Introducing Autodesk Maya 2016

Start modeling right away with this hands-on guide to learning Autodesk Maya 2016

Introducing Autodesk Maya 2016 is the official guide to the most popular and complex 3D application on the market. Building from the ground up, this book combines straightforward text with practical examples that make it easy to absorb the basics and start designing and animating your own digital models and scenes. The tutorials offer realistic challenges and clear explanations, laid out in fun, step-by-step lessons that help you gain confidence and learn by doing. You'll delve into CG and 3D core concepts and production workflows, then get right to work designing an animation of the solar system as you learn the interface and basic tools. As your modeling skills grow, you'll build a steam locomotive, a starfish, a table lamp, and much more as you learn to rig your model for animation, create fabric motion with nCloth, and add the lighting and effects that bring your scenes to life. The companion website features downloadable project files that help you see how the pros do it, and the book includes real-world examples from talented users who were beginners just like you.

• Master the Maya 2016 interface, menus, and plug-ins

• Begin building simple animations right away

• Explore modeling, rendering, animation, and cloth motion

• Add lighting, rendering, dynamics, simulations, and effects

If you want to work like the pros, Introducing Autodesk Maya 2016 is the perfect primer for getting started.

Autorentext

Dariush Derakhshani is an award-winning visual effects supervisor, author, and educator whose work has appeared in The Fantastic Four, Pan's Labyrinth, the South Park TV series, and countless commercials and music videos. An Autodesk Certified Instructor, he teaches 3D animation and is the author of previous editions of Introducing Maya. Dariush is coauthor of the Autodesk 3ds Max series of books.

Klappentext
A COMPLETE COURSE IN MAYA 2016 This official guide teaches you to create stunning characters and exciting visual effects with the most popular 3D application available. Maya® is used in films, TV shows, games, commercials, and wherever outstanding animation is required. If you aspire to professiona-quality Maya skills, this fully updated book is the place to start. Straightforward text and practical examples guide you through Maya basics and enable you to quickly begin building your own models and scenes. The tutorials provide realistic challenges in fun, step-by-step lessons that make learning easy. You'll master the interface and tools as you build a series of models and rig them for animation. Your confidence will bloom as you watch your creations develop. Master Maya 2016's user interface, menus, and plug-ins Understand CG and 3D core concepts and create simple animations right away Create fabric motion with nCloth to make clothing drape or flags fly in the wind Explore different polygons and modeling workflows Add HDRI lighting, simulations, and effects that bring your scenes to life Become proficient at rendering, dynamics, and rigging for animation Learn how the pros do it, using downloadable project files on the companion website

Inhalt
Introduction xiii

Chapter 1 Introduction to Computer Graphics and 3D 1

A Preview of the CG Process 2

The CG Production Workflow 2

Digital Images 4

Summary 9

Chapter 2 Jumping into Basic Animation Headfirst 11

You Put the U in User Interface 12

Project: The Solar System 17

Creating a Project 17

The Production Process: Creating and Animating the Objects 19

Hierarchy and Maya Object Structure 32

The Solar System, Resumed 34

Outputting Your Work: Playblasting 41

Summary 42

Chapter 3 The Autodesk® Maya® 2016 Interface 45

Navigating in Maya 46

Exploring the Maya Layout 46

Building a Decorative Box 58

Mapping the Box's Reference Planes with Hypershade 61

Organizing Workflow with the Layer Editor 67

Modeling the Decorative Box 68

Editing the Decorative Box Model Using the Shelf 73

Continuing the Decorative Box Model 77

Finishing the Decorative Box Model 80

Summary 87

Chapter 4 Beginning Polygonal Modeling 89

Planning Your Model 90

Polygon Basics 92

Poly Editing Tools 94

Putting the Tools to Use: Making a Cartoon Hand 101

Creating Areas of Detail on a Poly Mesh 110

Modeling a Catapult 124

Summary 153

Chapter 5 Modeling with NURBS Surfaces and Deformers 155

NURBS for Organic Curves 156

Using NURBS Surfacing to Create Polygons 163

Converting a NURBS Model to Polygons 165

Using Artisan to Sculpt NURBS 167

Creating a Pair of Glass Candle Holders 167

Modeling with Simple Deformers 175

The Lattice Deformer 180

Animating Through a Lattice 185

Summary 188

Chapter 6 Practical Experience! 189

Evaluating the Toy Plane 190

Building the Landing Pontoons 192

Oh, What a Body! Modeling the Body of the Plane 208

The Rear Stabilizers 213

You Spin Me Right Round The Engine and Propeller 217

The Plane's Wings 221

Assembling the Plane 230

Summary 232

Chapter 7 Autodesk® Maya® Shading and Texturing 233

Maya Shading 234

Shader Types 234

Shader Attributes 238

Shading and Texturing the Toy Plane 242

Textures and Surfaces 247

Textures and UVs for the Red Wagon 256

Photo-Real Mapping: The Decorative Box 292

Toon Shading 309

For Further Study 312

Summary 312

Chapter 8 Introduction to Animation 315

Keyframe Animation: Bouncing a Ball 316

Throwing an Axe 327

Replacing an Object 338

Animating Flying Text 340

Animating the Catapult 344

Summary 349

Chapter 9 More Animation! 351

Skeletons and Kinematics 352

Skeletons: The Hand 368

Inverse Kinematics 383

Basic Relationships: Constraints 387

Basic Relationships: Set-Driven Keys 392

Rigging the Locomotive 396

Creating a Simple Character Rig 404

For Further Study 413

Summary 414

Chapter 10 Autodesk® Maya® Lighting 415

Basic Lighting Concepts 416

Maya Lights 420

Light Linking 427

Adding Shadows 429

Raytracing Soft Shadows 433

mental ray Lighting 434

mental ray Physical Sun and Sky 436

Lighting Effects 440

Assembling and Lighting a Scene 444

Further Lighting Practice 452

Tips for Using and Animating Lights 452

Summary 454 **Chapter 11 A...