Deliver professional-level 3D content in no time with this authoritative guide to 3D animation with Maya. Create a project from start to finish using all the major components of the 3D process-modeling, UV layout, texture creation, rigging, animation, and rendering-all in Maya. Veteran animator and professor Adam Watkins gives you a full understanding of how Maya "thinks," so you will be effective from the beginning. The companion website provides assets for the tutorials and a discussion forum.   --Assumes little knowledge of 3D. Provides all you need to get started, including a valuable roadmap to the "big picture" of 3D production.  Rather than a lengthy description of dialog boxes or option lists, artists gain a full understanding of how Maya "thinks" so that they become more effective real-world artists. --Authoritative: The author has over twelve years of 3D education experience and has trained hundreds of 3D artists. With multiple award winning students, he knows how people learn 3D (what works and what doesn't, proper pacing, keeping students engaged, offering manageable yet ambitious tasks). --Create a project from start to finish using all the major components of the 3D process - modeling, UV layout, texture creation, rigging, animation, and rendering - with Maya. --Bonus content for professors! Includes suggested curriculum for 3D based training for semester and year-long sessions, suggested layouts and pacing. How do these chapters fit into a teaching strategy? How long should a class spend on each chapter? All these questions are answered in the included Curriculum Appendices and online resources.