Maya 5 Savvy (PDF)

Savvy--n. Practical know-how.Maya, the premier high-end 3D application, is so powerful thatno one masters it without help. Maya 5 Savvy--athorough update to Maya 4.5 Savvy--is written for the Mayauser looking to boost their skills to the next level.Running throughout this book is a completely new, cohesive,expertly organized animation project that teaches specific Mayaskills and, at the same time, gives you valuable hands-on exposureto the entire animation production process. Staged support filesmean that you can begin and end work on this project anywhere youlike--which in turn means you can read this book cover tocover or use it as a reference, dipping in wherever you needinformation on or practice with specific modeling, animation, andrendering techniques. Everywhere you turn,you'll find expert adviceon the latest Maya features, time-saving shortcuts, and advancedcapabilities.Coverage includes:* Core Maya: interface briefing, plus planning, writing, andstoryboarding your animation.* Modeling: NURBS, polygons and subdivision surfaces, charactermodeling.* Animation: paths and bones, deformers, binding, Trax, rigidbody dynamics, MEL scripting, particle animation, expression-drivenanimation.* Output: rendering architecture, rendering, shading andtexturing, lighting, special light effects.* Advanced Tools and Techniques: Paint Effects, ramps andvolumes, soft body dynamics, Fluid Effects, Fur, Cloth.Note:CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are notincluded as part of eBook file.