Introducing Maya® 2011

Introducing Maya® 2011

by Dariush Derakhshani
Released May 2010
Publisher(s): Sybex
ISBN: 9780470502167

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Book description

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 materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Credits
  4. Copyright
  5. Publisher's Note
  6. Dedication
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. About the Author
  9. Introduction
  10. Chapter 1: Introduction to Computer Graphics and 3D
    1. Art?
    2. Computer Graphics
    3. The Stages of Production
    4. The CG Production Workflow
    5. Core Concepts
    6. Basic Film Concepts
    7. Summary
  11. Chapter 2: Jumping in Headfirst, with Both Feet
    1. You Put the U in UI
    2. Project Overview: The Solar System
    3. The Preproduction Process: Planning
    4. Creating a Project
    5. The Production Process: Creating and Animating the Objects
    6. Hierarchy and Maya Object Structure
    7. The Solar System Resumed
    8. Outputting Your Work: Playblasting
    9. Summary
  12. Chapter 3: The Maya 2011 Interface
    1. Navigating in Maya
    2. Maya’s Layout
    3. Panels and Frequently Used Windows
    4. Customizing Maya
    5. Summary
  13. Chapter 4: Beginning Polygonal Modeling
    1. Planning Your Model
    2. Polygon Basics
    3. Poly Editing Tools
    4. Putting the Tools to Use: Making a Simple Hand
    5. Creating Areas of Detail on a Poly Mesh
    6. Modeling Complex Objects: The Classic Steam Locomotive
    7. Suggestions for Modeling Polygons
    8. Summary
  14. Chapter 5: Modeling with NURBS, Subdivisions, and Deformers
    1. NURBS!
    2. Using NURBS Surfacing to Create Polygons
    3. Converting a NURBS Model to Polygons
    4. Editing NURBS Surfaces
    5. Patch Modeling: A Locomotive Detail
    6. Using Artisan to Sculpt NURBS
    7. Modeling with Simple Deformers
    8. The Lattice Deformer
    9. Animating through a Lattice
    10. Subdivision Surfaces
    11. Creating a Starfish
    12. Building a Teakettle
    13. Summary
  15. Chapter 6: Practical Experience
    1. Beginning the Wagon Project
    2. Using Reference Planes
    3. Modeling the Side Panels
    4. Modeling the Wagon Body
    5. Inserting the Handlebar
    6. Modeling the Wheels
    7. Modeling the Wood Railings
    8. Adding Extra Details
    9. Building a Decorative Box
    10. Summary
  16. Chapter 7: Maya Shading and Texturing
    1. Maya Shading
    2. Shader Types
    3. Shader Attributes
    4. Texturing the Axe
    5. Textures and Surfaces
    6. Texturing the Red Wagon
    7. Photoreal Mapping: The Decorative Box
    8. For Further Study
    9. Summary
  17. Chapter 8: Introduction to Animation
    1. Keyframe Animation—Bouncing a Ball
    2. Throwing an Axe
    3. Replacing an Object
    4. Animating Flying Text
    5. Rigging the Locomotive, Part 1
    6. Animating a Catapult
    7. Summary
  18. Chapter 9: More Animation!
    1. Skeletons and Kinematics
    2. Skeletons: The Hand
    3. Inverse Kinematics
    4. Basic Relationships: Constraints
    5. Basic Relationships: Set-Driven Keys
    6. Application: Rigging the Locomotive
    7. Summary
  19. Chapter 10: Maya Lighting
    1. Basic Lighting Concepts
    2. Maya Lights
    3. Light Linking
    4. Adding Shadows
    5. Raytracing Soft Shadows
    6. mental ray Lighting
    7. mental ray Physical Sun and Sky
    8. Lighting Effects
    9. Lighting the Decorative Box
    10. Further Lighting Practice
    11. Tips for Using and Animating Lights
    12. Summary
  20. Chapter 11: Maya Rendering
    1. Rendering Setup
    2. Previewing Your Render: The Render View Window
    3. Reflections and Refractions
    4. Using Cameras
    5. Motion Blur
    6. Batch Rendering
    7. Rendering the Wine Bottle
    8. mental ray for Maya
    9. Render Layers
    10. Final Gather
    11. Ambient Occlusion
    12. HDRI
    13. Rendering the Decorative Box
    14. Summary
  21. Chapter 12: Maya Dynamics and Effects
    1. An Overview of Dynamics and Maya Nucleus
    2. Rigid and Soft Dynamic Bodies
    3. Animating with Dynamics: The Pool Table
    4. nParticle Dynamics
    5. Emitting nParticles
    6. Animating a Particle Effect: Locomotive Steam
    7. Introduction to Paint Effects
    8. Toon Shading
    9. Summary
    10. Where Do You Go from Here?
  22. Online Exercise: Global Illumination Exercise— Introducing Maya
    1. Lighting the Living Room
  23. Appendix: About the Companion CD
    1. What You’ll Find on the CD
    2. System Requirements
    3. Using the CD
    4. Troubleshooting
  24. Index
  25. Color Insert
  26. End-User License Agreement
    1. Wiley Publishing, Inc. End-User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Introducing Maya® 2011
  • Author(s): Dariush Derakhshani
  • Release date: May 2010
  • Publisher(s): Sybex
  • ISBN: 9780470502167