Maya is an all-in-one 3D application for modelling, rendering, and animating 3D productions. This text provides a tutorial/reference integrating instruction on using Maya with real-world advice on planning, organizing and managing digital content productions. Included is a CD.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Few computer animation systems are as comprehensive as Alias|Wavefront's Maya. Version 3 is a massive package, and it takes Mastering Maya 3 almost all of its 1,000 pages to cover the program in depth. While this is not a book for Maya beginners, it is certainly one that every Maya user should eventually have.
Six parts compose this massive volume: "Fundamentals," "Modeling," "Animation," "MEL Scripting," "Rendering," and "Advanced Effects." Liberally illustrated and annotated, each section describes step-by-step techniques for learning to use or for understanding each feature or topic.
The writing in this book is matter of fact, and each section gets down to business quickly in describing the technique at hand. In light of this, imagine how much information has been packed in 1,000 pages. The experienced Maya artist might already know a lot of this information, but the easy stuff is discussed and dismissed quickly, as if the book is anxious to dig deeper.
Appendix A, "Interviews," is a highlight of the book. Three interviews with the industry luminaries Mark Sylvester from Alias|Wavefront and Craig Lyn and Habib Zargarpour, both of Industrial Light & Magic, offer a unique behind-the-scenes insight into how Maya was developed and how it's being used in the real world.
Between the examples dissected in the book and the source material on the CD-ROM, any Maya user should come away from this book with more than a few new tricks and techniques under his or her belt. --Mike Caputo
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Beginner's Book -- Kind Of,
By aurick "aurick" (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mastering Maya 3 (Paperback)
After reading the various reviews already posted here, I have come to the realization that there are two distinctly different kinds of beginners. One is people with no background in 3D modeling and animation. The other has experience with the digital arts, but none with Maya itself. If you are in the first category, then this book is probably not for you. Then again, Maya itself probably isn't, either. It is a very complicated program, with tremendous power, and this book is not meant to teach the basics of 3D Modeling, Texturing, or Lighting. It IS meant to teach the basics of translating your skills into Maya know-how, and it does that admirably through the use of a series of hands-on projects that allow you to experiment with your burgeoning skills.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book For *ALL* Levels,
By Jon (Ann Arbor, MI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mastering Maya 3 (Paperback)
I beg to differ with Timothy on the issue of this book not being for beginners. It is a great step-by-step tutorial book that is great either complimenting the Alias|Wavefront documentation or without it.I am a beginner with Maya Unlimited and have found this book to be very valuable in learning the quirks and operation of the program. Some material may be skipped by more advanced users (like those who do not need to be taught the interface) but everyone from beginner to the advanced will find something in this book. I would highly recommend this book for teachers of computer graphics to use a textbook if your class focuses on Maya.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The "Real Deal",
By
This review is from: Mastering Maya 3 (Paperback)
If you are determined to learn Maya 3, this is your roadmap. A comprehensive tome, to be sure - not for the beginner or dabbler. Worth the money, and perhaps my favorite amazon purchase to date. It's exhilirating. Keep in mind there is nothing about Cloth or Fur. Also, I'd love to see the job market studied - pointers for demo reel creation and what employers are looking for. These are just nit-picks though, I highly recommend the book. Great price, great CD-ROM. Great job John & Peter.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
3D modeling and animation are among the most challenging tasks a person can do. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
brownian texture, winged vertices, boundary isoparm, freeform layout mode, adjusting goal weights, blobby surface, rigid body animation, rigid solver, passive rigid body, polygon proxy mode, editing deformations, marking menu, channel box, proxy mesh, active rigid body, keyable attributes, modeling window, animation menu set, blending clips, ndow command, pivot manipulator, sharing clips, animation curves, organic modeling, rewind the animation Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Attribute Editor, Paint Effects, Graph Editor, Script Editor, Color Gallery, Edit Polygons, Edit Surfaces, Connection Editor, Texture View, Paint Set Membership, Set Driven Key, Component Editor, Paint Weights, Render View, Set Key, Auto Key, Dynamic Relationships, Rigid Body Solver, Edit Membership, Hotkey Editor, Key Selected, Dope Sheet, Rendering Basics, General Editors, Hardware Render Buffer New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
3D modeling and animation are among the most challenging tasks a person can do. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
brownian texture, winged vertices, boundary isoparm, freeform layout mode, adjusting goal weights, blobby surface, rigid body animation, rigid solver, passive rigid body, polygon proxy mode, editing deformations, marking menu, channel box, proxy mesh, active rigid body, keyable attributes, modeling window, animation menu set, blending clips, ndow command, pivot manipulator, sharing clips, animation curves, organic modeling, rewind the animation Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Attribute Editor, Paint Effects, Graph Editor, Script Editor, Color Gallery, Edit Polygons, Edit Surfaces, Connection Editor, Texture View, Paint Set Membership, Set Driven Key, Component Editor, Paint Weights, Render View, Set Key, Auto Key, Dynamic Relationships, Rigid Body Solver, Edit Membership, Hotkey Editor, Key Selected, Dope Sheet, Rendering Basics, General Editors, Hardware Render Buffer New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 3
books:
2
books
cite this book:
- The ILLUSION OF LIFE: DISNEY ANIMATION by Ollie Johnston on page 501, and Index
- Visual C++ 6 (In Record Time) by Steven Holzner on page 623
- The New World Order. by Harold Pinter on page 318
- Maya: Secrets of the Pros with CDROM by John Kundert-Gibbs in Front Matter, page 126, and Back Cover
- Maya 4.5 Savvy by John L. Kundert-Gibbs in Front Matter, and Back Cover
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