In Maya, the Duplicate Special command lets you generate several copies of an object with transformations applied automatically. When instances are used, all the duplicated objects share the same shape node, so any changes made to one will be reflected in all instances. This trick, as nicely demonstrated, will save you a lot of time and make it easier to work in the center of your scene while keeping symmetry on.
Rakan Khamash, currently a Lead Character Artist at Warner Bros. Games, has previously lent his skills to several major titles, including Overwatch, Diablo, and World of Warcraft at Blizzard Entertainment. He occasionally shares his knowledge through talks and tutorials, so if you're interested, we recommend checking out his tutorial on floaters:
