Description
Book SynopsisA 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 boxamong other projectsand 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
Table of Contents
Introduction xv
Chapter 1 Introduction to Computer Graphics and 3D 1
Art? 2
Computer Graphics 2
The Stages of Production 4
The CG Production Workflow 8
Core Concepts 12
Basic Film Concepts 24
Summary 30
Chapter 2 Jumping in Headfirst, with Both Feet 31
You Put the U in UI 32
Project Overview: The Solar System 37
The Preproduction Process: Planning 37
Creating a Project 38
The Production Process: Creating and Animating the Objects 40
Hierarchy and Maya Object Structure 54
The Solar System Resumed 57
Outputting Your Work: Playblasting 65
Summary 67
Chapter 3 The Maya 2011 Interface 69
Navigating in Maya 70
Maya’s Layout 70
Panels and Frequently Used Windows 82
Customizing Maya 99
Summary 103
Chapter 4 Beginning Polygonal Modeling 105
Planning Your Model 106
Polygon Basics 112
Poly Editing Tools 115
Putting the Tools to Use: Making a Simple Hand 119
Creating Areas of Detail on a Poly Mesh 125
Modeling Complex Objects: The Classic Steam Locomotive 134
Suggestions for Modeling Polygons 157
Summary 157
Chapter 5 Modeling with NURBS, Subdivisions, and Deformers 159
NURBS! 160
Using NURBS Surfacing to Create Polygons 171
Converting a NURBS Model to Polygons 173
Editing NURBS Surfaces 174
Patch Modeling: A Locomotive Detail 177
Using Artisan to Sculpt NURBS 188
Modeling with Simple Deformers 190
The Lattice Deformer 196
Animating through a Lattice 200
Subdivision Surfaces 203
Creating a Starfish 204
Building a Teakettle 209
Summary 217
Chapter 6 Practical Experience 219
Beginning the Wagon Project 220
Using Reference Planes 220
Modeling the Side Panels 227
Modeling the Wagon Body 249
Inserting the Handlebar 254
Modeling the Wheels 258
Modeling the Wood Railings 264
Adding Extra Details 274
Building a Decorative Box 280
Summary 291
Chapter 7 Maya Shading and Texturing 293
Maya Shading 294
Shader Types 294
Shader Attributes 298
Texturing the Axe 302
Textures and Surfaces 310
Texturing the Red Wagon 320
Photoreal Mapping: The Decorative Box 352
For Further Study 371
Summary 371
Chapter 8 Introduction to Animation 373
Keyframe Animation—Bouncing a Ball 374
Throwing an Axe 384
Replacing an Object 400
Animating Flying Text 402
Rigging the Locomotive, Part 1 406
Animating a Catapult 408
Summary 414
Chapter 9 More Animation! 417
Skeletons and Kinematics 418
Skeletons: The Hand 431
Inverse Kinematics 446
Basic Relationships: Constraints 450
Basic Relationships: Set-Driven Keys 454
Application: Rigging the Locomotive 458
Summary 466
Chapter 10 Maya Lighting 467
Basic Lighting Concepts 468
Maya Lights 472
Light Linking 478
Adding Shadows 479
Raytracing Soft Shadows 483
Mental ray Lighting 484
Mental ray Physical Sun and Sky 486
Lighting Effects 491
Lighting the Decorative Box 495
Further Lighting Practice 501
Tips for Using and Animating Lights 502
Summary 504
Chapter 11 Maya Rendering 505
Rendering Setup 506
Previewing Your Render: The Render View Window 515
Reflections and Refractions 517
Using Cameras 519
Motion Blur 525
Batch Rendering 526
Rendering the Wine Bottle 527
Mental ray for Maya 531
Render Layers 537
Final Gather 546
Ambient Occlusion 549
HDRI 557
Rendering the Decorative Box 559
Summary 573
Chapter 12 Maya Dynamics and Effects 575
An Overview of Dynamics and Maya Nucleus 576
Rigid and Soft Dynamic Bodies 576
Animating with Dynamics: The Pool Table 580
nParticle Dynamics 590
Emitting nParticles 590
Animating a Particle Effect: Locomotive Steam 596
Introduction to Paint Effects 605
Toon Shading 608
Summary 612
Where Do You Go from Here? 612
Appendix About the Companion CD 613
Index 617
