Learning Autodesk Maya 2010: Foundation

Learning Autodesk Maya 2010: Foundation

by Autodesk Maya Press
Released August 2009
Publisher(s): Sybex
ISBN: 9781897177556

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Book description

New coverage, art, and tutorials of the latest features of the new Maya 2010

Maya is the industry-leading 3D animation and effects software used in movies, special effects, games, cartoons, short films, commercials, etc. Complex and difficult to learn, the new Maya 2010 features updates to modeling, animation, dynamics, and rendering modules. This invaluable book offers hands-on introduction to the tools and techniques of this fascinating software.

Boasting full-color coverage and detailed, step-by-step lessons, the book uses real movie footage from the Yash Raj Films and Walt Disney Pictures feature film Roadside Romeo. You'll learn the Maya interface and basics of modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects while the DVD provides further reinforcement with its instructor-led tutorial videos.

  • Tackle the latest version of the wildly popular and complex animation and effects software: Maya 2010

  • Learn to work in 3D space, build a character with polygons, and create and apply shaders and textures

  • Explore particles and dynamics, apply forward and inverse kinematics, and set cameras and lights

  • Discover how to use MEL (Maya Embedded Language) and explore rendering techniques

  • The DVD includes clips from Roadside Romeo, as well as artist interviews and training videos

Get animated and start working with Maya today!

Note: The ebook version does not provide access to the companion files.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Primary Author
  6. Contents
  7. Introduction
  8. Introduction: Understanding Maya
    1. The user interface (UI)
    2. Working in 3D
    3. UV coordinate space
    4. Views
    5. Cameras
    6. Image planes
    7. The Dependency Graph
    8. Nodes
    9. Attributes
    10. Connections
    11. Pivots
    12. Hierarchies
    13. MEL and Python scripting
    14. Animation
    15. Keyframe animation
    16. Path animation
    17. Nonlinear animation
    18. Animation Layer Editor
    19. Reactive animation
    20. Dynamics
    21. Modeling
    22. NURBS curves
    23. NURBS surfaces
    24. Polygons
    25. Construction history
    26. Deformations
    27. Character animation
    28. Skeletons and joints
    29. Inverse kinematics
    30. Single chain solver
    31. Rotate plane solver
    32. IK spline solver
    33. Skinning your characters
    34. Flexors
    35. Rendering
    36. Shading networks
    37. Texture maps
    38. Lighting
    39. Motion blur
    40. Hardware rendering
    41. A-buffer rendering
    42. Ray-trace rendering
    43. How the renderer works
    44. Interactive Photorealistic Renderer
    45. Conclusion
  9. Project 01
    1. Lesson 01: Primitives
      1. Setting up Maya software
      2. Creating a new project
      3. Build the environment
      4. Viewing the scene
      5. Setting display options
      6. Moving inside the environment
      7. Create buildings
      8. More details
      9. Conclusion
    2. Lesson 02: Adding Details
      1. Working with a good file
      2. Doorframe
      3. Door
      4. Oil drum
      5. Details
      6. Conclusion
    3. Lesson 03: Shaders and Textures
      1. Hiding the general UI
      2. Hotkeys
      3. Shading networks
      4. The Hypershade
      5. Creating shading networks
      6. Creating a procedural texture map
      7. Texture maps
      8. Test render
      9. Conclusion
    4. Lesson 04: Animation Basics
      1. Preferences
      2. Organize your scene
      3. Display layers
      4. Understanding inheritance
      5. Animating the door
      6. Conclusion
    5. Lesson 05: Working with Maya
      1. The workspace
      2. Layouts
      3. View panels
      4. View tools
      5. View Cube
      6. Other panel types
      7. Saved layouts
      8. Display options
      9. Texturing and lighting
      10. High quality rendering
      11. Display smoothness
      12. Show menu
      13. UI preferences
      14. Menus
      15. Menu sets
      16. Shelves
      17. Status Line
      18. Hotbox
      19. Hotbox marking menus
      20. Customizing the hotbox
      21. Tool manipulators
      22. Universal Manipulator
      23. Soft Modification Tool
      24. Transform manipulators
      25. Using the mouse buttons
      26. Shift gesture
      27. Set pivot
      28. Channel Box
      29. Channel Box and manipulators
      30. Attribute Editor
      31. Numeric input
      32. Selecting
      33. Selection masks
      34. The selection UI
      35. Grouping and parenting
      36. Selection modes
      37. Scene hierarchy mode
      38. Object mode
      39. Pop-up menu selection
      40. Component mode
      41. RMB select
      42. Combined select modes
      43. Multiple component selection mode
      44. Tools and actions
      45. Tools
      46. Actions
      47. 2D fillet as an action
      48. 2D fillet as a tool
      49. Conclusion
    6. Lesson 06: The Dependency Graph
      1. Maya architecture
      2. Hierarchies and dependencies
      3. Shading Group nodes
      4. Making connections
      5. Adding a Texture node
      6. Animating the sphere
      7. Procedural animation
      8. Curve on surface
      9. Group hierarchy
      10. Path animation
      11. Layer the animation
      12. Conclusion
  10. Project 02
    1. Lesson 07: Polygonal Modeling
      1. Set up your project
      2. Starting the character
      3. Shaping the character
      4. Refine the character
      5. Mirror geometry
      6. Refine the head
      7. Keep on modeling
      8. Proportions
      9. Final touches
      10. Conclusion
    2. Lesson 08: Polygonal Texturing
      1. Texturing polygonal surfaces
      2. Modifying UVs
      3. 3D Paint Tool
      4. Final touches
      5. Optimizing the scene
      6. Conclusion
    3. Lesson 09: Skeleton
      1. Drawing a skeleton chain
      2. Complex joint chain
      3. Skeleton
      4. Joint orientation
      5. Conclusion
    4. Lesson 10: Skinning
      1. Parent binding
      2. Rigid binding
      3. Flexors
      4. Lattice binding
      5. Smooth binding
      6. Binding the character
      7. Joint degrees of freedom and limits
      8. Conclusion
    5. Lesson 11: Blend Shapes
      1. Sculpting a surface
      2. The sculpting tools
      3. Updating the reference surface
      4. Sculpting the character
      5. Blend shape deformer
      6. Conclusion
    6. Lesson 12: Inverse Kinematics
      1. IK handles
      2. Single Chain IK
      3. Rotate Plane IK
      4. Reverse foot
      5. Set up the reverse foot
      6. Creating the heel-to-toe motion
      7. Hand setup
      8. Conclusion
    7. Lesson 13: Rigging
      1. Rig hierarchy
      2. Selection sets
      3. Custom attributes
      4. Selection handles
      5. Eye setup
      6. Jiggle deformer
      7. Lock and hide nodes and attributes
      8. High resolution model
      9. Creating character sets
      10. Conclusion
    8. Lesson 14: Animation
      1. Reference
      2. Animating a walk cycle
      3. Animate the feet sliding
      4. Edit the animation curves
      5. Animate the feet up and down
      6. Animate the pelvic rotations
      7. Add a bounce to the walk
      8. Refine the feet rotation
      9. Animate the arm swing
      10. Cycle the animation
      11. Bake the keyframes
      12. Create a Trax clip file
      13. Conclusion
  11. Project 03
    1. Lesson 15: NURBS Modeling
      1. Set up your project
      2. Tires
      3. Front of scooter
      4. Rear of scooter
      5. Finish the scooter
      6. Conclusion
    2. Lesson 16: NURBS Texturing
      1. Texturing NURBS
      2. Projections
      3. Convert to texture
      4. Interactive Placement Tool
      5. Texture reference objects
      6. Finish texturing the scooter
      7. Import export of a shading network
      8. Conclusion
    3. Lesson 17: Rigging
      1. Hierarchy
      2. Automation
      3. Non-linear deformers
      4. Conclusion
    4. Lesson 18: Paint Effects
      1. Paint on canvas
      2. Paint Effects strokes
      3. Customize brushes
      4. Conclusion
    5. Lesson 19: Deformers
      1. Convert Paint Effects
      2. Wire deformer
      3. Point on curve and cluster deformer
      4. Soft Modification Tool
      5. Nonlinear deformers
      6. Deformation order
      7. Conclusion
    6. Lesson 20: Lights and Effects
      1. References
      2. Placing a point light
      3. Placing a directional light
      4. Light effects
      5. Rendering animation
      6. Conclusion
    7. Lesson 21: Rendering
      1. Rendering features
      2. IPR
      3. High quality rendering
      4. mental ray
      5. Maya Vector
      6. Maya Hardware
      7. Conclusion
  12. Project 04
    1. Lesson 22: More Animation
      1. Set up your project
      2. Jumping on the scooter
      3. Create a Trax clip file
      4. Conclusion
    2. Lesson 23: Nonlinear Animation
      1. Initial setup
      2. Generate the animation
      3. Redirect the animation
      4. Animation layers
      5. Adding sound to Trax
      6. Animating a camera
      7. Conclusion
    3. Lesson 24: Motion Path
      1. Path animation
      2. Secondary animation
      3. Conclusion
  13. Index

Product information

  • Title: Learning Autodesk Maya 2010: Foundation
  • Author(s): Autodesk Maya Press
  • Release date: August 2009
  • Publisher(s): Sybex
  • ISBN: 9781897177556