Maya^®5 Savvy^TM

by John Kundert-Gibbs; Peter Lee; Dariush Derakhshani; Eric Kunzendorf

• ISBN13: 9780782142303
• ISBN10: 0782142303
• Edition: CD
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-12-01
• Publisher: Sybex

Summary

Savvy--n. Practical know-how. Maya, the premier high-end 3D application, is so powerful that no one masters it without help. Maya 5 Savvy--a thorough update to Maya 4.5 Savvy--is written for the Maya user looking to boost their skills to the next level. Running throughout this book is a completely new, cohesive, expertly organized animation project that teaches specific Maya skills and, at the same time, gives you valuable hands-on exposure to the entire animation production process. Staged support files mean that you can begin and end work on this project anywhere you like--which in turn means you can read this book cover to cover or use it as a reference, dipping in wherever you need information on or practice with specific modeling, animation, and rendering techniques. Everywhere you turn,you'll find expert advice on the latest Maya features, time-saving shortcuts, and advanced capabilities. Coverage includes: Core Maya: interface briefing, plus planning, writing, and storyboarding your animation. Modeling: NURBS, polygons and subdivision surfaces, character modeling. Animation: paths and bones, deformers, binding, Trax, rigid body dynamics, MEL scripting, particle animation, expression-driven animation. Output: rendering architecture, rendering, shading and texturing, lighting, special light effects. Advanced Tools and Techniques: Paint Effects, ramps and volumes, soft body dynamics, Fluid Effects, Fur, Cloth.

Table of Contents

Contents At A Glance

Foreword

Introduction

Before you Begin

The Maya Interface

Creating an Animation Story

Getting Ready for Maya

Modeling

Modeling Basics

NURBS Modeling

Polygons and Subdivision Surfaces

Character Modeling

Keyframed Animation

Basic Animation

Deformers and Skeletons: Rigging I

Binding and Controls: Rigging II

Character Animation

Nonlinear Animation Techniques

Automated Animation

Rigid Body Animation

Introducing MEL

Programming with MEL

Expression-Driven Animation

Introduction to Particles

Advanced Particle Animation

Creating Output

Rendering Basics

Lighting for Animation

Texturing For Animation

Advanced Rendering for Animation

Advanced Topics

Maya Fur

Maya Cloth

Paint Effects

Fluid Effects

Compositing and Editing

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.