"...the best book out there for learning how to do MAYA rigging and animation." --Ian Cairns, Editor, MAYA Association Learning Maya 5: Character Rigging and Animation will teach you everything you need to achieve effective character set-up and animation in Maya. Learn what you need to become a true puppet master! New for Maya 5! Updated from the popular Learning Maya: Character Rigging and Animation, the book's latest edition will allow you to explore powerful new features in Maya 5 such as IK/FK Blending and Parent Constraints. We've also updated Melvin to a polygonal model from a NURBS path model to make him easier to manipulate. In addition, you'll take advantage of updated graphical selectors and controls that will make your rigs more customizable and easier for artists to work with. Features: This book will allow you to explore character rigging that is based on a human character - walking you through the process as you rig arms, legs, a face, and more. Learn the fundamentals of properly setting up a character to avoid pitfalls as you animate. Starting from an introductory level, this book covers advanced concepts in a comfortable format. Each topics is explored in both theory and practice so that you'll be able to complete easy-to-follow, step-by-step tutorials. In addition, you'll take advantage of valuable chapter-by-chapter overviews provided in QuickTime format on DVD-ROM. Offered by one of the book's authors, Bill Dwelly, an Alias|Wavefront(TM) Certified Instructor, these helpful movies will allow you to gain additional insight as you work through the book. With this book you will: * Create Skeleton Chains and edit Joint Orientation. * Render particles with hardware graphics and software techniques. * Set up Single Chain, Rotation Plane, and Spline IK Solvers. * Use Set Driven Key to create powerful control systems. * Use of both Forward and Inverse Kinematics. * Simulated the deformation of clothing using Wire Deformers and Set Drivin Key. * Drive Joint Rotation with a Blendshapte Slider to help consolidate you control windows. * Understand the difference between Smooth and Rigid Binding. * Use Pole Vector constraints as a fast and easy way of achieving realistic motion in arms and legs. * Create a complex and subtle character deformations.

Maya is the first choice of digital content creators producing award-winning games, 3D animation and visual effects. Built on a procedural architecture called the Dependency Graph, Maya offers incredible power and flexibility for generating digital images of animated characters and scenes. Learning Maya 5: Foundation takes you through over twenty project-focused lessons that offer hands-on experience with key tools and techniques. This book introduces you to the following topics: * The Maya User Interface * Working in 3D space * NURBS (spline) Modeling * Polygonal Modeling * Keyframes and Motion Paths * Trax(TM) Non-linear animation * Forward and Inverse Kinematics * Surface Deformations * Cameras and Lights * Shaders and Techniques * Particles and Dynamics * MEL (Maya Embedded Language) What you need to use this book: * Maya Complete(TM), Maya Unlimited(TM), or Maya Personal Learning Edition(TM) version 5 software * A DVD-ROM or set-top player Project One: Bouncing Ball Quickly get your feet wet by animating a basic bouncing ball. Add a squash and stretch, create a ring of fire using a particle clip effect, then add sparks as the ball hits the flames. Project Two: Jack-in-the-box Learn the basics of modeling, animating, and rendering a scene. Use Maya Artisan(TM) tools to sculpt Jack's face and to paint a color texture in 3D. Refine the scene's rendering using IPR (Interactive Photorealistic Rendering). Project Three: Space Battle Starting with a more in-depth look at polygonal and NURBS modeling, this project sets up a motion path animation, complete with Opti-FX explosions. Use Maya Paint Effects(TM) to create a realistic starfield. Project Four: Primitive Man Using Maya's Trax non-linear animation, you cycle for a bi-ped Inverse Kinematic skeleton. This lesson will also explore basic character skinning and deformation. Project Five: Salty the Seal This project brings together the skills developed in earlier lessons into a more complex scene where you learn how Maya lets you fully integrate modeling, rendering, and animation tasks.

"The Rendering book does something every book should do--certainly every excellent book--it offers you content unavailable anywhere else." --3DNY.org Learning Maya 5: Rendering is your solution to creating stunning images in Maya. New for Maya 5! Updated from the popular Learning Maya: Rendering, this book will teach you what you need to know when using the Maya rendering engine and mental ray for Maya. You'll learn to take advantage of options new in Maya 5, such as Hardware and Vector Rendering. Get the information you need to master Caustics and Global Illumination, Final Gather and HDRI. Learning Maya 5: Rendering includes an inspiring photo gallery of images rendered in Maya and mental ray(r) for Maya so you can see the types of results you'll learn to achieve. Features: This book will allow you to explore lighting, cameras, shading networks, and other rendering issues from an introductory level and will also allow you to explore advanced concepts in a comfortable format. Each topic is explored in both theory and practice so that you'll not only understand the concepts presented, you'll be able to complete easy-to-follow step-by-step tutorials. In addition, you'll take advantage of valuable chapter-by-chapter overviews provided in QuickTime(r) format on DVD-ROM. Offered by one of the book's contributors, Cathy McGinnis, an Alias|Wavefront(TM) Certified Instructor, these helpful movies will allow you to gain additional insight as you work through the book. With this books you will: * Create materials and textures. * Set up lights and cameras. * Work with shadows and raytracing. * Learn to control your renders. * Understand rendering for special effects and compositing. * Explore Hardware Rendering and vector Rendering. * Create Caustics and Global Illumination effects. * Understand Final Gather and HDRI techniques. * Create Maya and mental ray Shaders. And much more...

"This book will teach you what you need to know about Dynamics from an introductory level and will also allow you to explore advanced concepts in a comfortable format." --Ian Cairns, Editor, MAYA Association Learning Maya 5: Dynamics is your solution to creating stunning effects in Maya. New for Maya 5! If your animations don't follow the laws of physics, this book is the tool you've been looking for. You'll approach Maya Dynamics from an introductory level and explore advanced concepts in a comfortable format. You'll work with both Rigid and Soft Body dynamics, particle animation and rendering, emitters, and much more. Helpful step-by-step exercises guide you as you build smoke, dust, fire, and water. Maya's Dynamics engine will allow you to add realism to you animations and create realistic effects without having to go back to school. Learning Maya 5 | Dynamics will help you prove that you don't need to be a rocket scientist to make one fly! Features: Each chapter included a theoretical discussion to help you understand the concepts at play, as well as easy-to-follow step-by-step tutorials so that you can start working right away. This book also includes a DVD-ROM featuring chapter-by-chapter overviews offered by the book's writer, John Patton, an Alias|Wavefront(TM) Certified Instructor. Gain additional insight and assistance from these valuable bonus discussions. With this book you will: * Create and animate Rigid Body Objects. * Create and animate particles using fields, goals, ramps and expressions. * Render particles with hardware graphics and software techniques. * Dynamically animate NURBS and polygonal surfaces using Soft Bodies. * Instance geometry with particle motion. * Use Rigid Body constraints sand Soft Body springs And much more...

A practical, step-by-step guide to Maya 2011 Four previous editions can’t be wrong: this book is the perfect introduction to 3D and Maya. Learn to build and animate your own digital models and scenes with step-by-step instruction and fun and practical examples, while you draw inspiration from the striking examples included from talented Maya users. You’ll create a simple animation of the planets in the solar system, learn to model a human hand and a decorative box—among other projects—and master all essential tools. Provides a thorough, step-by-step introduction to Maya 2011 Explains the core concepts of CG and working in 3D Covers modeling, rigging, HDRI lighting, mental ray rendering, and more Provides project files on CD and walks you through the creation of several projects; the CD also includes images, movies, and scene files Includes a color insert with pages of striking examples from talented Maya beginners Build your Maya and animation skills from the ground up with this practical, thorough guide. 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.

Written by renowned author and 3D artist Kelly L. Murdock, Autodesk Maya 2022 Basics Guide is designed to give new users a solid understanding of the fundamental skills needed to create beautiful 3D models and stunning animations with Autodesk Maya. Using clear and easy to follow instructions this book will guide you through learning all the major features of Maya. The text is complemented by video instruction. Each chapter has a corresponding video tutorial that introduces you to the topics and allows you to watch and learn how functions are performed in a way that a text alone cannot do. Autodesk Maya 2022 Basics Guide makes no assumptions about your previous experience with Autodesk Maya. It begins by helping you get comfortable with the user interface and navigating scenes before moving into modeling, texturing, lighting, animating, rendering and more. Additionally, more advanced features such as character rigging, skinning, animating with dynamics and MEL scripting are also introduced. Each chapter begins by examining the concept behind each task, the goal and the necessary features that are involved. Then you go in-depth with the objective of your task as you study examples and learn the steps necessary to complete it. Working your way through the comprehensive, step-by-step lessons, you'll develop the confidence you need to create incredible renderings and animations using Autodesk Maya. Who this book is for This text was created specifically for users with no prior 3D modeling or animation experience. If you want to work in a creative field or are just curious about how 3D animated movies are made this book is the perfect way to get started. Users who are migrating from another 3D application or upgrading from a previous version of Maya will also benefit greatly from this text. What you'll learn • How to create models using primitives, curves, NURBS, Polygons and more • How to assign materials and textures to make realistic-looking models • How to use Paint Effects to paint on and quickly create complex 3D Models • How to use lights, cameras, and depth of field to render captivating scenes • How to use keyframes, motion paths and the Graph Editor to create animations • How to use character rigging, skinning, and inverse kinematics to animate realistic movements • How to use various deformers to manipulate objects, animations and special effects • How to add influence objects, skin weights and hair to a character for a more realistic look • How to use dynamics to create fire, smoke, lightning, explosions, cloth and ocean effects • How to enable raytracing, motion blur, and fog effects for increased realism • How to render stills and animations using Maya Vector and Mental Ray for different looks • How to use the Command Line and MEL Scripting to work faster About Autodesk Maya Maya is a program, created by Autodesk, used to model, animate, and render 3D scenes. 3D scenes created with Maya have appeared in movies, television, advertisements, games, product visualizations, and on the Web. With Maya, you can create and animate your own 3D scenes and render them as still images or as animation sequences.

Maya Python for Games and Film is the first book to focus exclusively on how to implement Python with Maya. Written by trusted authorities in the field, this in-depth guide will help you master Maya Python, whether you're a seasoned technical artist looking to make the transition from MEL to Python or an aspiring artist not wanting to scramble for

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

Learning Maya 6: Dynamics is your solution to creating stunning effects in Maya. Get hands-on experience with the innovative tools and powerful techniques available in the Maya Dynamics engine as you learn to create smoke, fire, dust, water and more. If your animations don't follow the laws of physics, Learning Maya 6: Dynamics is the tool you've been looking for. Learn to master the Maya Dynamics engine as you work with both rigid and soft body dynamics, particle animation and rendering, emitters and much more. Get the theory you need to understand what's happening in Maya and then work your way through helpful step-by-step exercises as you build smoke, dust, fire, and water. Learning Maya 6: Dynamics will allow you to add realism to your animations and create realistic effects without having to go back to school so you can prove that you don't need to be a rocket scientist to make one fly! Each chapter includes a theoretical discussion to help you understand the concepts at play, as well as easy to follow step-by-step tutorials so that you can start working right away. The book also includes an accompanying DVD-ROM featuring chapter-by-chapter overviews offered by Alias Certified Instructors. Gain additional insight and assistance from these valuable bonus discussions. You'll also take advantage of Maya Beginner's Guide: Dynamics to help you get started right away! With this book you will: * Create and Animate Rigid Body Objects * Create and Animate Particles Using Fields, Goals, Ramps and Expressions * Render Particles with Hardware Graphics and Software Techniques * Dynamically Animate NURBS and Polygonal Surfaces Using Soft Bodies * UtilizeArtisan Functionality in Conjunction with Maya Dynamics Tools * Instance Geometry with Particle Motion * Use Dynamic Constraints Including Rigid Body Constraints and Soft Body Springs * Optimize and Troubleshoot Dynamics Scenes What you need to use this book Maya Complete 6, Maya Unlimited 6, or Maya Personal Learning Edition. A DVD-ROM drive or set top player.

"David Gould is an expert at using, programming, and teaching Maya, and it shows. People who need to program Maya will find this book essential. Even Maya users who don't intend to do extensive programming should read this book for a better understanding of what's going on under the hood. Compact yet thorough, it covers both MEL and the C++ API, and is written to be informative for both novice and expert programmers. Highly recommended!" -Larry Gritz, Exluna/NVIDIA, co-author of Advanced RenderMan: Creating CGI for Motion Pictures "This book should be required reading for all Maya programmers, novice and expert alike. For the novice, it provides a thorough and wonderfully well thought-out hands-on tutorial and introduction to Maya. The book's greatest contribution, however, is that in it David shares his deep understanding of Maya's fundamental concepts and architecture, so that even the expert can learn to more effectively exploit Maya's rich and powerful programming interfaces." -Philip J. Schneider, Disney Feature Animation, co-author of Geometric Tools for Computer Graphics "Having provided a technical review of David Gould's Complete Maya Programming, I must say that this book is the definitive text for scripting and plug-in development for Maya. Never before has there been such a concise and clearly written guide to programming for Maya. Any user smart enough to pick up this book would be better off for it." -Chris Rock, a Technical Director at "a Large Animation Studio in Northern California" "If you ever wanted to open the Maya toolbox, this is your guide. With clear step-by-step instructions, you will soon be able to customize and improve the application, as well as create your own extensions, either through the MEL scripting language or the full C++ API." -Christophe Hery, Industrial Light & Magic Learning Maya, the world's leading 3D animation and effects package, is a challenge, especially for those who want to master Maya's versatile programming features in addition to its built-in tools. Finally, here is a practical, step-by-step guide that shows how to use Maya to its fullest potential, beginning with the basics. Readers of Complete Maya Programming will first gain a thorough understanding of Maya's inner workings, and then learn how to customize and extend Maya with scripts and plugins that take control and productivity to new levels. Users new to programming can apply Maya's easy scripting language MEL (Maya Embedded Language), while more advanced users can work with the C++ API (Application Progamming Interface). Both a fundamental tutorial for Maya beginners and a solid reference for experienced developers, Complete Maya Programming is every user's guide to Maya mastery. FEATURES: *Demonstrates how to use MEL to control Maya, customize its interface, automate procedures, and more *Details how to use the C++ API to modify Maya functionality and develop tools and features to meet any need *Explains when to use MEL, when to use the C++ API, and how to use them together *Provides a multitude of real-world examples illustrating applications of Maya programming *Ideal for technical directors, developers, or anyone wishing to master Maya *Provides a storehouse of MEL scripts and C++ source code, glossary, and list of resources, available at www.davidgould.com