Product Description

The Visual Key to Maya

One look and you′ll see that this Maya book is different from all the others. It presents the core Maya features visually, using pages packed with striking graphics and loaded with concise explanations of the Maya interface. This expanded edition includes more tutorials; updated material on modeling, animation, rendering and dynamics; and new coverage of Toon Shaders, along with other exciting Maya tools. Engaging step–by–step lessons provide hands–on reinforcement as you learn. Start your adventures in Maya with this full–colour, visual guide—the perfect introduction to Maya 8.

• Use Paint Effects to create images from scratch or add painterly qualities to existing images.
• Learn how Maya′s MEL scripts can help with tasks, such as connecting a curve′s CVs to joints to pre–visualize a skeleton.
• The enclosed CD includes the Maya Personal Learning Edition and all the files you need to complete the tutorials.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #390816 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

From the Inside Flap
Your Visual Guide to Maya
One look and you'll see this Maya book is different from all the others. It presents core Maya features visually, using pages that are packed with beautiful graphics and loaded with detailed explanations on every crucial feature of Maya's interface. Engaging step-by-step tutorials provide hands-on reinforcement for what you've learned. Maya at a Glance is the perfect introduction and reference to the Academy Award winning Maya 3D animation and effects software.

Featured on the CD The CD includes the Maya Personal Learning Edition and all the files you'll need to complete the tutorials.

From the Back Cover
The Visual Key to Maya

One look and you′ll see that this Maya book is different from all the others. It presents the core Maya features visually, using pages packed with striking graphics and loaded with concise explanations of the Maya interface. This expanded edition includes more tutorials; updated material on modeling, animation, rendering and dynamics; and new coverage of Toon Shaders, along with other exciting Maya tools. Engaging step–by–step lessons provide hands–on reinforcement as you learn. Start your adventures in Maya with this full–color, visual guide—the perfect introduction to Maya 8.

Use Paint Effects to create images from scratch or add painterly qualities to existing images.

Learn how Maya′s MEL scripts can help with tasks, such as connecting a curve′s CVs to joints to pre–visualize a skeleton.

The enclosed CD includes the Maya Personal Learning Edition and all the files you need to complete the tutorials.

About the Author
George Maestri is an industry veteran and founder of Rubberbug Studios. His clients have included CBS, Fox, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and he has worked on such shows as South Park, Rocko′s Modern Life, and Karen and Kirby.

Mick Larkins is the technical art lead at Hi–Rez Studios in Atlanta and coauthor of Mastering Maya 7.

Customer Reviews

A good complement to a technical manual
Definitely a book for the beginner or improver, it should be used in conjunction with a more detailed manual. It provides a very quick visual route map to the key aspects of Maya. If the reader wants more depth then they can turn to the manual. But this books helps the reader to know what questions to ask and key words to look for in the detailed reference work. Certainly better than such books as 'An Introduction to Maya 3D for Beginners' which is much less user friendly.
Maestri also provides clear visual step by step guides to modelling a character, mapping with multiple textures, lighting a scene and rigging a character with a skeleton, for example.

Good but not good enough
I personally thought that this book was a bit advanced. It didn,t have a detailed enough walk through. It would have a final image split into the stages to have the reader personally create it but would not give a good enough description on how to actually create the same look as in the book. The book also expected the reader to instantly know what complicated terms were after reading through the first section of the book which meant alot of flicking back and forth. However the book does give a good example of the images that can be created but personally i would not have picked this book.