Wave Manager
WaveManager for Maya
Version: 1.0
Author: Julen Armendariz | Character & Creature Rigger
Overview
WaveManager is a simple yet powerful tool for Maya that allows you to quickly create smooth, procedural wave motion on any set of selected controls. It works via driven expressions, no keyframes needed, and lets you control all wave attributes from a single driver control.
Amplitude, speed, length, falloff, and offset are available for X, Y, and Z axes simultaneously, making it ideal for tentacles, snakes, ropes, tails, chains, hair, wings, or any sequential control hierarchy.
You can optionally enable Create Offset Group, which automatically builds a clean offset group above each control so the wave expression lives there, keeping the original control channels untouched and animation-friendly.
Features
- Select multiple controls or use Select Childs to auto-collect all children
- Choose a single driver control to manage all wave attributes
- Wave attributes include: Amplitude, Speed, Length (wavelength / spacing of the wave), Falloff (smooth decay over the chain), Offset (wave delay / propagation)
- Create Offset Group option to keep control channels clean for animation
- Works simultaneously across X, Y, and Z axes
- Expression-based, no keyframes needed
- Delete expressions per-control or Clear All at once
- Drag-and-drop support or run from Script Editor
Installation
Open Maya
Drag and drop WaveManager.py into the Maya viewport or execute it from the Script Editor
Optionally, create a Shelf button for quick access
How to Use
Open the WaveManager window
Select the controls you want affected
Optionally click Select Childs to auto-collect all children of the currently selected parent
Select one single control to act as the Driver, then assign it
(Optional) Enable Create Offset Group if you want the wave expression applied on a clean offset group, preserving the original control channels
Notes
- All motion is fully driven by a single control, ideal for animation workflows
- Non-destructive: wave expressions and/or offset groups can be cleaned at any time
- Works on any control hierarchy (FK chains, custom rigs, etc.)
- 100% Python-based, using Maya’s native expression system
Support
For any issues or questions, contact:
julentresde@gmail.com
Enjoy animating!
You will get a powerful and easy-to-use WaveManager tool for Maya that lets you create smooth procedural wave motion on multiple rig controls simultaneously, controlling amplitude, speed, length, falloff, and offset on X, Y, and Z axes from a single driver control, the option to apply the wave to offset groups to keep your original control channels clean, the ability to automatically select children or manually pick controls, and the option to remove expressions individually or clear all at once, perfect for tails, tentacles, snakes, ropes, chains, hair, wings, or any sequential control hierarchy, all driven by expressions with no keyframes required to keep your workflow clean and efficient