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View Full Version : What's up with the Maya docs?!

dwalden74
06-30-2003, 10:59 AM
Sorry for rambling here folks, but.... What's the deal with the Maya online docs?!?? I mean, it's like they're trying to make them as un-userfriendly as possible these days. Specifically I'm referring to the MEL Command Reference. Once (with the Maya 4 docs) there was a time when you could sort by function type, have a menu bar at the top with all the different types available, and on the actual page was not only a list of that function type, but it also contained all the categories related to this function type. For example, if you looked under "UI:WINDOW", on the same page you got Layouts, Controls, Window, Menus, etc. Plus, you still have the menu bar at the top to be able to instantly jump to another function type. Great! Terrific!! Brilliant!!! Also, everything was laid out both horizontally and vertically, to take advantage of all that great space we have on our screens. No need to scroll through long lists, everything was eleganlty laid in front of our eyes.

Ever since Maya 4, the docs layout have just gone to crap. Not only do the MEL "Category" pages NOT contain related MEL subcategories (the UI "Layouts" page is completely separated from the UI "Controls" page-- what the !*!!), but on top of that you've got this incredibly lame layout where everything is placed into some insanely long vertical list on the left-hand side of the page...you've got to scroll for hours to find anything... And, this list is not even alphabetized! Uuuhhh, hello McFly, anybody home?!?!!

I've seen the Maya 5.0 docs, and it actually looks even *worse* than the 4.5 docs (which I didn't think was possible). I personally still use the 4.0 online docs, because it's about 100 times faster to find what you're looking for.

Does anybody agree/disagree with what I'm saying here?

:banghead:
David
rebo
06-30-2003, 01:21 PM
Whilst the maya docs are still a cut above other softwares online documentation, i agree version 4 was the best implementation. So fast and easy to find what you need.
alexx
06-30-2003, 01:33 PM
what a miracle..

i think the docs were changed in every maya version there was and usually they got worse from version to version.. it would not have taken me wonder if the manuals from 4.01 to 4.02 would have been completely reworked.

i totally agree that the 5.0 online docs are COMPLETE crap and absolutely not worth the hard disk space they occupy..

it is really great that alias implemented a small web server to make the search faster.. ok.. instead of 3 seconds i have to wait one second now to have my search results (hu hu..).. BUT what results are that?? it got really harder than ever to find specific information and when you find something it is taken completely out of the context and you only get links to other stuff that sounds similar..

i really really hate the online docs.. i mentioned that over the years quite often to my reseller and alias salesmen but no one ever seemed to care..

cheers

alexx

edit: btw: here a nice one:
open the docs and search for the mel command "xform".. when searching in "all" you have it at place 5 and when searching in MEL only you have it on result # 3.. and the stuff that comes in front of it is defintely nonsense :/
boomji
06-30-2003, 06:42 PM
Originally posted by rebo
Whilst the maya docs are still a cut above other softwares online documentation

ya sure...that was only till maya 2.All gone south after.:annoyed:

b
alexx
06-30-2003, 07:38 PM
maybe we should also start a poll about this topic and if the majority feels like we do we should send alias the link to the thread..
i could do so

cheers
alexx

edit: boomji: maybe you should change your avatar first for some short time into something with flowers and cute kitties and not pussies :)
robert east
06-30-2003, 11:59 PM
Maya's docs do suck , for such an outstanding program , it becomes worthless , if nobody can figure how to solve problems, the tutorials could do with a kick up the ass aswell , im having to use it right now in work and its proving to be a right pain !!! take a leaf out of xsi's html maunals AW ! at least they make some sense !!

regards rob
plug3
07-01-2003, 02:36 AM
I agree 100%.

what the hell happened to the online documentation?
Byla
07-01-2003, 03:39 AM
I have to say I totaly agree that documentation sucks. And so does the help files. Specialy if you are interested in details. And specialy if you are interested in MR. I find it very hard to believe, that AW actualy believes, that Maya documentations is good. So, i think, we can expect a major revision of docs in the future Maya versions.


Compared to other 3d software I still have to say that Maya documentation is better that most of them. But, compared to Cinema, I have to say, Cinema does it better. And so does Softimage.
boomji
07-01-2003, 10:00 AM
Originally posted by alexx



edit: boomji: maybe you should change your avatar first for some short time into something with flowers and cute kitties and not pussies :)

ahahahahaahahaha. Noooo wayyy!!! then can double click
maaa cli* :p for such lousy docs ;)

nice one.

b
Levitateme
07-01-2003, 10:10 AM
i doubt it would ever get fixed alexx, i think AW is as lazy as capcom. i always complain about still no bevel tool for exp. "good one i mean" i see/hear this all the time, AW knows this but still nothing. so i doubt there going to fix it, but its possible they can just rework it for the latest version maybe?
klingspor
07-01-2003, 12:50 PM
I haven't seen the docs for 5 yet, but i find the ones in 4.5 quite sufficient... usually I find whatever I need pretty fast, unless my query is too specific - but in that case I tend to check these forums anyway!
And compared to the horrid docs in say Photoshop or to a lesser extent 3dsmax, I'd actually say they're pretty good!
Kabab
07-01-2003, 12:55 PM
Compartivily to other programs Maya's doc's arn't bad at all.
rock
07-01-2003, 10:40 PM
What I also find is that the Mental Ray docs in Maya 5 is not that great. The Mental Ray integration is better in Maya 5, but it still needs a lot of work. Alias should treat Mental Ray integration and documentation as first class now that they are integrated. Like the XSI documentation on Mental Ray - complete integration.

Having said that, all the books in Maya 4.5 rarely mention anything worthwhile about Mental Ray. It should be given equal treatment as the native renderer.

I think Alias is just stalling for time - so that we will have to pay again for the upgrade in Maya 6. I just hope by then, we no longer need the native renderer.
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