The exclusive, official guide to the very latest version of Maya Get extensive, hands-on, intermediate to advanced coverage of Autodesk Maya 2012, the top-selling 3D software on the market. If you already know Maya basics, this authoritative book takes you to the next level. From modeling, texturing, animation, and visual effects to high-level techniques for film, television, games, and more, this book provides professional-level Maya instruction. With pages of scenarios and examples from some of the leading professionals in the industry, author Todd Palamar will help you master the entire CG production pipeline. Provides professional-level instruction on Maya, the industry-leading 3D animation and effects software used in popular films, games, and commercials Covers the very latest Maya 2012 tools and features, including the new fluid simulation tools Showcases the techniques of professionals through numerous examples, demonstrating how to set up and manage 3D animation and visual effects pipelines Includes challenging tutorials and real-world scenarios from some of the leading professionals in the industry If you're looking for an in-depth, professional Maya resource to turn to again and again, this is the book you need.

This book is your perfect hands‐on guide to start animating quickly. Using approachable, real‐world exercises, you’ll master the fundamentals of this animation software by following full‐color screenshots step by step. Each chapter opens with a quick discussion of concepts and learning objectives, and then launches into hands‐on tutorials that give you firsthand experience and a good start. You’ll learn the basics of modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects. Whether you’re a complete beginner or migrating from another 3D application, this task‐based book provides the solid grounding you need in Autodesk Maya. Key Features Model with polygons, meshes, and more Add motion with simple and complex animations Add color and textures to visualize materials and surfaces Render scenes with great lighting and camera placement

Provides hands-on intermediate-to-advanced coverage of the leading 3D software Maya is the industry-leading 3D animation and effects software used in movies, visual effects, games, and other genres. For intermediate and advanced users who already know Maya basics, this official Maya guide provides the detailed coverage you need to unlock the software's more complex features. Elevate your skills in modeling, texturing, animation, and visual effects, and gain proficiency in high-level techniques for film, television, game development, and more. Artists who are already proficient in Maya basics can elevate their skills and increase their marketability with the techniques in this official Maya guide This fully updated book brings you up to speed on Maya's latest features and expands your skills with advanced instruction on cloth, fur, and fluids Offers intermediate-level projects on Dynamics, Maya Muscle, Stereo Cameras, Assets, rendering with mental ray, and more Offers challenging tutorials and real-world scenarios from some of the leading professionals in the industry Provides valuable insight into the entire CG production pipeline Mastering Autodesk Maya gives the serious Maya student a head start toward a successful career in 3D animation.

"Autodesk official training guide"--Cover.

The only hands-on book devoted to mastering Maya's dynamics tools for water, wind, and fire In the world of animation, the ability to create realistic water, wind, and fire effects is key. Autodesk Maya software includes powerful dynamics tools that have been used to design breathtaking effects for movies, games, commercials, and short films. This professional guide teaches you the primary techniques you need to make the most of Maya's toolkit, so you'll soon be creating water that ripples, gusting winds and gentle breezes, and flickering fires the way Hollywood pros do. The one-of-a-kind book is completely project-based. Learn the intricacies of Maya's Dynamics tools and continue to build your skills with projects that increase in complexity. A DVD is included with additional video training. Maya is the industry-leading 3D animation and effects software; Maya dynamics tools create water and other fluids, wind, fire, fur, particles, and more Build professional skills in Maya Dynamics with this project-based guide Put your skills to work by completing a series of projects on water, wind, and fire effects A DVD included with the book provides additional video training Maya Studio Projects: Dynamics is one of a new series of books designed to teach animators and designers fresh skills through project-based instruction. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

A beautifully-packaged, advanced reference on the very latest version of Maya If you already know the basics of Maya, the latest version of this authoritative book takes you to the next level. From modeling, texturing, animation, and visual effects to high-level techniques for film, television, games, and more, this book provides professional-level Maya instruction. With pages of scenarios and examples from some of the leading professionals in the industry, this book will help you master the entire CG production pipeline. Provides professional-level instruction on Maya, the industry-leading 3D animation and effects software Covers the very latest Maya tools and features, including Dynamics, Maya Muscle, Stereo Cameras, rendering with mental ray, and more Offers complete coverage of advanced topics such as cloth, fur, and fluids Showcases the techniques of professionals through numerous examples and real-world scenarios, showing you how to set up and manage 3D animation and visual effects pipelines Includes a CD with all support files from the book, along with movies to illustrate concepts If you're looking for an in-depth, professional Maya resource to turn to again and again, Mastering Maya is the book you need. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file. For Instructors: Teaching supplements are available for this title.

A complete update to the popular Autodesk Official Training Guide for Maya Maya is the industry-leading 3D animation and effects software used in movies, visual effects, games, cartoons, and other animation. This bestselling, official guide is a must for 3D beginners who want a thorough grounding in this dynamic and complex software. Fully updated for the newest version of Maya, the book explains the interface and the basics of modeling, texturing, animating, dynamics, visualization, and visual effects. Fun and challenging tutorials lead you through the nuances of the software and offer plenty of chances to practice what you've learned. The Autodesk Official Training Guide for Maya, endorsed and promoted by Autodesk to its 2,500 Authorized Training Centers worldwide Maya is the 3D animation and effects software used in the film, game, and advertising industries; it's a complex program and this book gives beginners the knowledge and confidence they need Shows how to master the interface and the basics of modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects Step-by-step tutorials offer realistic, professional challenges for those new to 3D and those switching from another 3D application Materials are available for instructors who want to use this guide with their students Introducing Autodesk Maya is the perfect guide to get you up and running on the world's most popular professional 3D application.

The premiere book on getting started with Maya 2014 Whether you're just beginning, or migrating from another 3D application, this step-by-step guide is what you need to get a good working knowledge of Autodesk Maya 2014. Beautifully illustrated with full-color examples and screenshots, Autodesk Maya 2014 Essentials explains the basics of Maya as well as modeling, texturing, animating, setting a scene, and creating visual effects. You'll absorb important concepts and techniques, and learn how to confidently use Maya tools the way professionals do. Each chapter includes fun and challenging hands-on projects, which you can do as you go using the downloadable files from the book's website. They include starting and ending files, so you can compare your results to how professionals do the projects. This information-packed Autodesk Official Press book also helps you prepare for the Autodesk Maya 2014 certification exams. Helps beginners and those migrating from other 3D animation and effects programs get up and running on Autodesk Maya 2014 Features step-by-step tutorials, hands-on exercises with downloadable files, and four-color examples and screenshots Covers modeling, texturing, animating, visual effects, lighting, compositing, setting a scene, and more Written by an Autodesk Authorized Author and is an Autodesk Official Press Autodesk Maya is the industry-leading 3D animation and effects software used in movies, games, cartoons, short films, commercials, and other animation Get firsthand experience with Maya 2014, as well as an initial start on preparing for the Autodesk Maya 2014 Certified Professional exam, with Autodesk Maya 2014 Essentials.

Start modeling right away with this hands-on guide to learning Autodesk Maya 2016 Introducing Autodesk Maya 2016 is the official guide to the most popular and complex 3D application on the market. Building from the ground up, this book combines straightforward text with practical examples that make it easy to absorb the basics and start designing and animating your own digital models and scenes. The tutorials offer realistic challenges and clear explanations, laid out in fun, step-by-step lessons that help you gain confidence and learn by doing. You'll delve into CG and 3D core concepts and production workflows, then get right to work designing an animation of the solar system as you learn the interface and basic tools. As your modeling skills grow, you'll build a steam locomotive, a starfish, a table lamp, and much more as you learn to rig your model for animation, create fabric motion with nCloth, and add the lighting and effects that bring your scenes to life. The companion website features downloadable project files that help you see how the pros do it, and the book includes real-world examples from talented users who were beginners just like you. Master the Maya 2016 interface, menus, and plug-ins Begin building simple animations right away Explore modeling, rendering, animation, and cloth motion Add lighting, rendering, dynamics, simulations, and effects If you want to work like the pros, Introducing Autodesk Maya 2016 is the perfect primer for getting started.

A unique, in-depth approach to creating realistic characters in Maya. Maya Character Creation: Modeling and Animation Controls' author, Chris Maraffi, has expertise in the field and in the classroom that translates to the knowledge and solid teaching skills needed to make this book a "must-have"! The current trend in computer graphics is greater organic realism. Many of the top-grossing movies today, such as Spiderman, Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park 3 , and Star Wars Episode 2, all feature realistic 3D characters. There is a major need in the 3D community for educational material that demonstrates detailed techniques for achieving this organic reality. Maya is one of the main packages used on such cutting-edge films, and has an established toolset for creating believable 3D characters. Maya Character Creation: Modeling and Animation Controls is designed to take you through the process of designing, modeling, and setting up animation controls for complex 3D characters. The concepts, techniques, and Maya tools used for each step in the process are presented in each chapter, followed by many hands-on exercises. NURBS, polygon, and subdivision surface modeling techniques are shown for creating the character's skin, and skeleton-based animation controls are covered in detail. You will learn how a character's skin should deform when the skeletal joints and muscles move. Advanced MEL scripted animation controls are also covered extensively.