3D Animation Using Maya

Modeling — Curves and Surfaces (Intermediate Skills) (3D Animation Using Maya) Part 1

The NURBS curve is an invaluable tool to use in the creation of surfaces, paths, tfnpA and control objects. There are three primary ways to create them in Maya: Edit r~^7 Point (EP) Curve Tool, Control Vertex (CV) Curve Tool, and Pencil Curve Tool. It is also possible to create new curves by extracting existing […]

Modeling — Curves and Surfaces (Intermediate Skills) (3D Animation Using Maya) Part 2

Modeling Exercise — Revolves and Curve History 1.    Set your project to understanding_maya\Chapter03\modeling_curve_history_bottles. 2.    Open the scene modeling_curve_history_bottles_begin.ma. 3.    You’ll see a small set of shelves with some milk bottles on them. There is also a set of NURBS curves (see Figure 3.18). 4.    The three bottles are each dependent on the curve to their […]

Modeling — Curves and Surfaces (Intermediate Skills) (3D Animation Using Maya) Part 3

Modeling Exercise — Lofting Curves: Slide 1. In the front view, use the CV Curve Tool to create a curve in the shape of a water slide’s cross-section. Make the curve about six units wide and four units tall (see Figure 3.24). Figure 3.24: Loft profile curve 2.    Notice how the curve’s pivot point is […]

Animation — Fine Tuning Animation (Intermediate Skills) (3D Animation Using Maya) Part 1

What is animation in Maya? One answer is: values that change over time. Think of the pattern we have established in our animation exercises: time-value-key to set DHUJ the first keyframe, change time-value-key to set the second, and so on. This process is used to lay down the foundation of your animation, the key poses. […]

Animation — Fine Tuning Animation (Intermediate Skills) (3D Animation Using Maya) Part 2

Animation Exercise — Tangents 1.    Set your project to understanding_maya\Chapter03\Animation_tangents. 2.    Open the scene animation_tangent_spheres.ma. 3.    You’ll see a sphere sitting on the ground. Make sure your animation playback preferences have been set to real-time (24 fps). Press play. The sphere goes up and down over the course of two seconds. Notice how the sphere’s […]

Animation — Fine Tuning Animation (Intermediate Skills) (3D Animation Using Maya) Part 3

Animation Exercise — Tangent Plane To edit function curve tangency in a more practical example, we’ll control the acceleration and braking of the airplane model. 1.    Set your project to understanding_maya\Chapter03\animation_tangent_plane. 2.    Open the scene animation_tangent_plane_begin.ma. 3.    Press play — you’ll see the airplane moving at a constant rate (see Figure 3.49). 4.    In Hierarchy […]

Shading — Texture Maps (Intermediate Skills) (3D Animation Using Maya)

Well, any image file you can create — through painting, scanning, photography, or image creation programs such as Adobe Photoshop — can be used as a texture map on your shader (see Figures 3.60). Figure 3.60: Texturing an object By clicking the checker icon next to the Color attribute of a material you will bring […]

Lighting — Soft Shadows and Gobos (Intermediate Skills) (3D Animation Using Maya) Part 1

Realistic shadows can really improve the quality of your scenes. It can be jarring to VV    look at an otherwise realistically lit scene that lacks the proper shadows. Depending  on the light source that casts them, realistic shadows can be either hard or soft at their edges, uniform or gradual in their darkness, and even […]

Lighting — Soft Shadows and Gobos (Intermediate Skills) (3D Animation Using Maya) Part 2

Lighting Exercise — Barn Gobo 1.    Set your project to understanding_maya\Chapter03\lighting_barn_gobos. 2.    Open the scene lighting_barn_gobo_begin.ma. 3.    Activate the Camera1 view panel and then open the Render Globals. 4.    Set the Resolution preset to 640 x 480, and then set the Anti-aliasing Quality preset to Intermediate. (You may want to choose Production quality settings at […]

Rendering — Depth of Field (Intermediate Skills) (3D Animation Using Maya)

Typically, one of your goals in rendering will be to mimic the look of film shot \ età through a still or motion picture camera. By default, Maya’s renderer operates a bit like a perfect camera in a vacuum — there are no flaws. This sounds great, but it’s nothing like what audiences are used […]

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