You may need to increase the subdivision of the strand to accommodate for the extended curve.

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Geometry Mode Support (Auto Curve Selection)

• When in Geometry UV mode , geometries are displayed and curves are hidden. The Interactive Curve Tool requires curves to be visible to be function. As of V15.02, the tool will detect if it's a Hair Strand Builder strand, and automatically show/hide the curves.

• You can select a strand, and trigger the curve by doing any of these:

  • Clicking on an icon in the Interactive Curve Tool UI,

  • Hitting the repeat last step hotkey (Maya Default is the "G" key on your keyboard),

  • Or through the Marking Menu

• In geometry mode, existing an interactive tool will automatically hide the curve.

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Aim Curves

• The Interactive Tools will also work on the aim curve of strands. You can use it to quickly fix some problematic areas as shown in the Use Given Normal page.

Using the Interactive Sculpting Tool, we can fix both the strand curve, and the aim curve.