Common tasks
Where to find the ten most common grooming tasks in Maya, the GroomLab app and Blender - create a groom, place guides, color, clump and curl, paint density, simulate, export, render, transfer and import.
Each row names the menu or tool for one task in each host, with a link to the page that explains
it. One .groom file opens in all three, so you can start in one host and finish in another.
Where the tools live:
- Maya: the GroomLab menu, the Groom Tools (brushes and their tabs) and the Graph Editor.
- App: the mode pills at the top (Groom, Look, Cards, Export), the brush rail on the left, the panel rail on the right and the Graph and Presets pills at the bottom.
- Blender: the top bar's GroomLab menu, the 3D viewport's sidebar (N) > GroomLab tab, and the GroomLab Graph Editor.
| Task | Maya | App | Blender |
|---|---|---|---|
| Create a groom (Quick start) | Select the scalp mesh, then GroomLab > Create Groom from Selection. | File > New Groom on Mesh... (Ctrl+N), or drop an .obj or .abc on the window (Open a groom). | Select the mesh, then GroomLab > Create Groom from Selection (Make a groom). |
| Place guides (Guides & brushes) | Groom Tools > Tools > Place, then Comb. | Place on the brush rail (Groom mode), then Comb (Groom with brushes). | GroomLab tab > Groom Tools > Tools > Place, then Comb (Groom Tools). |
| Color the hair (Color patterns) | The HairColor node in the Graph Editor (Add Node > Color). | Look mode (Ctrl+2) > Material: Natural or Picked color (Look). | The HairColor node's settings: Graph Editor, sidebar (N) > Node tab. |
| Clump and curl (Node graph) | Graph Editor > Add Node > Look > Clump or Curl, or a look from Presets. | Tab over the graph, type clump or curl, Enter; or the Presets pill (The Graph Editor). | Graph Editor, Shift+A or Tab > Clump or Curl; or Presets (The Graph Editor). |
| Paint density (Painting maps) | Groom Tools > Paint > + New Map, For: Density; or the Paint chip on a param in the Graph Editor. | Maps (right rail) > New map, For: Density, Create (Painting maps). | Groom Tools > Paint > New Map, For: Density (Paint maps). |
| Simulate (Motion & simulation) | GroomLab > Simulate > Add Simulate Node, then Simulate Range (also in the Groom Tools' Output section). | Add a Simulate node (Tab), then Simulate and Bake on the timeline (The layout). | Not available yet. |
| Export (Game export, Other renderers) | GroomLab > Export: Alembic..., USD..., Unreal Groom..., Unity Strands (.abc)..., glTF Cards... and more; or Export in the Groom Tools' Output section. | Export mode (Ctrl+E): Alembic curves, USD curves, Unreal groom, Unity strands, Cards (glTF) (Export). | GroomLab > Export > Alembic... or USD... (Export). |
| Render (Rendering) | Render in Arnold as usual (MtoA), or Render in the Groom Tools' Output section. GroomLab > Studio lights and frames the groom for a showcase render (Studio lighting). GroomLab > Render > Render from Groom File... for the farm. | Look mode, then Render (top right) refines the viewport; File > Save Image... saves the view as a PNG (Look). | Cycles or EEVEE (F12) (Rendering). |
| Transfer to another mesh (Utilities) | GroomLab > Utilities > Transfer Groom to Scalp..., or Transfer... in the Groom Tools' Output section. | Tools > Transfer Groom to Scalp... | Not available yet. |
| Import XGen, Yeti or Alembic curves (Importing) | GroomLab > Import: From XGen..., From Yeti..., Alembic Curves...; also under Import in the Groom Tools' Output section. | XGen and Yeti: not available yet. Alembic curves: an ImportCurves node (Tab). | XGen and Yeti: not available yet. Alembic curves: an ImportCurves node (Shift+A > Sources). |
Also not in Blender yet: the Correctives (shot sculpts) and Photos tabs, and Guides from Photos (experimental).... Grooms that carry correctives evaluate in Blender as made. See Not in Blender yet and, for the app, Not in the app yet.
The keys are the same in every host where a host has the action: see Keyboard shortcuts and Guides & brushes: Keys.