1. Interface and Icons   understanding Channel Box, Tool Box, Shelf, Viewports, etc.

2. Orthographic Views Top, Front, and Side are Orthographic views that is a 2D view with no tumbling involve. Only the Perspective view can be tumbled, with Yaw and Pitch control. All views can Pan and Dolly (Zoom).

3. Primitives  Spheres, Cylinders, Torus, etc. (NURBS –non-uniform Rational B-Spline & Polygons).

4. Channel Box  updating the parameters in the channel box can change the geometry composition of an object (spans & sections increasing these will make the object accumulate more detail upon manipulation).

5. Transformation Matrix Move, Rotate, Scale (Proportional/Unproportional).

6. Pivot Point the center of rotation for a particular object, can be altered by getting into pivot point mode hitting the “insert” key. Make sure exit pivot point mode upon completion.

7. F8 component/object mode: Component mode allows manipulation in Vertex level, Edit points, etc. Exit and Enter Component by hitting F8, make sure you exit when complete.

8. Hulls  manipulating a row or series of vertices in an object, applies to NURBS object only.

9. Vertices (Vertex) Control Points on an object. Use for manipulating points on object in 3D space with any of the transformation matrix.

10. Outliner An organization box of objects and elements inside your Maya scene file including cameras, lights, and dynamics (located at Windows Outliner).

11. Group Node/Hierarchy edit “Group” is where you can create a group node for multiple objects.

12. parent  middle mouse button click and drag an object inside the outliner allows for parenting of Parent/Child relationship; select the child first, then select the parent, then hit “p” on your keyboard to parent an object.

13. Node  an element or object inside Maya that could be a placeholder for geometry, lights, transformation matrix, cameras, shaders, etc. (represented by a white parallelogram).

14. Snapping  different ways to place objects in the maya environment whether it be snapping to grid plane, objects, points, curves, etc. (X key is for grid snap, C key is for curve snap, and V key is for point snap).

15. Snap Align Tool use to snap object faces together with precision and also move/rotate simultaneously; pick first object face, then second, then hit enter.
16. Duplicate copy or instance option (copy makes new items unattached to the original object, instance makes a “reference” of the original, therefore modifying the original will change the topography of the instances); use the translate, rotate, scale to duplicate with transformation.

17. CV curve tool  Control Vertices curve, allows creation of NURBS curve by placing control vertices at precise locations.

18. EP curve tool Edit Point curve allows creation of NURBS curve by placing edit points at precise locations.

19. Attach Curves/Open&Close curves  use to attach two NURB curves together and also for closing an open NURBS curve or closing a NURBS curve; located under “Edit Curves” menu.

20. Cut Curve tooluse to intersect and cut two curves and delete out the remain portions that is not needed via the intersection point