Introducing Autodesk Maya 2013 Book

Introduction xvii

Chapter 1 Introduction to Computer Graphics and 3D 1
Art? 2
Computer Graphics 2
The Stages of Production 4
The CG Production Workflow 8
Core Concepts 10
Basic Film Concepts 21
Summary 26

Chapter 2 Jumping in Headfirst, with Both Feet 27
You Put the U in UI 28
Project Overview: The Solar System 33
The Preproduction Process: Planning 33
Creating a Project 34
The Production Process: Creating and Animating the Objects 36
Hierarchy and Maya Object Structure 49
The Solar System Resumed 52
Outputting Your Work: Playblasting 60
Summary 62

Chapter 3 The Autodesk Maya 2013 Interface 63
Navigating in Maya 64
Exploring the Maya Layout 64
Building a Decorative Box 78
Mapping the Box’s Reference Planes with Hypershade 82
Organizing Workflow with Layer Editor 86
Modeling the Decorative Box 88
Editing the Decorative Box Model Using the Shelf 94
Continuing the Decorative Box Model 99
Finishing the Decorative Box Model 102
Summary 109

Chapter 4 Beginning Polygonal Modeling 111
Planning Your Model 112
Polygon Basics 114
Poly Editing Tools 116
Putting the Tools to Use: Making a Simple Hand 120
Creating Areas of Detail on a Poly Mesh 127
Modeling a Catapult 134
Suggestions for Modeling Polygons 156
Summary 156

Chapter 5 Modeling with NURBS, Subdivisions, and Deformers 157
NURBS! NURBS! 158
Using NURBS Surfacing to Create Polygons 170
Converting a NURBS Model to Polygons 172
Editing NURBS Surfaces 173
Patch Modeling: A Locomotive Detail 175
Using Artisan to Sculpt NURBS 187
Modeling with Simple Deformers 189
The Lattice Deformer 193
Animating Through a Lattice 197
Subdivision Surfaces 200
Creating a Starfish 200
Building a Teakettle 205
Summary 213

Chapter 6 Practical Experience 215
Evaluating the Table Lamp 216
Modeling the Base 217
Creating the Lamp Stem 219
Modeling the Lampshade 231
Making the Toy Airplane 236
Using References 263
Finishing the Toy Airplane 265
Updating the Reference 268
Summary 269

Chapter 7 Autodesk Maya Shading and Texturing 271
Maya Shading 272
Shader Types 272
Shader Attributes 276
Texturing the Table Lamp 280
Textures and Surfaces 286
Textures and UVs for the Red Wagon 293
Photo-real Mapping: The Decorative Box 327
For Further Study 344
Summary 344

Chapter 8 Introduction to Animation 347
Keyframe Animation—Bouncing a Ball 348
Throwing an Axe 359
Replacing an Object 376
Animating Flying Text 377
Rigging the Locomotive, Part 1 382
Animating the Catapult 385
Summary 390

Chapter 9 More Animation! 393
Skeletons and Kinematics 394
Skeletons: The Hand 407
Inverse Kinematics 422
Basic Relationships: Constraints 427
Basic Relationships: Set-Driven Keys 432
Application: Rigging the Locomotive 435
Summary 442

Chapter 10 Autodesk Maya Lighting 443
Basic Lighting Concepts 444
Maya Lights 448
Light Linking 454
Adding Shadows 455
Raytracing Soft Shadows 459
mental ray Lighting 460
mental ray Physical Sun and Sky 462
Lighting Effects 467
Lighting the Table Lamp and Decorative Box 471
Further Lighting Practice 477
Tips for Using and Animating Lights 478
Summary 480

Chapter 11 Autodesk Maya Rendering 481
Rendering Setup 482
Previewing Your Render: The Render View Window 491
Reflections and Refractions 493
Using Cameras 495
Motion Blur 501
Batch Rendering 501
Rendering the Wine Bottle 502
mental ray for Maya 506
Render Layers 511
Final Gather 520
Ambient Occlusion 523
HDRI 530
Displacement Mapping the Decorative Box 532
Rendering the Lamp and Decorative Box 540
Summary 550

Chapter 12 Autodesk Maya Dynamics and Effects 551
An Overview of Dynamics and Maya Nucleus 552
Rigid and Soft Dynamic Bodies 552
Animating with Dynamics: The Pool Table 556
Fun Dynamics: Shoot the Catapult! 565
nParticle Dynamics 568
Emitting nParticles 568
Animating a Particle Effect: Locomotive Steam 574
Introduction to Paint Effects 580
Toon Shading 584
Customizing Maya 587
Summary 591
Where Do You Go from Here? 591

Index 593