Product Description

Learning Autodesk Maya 2008 I Foundation is your key to unlocking the power of Autodesk Maya software, directly from the creators of one of the world′s most powerful 3D animation and effects software products. Get hands–on experience with the innovative tools and powerful techniques available in Autodesk Maya 2008. You′ll gain a sense of the entire production process as you work on creating and animating characters from Sony Pictures Animation′s feature film, Surf′s Up. You′ll even learn about compositing your characters into alternate environments in a bonus chapter on Autodesk Combustion software. Explore the Maya user interface, create organic structures with NURBS, apply forward and inverse kinematics, deform surfaces, learn to use Trax non–linear animation, discover rendering techniques, and so much more with this easy to follow guide to Maya. Includes bonus DVD with scene files, instructor–led podcasts, and other reference guides to give you a solid foundation in the art of animating with Maya.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #295724 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 640 pages

From the Back Cover
Foundation.

Learning Autodesk® Maya® 2008 / Foundation is your key to unlocking the power of Autodesk Maya software, directly from the creators of one of the world′s most powerful 3D animation and effects softwa4re products. Get hands–on experience with the innovative tools and powerful techniques available in Autodesk Maya 2008 software through all new project–based lessons.

Learn key Maya tools and techniques while you model, animate, render and add dynamic effe4cts to your creations. Further, You′ll gain a sense of the entire production process as you work on creating and animating characters from the Sony Pictures Animation feature film, Surf′s Up. You′ll even learn about compositing your characters into alternate environments in a bonus chapter on Autodesk® Combustion® software. Based entirely on easy–to–follow step–by–step lessons and including helpful demos on DVD, this book will help you develop your 3D skills.

With this book, you will:

• Explore the Maya user interface (UI)
• Learn to work in 3D space
• Build characters & props with polygons
• create organic structures with NURBS
• Set keyframes & motion paths
• Learn to use Trax non–linear animation
• Apply forward & inverse kinematics
• Deform surfaces
• Set cameras & lights
• Create & apply shaders and textures
• Discover rendering techniques
• Explore particles & dynamics
• Begin to use MEL (Maya Embedded Language)

Bonus features included on DVD

• Link to FREE trial version of autodesk® Combustion®
• Autodesk® Maya® Reference Guides
• Instructor–led podcasts presented by an Autodesk Certified Instructor

What you need to use this book

• Autodesk® Maya® Complete 2008 or Maya® Personal Learning Edition software
• DVD–ROM drive

Customer Reviews

Perfect entry in the world of Maya
Before I bought this book, I had little experience with Maya. I tried to learn stuff from free online tutorials. I learned some things that way, but I missed a structured learning path, and there aren't many good free tutorials out there, for people who don't have much skill yet.
I want to learn Maya the way it is ment to be, so I bought this book to get myself a good foundation. Hence the name ;)

There are 32 lessons, spread over 5 projects. And you'll begin from scratch, advancing to more advanced stuff later on. Everything is explained very easy to understand, and together with the video files from the included dvd, and the full color images, this book is awesome!
It will handle all things Maya has to offer: modelling, animation, lightning, rendering, dynamics etc. Don't expect to be a master in one of those aspects after you completed this book, but you will know what everything is about, and have good experience with it.

Also if you're stuck, you can just watch the scene files on the dvd how the guys from Autodesk did it as a reference.

Conclusion: if you want to learn the basics of Maya and discover all of it's potential, this book is a no brainer. Say goodbye to crappy online tutorials!

From newbie to "middlebie"
I was a total novice in the 3D world when I bought this book, intending to teach myself as I went. I chose this book due to it's official status and I am certainly glad I did...

The book is authored by experienced Maya operators and is crammed with colour images and screenshots througout. The authors have been granted a great deal of access to Sony's "Surf's Up" movie and this is reflected in the 5 projects that you undertake to learn the book's content, all of which recreate character or set content and sequences.

Explanations are clear throughout (although total novices such as me may need to re-read the opening section a few times!). My only caution is that the book does contain instructions such as "tweak as necessary until you are happy" here and there- but only after explaining the principles solidly. The authors also provide podcast style briefings on a disc to support the lessons, which I found essential in the early stages. These come along with resources, freebies and some student shorts.

The book is a hefty tome but well worth the money- I am embarking on its two sister books, the Modelling handbook and Special Effects handbook. As I hinted in this title I am not lefr expert but I have a middling understanding and the confidence to move further. For new Maya users this is about as essential a publication as you could want.

not as good as people are saying
this book can be vague in places, although if your looking for the basics this is still a good one, I had problems with the support files.. certain ones seem to be corrupt on the disk and I couldn't open them, that doesn't really help when your trying to learn this from a beginners point of view, this package is complex enough without things being made more difficoult.