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Maya 4 Fundamentals will takeyou from a review of 3D fundamentals to a working knowledge of creating content in Maya 4. Topics covered include the interface and primary tools, modeling with NURBS and polygons, applying materials and textures, lighting, using modifiers and deformers, animating scenes, using cameras, rendering stills and animations, and using particle systems, dynamics, and paint effects. Special appendices also cover making the change from other software like 3ds max or LightWave to Maya. Video-captured movies on the accompanying CD supplement the tutorial foundation of the book.
(NOTE: Each chapter begins with In This Chapter and concludes with a Summary.)
I. A QUICK-START GUIDE TO MAYA.1. Pre-Maya: A Primer.
Color Basics. Image Composition. Lighting 101. Cameras and Perspective. Directing 101. Computer Graphics Primer. Your Computer. Bibliography.2. A Tour of Maya.
Maya Overview. The Maya Interface. The Hotbox.3. Maya Interaction.
Creating Objects. Selecting Objects. Transforming Objects. Duplicating Objects. Deleting Objects. Pivot Points. Temporary Snapping. Hierarchy. Displaying Objects.4. Diving In: Your First Animation.
Starting a New Project. Creating Scene Elements for Your Project. Adding More Animation to Your Scene. Adding Materials and Lighting Your Scene. Finishing the Scene.
II. MAYA BASICS.5. NURBS Modeling Basics.
What Are NURBS? Marking Menus and the User Interface. Creating the Old House.6. More NURBS Modeling.
More NURBS.7. Modeling with Polygons.
Setting Up Emulation for Subdivisions. Creating the Creature's Head.8. Materials.
Materials Overview. A Tour of Hypershade. Basic Material Types. Material Settings. Adding Basic Materials to Your House. Texture Mapping. Adding Texture Mapping to Base Materials. Bump Mapping.9. Lighting.
Why Is Lighting Important? Available Light Types in Maya. Shadows in Maya. Common Light Attributes.10. Animation.
The Animation Tools and Interface. Types of Animation. Using the Graph Editor. Playblasting Your Animation.11. Cameras and Rendering.
Cameras. Previewing with Playblast. Rendering an Animation. Setup for Rendering.
III. GOINNG FURTHER WITH MAYA.12. Paint Effects.
Paint Effects Overview. Working with Strokes.13. Particle Systems and Dynamics.
Rigid-Body Dynamics. Particles. Soft-Body Dynamics.14. Your Next Steps: Efficiency and Artistry.
Why Is It Taking So Long to Render? Batch Rendering in Maya. Workflow Enhancements. Compositing. Installing Third-Party Plug-ins, Materials, and Scripts. Creating Your Own Material Libraries. Parting Thoughts.
IV. APPENDIXES.Appendix A. Maya Headstart for Max Users.
Differences in Viewport Navigation. Differences in the Control Interface. Differences in Viewport Mode and Layout. Differences in Working with Objects. Differences in Creating and Editing Models. Differences in Scene Organization. Differences in Modeling Aids. Differences in Lighting. Differences in Materials. Differences in Creating Animation. Differences in Previewing and Rendering. Post Effects. Environmental Effects. Scripting. Particles and Dynamics. Import/Export from Maya to Max.Appendix B. Maya Headstart for LightWave Users.
Global Differences. Differences in Viewport Navigation. Differences in Control Interface. Differences in Creating and Editing Models. Differences in Lighting. Differences in Materials. Differences in Creating Animation. Differences in Previewing and Rendering. Post Effects. Import/Export from LightWave to Maya.Appendix C. Operating System Tips.
Maya 4.01 for Linux. Maya for IRIX. Maya for Macintosh. Maya and Windows. Maya File Compatibility.