Mastering^TM Maya^? 7

by John Kundert-Gibbs; Eric Kunzendorf; Dariush Derakhshani; Mick Larkins; Eric Keller; Boaz Livny; Mark E. A. de Sousa

• ISBN13: 9780470049976
• ISBN10: 0470049979
• Format: eBook
• Copyright: 2006-06-01
• Publisher: Sybex

Summary

This official, Alias-endorsed guide offers comprehensive, in-depth coverage of the Maya interface. You'll find: A Quick Start overview followed by in-depth coverage of the Maya interface and all of the tools for modeling, texturing, animation, and special effects. Information on of all of Maya's latest features as well as chapters on advanced topics. Material on Maya Unlimited topics such as cloth, fur, and fluids. A logical organization that that follows the typical Maya workflow. Tutorials for modelers and animators from all disciplines. A CD-ROM with tutorial files and the Maya Personal Learning Edition. Order your copy today!Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Maya Interface

The Interface

Working in View Panels

The Main Maya Windows

Customizing the Interface

Summary

Quick Start: Creating an Animation in Maya 7

Maya Project Structure

Creating and Editing Objects

Pivots and Placement

Maya Node Structure

Assigning Materials Using the Hypershade

Keyframe Animation

Basic Lighting

Rendering Frames

Summary

Polygonal Modeling

What Is a Polygon?

Polygonal Modeling Principles

Creating Machismo

Modeling Machismo's Body

Summary

NURBS Modeling

Understanding NURBS

Modeling the MacGizmo

Summary

Subdivision Surfaces

Understanding Subdivision Surfaces

Start with a Template

Modeling the Head

Details, Details, and Subdivision Surfaces

Summary

Advanced Modeling

About Blend Shapes

Assembling Machismo

Off with His Head! The Incredible (Edible) Blend Shape Machine

Blend Shapes: Sneers, Blinks, and Smiles

Molding the Full-Head Blend Shapes

The Paint Blend Shape Weights Tool

Summary

Basic Animation

Animation Types

Keyframe Animation

Understanding Animation Work Flow

Hands On: Bouncing a Ball

Converting Cycled Animation to Curves

Summary

Character Setup and Rigging

Deformer Types

Forward and Inverse Kinematics

Hands On: Creating a Skeleton

Creating a Full Body IK Skeleton

Binding and Weighting the Character

Summary

Character Animation

Step Away from the Computer! Reference Sources

The Animation Process

Animating Joe Generic

Establishing Timings

Where Do We Start?

Refining Your Animation

Summary

Nonlinear Animation

Working with Poses

Working with Clips

Hands On: Working with a Full Body IK Animation Rig

Summary

Lighting for Animation

Understanding Lighting

Basic Lighting Work Flow

Types of Lights

Light Manipulator

Using Shadows

Light Effects

Summary

Shading and Texturing for Animation

Understanding Maya Textures

The Hypershade

Building Simple Shading Networks

Shading the MacGizmo

Shading Machismo: The UV Foundation

Creating Machismo's Texture

Summary

Rendering Basics

Rendering an Object

Creating and Animating Cameras

Setting the Camera and Resolution

Adding Depth of Field

Adding Motion Blur

Using the Render Settings Window

Rendering with Maya Software

Hardware Render and Hardware Render Buffer

Vector Rendering

Working in the Render View Window

Layer Rendering, Compositing, and Editing

Ultimate Rendering Checklist

Summary

Advanced Rendering with mental ray

Introduction to mental ray

Understanding Render Settings

Mental ray Custom Shaders

Mental ray Lights, Shadows, and Fog

Mental ray Motion Blur

Indirect Illumination

Image-Based Lighting and HDRI

Surface Approximation and Displacement Maps

Summary

Maya Embedded Language (MEL)

MEL Is Fundamental

What Is a Scripting Language?

The Script Editor

What Is an Attribute?

How to Get Help with ME

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