Description 

If you're just beginning to dive into the world of 3D, this is the book for you."
—Animation Magazine

The Academy Award® winning Maya® 3D animation and effects software is the first choice of film and video artists, game developers, and 3D design professionals. Discover how to build, render, and animate your own digital models and scenes, and begin to develop professional-level Maya skills with Introducing Maya 8: 3D for Beginners.

The latest edition of this popular bestseller is the ideal initiation to 3D and Maya. Starting with the basics, it builds from the ground up, combining straightforward text with practical examples that make it fun and easy to learn Maya's core features while introducing new Maya 8 elements such as improved polygon tools and enhanced rendering with mental ray. Clear-cut, engaging lessons let you experiment using the wealth of files provided on the CD. You'll also find an abundance of instructional and inspirational Maya creations in the full-color insert.

The enclosed CD features images, movies, and scene files that let you view material from the book right on your own computer. Tackle all-new rendering and dynamics tutorials and much more. The CD includes Maya Personal Learning Edition software.

Enter a New Dimension

• Get a solid grasp of core 3D and Computer Graphics concepts
• Learn to navigate the Maya 8 interface
• Experiment with modeling by creating a hand, an axe, and a locomotive
• Explore the basics of NURBS, polygons, and subdivision surfaces
• Discover the nuances of shading and texturing
• Rig a locomotive model for automated animation
• Create more natural lighting with mental ray soft shadow maps
• Use Maya's Render Layers and an Ambient Occlusion pass for greater reality
  

Learn how to create an IK walk cycle.

Table of Contents

• Introduction.
• Chapter 1: Introduction to Computer Graphics and 3D.
• Chapter 2: The Maya Interface.
• Chapter 3: Your First Maya Animation.
• Chapter 4: Modeling with Polygons.
• Chapter 5: Modeling with NURBS.
• Chapter 6: Further Modeling Topics: Deformers and Subdivision Surfaces.
• Chapter 7: Maya Shading and Texturing.
• Chapter 8: Introduction to Animation.
• Chapter 9: Further Animation Practices.
• Chapter 10: Maya Lighting.
• Chapter 11: Maya Rendering.
• Chapter 12: Maya Dynamics.
• Glossary.
• Index.