Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #330174 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 560 pages

From the Back Cover
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 Introducing Maya 8: 3D for Beginners.

The latest edition of this popular bestseller is the ideal initiation to 3D and Maya. Starting with the basics, it 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. You′ll also find an abundance of instructional and inspirational Maya creations in the full–color insert.

The enclosed CD features images, movies, and scene files that 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.

Enter a New Dimension

• Get a solid grasp of core 3D and Computer Graphics concepts
• Learn to navigate the Maya 8 interface
• Experiment with modeling by creating a hand, an axe, and a locomotive
• Explore the basics of NURBS, polygons, and subdivision surfaces
• Discover the nuances of shading and texturing
• Rig a locomotive model for automated animation
• Create more natural lighting with mental ray soft shadow maps
• Use Maya′s Render Layers and an Ambient Occlusion pass for greater reality

Learn how to create an IK walk cycle.

About the Author
Dariush Derakhshani is a Digital Effects Supervisor, writer, and educator in Los Angeles, California. Previously using Autdoesk’s AutoCAD software in his architecture days, Dariush migrated to using 3D programs when his firm’s principal architects needed to show their clients design work on the computer. Starting with Alias PowerAnimator version 6 when he enrolled in USC Film School’s Animation program, Dariush has been using Alias animation software for the past 11 years. From USC Film School, he received an M.F.A. in Film, Video, and Computer Animation in 1997. Dariush also holds a B.A. in Architecture and Theatre from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania and worked at a New Jersey architecture firm before moving to L.A. for film school. He has worked on feature films, music videos, and countless commercials as a 3D animator, CG supervisor, and sometimes compositor. Dariush also serves as Editor in Chief of HDRI3d, a professional CG magazine from DMG Publishing.

Customer Reviews

The ULTIMATE guide to Maya
To be totally honest I hadn't the slightest clue about how to use this program; not even a notion of how to navigate the grid, or what half the features were. Although, I was so eager to learn it seeing I'm an E-Media student and need all the graphical knowledge I can get! It just wasn't happening. So I bought this book and waow. This book has taught me so much already and I've only been using it for a day! It's well layed out, and tutorials are given in very simple English, step-by-step, enough that even total idiots can understand. No pre-computer knowledge required.

Overall, I'm going to give this book 5 Stars, because I am extremely pleased it and it will stay with me forever. I totally and wholeheartedly reccommend this to anyone interested in learning Maya, or even just touching up on the fundamentals. For the price tag, this product simply is a steal. Buy it now!

The Madness Of Maya
The first thing you should know before buying this book is that it might say Introducing Maya 8 on the cover but on the CD you get Maya 7.0 PLE.
When you try to install Maya 7.0 PLE it will ask you for a software key. You're then told to go to the website and register before you will get the key yo unlock the software. When you do this you'll find out that you'll have to download the new Maya 8.5 PLE and the software code for this does not work for 7.0. A lot of people on the Maya website have been asking how they get 7.0 PLE to work. Well now I can reveal all. The Software key for Maya 7.0 is 20617691. It also tells you on the Maya website that the software will only run in Windows XP Professional. Wrong!!! I have Maya 8.5 PLE plus Maya 7.0 PLE working in Windows XP Home Edition. You don't even need an expensive Graphics Card. I have it working on my 5 year old ATI All-in-Wonder Radeon 7500 graphics card. I hope that this information helps people who are planning on buying this book and people also people who are just looking to get started in 3D animation but are put off by thinking that they need all sorts of fancy software and graphics cards to get the thing going (Of course having a state of the art machine does help). Introducing Maya 8 is still an excellent book and is recommened for those people wanting to delve into the there first 3D animation package. Enjoy!!!!

Bravo! Brilliant!
When I first bought this book I knew absolutely nothing about computer animation and I had never worked with any other 3-d computer program.
It has taken me a quite a while to work through the exercises and in some case I restarted the book since too much time had elapsed and I need to be reminded about all the finer points. Each time I did, I picked up more details that I had skimmed over the previous time, and in my case doubled my base of knowledge.
The book is very well laid out and each exercise teaches you something new and builds on the knowledge you have already learnt. For me it was very important to work systematically through each lesson otherwise I found I was completely lost.
I would definately recommend this book for anyone wanting to learn how to use Maya.
However in January 2009 it seems that autodesk has removed the MayaPLE support system it had in place. Apparently there was too many people using illegal copies of it, so the copy you receive in this book may not work.
You are able to download a trial version of Maya from their website but it is a 30-day trial version so you need to work alot faster than me!
Good luck and happy playing!