V13.07

released 1/29/2025

V13.07 Maya Curve Color Tool:

• Introduced a new tool similar to the Guide Color tool, specifically for Maya curves.

• Functionality to set curves to display "on top," allowing curves to be transparent behind geometry.

• Option to modify curve width for improved visibility in the Maya viewport.

• Retained familiar layer controls from other Groomer's Tools.

• Functionality to randomize curve color values.

• Introduced a separate layer management system, independent from Maya’s display layers.

• Ability to isolate selected curves or layers while keeping all other scene elements visible.

Hair Tube Builder: - Main UI:

• Added a Normalize function.

• Added a Lattice function.

• Enhanced copy/paste functionality to allow multiple pasting options.

• Added layer isolation functionality (via middle mouse click on layers) and an Isolate button for selected strands or layers.

• Added a Smoothing button to preview subdivision on selected tube strands.

• Added a Geometry Toolbox button for selecting the tube’s geometry from selected strands. Users can unlock geometry to adjust UVs if necessary.

• Added a Shader Toggle to switch between Maya's default shaders (Lambert, Blinn, Phong, Surface). This toggle applies globally to all strands.

• Merged the strand extraction buttons and layer removal buttons into a single button with a popup menu.

• Improvement: Duplicated curves from existing Strand Builder strands can now be cleaned up via the menu (Clean Selected Curves) for reuse in strand creation.

• Experimental: Hair Tube Builder scenes from V13.06 can be updated via the menu (Update V13.06 scene).

- Strand Editor UI:

• Added Presets functions

• Added Offset X, Offset Z, and Offset Rotation parameters to enable more complex shapes.

• Added 4 UV mapping options (None, Strip, Grid, Unfold), located within the editor.

• Exposed the Sampling Accuracy slider to address tip pinching issues, located under Advanced Controls.

• Added the ability to reset sliders to default by middle mouse-clicking on the slider label. For the Scale Ramp and Twist Ramp, use the 'R' button next to the ramp to reset.

• Added options to Add, Remove, and Clear crease points.

• Users can now set keyframes for most strand attributes.

• Improvement: Edge loop points can now be added or removed with more intuitive control by clicking and dragging on the root or tip curve, or using Ctrl + Click to remove points.

• Improvement: Crease points can now be added, removed, or cleared from either the root or tip profile curve.

• Improvement: Users can collapse the shaping window for a more streamlined UI.

• Improvement: A warning is displayed when selecting a custom curve that is not enclosed (periodic).

- General Updates:

• Improvement: Strand curve color visibility is enhanced, with slight randomization for better contrast against strand geometry.

• Improvement: The Hair Tube Builder UI now correctly displays existing layers when opening a different scene.

• Improvement: Reduced warning messages during tube strand creation and layer additions.

• Improvement: Hair Tube Builder layers are now separated from Maya’s Layer Editor, improving scene organization.

• Improvement: UI and curve color updates.

• Fix: Resolved curve display thickness issues on duplicated strands.

• Fix: Resolved layout issue where Aim Curve Controls disappeared when Crease Controls were collapsed.

• Fix: Mirroring now properly takes the existing rotation value into account.

- Known Issues:

• Mirroring strands or pasting attributes may cause strands to reverse their normals.

Curve To Proxy Tools:

• Improvement: Added a warning to ensure proper use of component tags.

• Fix: Resolved an issue where deleting geometry via right-clicking layers caused Maya to crash.

- Curve To Twist:

• Fix: Resolved a bug causing Maya to crash after using this tool and saving a file.

Interactive Curve Tools:

• Added an option to set a Base Mesh. When a geometry is set, the Sculpt, Add, Draw, and Move tools will reference this geometry, preventing misinterpretation from other scene geometries.

• Improvement: Added a command to remove temporary radius curve residue (Sculpt, Cut, Extend) left in the scene when switching tools (e.g., from sculpting to selection or transform tools).

- Sculpt Curve Tool:

• Added the ability to auto-snap the root to the defined base mesh. Hold Shift + LMB to sculpt, and the root will snap to the closest point on the base mesh when the mouse is released (with the lock root function temporarily disabled).

• Improvement: Minimization of curve extension in small steps when Lock Length is enabled.

• Improvement: Pivot points will now automatically reset to the curve's root when moved.

• Improvement: Curves will remain locked during drag operations but will automatically unlock when switching tools or re-entering a tool.

- Extend Curve Tool:

• Exposed all three extension methods: Linear, Circular, and Extrapolate.

Curve Snap Tool:

• Fix: Point snap now ignores geometries in invisible display layers.

• Improvement: Simplified point snapping process—once the Point Snap tool is activated, pressing G will repeat the snap action for subsequent curves without needing to click repeatedly.

Curve Rebuild Tool:

• The CVs Rebuild function now provides immediate feedback while dragging the sliders. The Rebuild Distance slider now dynamically adjusts its minimum and maximum values based on tagged curves.