However if you do have sufficient privileges, it is quite easy to set up these pathways if they were not automatically set up during your software's installation. Go to your desktop and right click on my computer or its equivalent and select properties. Click on the advanced tab and press the Environment Variables button. Depending on your privilege level you may add the pathway either under user variables or system variables. If you have access to the system variables you will want to edit the variable called Path. Simply cut and paste the directory containing the files which you want available to the list of pathways listed with in the variable. If you don't have access to the system variables, but have access to the user variables, click the new button. Name the variable PATH and place the needed directory trees needed within the variable value. Once you apply the change the files in those pathways should be available anywhere at the command line.

Here is a bit of bonus information: Have you ever wanted to change the annoying default Maya project directory? All you have to do is to highlight the MAYA_PROJ_DIR variable and change the directory tree in its value.