The default shelves are divided into tabs that represent each main tool set in Maya. Each tab contains icons that represent the most commonly-used commands for each set. For example, the Rigging tab contains icons for the mostly commonly-used commands available in the Rigging menu set.
The real power of shelves, however, is that you can create custom shelves, and then make tools or command shortcuts that are quickly accessed from there with a single click. Press Shift + Ctrl when selecting a menu item to add it to a shelf.
You can also add custom scripts and panel layouts to a shelf, for easy access.
Use the drop-down menu for shelf navigation and editing options.
