Product Description

"Maya" is a tool for 3D modelling, animation,and rendering used in many filmhouses for creating 3D animation and special effects. This publication has been updated for the 2002 version of "Maya" and contains: hands-on tutorials that integrate "Maya" instruction with real-world advice on planning, organizing, and managing digital content productions; and emphasis on high-quality images and professional examples throughout.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1141084 in Books
• Published on: 2003-01-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 864 pages

From the Back Cover
Savvy-n. Practical know-how.

Maya is famed for its intuitive interface, and yet this high-end 3D application is so powerful that no one masters it without help. Maya 4.5 Savvy is an update to the successful Mastering Maya 3 and provides precisely the help you need to take your skills to the next level, regardless of your field and how much or little you already know.

Read this book cover to cover or use it as a reference, dipping in wherever you need information on specific modeling, animation, and rendering tools or tasks. Everywhere you turn, you'll find expert advice on the latest Maya features, time-saving shortcuts, and advanced techniques, along with Hands On tutorials that give you the practice you need to achieve results worthy of the real world. Coverage includes:

Maya Fundamentals: interface basics, workflow improvement techniques, features new to 4.5.
Modeling: modeling basics, NURBS, polygons and subdivision surfaces, Artisan techniques, organic modeling.
Animation: paths and bones, deformers, binding, the Trax Editor, rigid body dynamics.
Rendering: rendering basics, shading and texturing, lighting, special light effects.
Advanced Tools and Techniques: Paint Effects, MEL scripting, particle basics, particle rendering, particle expressions, ramps and volumes, soft body dynamics, Fluid Effects.

Updated for version 4.5, revised, and redesigned from the critically acclaimed Mastering Maya 3.

About the Author
John Kundert-Gibbs is director of the Digital Production Arts program at Clemson University and author of several publications on Maya, computer graphics, and dramatic literature.

Peter Lee is director at Storydale in South Korea, where he works on TV series, commercials, and movies. He has worked as a 3D artist on a wide range of film and games projects.

Dariush Derakhshani is a senior CGI effects animator with Sight Effects in Venice, Calif., where he works on award-winning national television commercials.

Mark Bamforth has been working with 3D applications for nearly a decade. He is working on an animated children's series as a programmer/animator at Xvivo LLC.

Keith Reicher is a layout animator for PDI/Dreamworks, currently working on Shrek 2 and Madagascar. He is the creator of the 3D animated short Benjamin Task.

Perry Harovas is a partner at Xvivo LLC, an animation company that produces visual effects for features and television, as well as character animation and medical visualization.

Customer Reviews

maya 4.5 savvy very usefull book for all levels....
I've been using 3dsmax4+ for a good while now..but inevitably Maya had to be learned..so I looked at a few books like 'Fundamentals maya4' and others .. and found this book a very good all-rounder study/tech-manual the reason I bought this book was that I needed mel-scripting help included, not just an after-thought added at the back of the book etc..

..and 'fundamentals maya4' although very good book im sure to me didnt seem to have nearly as much text on mel-script *in fact 'savvy' has a very decent chapter on mel-script* which surprised me as most books like these stay away from tricky subjects; Most of the time you need to buy it separately to fully get to grips with it.. but 'savvy' starts you off with a thorough grounding in programming and mel-scripting whether your a novice to programming or like me needed to port over skills to a diff app like max to maya.. its one of those books which thinks its a tech-manual yet easy to get to grips with because of its usefull tutorials; theres about 23 chapters ranging from modelling characters/ships to dynamics like fire/water/hair/ & paintfx/shadingtextures/animating animals people..

its got it all a very worth while book to own by novices and pros alike I've improved so much in maya in like two days already .. fab book well written and also if theres a typical mistake that a reader would do while following a tutorial (like i did)they even tell you why it became an error and tells you next how to fix it .. ie helps you solve your own errors thereby learning from your mistakes... excellentbook . dont think theres nothing in maya thats not already mentioned in this book => amazing.. much recommended !nuff said!

A must for any person willing to learn Maya
This is a very complete book. It starts with a very good tutorial to create “your first animation” which shows you the power of the package introducing the main features and even you get to use some dynamics to create the animation. After that it covers deeply all the fundamentals: Modelling, Animation and Rendering. That could be enough for beginners but the book has also a third part covering the advanced techniques as paint effects, MEL, particle systems, expressions, dynamics and even a chapter about the new Fluid Effects tool for Maya unlimited 4.5. To end up the book it has two interesting interviews.
Definitely this book is a must for any person willing to learn Maya and very useful for those that has already started but wants to have better control on the program.