Autodesk Maya 2014 Essentials

Autodesk Maya 2014 Essentials

Released June 2013
Publisher(s): Sybex
ISBN: 9781118575079

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Book description

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.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Acknowledgments
  3. About the Author
  4. Introduction
    1. Who Should Read This Book
    2. What Is Covered in This Book
    3. The Essentials Series
  5. Chapter 1: Understanding the Maya Interface
    1. Exploring Interface Elements
    2. Moving Views and Manipulating Objects
    3. Using Maya Windows and Menus
    4. Setting Preferences
    5. Getting Help
  6. Chapter 2: Creating Your First Animation
    1. Using Good Scene-File Management
    2. Creating and Animating a Bouncing Ball
    3. Refining Movement in the Graph Editor
    4. Using Animation Principles to Improve Your Work
    5. Creating a Playblast of Your Animation
  7. Chapter 3: Modeling with Polygons, Part 1
    1. Understanding Polygons
    2. Constructing a Good Model
    3. Getting Started and Using the Main Modeling Tools
    4. Box Modeling and Building a Character
  8. Chapter 4: Modeling with Polygons, Part 2
    1. Creating Edge Loops
    2. Adjusting Vertices, Polygons, and Edges, and Adding Details
  9. Chapter 5: Modeling with Polygons, Part 3
    1. Refining and Cleaning Up
    2. Mirroring Your Model
    3. Deleting History
  10. Chapter 6: Surfacing Your Character
    1. Creating a Surface
    2. Laying Out UVs
    3. Texture Mapping
  11. Chapter 7: Getting Bent Out of Shape: Blend Shapes
    1. Understanding Blend Shapes and How They Work
    2. Creating Deformers for Your Character
    3. Setting Up the Blend Shape Interface
  12. Chapter 8: Dem Bones: Setting Up Your Joint System
    1. Understanding How Joints Work
    2. Building Joint Chains
    3. Putting It All Together
    4. Putting It to Use: Connecting the Joints to Your Model
  13. Chapter 9: Weighting Your Joints
    1. Understanding Joint Weighting and Why It’s Important
    2. Adjusting Weights
  14. Chapter 10: Rigging Your Character
    1. Understanding Basic Rigging Concepts
    2. Setting Up the Leg Controls
    3. Setting Up the Torso Control
    4. Setting Up the Character Control
    5. Creating a Custom Shelf
  15. Chapter 11: Setting the Scene: Creating an Environment
    1. Building a Room
    2. Building Props
  16. Chapter 12: Making It Move: Animating Your Character
    1. Setting Up Maya for Animation
    2. Animating Your Character
  17. Chapter 13: Let There Be Light: Lighting Your Shot
    1. Understanding the Three-Point Lighting System
    2. Using the Maya Lights
    3. Lighting Your Scene
    4. Performing Light Linking
  18. Chapter 14: Rendering and Compositing Your Scene
    1. Making 2D Images Out of 3D Scenes
    2. Performing Compositing
  19. Appendix A: Autodesk Maya 2014 Certification

Product information

  • Title: Autodesk Maya 2014 Essentials
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: June 2013
  • Publisher(s): Sybex
  • ISBN: 9781118575079