Introducing Autodesk Maya

This book is your perfect hands?on guide to start animating quickly. Using approachable, real?world exercises, you?ll master the fundamentals of this animation software by following full?color screenshots step by step. Each chapter opens with a quick discussion of concepts and learning objectives, and then launches into hands?on tutorials that give you firsthand experience and a good start on preparing for the 3ds Max certification exam. You?ll learn the basics of modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects. Whether you?re a complete beginner or migrating from another 3D application, this task?based book provides the solid grounding you need in Autodesk 3ds Max.

Key Features

• Model your character with polygons, meshes, and more.
• Add motion with simple and complex animations.
• Add color and textures to visualize materials and surfaces.
• Render interior scenes with great lighting and camera placement.

Chapter 01 Introduction to Computer Graphics and 3D

Chapter 02 Jumping Into Basic Animation Headfirst

Chapter 03 The Autodesk® Maya® Interface

Chapter 04 Beginning Polygonal Modeling

Chapter 05 Modeling with NURBS Surfaces and Deformers

Chapter 06 Practical Experience!

Chapter 07 Autodesk® Maya® Shading and Texturing

Chapter 08 Introduction to Animation

Chapter 09 More Animation!

Chapter 10 Autodesk® Maya® Lighting

Chapter 11 Autodesk® Maya® and Arnold Rendering

Chapter 12 Autodesk® Maya® Dynamics and Effects

Dariush Derakhshani is a Creative Director and CG Supervisor with Radium in Santa Monica and an award-winning CG animator and author of several Maya books, including the best-selling series Introducing Maya: 3D for Beginners and Maya: Secrets of the Pros. Dariush has been an animator and supervisor on commercials and feature films for the past 10 years at such places as Café FX, Cobalt FX, and Sight Effects. Dariush has an MFA in Film, TV and Computer Animation from USC Film School and has been teaching Maya and animation classes in Los Angeles for the past six years for schools like USC, Art Institute of Ca., and Gnomon. Dariush is the Editor in Chief of HDRI3d Magazine and has been publishing tutorials, articles, and books on Maya for the past four years in such publications as Post, CGW, 3D World, DigitalMediaNet.com, and AWN.com. He was inducted into the Visual Effects Society this year and has won the 2003 London Advertising Award for commercial effects, the Bronze Plaque from the Columbus Film Festival, a graduate fellowship from Paramount Pictures and shares other accolades from the London International Advertising Festival and the AICP (American Independent Commercial Producers).