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With the powerful 3D modeling program Maya 5, you're limited only by your own imagination. To set it free, look no further than this indispensable guide! In these pages, veteran animator Jim Lammers (who brought life to the Sony/Tristar film Starship Troopers) takes you from a review of 3D fundamentals to full-blown Maya 5 content creation. In the process you'll learn about Maya's interface and tools; modeling with NURBS and polygons; applying materials and textures; rendering stills and animations; using particle systems, dynamics, and paint effects; and more. By detailing not just how Maya works but the 3D principles and fundamentals that guide its use, this volume will have your creating brave new worlds of your own in no time. Also included is complete coverage of all of Maya 5's new features, including improved rendering options and never-before-seen atmospheric effects made possible by extensions to Maya Fluid Effects. A companion CD includes video-captured movies that walk you through every tutorial in the book.
Introduction.
I. A QUICK-START GUIDE TO MAYA.
1. Pre-Maya: A Primer.In This Chapter. Color Basics. Image Composition. Lighting 101. Cameras and Perspective. Computer Graphics Primer. Going Further. Summary.
2. A Tour of Maya.In This Chapter. Maya Overview. The Maya Interface. The Hotbox. Summary.
3. Maya Interaction.In This Chapter. Creating Objects. Selecting Objects. Transforming Objects. Duplicating Objects. Deleting Objects. Pivot Points. Temporary Snapping. Hierarchy. Displaying Objects. Summary.
4. Diving In: Your First Animation.In This Chapter. Starting a New Project. Creating Scene Elements for Your Project. Summary.
II. MAYA BASICS.
5. Modeling with Polygons.In This Chapter. Customizing the Interface and Loading Hotkeys. Sculpting with Polygons. Building a Lobby Entrance Interior. Summary.
6. Polygon Character and Subdivision Surfaces Modeling.In This Chapter. Modeling a Human Head. Summary.
7. More Subdivision Surfaces Modeling.In This Chapter. Summary.
8. Modeling with NURBS.In This Chapter. What Are NURBS? Summary.
9. Materials.In This Chapter. Materials Overview. A Tour of Hypershade. Basic Material Types. Material Settings. Adding Basic Materials to Your Office Lobby. Texture Mapping. 3D Paint: Interactive Texturing. Bump Mapping. Summary.
10. Lighting.In This Chapter. Why Is Lighting Important? Available Light Types in Maya. Shadows in Maya. Common Light Attributes. Summary.
11. Animation Basics.In This Chapter. The Animation Tools and Interface. Types of Animation. Using the Graph Editor. Playblasting Your Animation. Summary.
12. Character Animation.In This Chapter. What Is Character Animation? Creating Skeletons. Inverse Kinematics. Skinning. Animating Your Character. Building Repetitive Motion with Trax. Blend Shape Animation. Summary.
13. Cameras and Rendering.In This Chapter. Cameras. Previewing with Playblast. Rendering an Animation. Summary.
III. GOING FURTHER WITH MAYA.
14. Paint Effects.In This Chapter. Paint Effects Overview. Working with Strokes. Summary.
15. Particle Systems and Dynamics.In This Chapter. Rigid-Body Dynamics. Particles. Soft-Body Dynamics. Summary.
16. Your Next Steps: Efficiency and Artistry.In This Chapter. Why Is It Taking So Long to Render? Batch Rendering in Maya. Workflow Enhancements. Compositing. Installing Third-Party Plug-Ins, Materials, and Scripts. Creating Your Own Material Libraries. Parting Thoughts. On Techniques. On Starting a Career in Animation. Summary.
IV. APPENDIXES.
Appendix A: Maya Headstart for max Users.Differences in Viewport Navigation. Differences in the Control Interface. Differences in Viewport Mode and Layout. Differences in Working with Objects. Differences in Creating and Editing Models. Differences in Scene Organization. Differences in Modeling Aids. Differences in Lighting. Differences in Materials. Differences in Creating Animation. Differences in Previewing and Rendering. Post Effects. Environmental Effects. Scripting. Particles and Dynamics. Import/Export from Maya to max.
Appendix B: Maya Headstart for LightWave Users.Global Differences. Differences in Viewport Navigation. Differences in the Control Interface. Differences in Creating and Editing Models. Differences in Lighting. Differences in Materials. Differences in Creating Animation. Differences in Previewing and Rendering. Post Effects. Import/Export from LightWave to Maya.
Index.Errata for the book - Updated 02/26/04 - 19 kb - Errata3723.pdf
Missing Mustang Model. - 3.91 mb - Posted 02/26/04 - 3d02_mustang.zip