Park J.E. Understanding 3D Animation Using Maya

Springer, 2005. — 313 p. — ISBN: 0-387-00176-XMany animators and designers would like to supplement their Maya learning with a less-technical, more helpful book. This self-study manual is both a general guide for understanding 3-D computer graphics and a specific guide for learning the fundamentals of Maya: workspace, modeling, animation, shading, lighting, and rendering.Understanding 3-D Animation Using Maya covers these fundamentals in each chapter so that readers gain increasingly detailed knowledge. After an initial 'concepts' section launches each chapter, hands-on tutorials are provided, as well as a chapter project that progressively adds newly learned material and culminates in the final animated short. This is the first book on Maya that teaches the subject using a sensible, proven methodology for both novices and intermediate users.Essential Skills
Introduction to 3D Space – Cartesian Coordinate System
Workspace – Getting Around Maya
Modeling — Primitives, Wireframes, Surfaces, and Normals
Animation – Keyframe Basics
Shading — Color, Specular, and Ambient
Lighting — Point Lights: Intensity, Color, and Shadows
Rendering — Outputting a Scene to Frames
Project 1 — Ball Rolling Down an Inclined Plane
Refinements
Workspace – Organization
Modeling – Geometry Types
Animation – Copying Keyframes and Moving Pivots
Shading – Material Types
Lighting – Spotlights
Rendering – Camera Basics
Project 2 – Rolling Egg
Intermediate Skills
Review – Attribute Editor
Workspace – Hypergraph
Modeling – Curves and Surfaces
Animation – Fine Tuning Animation
Shading – Texture Maps
Lighting – Soft Shadows and Gobos
Rendering – Depth of Field.
Project 3 – Curved Half Pipe
Adding Character
Review – Graph Editor
Workspace – Efficient Workflow
Modeling – Box Modeling with Polygons and Sub-d Surfaces
Animation – Hierarchies and Groups
Shading – Bump Maps and Transparency
Lighting – Area Lights and Raytracing
Rendering – Camera Effects
Project 4 — Chicken Added to Scene
Wiring Things Up
Workspace – Artisan Tools
Modeling – Connecting Surfaces Using Fillets
Animation – Motion Paths, Driven Keys, Added Attributes, Skeletons
Shading – Displacement and UV Texture Mapping
Lighting – Three-point Scheme
Rendering – Camera Cuts
Project 5 – Preparing for Animation
Bringing It All Together
Review – Editing Your Camera Cuts
Workspace – Layers, Show by Type, Hiding and Showing
Modeling – Cluster Deformers
Animation – Constraints, Inverse Kinematics, and Skinning
Shading – 3D Paint
Lighting – Final Gathering in Mental Ray
Rendering –Motion Blur
Layout – Importing Elements
Project 6 – Bringing It All Together