No popup please... Or if you must make it switchable off! Many people hate popups. But yeah maybe a introduction page that shows everyone what (with arrows at all) is what when they firtst register! Also dont make the you have nw mail blink i was having problems on tihis when using some linux machines (because it plinked only ONCE, and then left it blank!)
OK what faq should contain. in no particlular order
general:
[ul][li]How to post images
[/li][li]how to post links (also chek taht they work, and how to handle long ones)
[*]Netiquette, be polite no one need to reply etc.
[/li][li]How to write a good aquestion (more than on line describe problem, what you are up to, how much you know etc)
[/li][li]How long should i wait
[/li][li]USING SEARCH, and point out that this is the fdastest way to get there[/li]
[/list]
Maya:
[ul][li]Beginner:
[ul][li]How to snap objects (especialy the fact about using midddlemouyse to snap to curves)[/li]
[li]How to find menuitems (using the findmenu in help)[/li]
[li]Biref explanation on how the help is organized and why you should use it (and that using it doesent make you a pansy)[/li]
[li]Show how to acces history in channelbox[/li]
[li]whats a compsitioning app, why
[/li][/ul]
[/li]
[li]general:
[ul][li]Before upgrading maya read the whats new section changes do happen and you must slightly alter your workflow
[/li][li]what is the driver verion one should use! for gamer cards. (why not the newest and so on)[/li]
[li]How to troubleshoot problems (change drivers and how to reset profs)[/li]
how to convert sequences into compressed animations, and some compression info
[/list][li]animation:
- what is baking and what is it good for
- Whats Gimbal lock, why?
[/li]
[li]dynamics:
- How to make custom app scale and rotation with instancer
[*]how cycle instances
[*]why use direct connections
[/li]
[*]why doesent the shape of a instanced particle affect how it collides?
[/ul]
[/li][li] mel:
[ul][*]whats with the backtics
How to find out what the ui name of acertain widget is
how to use whatIs
simple example of using ls -ls -flatten and a for loop (should get many people started)
how to use the mel rference (ie if i need a text command i look in the reference under category text, and start there not highend!)good habitsBad habits[/list]
[*]Rendering (maybe change name to maya internal renderer):
- Why render to sequences instead of avis?! (in here also goes a tip on how to use folder and how to make widows automaticaly fcheck the folder conviniently)
[/ul]
[/li]
What is a post effect versus geometry, implications
Basics on optimizing rendertimes (turn unneccesery backfaces off, multifilter or not)
how to render interlaced
ntsc and pal formats... most of them[/ul]
[/list]
A few.. now i got to work
[/ul]