Creating & Drawing NURBS Curves in Maya 2012

1. CV Curves

Lets you draw a NURBS curve by placing CVs.
To create a CV curve go to Create > CV Curve Tool >
When the tool settings window for the CV curves opens you can specify the Curve Degree.

The higher the Curve Degree, the smoother the curve. The default setting (3 Cubic) works well for most curves. You must create at least one more CV than the Curve Degree number. For example, you need at least six CVs to complete a degree 5 curve.

The image below shows the same curve with different degrees. Degree number 1 is the sharpest curve and degree number 7 is the smoother curve.

2. EP Curve Tool

Lets you draw a NURBS curve by placing edit points. Use this tool if you want the curve to pass through certain points.  It calculates the positions of CVs based on where you want the edit points. IMPORTANT: The curve goes through the vertices you create

To draw a NURBS curve by placing edit pointsgo to Create > EP Curve Tool>
When the tool settings window for the CV curves opens you can specify the Curve Degree.

The higher the Curve Degree, the smoother the curve. The default setting (3 Cubic) works well for most curves. You must create at least one more CV than the Curve Degree number. For example, you need at least six CVs to complete a degree 5 curve.

CV Curves Vs EP Curves:

The image below explains the differences between CV curves and EP curves.

3. Bezier Curve Tool

Lets you draw a freehand Bezier curve by clicking in the scene to create anchors. You can click-drag the handles to reshape the curve.

To create a Bezier Curve go to Create > Bezier Curve Tool

In this window you’ll find manipulator settings and tangent settings to control the way you crate the curve.

 4. Pencil Curve Tool

Lets you draw a freehand NURBS curve.
To create a Pencil Curve go to Create > Pencil Curve Tool

5. Arc Tools:  Three Point Circular Arc & Two Point Circular Arc

This tool allows you to create an arc by specifying two or three endpoints and then manipulating the center point/radius.

To create a Two Point Circular Arc go to: Create > Arc Tools > Two Point Circular Arc
To create a Three Point Circular Arc go to: Create > Arc Tools > Three Point Circular Arc