Product Description

This unique, full–color visual exploration of the theory of Maya is rich with diagrams and illustrations that demonstrate the critical concepts of 3D time and space, and helps explain the principles of 3D modeling, animation, dynamics and rendering. The book also includes a series of production notes detailing how skilled Maya artists have worked with the software to create production quality films, games, visualizations, and animations. The accompanying CD–ROM includes Maya Personal Learning Edition.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #370377 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

From the Inside Flap
The Art of Maya 3rd edition is an introduction to 3D computer graphics unlike any other. Join the thousands of users who’ve garnered the knowledge they needed to enter the 3rd dimension with this full color visual exploration of the theory of Maya. Rich with diagrams and illustrations that demonstrate the critical concepts of 3D time and space, this book will help you understand the concepts critical to conveying your artistic vision through the medium of 3D. If you are an artist looking to incorporate 3D into your toolkit, this is the resource you need.

Understand:

• 3D Computer Graphics
• Time and Space
• Animation
o Setting Keys
o Non-linear Animation
o Rigid Body Dynamics
• Modeling
o NURBS
o Polygons
o Subdivision Surfaces
• Deformations
o Deforming Objects
o Lattices and Clusters
• Character Animation
• Materials and Textures
o Shading Networks
o Texture Maps
o Bumps and Displacements
• Digital Cinematography
o Shadows
o Lighting
o Cameras
• Rendering
• Effects
o Particle Effects
o Paint Effects
o Maya Fluid Effects
o Maya Cloth
o Maya Long Hair
• Interactive 3D
o Game Creation
o Building Levels

The Art of Maya includes Maya Personal Learning Edition to allow you to start practicing right away. The book closes with a series of Production Notes detailing how skilled Maya artists have worked with the software to create production quality films, games, visualizations and animations.

Get an inside look at the use of Maya by:

• The Canadian Broadcast Corporation
• Turner Studios
• Digital Domain for the making of I-Robot
• Weta Digital in the making of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
• The AOES Medialab
• BioDigital
• The Mill
• Oddworld Inhabitants in the making of Oddworld Stranger's Wrath

Product Features:

Includes CD-ROM
262 pages – full color

Customer Reviews

Good lay-out of the book, informative guide, but...
The "Art of Maya" is a real good starting point if you are new to 3D stuff, like me. The book gave me a good guiding to everything needed to know about 3D. There are no step-by-step tutorials so you can't jump into work, but the accompanying CD with the educational version of Maya has a tutorial in the software and parallel with the book you can start 3D!

introduction to the software maya
This book gives you an idea what maya is. There are simple explanations throught the book about most of the elements of maya. It does not teach you how to do things. It is like an encyclopedy about Maya. There is also a CD with MAYA PLE(personal learning edition software), MAYA Mentor some scene files and a movie that support concepts from the book.