Maya Secrets of the Pros, 2/e (Paperback)

Description:

Featuring completely original material from a new team of Maya know-it-alls, this second edition of an award-winning book is sure to inform and inspire even the most seasoned Maya user. In this distinctive Maya Press title, a cadre of professionals led by two acclaimed Maya pros, reveal the precious secrets they’ve learned using Maya on high-profile CG projects such as The Matrix, Shrek 2, and X-Men.

In nine unique and compelling chapters, you’ll get detailed and sophisticated instruction on how to:

• Enhance fluidity and realism by generating complex motion with Maya Cloth
• Apply non-photorealistic rendering styles that mimic the look of comic books and impressionist paintings
• Emulate real-world camera motion, from dolly-and-pan movement to varying levels of camera shake
• Produce natural lighting effects using global illumination and image based lighting
• Ensure smooth and accurate transfer of character data from modeling to rigging to animation to lighting
• Control IK chains, deformers, and surfaces with Maya Hair's dynamic curves
• Use dynamics effectively to create flexible objects and add secondary effects to enhance your animation
• Use Maya’s built-in noise function to produce powerful effects similar to those used in “The Matrix” trilogy
• Create a human face from a conceptual sketch using subdivision surfaces

 

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1: Working with Maya Cloth
Work Flow with Cloth
Tutorial: Making a Skirt
Setting Up Cloth for General Animation
Interacting with Collision Objects
Affecting Cloth Motion Using Constraints
Avoiding Cloth Problems During Character Animation
Manually Updating Cloth
Saving Your Work
Alternative Uses for Maya Cloth
Always Learning

Chapter 2: Non-Photorealistic Rendering Techniques
Photorealism and Non-Photorealism
Integrating Hand-Drawn Textures with 3D Models
Creating Impressionistic-Style Images
Always Learning

Chapter 3: Realistic Camera Movement
CG Cinematography
Maya Camera Types
Creating a Dolly-and-Pan Shot Using a Two-Node Camera
Camera Lenses and Focal Lengths
Creating a Dolly Zoom
Re-creating Advanced Camera Motion
Capturing Camera Motion with Maya Live
Always Learning

Chapter 4: Radiosity and Image-Based Lighting Techniques in Production
A Quick Review
Using the Fresnel Effect
Ambient Occlusion
Illuminating Global Illumination
An IBL Real-World Application: Katana
Real-World Application: Research Lab
Additional Things to Try
Essential Techniques
Always Learning

Chapter 5: The Character Pipeline
The Structure of Things
Pipeline Flow Control
The Golden Rules of a Successful Pipeline
Defining a Character for the Pipeline
Creating a Ref Window
Expressions and Utility Nodes in Rigs
Always Learning

Chapter 6: Hair Systems
Hair at a Quick Glance
Using Hair Curves as Deformers
The Breaking Rope Effect
Driving a Character’s Secondary Motion
Animating a Shark
A Dancing MP3 Player
Always Learning

Chapter 7: A Dynamics Collection: Flexible Objects
The Antenna: A Three-Pronged Approach
Car Suspension Using Hair Dynamics
Raining Cats and Dogs
The Ring
Always Learning

Chapter 8: The Art of (Maya) Noise
First, a Little Theory
Building a Variable-Speed Fountain of Water
Creating an Energy Vortex
Generating a Hermite Electric Arc
Always Learning

Chapter 9: Advanced Character Modeling Using Polygons and Subdivision Surfaces
Modeling Concepts
Modeling the Face
Always Learning

Index