Introducing Maya® 2008

Introducing Maya® 2008

by Dariush Derakhshani
Released December 2007
Publisher(s): Sybex
ISBN: 9780470183564

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Book description

The new edition of this perennial bestseller is the ideal initiation to 3D and Maya. Starting with the basics, it builds from the ground up, combining straightforward text with practical examples that make it fun and easy to learn Maya's core tools while introducing the latest Maya 2008 features. Follow clear-cut, step-by-step lessons while you learn by doing using a wealth of hands-on files provided on the CD. You'll also find compelling examples in the full-color insert.

Table of contents

  1. Introducing Maya® 2008
    1. Copyright
    2. Dear Reader:
    3. Acknowledgments
    4. About the Author
    5. CONTENTS AT A GLANCE
    6. Contents
    7. Introduction
      1. What You Will Learn from This Book
      2. Who Should Read This Book
      3. How to Use This Book
      4. How This Book Is Organized
      5. Hardware and Software Considerations
      6. The Next Step
    8. Chapter 1: Introduction to Computer Graphics and 3D
      1. Embrace the Art
      2. Computer Graphics
      3. The Stages of Production
      4. The CG Production Workflow
      5. Core Concepts (1/3)
      6. Core Concepts (2/3)
      7. Core Concepts (3/3)
      8. Basic Film Concepts (1/2)
      9. Basic Film Concepts (2/2)
      10. Summary
    9. Chapter 2: The Maya 2008 Interface
      1. Navigating in Maya
      2. A Screen Roadmap
      3. Panels and Frequently Used Windows (1/5)
      4. Panels and Frequently Used Windows (2/5)
      5. Panels and Frequently Used Windows (3/5)
      6. Panels and Frequently Used Windows (4/5)
      7. Panels and Frequently Used Windows (5/5)
      8. Maya Object Structure
      9. Summary
    10. Chapter 3: Your First Maya Animation
      1. Project Overview: The Solar System
      2. The Preproduction Process: Planning
      3. Creating a Project
      4. The Production Process: Creating and Animating the Objects (1/4)
      5. The Production Process: Creating and Animating the Objects (2/4)
      6. The Production Process: Creating and Animating the Objects (3/4)
      7. The Production Process: Creating and Animating the Objects (4/4)
      8. Using the Outliner
      9. Summary
    11. Chapter 4: Modeling with Polygons
      1. Planning Your Model (1/2)
      2. Planning Your Model (2/2)
      3. Polygon Basics
      4. Poly Editing Tools
      5. Putting the Tools to Use: Making a Simple Hand (1/2)
      6. Putting the Tools to Use: Making a Simple Hand (2/2)
      7. Creating Areas of Detail on a Poly Mesh (1/2)
      8. Creating Areas of Detail on a Poly Mesh (2/2)
      9. Modeling Complex Objects: The Classic Steam Locomotive (1/6)
      10. Modeling Complex Objects: The Classic Steam Locomotive (2/6)
      11. Modeling Complex Objects: The Classic Steam Locomotive (3/6)
      12. Modeling Complex Objects: The Classic Steam Locomotive (4/6)
      13. Modeling Complex Objects: The Classic Steam Locomotive (5/6)
      14. Modeling Complex Objects: The Classic Steam Locomotive (6/6)
      15. Suggestions for Modeling Polygons
      16. Summary
    12. Chapter 5: Modeling with NURBS
      1. Ways to Make NURBS (1/3)
      2. Ways to Make NURBS (2/3)
      3. Ways to Make NURBS (3/3)
      4. NURBS Modeling: Creating the Red Rocket (1/10)
      5. NURBS Modeling: Creating the Red Rocket (2/10)
      6. NURBS Modeling: Creating the Red Rocket (3/10)
      7. NURBS Modeling: Creating the Red Rocket (4/10)
      8. NURBS Modeling: Creating the Red Rocket (5/10)
      9. NURBS Modeling: Creating the Red Rocket (6/10)
      10. NURBS Modeling: Creating the Red Rocket (7/10)
      11. NURBS Modeling: Creating the Red Rocket (8/10)
      12. NURBS Modeling: Creating the Red Rocket (9/10)
      13. NURBS Modeling: Creating the Red Rocket (10/10)
      14. Editing NURBS Surfaces
      15. Using NURBS Surfacing to Create Polygons
      16. Converting NURBS to Polygons
      17. Patch Modeling: A Locomotive Detail (1/3)
      18. Patch Modeling: A Locomotive Detail (2/3)
      19. Patch Modeling: A Locomotive Detail (3/3)
      20. Using Artisan to Sculpt NURBS
      21. Summary
    13. Chapter 6: Further Modeling Topics: Deformers and Subdivision Surfaces
      1. Modeling with Simple Deformers (1/2)
      2. Modeling with Simple Deformers (2/2)
      3. The Lattice Deformer
      4. Animating Through a Lattice
      5. Subdivision Surfaces
      6. Creating a Starfish
      7. Building a Teakettle (1/2)
      8. Building a Teakettle (2/2)
      9. Summary
    14. Chapter 7: Maya Shading and Texturing
      1. Maya Shading
      2. Shader Types
      3. Shader Attributes
      4. Texturing the Axe (1/2)
      5. Texturing the Axe (2/2)
      6. Textures and Surfaces (1/2)
      7. Textures and Surfaces (2/2)
      8. Texturing the Red Rocket (1/3)
      9. Texturing the Red Rocket (2/3)
      10. Texturing the Red Rocket (3/3)
      11. UVs, Polygons, and Images: Color My Pear
      12. Summary
    15. Chapter 8: Introduction to Animation
      1. Keyframe Animation—Bouncing a Ball (1/2)
      2. Keyframe Animation—Bouncing a Ball (2/2)
      3. Throwing an Axe (1/4)
      4. Throwing an Axe (2/4)
      5. Throwing an Axe (3/4)
      6. Throwing an Axe (4/4)
      7. Replacing an Object
      8. Animating Flying Text
      9. Rigging the Locomotive, Part One
      10. Animating a Catapult (1/2)
      11. Animating a Catapult (2/2)
      12. Summary
    16. Chapter 9: Further Animation Practices
      1. Skeletons and Kinematics (1/3)
      2. Skeletons and Kinematics (2/3)
      3. Skeletons and Kinematics (3/3)
      4. Skeletons: The Hand (1/3)
      5. Skeletons: The Hand (2/3)
      6. Skeletons: The Hand (3/3)
      7. Inverse Kinematics
      8. Basic Relationships: Constraints
      9. Basic Relationships: Set Driven Keys
      10. Application: Rigging the Locomotive (1/2)
      11. Application: Rigging the Locomotive (2/2)
      12. Summary
    17. Chapter 10: Maya Lighting
      1. Basic Lighting Concepts
      2. Maya Lights (1/2)
      3. Maya Lights (2/2)
      4. Light Linking
      5. Adding Shadows
      6. Soft Shadow Maps with mental ray
      7. mental ray Lighting
      8. Global Illumination with mental ray
      9. Lighting Effects
      10. Lighting the Red Rocket
      11. Further Practice
      12. Tips for Using and Animating Lights
      13. Summary
    18. Chapter 11: Maya Rendering
      1. The Rendering Setup (1/2)
      2. The Rendering Setup (2/2)
      3. Previewing Your Render: The Render View Window
      4. Reflections and Refractions
      5. Using Cameras
      6. Motion Blur
      7. Batch Rendering
      8. Rendering the Wine Bottle
      9. mental ray for Maya
      10. Render Layers (1/2)
      11. Render Layers (2/2)
      12. Ambient Occlusion (1/2)
      13. Ambient Occlusion (2/2)
      14. Final Gather
      15. Rendering the Red Rocket (1/4)
      16. Rendering the Red Rocket (2/4)
      17. Rendering the Red Rocket (3/4)
      18. Rendering the Red Rocket (4/4)
      19. Summary
    19. Chapter 12: Maya Dynamics
      1. An Overview of Dynamics
      2. Rigid and Soft Dynamic Bodies
      3. Animating with Dynamics: The Pool Table (1/3)
      4. Animating with Dynamics: The Pool Table (2/3)
      5. Animating with Dynamics: The Pool Table (3/3)
      6. Particle Dynamics
      7. Emitting Particles
      8. Animating a Particle Effect: Locomotive Steam (1/2)
      9. Animating a Particle Effect: Locomotive Steam (2/2)
      10. Introduction to Paint Effects
      11. Summary
      12. Where Do You Go from Here?
    20. Appendix: About the Companion CD
      1. What You’ll Find on the CD
      2. System Requirements
      3. Using the CD
      4. Troubleshooting
    21. Glossary (1/2)
    22. Glossary (2/2)
    23. Index (1/5)
    24. Index (2/5)
    25. Index (3/5)
    26. Index (4/5)
    27. Index (5/5)
    28. Beginners’ Gallery (1/4)
    29. Beginners’ Gallery (2/4)
    30. Beginners’ Gallery (3/4)
    31. Beginners’ Gallery (4/4)

Product information

  • Title: Introducing Maya® 2008
  • Author(s): Dariush Derakhshani
  • Release date: December 2007
  • Publisher(s): Sybex
  • ISBN: 9780470183564