Maya 10/10/11

Under the Animation tab

surfaces- Make sure all surfaces are facing the same direction, otherwise you wont be able to join then together or merge.
to merge select edges, click merge edges.

Twist
To change the shape of an object, can use animation tool to change the path of a CV.
Select curve - go to animation- create deformance- select non liniar - select twist
Select the twist itself, hold middle mouse button to twist the sha pe of your object. reduce high boundry and low boundry to stop the twist having effect on the top and bottom of your shape.
If you move the object away from the handle, you can create faults. Make sure the handle is the child of the object,
go edit parent - that means when you move the object, you can move the handle with it.
Deleate the history.

Flair
Can inlarge object (make it fatter and thinner) good for showing something traveling through tight spaces / pipes. also good for making satilite dishes ect.
on the animation tab.
Make sure envilope is not on zero, this changes the influence of the handle. trial and error. Experiment with.
Possibly a good option to make chandeller.
Deleate History.

Bend deformer
Create cillinder with lots of subdivisions. bend deformer parralel to object, can use to drag around edges of cillinder to create circular objects / tubing. Good for tires ect.

Deformers are hugely important, reserch in own time for better understanding of inner workings.

Squash / stretch
Create ball - non lineir - squash. this is used for squash and stretch ball rigs. can manipulate angle that the ball is bouncing, also can reduce to make a more balloon / raindrop like shape. Good for modeling too. dont limit to just animation, experiment with.

Lattice
Create tube, edit the lattice for shape dynamics.