Customer Reviews

Maya 6 Killer Tips

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a complete newbie to anything Maya, I was hoping that Maya 6: Killer Tips would be different from the other Maya how-to books I've ventured to look at in the local bookstore (and promptly placed back on the shelf once my eyes finished glazing over.)
I was not disappointed; in fact I was bordering on elation. Here finally is a well-laid out, very easy to understand Maya 6 manual. While the authors state in the introduction that this book is designed for the advancing intermediate Maya artist, I had no problems whatsoever understanding what they were trying to show. This book is well illustrated, with clear screenshots showing exactly what the tip is saying.
The tips themselves are not highly technical, long-drawn out explanations that only a Maya programmer would understand. They are concise and are sometimes interspersed with humour. Humour can go along way when one is ready to send Maya to the land of "click the red x" never to be seen again.
Reading through Maya 6: Killer Tips actually made me feel some enthusiasm for attempting once again to conquer the Maya beast. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who uses Maya 6, from the newbie like myself to the advanced artist who thinks there is nothing more to learn about using Maya. This book is definitely a five star edition.
-Adaera-

I just recieved this book and I've already learned 10 new things, and I've only read 10 pages. If the bible was this concise I know I'd be a better person. I would however not recommend this book to begginners - who should be looking for instruction manuals, not 'Tips'.

This book is a must have for anyone from students to industry professionals. Concise, to the point info that can cut your worktime in half and totally boost your performance!

Needless to say they have done it again. This book contains a plethora of information, old and new. And for those who demand substance they have added a little over a hundred additional pages of information. A must have for the Maya artist.

I continue to find inspiration and new ideas from this book day after day. Each page has an insight or tip that you will likely not have considered before. It's rare to find a book with so much production-oriented real-world knowledge. This is an essential book for any 3D animator's bookshelf whether you use Maya or some other 3D application.

If you are tired of buying 300 page books where you might find 2 or 3 new tips you didn't know about Maya before, than this book is a must have. Almost twice as thick as its predecessor (Maya 5 Killer Tips), this book is chalk full of cool stuff you probably don't know about. Written with a sense of humor (yes, I have actually chuckled out loud while reading), and by some of the industries leading professionals, this book is easy to read, and every tip in here makes you go "ahhh...thats cool!" Page after page of short, but very sweet tips on how to get the most out of Maya, this book covers everything from customizing your Maya startup screen to character rigging, lighting and rendering, to modeling and professional camera work, to dynamics and MEL scripting, this book delivers and plethora (yes I used plethora) of Killer Tips. I can't recommend this book enough!

David Conlon
Graduate Student at USC
School of Cinema Television
Division of Animation and Digital Arts

...but I absolutely LOVE this one. It is everything it says it is. I'm an intermediate user of Maya 5 and found every page had a meaty, time-saving killer tip. It does not waste time with step-by-step instruction, but rather describes the process to achieve a certain effect or technique. If you don't know the Maya interface, this book is not for you. But if you have exhausted all the obvious functions, this book will turn the leftovers in your fridge into a gourmet meal. "Killer Tips" is intended for version 6, but as a version 5 user, in a few pages it was already worth the purchase. Humor is a little corny at times, but this book earns the right to dress whatever way it wants. Can't wait for more from Hanson...Keep 'em coming!!!

Engaging and enlightening tips and tricks. Each shorter than a page, always with a corresponding screenshot, or photo. Nice resource to keep around your desk.

This book was a recomended text for an advanced animaiton class. As other reviewers have mentioned, it is not for the novice. However, if you have a few tutorals under your belt, there will be something in here for you, and the more you know, the more you'll get out of it. I found it to be well worth the cost.

This book is a great book for people who already know Maya. The author uses some sarcasim to get some of his points across, but other than that very informative. Do not get this book if you are looking for a book with Tuturials, none is provided.