Mastering Autodesk Maya 2011 [Paperback]

Eric Keller (Author), Todd Palamar (Author), Anthony Honn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 2010 | ISBN-10: 0470639350 | ISBN-13: 978-0470639351 | Edition: 1

A beautifully-packaged, advanced reference on the very latest version of Maya

If you already know the basics of Maya, the latest version of this authoritative book takes you to the next level. From modeling, texturing, animation, and visual effects to high-level techniques for film, television, games, and more, this book provides professional-level Maya instruction. With pages of scenarios and examples from some of the leading professionals in the industry, this book will help you master the entire CG production pipeline.

• Provides professional-level instruction on Maya, the industry-leading 3D animation and effects software
• Covers the very latest Maya tools and features, including Dynamics, Maya Muscle, Stereo Cameras, rendering with mental ray, and more
• Offers complete coverage of advanced topics such as cloth, fur, and fluids
• Showcases the techniques of professionals through numerous examples and real-world scenarios, showing you how to set up and manage 3D animation and visual effects pipelines
• Includes a CD with all support files from the book, along with movies to illustrate concepts

If you're looking for an in-depth, professional Maya resource to turn to again and again, Mastering Maya is the book you need.

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

For Instructors: Teaching supplements are available for this title.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The Ultimate Maya 2011 Resource!

If you already know the fundamentals of Maya, you'll want this new Autodesk Official Training Guide to take you beyond the basics and show you how to use Maya 2011 in a professional environment. From modeling, texturing, animation, and visual effects—to high-level techniques for film, television, games, and more, this book provides advanced, professional-level instruction.

Filled with challenging tutorials and real-world scenarios from some of the leading professionals in the industry, this must-have guide shows you how to manage the entire CG production pipeline. Master Maya's new graph editor, rendering with mental ray, the art of virtual cinematography, dynamic simulations, advanced modeling techniques, and much more with this indispensable guide.

Featured on the DVD

The companion DVD provides support files that help you complete the exercises in the book and compare your work to the pros.

Combine fluid dynamics and particle simulations for amazing visual effects

Add physically accurate outdoor lighting to your rendered images

Learn the secrets of making realistic materials for your models

About the Author

Eric Keller has been a professional 3D artist and high-end animator for film, commercials, and TV for 12 years. He has created animations and effects for Disney, Warner Brothers, ESPN, Harvard Medical School, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and CBS, and currently teaches at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects. Eric is the author of Mastering Maya 2009, Maya Visual Effects: The Innovator's Guide, and Introducing ZBrush, all from Sybex.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1048 pages
• Publisher: Sybex; 1 edition (September 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470639350
• ISBN-13: 978-0470639351
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #198,944 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Detailed Book, November 2, 2010

By 

Siddhardha (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mastering Autodesk Maya 2011 (Paperback)

I used this book as one of the references to a Graduate Course in Animation. This book is not meant for beginners. It has lots of detail and tends to be very comprehensive. Not an easy read either. As a beginner I started with AutoDesk Foundation book which, along with instructors lectures and assignments, got me up to speed. I used to this book for the final course project that had to deal with simulation of an airplane landing at an airport. I wanted to experiment with features that are not covered in class, so that is where this book suited the purpose very well. This book had pretty clear coverage on Mental Ray and Dynamics which is what I needed. I combined the Mental Ray output from Maya with AfterEffects for creating a movie and the end result came out so well that my instructor complimented me on it. If your plan is to master in detail several of the features in Maya, this book is probably the best. On the other hand, if you want to obtain an overview of Maya's features without necessarily digging into great detail, then you should check out other books (e.g: Introducing Maya).

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kindle eBook consideration, September 16, 2010

By 

M. Ross Gibson (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mastering Autodesk Maya 2011 (Kindle Edition)

If you're purchasing the Kindle Edition of this book, keep in mind it doesn't have a companion DVD. I was, however, able to contact the publisher's TECHNICAL support at sybex.com and provide my purchase confirmation in order to have a copy of the DVD mailed to me.

(I haven't actually read the book yet so my star rating can be ignored).

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars (UPDATE 12th JUNE 2011) A Beginners' Perspective, March 5, 2011

By 

Ba-An - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mastering Autodesk Maya 2011 (Paperback)

I have only used Maya 2011 for about 5 Months at time of writing this review, and bought this book about 1.5 Months after starting.

I first followed 'Learning Autodesk Maya 2010' which was a horrible book, but nevertheless I still completed it.

I don't know why, being a beginner I bought this book - I was satisfied. This review is not from a perspective of a veteran however I still learnt a lot from this massive textbook. I have not went through everything in the book yet however I can safely say, any Maya users definitely should buy this book whether you're starting off, veteran, etc. The Table of Contents is highly detailed so if you do not want to go page by page the detailed ToC will lead you to where you want.

To conclude, ANY Maya users must buy this book! If this review does not facilitate your decision, then read the other reviews.

A satisfied and happy customer.

UPDATE 12th June 2011: After using the book for quite some time I found some sections of the book difficult. Why? Because some instructions are hard to understand.
"Why don't you look at the supplementary pictures?" Because the pictures are black and white they are also difficult to understand and at times I just get lost, you'll understand at some parts throughout the book. For this reason I will rate it 4 stars, an update from my previous 5 stars.

What can you do about this? I do know the kindle edition of the book has coloured pictures (Go sample them at Google Books or somewhere...)! Well, it really depends if you want ebook or hardcopy, or even both.

Ba-An