Welcome to Helios’s documentation!¶

Table of Contents:

Features¶

Execute Maya commands by typing them¶

Helios comes with hundreds of pre-built python commands. Not only can you create objects, you will also be able to open windows such as the UV Editor, the Outliner or enter any Maya tool (Multi Cut Tool, Create Polygonal Tool...). There are more than 500 commands included by default with Helios.

Custom commands included¶

Helios comes with some commands which were built specifically to save you time. These commands are not available by default in Maya and are small python scripts that will help you work faster.

Some of the custom commands included are:

Fill Selection.
Move Pivot to Selected Vertices.
Create Joints from Locators.
Snap Object to Center of the World.

Make Helios work the way you want¶

You can make Helios yours and custom it to your needs. Each command is its own python script so it’s really easy to add more commands and customize existing ones.

To add a command, just create a ‘name_of_command.py’ file with the python script you want to execute inside it. If you want to create an advanced command, just add ‘-advanced’ after the name of the command (that is, just before the .py extension) and Helios will recognize that there is an advanced command. To execute the advanced command in place of the default one, press Ctrl + Enter.

Hidden Features¶

Did you know you can quickly edit a command by adding ‘?’ after the name of the command? Press Enter and the corresponding script will open inside notepad. To open the advanced command, press Ctrl + Enter instead of Enter.
If you want to show this help page, type ‘help’ and press Enter and this webpage will pop-up in your browser.

Installation¶

To install Helios, first start by downloading the needed files via Gumroad: https://gumroad.com/l/helios

Installing the Files¶

Using the installer¶

Double click on the Install icon to launch the installer. By default the path is set to your default Maya script directory, but if you prefer to install Helios in another directory you’re free to change the path.

Once you’ve set the path, just click on ‘Start Installation’ and the installer will move the needed files to the specified directory.

If everything goes well you’ll see the python script you need to execute in Maya in order to run Helios.

Now click here to see how you can create a Hotkey in Maya to launch Helios.

Manually¶

You can also install the files manually by moving the following files/folders in a folder of your choice:

Then you’ll need to execute the following python code in order to run Helios.

import sys
sys.path.append('PATH TO FOLDER')

import Helios
Helios.HeliosGUI()

Change the ‘PATH TO FOLDER’ by the folder where you moved the files.

Be sure to use forward slash (‘/’) instead of backward slash (‘’), ie. ‘C:/Users/Thibault’ instead of ‘C:UsersThibault’.

Now click here to see how you can create a Hotkey in Maya to launch Helios.

Creating Hotkey in Maya¶

First open up the Hotkey Editor (Go to Windows > Settings/Preferences > Hotkey Editor).

Then choose the Custom Scripts category from the dropdown menu.

Next, go to the Runtime Command Editor tab and click on New. Enter a Name and Description for the script and make sure the Language is set to Python.

Then simply paste the script you got from the installer into the field.

Finally, just assign any Hotkey you want to the command you created to make Helios pop-up.

And you’re done! Now everytime you hit Shift + C (or any hotkey you assigned to the script) Helios will pop-up.

Known Issues¶

In Maya versions 2016 and lower, the Enter key which is used in Helios to execute a command is also the hotkey to complete a tool. Therefore when you want to fetch a tool with Helios and you press Enter, the tool will automatically complete and disappear. The only workaround I found for this right now is to change the hotkey for completing a tool to something else than Enter (ie: Ctrl + Enter or something like that). This problem doesn’t seem to happen starting with Maya 2017 though.

Commands List¶

2D Pan and Zoom Tool
2D Pan and Zoom Tool-advanced
Add Anisotropic Shader to Selected Objects
Add Bifrost Accelerator
Add Bifrost Collider
Add Bifrost Emiter
Add Bifrost Kill Plane
Add Blinn Shader to Selected Objects
Add Divisions
Add End Locator to Muscle Capsule
Add Fluid Emitter
Add Fluid Emitter-advanced
Add Fluid Gradients
Add Fluid Gradients-advanced
Add Lambert Shader to Selected Objects
Add Layered Shader to Selected Objects
Add Ocean Boat Locator
Add Ocean Boat Locator-advanced
Add Ocean Dynamic Buoy
Add Ocean Dynamic Buoy-advanced
Add Ocean Dynamic Locator
Add Ocean Dynamic Locator-advanced
Add Ocean Preview Plane
Add Ocean Surface Locator
Add Phong Shader to Selected Objects
Add Pond Dynamic Buoy
Add Pond Dynamic Buoy-advanced
Add Pond Dynamic Locator
Add Pond Dynamic Locator-advanced
Add Pond Locator
Add Pond Locator-advanced
Add Pond Surface Locator
Add Surface Shader to Selected Objects
Aim Constraint
Align Objects
Align Surfaces
Align Surfaces-advanced
Ambient Light
Annotation
Append to Polygon Tool
Apply Muscle Spline Deformer
Apply Muscle Stretch Deformer
Apply Muscle System Skin Deformer
Area Light
Asset Editor
Attach Brush to Curves
Attach Surfaces
Attach Surfaces Without Moving
Attach Surfaces-advanced
Attach to Motion Path
Attribute SpreadSheet
Average Vertices
Average Vertices-advanced
Bake Simulation
Bend
Bevel
Bevel Surfaces
Bevel Surfaces-advanced
Bevel Tool
Bevel-advanced
Bezier Curve Tool
Bezier Curve Tool-advanced
Bifrost Options
Bind Fat on Muscle System
Blend Shape Editor
Boolean Difference
Boolean Intersection
Boolean Union
Boundary Surfaces
Boundary Surfaces-advanced
Break Rigid Body Connections
Break Surface Tangent
Bridge
Bridge Tool
Camera Sequencer
Center Pivot
Channel Control
Character Set Editor
Circular Fillet
Circular Fillet-advanced
Cleanup
Clear Fluid Initial State
Color Settings
Combine
Command Shell
Component Editor
Compute Bifrost and Cache to Disk
Cone
Connect Joints
Connect Selected Muscle Directions
Connect Tool
Connection Editor
Convert Geometry to Bounding Box
Convert Geometry to Bounding Box-advanced
Convert NURBS to Polygons
Convert NURBS to Polygons-advanced
Convert Paint Effects to Polygons
Convert Paint Effects to Polygons-advanced
Convert Smooth Skin to Muscle System
Convert Surface to Muscle-Bone
Create 2D Fluid Container
Create 2D Fluid Container with Emitter
Create 2D Fluid Container with Emitter-advanced
Create 2D Fluid Container-advanced
Create 3D Fluid Container
Create 3D Fluid Container with Emitter
Create 3D Fluid Container with Emitter-advanced
Create 3D Fluid Container-advanced
Create Active Rigid Body
Create Active Rigid Body-advanced
Create Air Field
Create Air Field-advanced
Create Bifrost Liquid
Create Camera
Create Camera and Aim
Create Camera From View
Create Camera, Aim and Up
Create Curve Field
Create Curve Flow Effect
Create Curve Flow Effect-advanced
Create Drag Field
Create Drag Field-advanced
Create Editable Motion Trail
Create Fire Effect
Create Fire Effect-advanced
Create Fireworks Effect
Create Fireworks Effect-advanced
Create Gravity Field
Create Gravity Field-advanced
Create Hair
Create Hair-advanced
Create Joints From Locators
Create Lightning Effect
Create Lightning Effect-advanced
Create Muscle Displace
Create nCache
Create nCloth Constraint from Points
Create Newton Field
Create Newton Field-advanced
Create Ocean
Create Ocean Wake
Create Ocean Wake-advanced
Create Ocean-advanced
Create Particles Emitter
Create Particles Emitter-advanced
Create Passive Rigid Body
Create Passive Rigid Body-advanced
Create Polygon Tool
Create Pond
Create Pond Wake
Create Pond Wake-advanced
Create Pond-advanced
Create Radial Field
Create Radial Field-advanced
Create Reference
Create Shatter Effect
Create Shatter Effect-advanced
Create Smoke Effect
Create Smoke Effect-advanced
Create Soft Body
Create Soft Body-advanced
Create Springs
Create Springs-advanced
Create Stereo Camera
Create Surface Flow Effect
Create Surface Flow Effect-advanced
Create Turbulence Field
Create Turbulence Field-advanced
Create Uniform Field
Create Uniform Field-advanced
Create Volume Axis Field
Create Volume Axis Field-advanced
Create Vortex Field
Create Vortex Field-advanced
Create XGen Description
Cube
Cube-advanced
Custom Muscle Shapes
CV Curve Tool
CV Curve Tool-advanced
Cylinder
Deformer Set Editor
Delete Entire Hair System
Delete Hair
Delete History
Delete Muscle Jiggle Cache
Delete nCache
Delete Surface Flow Effect
Delete Surface Flow Effect-advanced
Detach Surfaces
Detach Surfaces-advanced
Directional Light
Disconnect All Muscle Directions
Disconnect All Muscle Displaces
Disconnect All Muscle Objects
Disconnect All Muscle Smart Collides
Disconnect Selected Muscle Directions
Distance Tool
Dolly Tool
Dolly Tool-advanced
Dope Sheet Editor
Duplicate
Duplicate NURBS Patches
Duplicate NURBS Patches-advanced
Edit Fluid Resolution
Edit Fluid Resolution-advanced
Emit Fluid from Object
Emit Fluid from Object-advanced
Emit Particles from Object
Emit Particles from Object-advanced
EP Curve Tool
EP Curve Tool-advanced
Export All
Export All to Alembic
Export Selection
Export Selection to Alembic
Expression Editor
Extend Fluid
Extend Fluid-advanced
Extend Surfaces
Extend Surfaces-advanced
Extract
Extrude
Extrude Edges
Extrude Faces
Extrude Surfaces-advanced
Extrude Vertices
File Path Editor
Fill Hole
Fillet Blend Tool
Fillet Blend Tool-advanced
Flare
Float Selected Ocean Objects
Float Selected Ocean Objects-advanced
Float Selected Pond Objects
Float Selected Pond Objects-advanced
Freeform Fillet
Freeform Fillet-advanced
Freeze Transformations
Generate Polygon Cylinders from Capsules
Get Fluid Example
Get Fluids Initial States
Get Fluids Initial States-advanced
Graph Editor
Grease Pencil Tool
Grow Selection
Harden Edge
Helix
Hide All Deformers
Hide All Geometry
Hide Cameras
Hide Clusters
Hide Fluids
Hide Hair Systems
Hide Joints
Hide Lattices
Hide Lights
Hide NURBS Curves
Hide NURBS Surfaces
Hide Polygon Surfaces
Hotkey Editor
Hypergraph Connections
Hypergraph Hierarchy
HyperShade
IK Handle Tool
Import
Import Alembic
Insert Edge Loop Tools
Insert Isoparms
Insert Isoparms-advanced
Insert Joint Tool
Intersect Surfaces
Intersect Surfaces-advanced
Joint Tool
Lattice
Light Editor
Light Linker (Light Centric)
Light Linker (Object Centric)
Locator
Loft
Loft Surfaces-advanced
Make Active Rigid Body
Make Boats
Make Boats-advanced
Make Curve Dynamic
Make Field Affect Selected Object(s)
Make Fluid Collide
Make Fluid Collide-advanced
Make Fluid Motion Field
Make Live
Make Motor Boats
Make Motor Boats-advanced
Make Muscle Capsule
Make Muscle Capsule with End Locator
Make Muscle Direction
Make nCloth
Make nCloth Collider
Make nCloth Tearable
Make Paintable
Make Particles Collide
Make Particles Collide-advanced
Make Passive Rigid Body
Make Pond Boats
Make Pond Boats-advanced
Make Pond Motor Boats
Make Pond Motor Boats-advanced
Make Selected Curves Dynamic
Make Soft Body
Marking Menu Editor
Merge Components
Merge Components to Center
Merge Components-advanced
Merge Vertex Tool
Mirror +X
Mirror +Y
Mirror +Z
Mirror Cut XY
Mirror Cut XZ
Mirror Cut YZ
Mirror -X
Mirror -Y
Mirror -Z
Move Pivot To Vertices
Move Seam
Multi Cut Tool
Muscle Builder
Muscle Creator
Namespace Editor
Node Editor
NURBS Circle
NURBS Cone
NURBS Cube
NURBS Cylinder
NURBS Plane
NURBS Sphere
NURBS Square
NURBS Torus
Offset Edge Loop Tool
Offset Surfaces
Offset Surfaces-advanced
Open Alembic
Open the XGen Window
Open-Close Surfaces
Open-Close Surfaces-advanced
Optimize Scene Size
Orient Constraint
Outliner
Paint Effects Tool
Paint Fluids Tool
Paint Fluids Tool-advanced
Paint Hair Follicles
Paint Hair Follicles-advanced
Paint Hair Tool
Paint Muscle Weights
Paint Skin Weight Tool
Parent Constraint
Particle Collision Event Editor
Particle Instancer
Particle Instancer-advanced
Particle Tool
Particle Tool-advanced
Particles Connect to Time
Particles Goal
Particles Goal-advanced
Partitions Editor
Pencil Curve Tool
Pencil Curve Tool-advanced
Performance Settings
Per-Point Emission Rates
Pipe
Planar Surfaces
Planar Surfaces-advanced
Plane
Plane-advanced
Platonic Solid
Playback Every Frame
Playback Realtime
Playblast
Plugin Manager
Point Constraint
Point Constraint-advanced
Point Light
Pole Vector Constraint
Preferences
Prism
Project Curve On Surface
Project Curve On Surface-advanced
Project Window
Pyramid
Pyramid-advanced
Quad Draw Tool
Randomize Follicles
Randomize Follicles-advanced
Rebuild Surfaces
Rebuild Surfaces-advanced
Reduce
Reduce-advanced
Reference Editor
Re-Initialize Setup Data on Muscle System
Remove Bifrost Accelerator
Remove Bifrost Collider
Remove Bifrost Emitter
Remove Bifrost Kill Plane
Remove nCloth
Render Settings
Render View
Rendering Flags
Replace Alembic
Reset Base Pose for Muscle Spline Deformer
Reset Transformations
Reset Transformations-advanced
Reverse Normals
Reverse Surface Direction
Reverse Surface Direction-advanced
Revolve Surfaces
Revolve Surfaces-advanced
Round Tool
Round Tool-advanced
Save Fluid State As
Scale Constraint
Scale Hair Tool
Script Editor
Sculpt Geometry Tool
Separate
Set Active Key
Set Driven Key
Set Fluid Contents with Curve
Set Fluid Contents with Curve-advanced
Set Fluid Initial State
Set Fluid Initial State-advanced
Set Framerate to 24
Set Framerate to 30
Set Initial State for All Dynamics
Set Initial State for Selected
Set Muscle Parameters
Set Passive Key
Set Project
Set Rotate Keys
Set Scale Keys
Set Translate Keys
Sets Editor
Show All
Show All Deformers
Show All Geometry
Show Cameras
Show Clusters
Show Hair Systems
Show Lattices
Show Lights
Show Non-Linears Deformers
Show NURBS Curves
Show NURBS Surfaces
Show Polygon Surfaces
Shrink Selection
Sine
Slide Edge Tool
Smooth Bind
Smooth Polygons
Smooth Surface Tangent
Snap Together Tool
Soccer Ball
Soften Edge
Sphere
Sphere-advanced
Split UVs
Spot Light
Sprite Wizard
Square Surfaces
Square Surfaces-advanced
Squash
Surface Editing Tool
Surface Editing Tool-advanced
Target Weld Tool
ThibH - Create Basic Scene
ThibH - Create Locator on Selected Vertices
ThibH - Fill Selection
ThibH - Fill Selection and Close Holes
ThibH - Renamer
ThibH - Snap to Center of World
Three Point Circular Arc Tool
Three Point Circular Arc Tool-advanced
Toggle Bifrost HUD
Toggle Camera Based Selection
Toggle Discrete Move
Toggle Discrete Rotate
Toggle Discrete Scale
Toggle FrameRate
Toggle Ghosting
Toggle Grid
Toggle Multisample Anti-Aliasing
Toggle PolyCount
Toggle Screen Space Ambient-Occlusion
Toggle Screen-Space Ambient Occlusion
Toggle Soft Selection
Torus
Track Tool
Track Tool-advanced
Transform Components
Transform Components-advanced
Trax Editor
Triangulate
Trim Tool
Trim Tool-advanced
Tumble Tool
Tumble Tool-advanced
Twist
Two Point Circular Arc Tool
Two Point Circular Arc Tool-advanced
Type
Universal Manipulator
Untrim Surfaces
Untrim Surfaces-advanced
Use Selected as Source of Field
Use Selected Particles Emitter
UV Texture Editor
Visor
Volume Light
Wave
Wireframe Color

Coming Soon¶

More custom commands (I’m more than open to suggestions).
Command Creator GUI.

Changelog¶

1.1.0 - 19 Septembre 2016¶

New Features

Better search algorithm.

Ranks the commands you use the most higher in the list. So if you execute the ‘Cube’ command more often than the ‘NURBS Cube’, it will appear first.

The last command you executed is now remembered by Helios and automatically shows up when you open it.

Added support for ‘Advanced’ scripts (add -advanced after the name of the command to create an advanced version).

Bug Fixes

You can now start your search with any of the word of a command. Searching for ‘Transformation’ will therefore find ‘Freeze Transformations’ and ‘Reset Transformations’.

Added compatibility with Maya 2017 and Linux.

Changes

The commands are now listed as separate python scripts (previously they were all listed inside the same python file which quickly became really messy for longer scripts).

1.0.0 - 15 August 2016¶

First release of Helios

About¶

Helios is a Maya utility made by Thibault Houdon using Python and PyQt. It allows you to execute hundreds of commands by typing them in a search bar.

Helios is free and developed in my spare time. If you have any suggestions or are experiencing issues with Helios you can contact me at houdon.thibault@gmail.com