Book Description
Beginning with complete coverage of the theory and background of the Maya paradigm and work flow, you'll learn why tools function the way they do and practice with step-by-step tutorials that teach you where to find commands and how to use them.
Whether you are a beginning or intermediate Maya user, there is something here for you. For those of you just starting out with Maya, start from the beginning. You'll learn how Maya organizes its workspace, how it "thinks" of digital space, and how to work within that space. Immediately after, you'll dive into the many levels of modeling within Maya, and then progress to Maya's shading methods and animation. For intermediate users, you can jump between topics and focus on those you need more practice with or are most interested in.
If you want to harness the power of Maya and make it an efficient tool for your projects, this is the place to get started!
KEY FEATURES
* Teaches users how to navigate Maya's multifunctional interface and master the essential tools
* Covers both PC and Mac versions and provides platform-specific guidelines when needed
* Explores the theory and background of the Maya paradigm and work flow to provide users with a thorough understanding of the "why" behind the tools
* Provides step-by-step tutorials that teach key techniques and functions
* Includes appendices covering reference material on what software is needed to run Maya effectively and how to customize the Maya interface
ON THE CD! * Full color versions of all the images from within the book * Results of the tutorials and several in-process versions of the tutorial files
