Take your Maya skills to new levels with the sophisticated coverage in this authoritative Autodesk Maya Press reference and tutorial. From key basics through advanced techniques, a team of Maya experts provides you with the very latest professional-level instruction on Maya Complete and Maya Unlimited through tutorials and hands-on practice. Whether a novice or an advanced user of Maya, you’ll find everything from key basics through advanced techniques. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Take your Maya skills to new levels with the sophisticated coverage in this authoritative Autodesk Maya Press reference and tutorial. From key basics through advanced techniques, a team of Maya experts provides you with the very latest professional-level instruction on Maya Complete and Maya Unlimited through tutorials and hands-on practice. Whether a novice or an advanced user of Maya, you’ll find everything from key basics through advanced techniques. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

The Ultimate Maya 2009 Resource for Intermediate to Advanced Users If you already know the basics of Maya, now you can elevate your skills with Maya 2009 and the advanced coverage in this authoritative new reference and tutorial. From modeling, texturing, animation, and visual effects to high-level techniques for film, television, games, and more, this book provides professional-level instruction on Maya Complete and Maya Unlimited. This fully updated book brings you up to speed on Maya 2009's new features and expands your skills with advanced instruction on cloth, fur, and fluids. You'll learn Dynamics, Maya Muscle, Stereo Cameras, Assets, rendering with mental ray, and more. Filled with challenging tutorials and real-world scenarios from some of the leading professionals in the industry, this one-of-a-kind guide gives you valuable insight into the entire CG production pipeline. If you've been looking for a complete, professional-quality Maya resource to turn to again and again, this is the book for you. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Create positively dazzling effects with the unique insights and practical advice in this innovative guide from a working professional Maya artist. Need to create plasmatic energy by lunch? Animate a field of sprouting daisies before tomorrow’s meeting? Fashion a force field by Friday? With Maya’s flexible toolset and the unique tutorials in this book, you’ll learn how to solve real-world problems, improvise, and finish your professional assignments on time and with flair.

Turn 3D models into film-worthy digital animations by mastering mental ray rendering once and for all. This must-have guide is the only book on the market to focus exclusively on mental ray in Maya, 3ds Max, and XSI, and it's packed with techniques and insights you can't get anywhere else. Best of all, the book's advanced rendering concepts apply to other rendering software as well, including V-Ray, Brazil, Maxwell and RenderMan. Discover advanced lighting, camera, and workflow techniques that usually take professionals years to figure out.

If you're just beginning to dive into the world of 3D, this is the book for you." ?Animation Magazine The Academy Award® winning Maya® 3D animation and effects software is the first choice of film and video artists, game developers, and 3D design professionals. Discover how to build, render, and animate your own digital models and scenes, and begin to develop professional-level Maya skills with the latest edition of this popular bestseller. Starting with the basics, the book builds from the ground up, combining straightforward text with practical examples that make it fun and easy to learn Maya's core features while introducing new Maya 8 elements such as improved polygon tools and enhanced rendering with mental ray. Clear-cut, engaging lessons let you experiment using the wealth of files provided on the CD-ROM. You'll also find an abundance of instructional and inspirational Maya creations in the full-color insert. The accompanying CD-ROMs images, movies, and scene files let you view material from the book right on your own computer. Tackle all-new rendering and dynamics tutorials and much more. The CD includes Maya Personal Learning Edition software.

This book is your perfect hands‐on guide to start animating quickly. Using approachable, real‐world exercises, you’ll master the fundamentals of this animation software by following full‐color screenshots step by step. Each chapter opens with a quick discussion of concepts and learning objectives, and then launches into hands‐on tutorials that give you firsthand experience and a good start. You’ll learn the basics of modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects. Whether you’re a complete beginner or migrating from another 3D application, this task‐based book provides the solid grounding you need in Autodesk Maya. Key Features Model with polygons, meshes, and more Add motion with simple and complex animations Add color and textures to visualize materials and surfaces Render scenes with great lighting and camera placement