Maya 6 Visual QuickStart Guide

Description

Imagine being able to add a luscious mane of long, flowing hair to your Maya-created action heroine--and then being able to braid it, curl it, and style it to your heat's desire. With Maya 6 and this task-based guide, you can do that and a lot more on the way to creating ever more sophisticated 3D worlds with Alias' newly updated modeling and animation software. In this eagerly anticipated update to everybody's favorite Maya tome, best-selling author Danny Riddell uses a combination of task-based instruction and strong visual aids to take you step by step through all of today's Maya's essentials: Character animation and setup, polygonal modeling, dynamic interaction with Windows, and more. Whether you're a beginning user who wants a thorough introduction to the topic or a more advanced user looking for a convenient reference, you'll find what you need here--in straightforward language and through readily accessible examples, peppered with tons of timesaving tips and tricks.

CONTENTS:

Basics
Navigating the interface
Creating primitives & text
Selection modes
Transforming objects
Grouping
NURBS curves
Polygons
Subdiv surfaces
Skeletons
Animation
Deformers
Creating lights
Shaders
Cameras & rendering
MEL
Dynamics