What you need to get up and running on Autodesk Maya 2014

Autodesk Maya is the industry-leading 3D animation and effects software, and this detailed Autodesk Official Press book is the ideal way to get you started using Maya like a studio veteran. Professional visual effects artist and Maya expert Dariush Derakhshani clearly explains the basics of modeling, texturing, animating and visual effects for new users, while leading you through fun and challenging lessons that give you plenty of hands-on practice. The book includes a color insert featuring dazzling examples from talented beginners, so you can see what's possible.

• Gets beginners and those migrating from other 3D applications up and running on Autodesk Maya 2014
• Helps users master the Maya interface and the basics of modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects
• Provides practical and fun, step-by-step tutorials that illustrate realistic, professional challenges
• Includes a full-color insert of amazing examples from talented beginners
• Written by an Autodesk Authorized Author and is an Autodesk Official Press book

Whether you're new to 3D or migrating from another 3D application, Introducing Autodesk Maya will kickstart your creativity and get you up and running on Maya.

Dariush Derakhshani is an award-winning visual effects supervisor, author, and educator. He has worked on movies such as The Fantastic Four and Pan's Labyrinth, the South Park TV series, and countless commercials and music videos. He teaches Maya and 3D animation, and is the author all the Introducing Maya books, as well as coauthor of Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 Essentials and Autodesk 3ds Max 2013 Essentials. Dariush is also an Autodesk Certified Instructor (ACI) and Autodesk Certification Evaluator (ACE).

Introduction xvii

Chapter 1 Introduction to Computer Graphics and 3D 1

Art? 2

Computer Graphics 2

Th e Stages of Production 4

Th e CG Production Workflow 8

Core Concepts 10

Basic Film Concepts 21

Summary 26

Chapter 2 Jumping in Headfirst, with Both Feet 27

You Put the U in UI 28

Project Overview: Th e Solar System 33

Th e Preproduction Process: Planning 33

Creating a Project 34

Th e Production Process: Creating and Animating the Objects 36

Hierarchy and Maya Object Structure 51

The Solar System, Resumed 53

Outputting Your Work: Playblasting 61

Summary 63

Chapter 3 The Autodesk Maya 2014 Interface 65

Navigating in Maya 66

Exploring the Maya Layout 66

Building a Decorative Box 82

Mapping the Box’s Reference Planes with Hypershade 85

Organizing Workflow with the Layer Editor 90

Modeling the Decorative Box 91

Editing the Decorative Box Model Using the Shelf 96

Continuing the Decorative Box Model 102

Finishing the Decorative Box Model 105

Summary 113

Chapter 4 Beginning Polygonal Modeling 115

Planning Your Model 116

Polygon Basics 119

Poly Editing Tools 121

Putting the Tools to Use: Making a Simple Hand 130

Creating Areas of Detail on a Poly Mesh 136

Modeling a Catapult 148

Suggestions for Modeling Polygons 170

Summary 170

Chapter 5 Modeling with NURBS Surfaces and Deformers 171

NURBS! NURBS! 172

Using NURBS Surfacing to Create Polygons 184

Converting a NURBS Model to Polygons 186

Editing NURBS Surfaces 187

Patch Modeling: A Locomotive Detail 189

Using Artisan to Sculpt NURBS 201

Modeling with Simple Deformers 203

The Lattice Deformer 207

Animating Through a Lattice 211

Summary 214

Chapter 6 Practical Experience 215

Evaluating the Table Lamp 216

Modeling the Base 217

Creating the Lamp Stem 219

Modeling the Lampshade 231

Making the Toy Airplane 236

Using Maya File References 263

Finishing the Toy Airplane 265

Updating the File Reference 268

Summary 269

Chapter 7 Autodesk Maya Shading and Texturing 271

Maya Shading 272

Shader Types 272

Shader Attributes 276

Shading and Texturing the Table Lamp 280

Textures and Surfaces 286

Textures and UVs for the Red Wagon 293

Photo-Real Mapping: Th e Decorative Box 327

For Further Study 344

Summary 344

Chapter 8 Introduction to Animation 345

Keyframe Animation: Bouncing a Ball 346

Th rowing an Axe 357

Replacing an Object 374

Animating Flying Text 375

Rigging the Locomotive, Part 1 380

Animating the Catapult 383

Summary 388

Chapter 9 More Animation! 391

Skeletons and Kinematics 392

Skeletons: Th e Hand 410

Inverse Kinematics 425

Basic Relationships: Constraints 430

Basic Relationships: Set-Driven Keys 435

Application: Rigging the Locomotive 438

Creating a Simple Character Rig 445

For Further Study 454

Summary 455

Chapter 10 Autodesk Maya Lighting 457

Basic Lighting Concepts 458

Maya Lights 463

Light Linking 469

Adding Shadows 471

Raytracing Soft Shadows 475

mental ray Lighting 477

mental ray Physical Sun and Sky 479

Lighting Eff ects 484

Lighting the Table Lamp and Decorative Box 488

Further Lighting Practice 494

Tips for Using and Animating Lights 495

Summary 497

Chapter 11 Autodesk Maya Rendering 499

Rendering Setup 500

Previewing Your Render: The Render View Window 509

Refl ections and Refractions 511

Using Cameras 513

Motion Blur 520

Batch Rendering 521

Rendering the Wine Bottle 522

mental ray for Maya 525

Render Layers 531

Final Gather 540

Ambient Occlusion 543

HDRI 551

Displacement Mapping the Decorative Box 553

Rendering the Lamp and Decorative Box 561

Summary 571

Chapter 12 Autodesk Maya Dynamics and Effects 573

An Overview of Dynamics and Maya Nucleus 574

Rigid and Soft Dynamic Bodies 574

Animating with Dynamics: The Pool Table 578

Fun Dynamics: Shoot the Catapult! 587

nParticle Dynamics 590

Emitting nParticles 590

Animating a Particle Effect: Locomotive Steam 596

Introduction to Paint Effects 602

Toon Shading 606

Getting Started with nCloth 609

Customizing Maya 614

Summary 617

Where Do You Go from Here? 618

Index 619