This exceptional, full?colour Autodesk Maya Press title ? produced by Autodesk, the software?s creators ? uses Sony?s full?length animated "Open Season" for the book?s all?new hands?on tutorials for Maya 8. By following the step?by?step tutorials, readers will learn the Maya interface and the basics of modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects using real?world production files from a full?length feature film. The DVD provides further reinforcement with instructor?led tutorial videos and other resources for extended learning.

With this book readers will:

• Become familiar with the Maya User Interface
• Work in 3D space
• Model with NURBS (Spline)
• Model with Polygons
• Set Keyframes and Motion Paths
• Learn to use Trax Non?linear animation
• Apply Forward and Inverse Kinematics
• Deform surfaces
• Set cameras and lights
• Create Shaders and Textures
• Discover rendering techniques
• Explore particles and Dynamics
• Begin to use MEL (Maya Embedded Language)

This exceptional, full-colour "Autodesk Maya Press" title - produced by Autodesk, the software’s creators - uses Sony’s full-length animated "Open Season" for the book’s all-new hands-on tutorials for Maya 8. By following the step-by-step tutorials, readers will learn the Maya interface and the basics of modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects using real-world production files from a full-length feature film. The DVD provides further reinforcement with instructor-led tutorial videos and other resources for extended learning. With this book, readers will: become familiar with the Maya User Interface; work in 3D space; model with NURBS (Spline)’; model with Polygons; set Keyframes and Motion Paths; learn to use Trax Non-linear animation; apply Forward and Inverse Kinematics; deform surfaces; set cameras and lights; create Shaders and Textures; discover rendering techniques; explore particles and Dynamics; and begin to use MEL (Maya Embedded Language).

This exceptional, full-color Autodesk Maya Press title -- produced by Autodesk (formerly Alias), the software’s creators -- uses Sony’s full-length animated "Open Season" for the book’s all-new hands-on tutorials for Maya 8. By following the step-by-step tutorials, readers will learn the Maya interface and the basics of modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects using real-world production files from a full-length feature released to movie theaters. The DVD provides further reinforcement with instructor-led tutorial videos and other resources for extended learning.
With this book readers will:

• Become familiar with the Maya User Interface
• Work in 3D space
• Model with NURBS (Spline)
• Model with Polygons
• Set Keyframes and Motion Paths
• Learn to use Trax Non-linear animation
• Apply Forward and Inverse Kinematics
• Deform surfaces
• Set cameras and lights
• Create Shaders and Textures
• Discover rendering techniques
• Explore particles and Dynamics
• Begin to use MEL (Maya Embedded Language)

This exceptional, full-colour Autodesk Maya Press title - produced by Autodesk, the software’s creators - uses Sony’s full-length animated "Open Season" for the book’s all-new hands-on tutorials for Maya 8. By following the step-by-step tutorials, readers will learn the Maya interface and the basics of modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects using real-world production files from a full-length feature film. The DVD provides further reinforcement with instructor-led tutorial videos and other resources for extended learning.

With this book readers will:

• Become familiar with the Maya User Interface
• Work in 3D space
• Model with NURBS (Spline)
• Model with Polygons
• Set Keyframes and Motion Paths
• Learn to use Trax Non-linear animation
• Apply Forward and Inverse Kinematics
• Deform surfaces
• Set cameras and lights
• Create Shaders and Textures
• Discover rendering techniques
• Explore particles and Dynamics
• Begin to use MEL (Maya Embedded Language)

Fast service.

All was good, but I think the CD cracked at some point. :’( Otherwise, very satisfied. :-)

Maya 8 /Foundation

This is absolutely the first book on Maya anyone should have. It is aimed toward the beginner with many practical exercises. The DVD contains all the material you will need to complete the projects as well as sketch pad software. The book assumes you know how to navigate the Maya user interface. I would recommend working though the tutorials that come with the software first.

Very good book

Sometime ago I had 3D Maya 8 classes, but then after finishing it, my mistake, I didn’t go on with practice and happened to forget lots of things (95% of all, I bet). Then I bought this book and now I can say I’m truly learning it properly, the book is complete, step by step you can feel you’re making some very good progress (and it’s really fast). It comes with a DVD which you can also have video classes about all lessons and interviews with 2 Sony Pictures’ professionals who worked in the feature film "Open Season". Really great.

Seems perfect for a beginner

I have purchased this book about three weeks ago, and so far I have read and done almost the whole first chapter. I must say I am pleased with it thus far. The book is well written, with the examples being simple and clear. One more thing I liked about it is that they guide you through a step (say creating a box) and then whenever there is a step which you are supposed to know how to do, they expect you to figure it out, thus making you learn better (the step you are supposed to do on your own are not complicated).
I once started to learn MAYA 4 FUNDAMENTALS by Jim Lammers and Lee Gooding, and I have to say this one is much better for a beginner.
Enjoy,
Shai

Great book!

This is a very easy to read book. The step by step instructions are very good. Great way to start Maya.

Excellent beginners book with some advance topics

After reading numerous reviews for beginners books for Maya, I chose to try this Foundation book, and I am glad I did. This book covers all the basics to get started in Maya, with numerous examples for you to build. The DVD includes all the completed examples so that you can see how well you are doing.
By the time you finish this book, you should have a complete working knowledge on how to create an animation scene from start to finish.
When I say ’advance topics’, they were advanced to me since I did not have any prior experience with Maya. One example is the chapter on the Maya Embedded Language (MEL) and scripting.

If you have a good working knowledge of the basics of Maya, this book will probably bore you. Instead, I would recommend "Mastering Maya 8.5", which I also purchased. That book covers the more advance topics without boring you with basic Maya functionality.

Great step by step

This book is an amazing beginner book. Within the first few lessons you have an understanding of how to use maya and the Projects are excellent.
I have learnt so much from this book.
Follow it page for page and you will be able to master Maya

Helpful Book

This book is well structured and easy to use for reference. It is set at a good level for beginning learning. If you want a book that goes more in depth about more advanced things in Maya, this might not be for you. This book contains a good foundation for learning, but does not go in depth when it comes to critical processes such as skin weights.

An Excellent Way to Learn Maya

I purchased this book recently for a 3D animation class I am taking at school, and I have found it to be an excellent way to learn Maya. Although this book is for Maya version 8, I use version 8.5 and have noticed only very minor differences (nothing to worry about).

This book is in full color, which makes the screenshots easy to follow. The introduction starts out with a general overview of all aspects of Maya, which helped me to understand better how things worked together from the very beginning. Each of the five major projects in the book focus on reproducing elements from Sony Picture’s CG movie Open Season, as shown on the book cover. These projects are completely new from the Maya 7 version of this book. It was kind of cool to create things that were used in a real movie.

I felt the learning curve was pretty well thought out. The writers of the book realize how complex the Maya software is, and they give you instructions on how to perform certain tasks several times before expecting you to remember on your own. The book also comes with a supplementary DVD which contains lots of extras, including the completed Maya files from every chapter in the book, just in case you get stuck or want to skip ahead.

This book is an excellent learning tool for someone new to Maya, or perhaps an intermediate user who wants to more fully understand how to use the software.

for beginner

this book shows very easy way to study maya program.

colorful and thoughful.

for beginner

this book shows very easy way to study maya program.

colorful and thoughful.

Excellent resource

Learning Autodesk Maya 8|Foundation +DVD
by Autodesk Maya Press is an excellent guide to the wonderful world of 3D animation using the Maya 8 software. The authors guide you through the complete process involved in working on an animated feature film and the hands-on projects provide you with an excellent opportunity to develop the skills to work at a major studio.

George Leslie Hicks
Hicks Animation Studios

Excellent resource

Learning Autodesk Maya 8|Foundation +DVD
by Autodesk Maya Press is an excellent guide to the wonderful world of 3D animation using the Maya 8 software. The authors guide you through the complete process involved in working on an animated feature film and the hands-on projects provide you with an excellent opportunity to develop the skills to work at a major studio.

George Leslie Hicks
Hicks Animation Studios

How to learn with real targets

Great book, really. "Learning Autodesk Maya 8" is a book for those who want to learn how to use Maya, but need objectives or a goal.

Rather than just describing the tools and a few techniques, this book leads you to a full animated scene, and gives a glimpse of what’s behind the scenes when creating animation professionally. I’m still through half the book, but the sense of acomplishment is great, as you advance, the scene grows in complexity, and you learn more and more about the subject.

It’s also extremely easy to read and understand, and is hard to miss the point.Also, there are lots of useful tips, and all the topics are quite well covered.

I’ve given 4 stars instead of 5, because I’d have liked more insight in modelling stuff, but still, great book there, and I strongly recommend it. Obviously has the seal of quality that Autodesk imprompts to all their works.

Great, just one problem.

The book is great. I love it. The videos really helped me out with learning the interface and stuff, because that part was boring to read in a book. Anyways, I am only having a problem on one part of the book (Page 59) where I have to make a wire from the lamp to the wall. Now I don’t know what I’m missing, but I just can’t get it right. Can someone give me some pointers on that. I’m serious about learning Maya, and this one thing is killing me! Thanks, and I highly recommend this book.

New to maya 8

This book continues from maya 7, some updates and worth while just for the use of the fur and hair effects. Great book for those new to maya.

Great way to get started, and a great compliment to any Maya class

I’m taking my first Maya class after studying motion graphics for a while, and this book has been a tremendous help. It’s very well written and the full color pages really help illustrate the variety of grids, CVs, selections and menu options, that would be very hard to read in a black and white book.

Maya can be a very intimidating program but this book really gets you very comfortable quickly with a general overview of tools and techniques, before getting in to the more thorough walkthroughs of modeling, skinning, rigging, and more.

My only criticism of the book is that occasionally when there are walkthroughs on creating the example models, despite the explanations being very thorough, there is occasionally a step skipped, which can be confusing but at those stages I’ve been able to figure it out. I can imagine how difficult it is to write a step by step tutorial for modeling a bear from a box so I’ll forgive them here!

Great!

A beginner-friendly Maya book, smartly laid out, with helpful screenshots and Quicktime tutorials for us visual learners. Puts you on solid footing for more advanced study.

Learning feels good

I completed the first lesson in about 5 hours, which was really easy to follow along. No intimidation so far, but im ready to tackle my own project now. I wish there was better things to make other than a garage, bear, and a jeep. There was some other small stuff too. Maya is alot easier than it appears by its interface. Have fun, and get to know Maya....I like it.

Really good book for the beginning Maya artist.

This book is a really good tool for anyone who is looking to start learning Maya 8. It explains very clearly what to do for each exercise and provides the tutorials, materials, and models on the bonus DVD.

Frustrating read due to missing information

I was quite impressed with this book until I got to the section where you have to model the legs and feet of Boog. The book fails to tell you that you need to turn off ’Keep Faces Together’ when extending the legs (this I discovered after a couple of hours of ’playing around’ with the software). By this time I had already saved, so it seems there is no turning back without rebuilding the model from scratch (or mirroring one half of the geometry).
There is also mention of an orb as if you are modelling it during the tutorial, although it actually only refers to an example illustration.

In general I feel that its not bad, but should have been tested a little more thoroughly, it can be very vague in places and misleading in others.

Ive not completed it yet, and although ive definately learned alot thus far, its not been without some pretty frustrating times spent surfing the web or help files for information that should have been made clearer in this book.

Just what you need to begin.

Very easy to understand, does not overwhelm, perfect for beginning.

Surprisingly Good Tutorials

This text is required for my Maya class. Before purchasing this book I had been of the perspective that "tutorial" books were relatively useless because their focus on a particular project necessarily meant that they were not ideal as reference tools. While I still believe this to be true, to a certain extent, I have also learned far more from this book than all of my others combined.

I have seen several other reviews for this book that point out "errors" in the instructions. While at times I have run across various sections that appear, at first, to have incorrect directions (as have many of my fellow students), in EVERY SINGLE CASE it was due to not reading the material carefully enough. I have successfully completed both sections listed by the other reviewers (and, indeed, about half the book) without any real difficulty.

The material itself is very well done. Although the book moves somewhat quickly from introductory stuff (background, interface, etc) to some relatively complex modeling, rigging and animation it nevertheless manages to stay quite easy to read, understand and follow.

Before reading this book both ’skinning’ and ’rigging’ were strange words that described even stranger processes which were as mystifying to me as they were intimidating. Now I am eager and ready to jump off and create my own characters. With this book I am confidant that I can take the process from beginning to end; from modeling to skinning, rigging, texturing, animation and rendering.

Indespensable

This book is all you need for getting started in Maya. With this book you don’t even need any other instruction. The only downside is that some of the instructions are vague(ie. "dothese three things and then go to the next step") but it does force you to figure things out for yourself.

Does the trick!

Needed this book for an animation class. So for It has worked like a charm

Perfect

Book looks great, had the DVD, only a white sticker at the base of the spine (not sure what that is there for, it was blank). Otherwise it was in mint condition.

Great Overall Book

This book is very quick with tutorials and walks you through step by step. You go from learning interface then basic tools, then go right into modeling and the works. This is a real good book to get you better used to Maya and its amazing tools.

A month in

I’m a beginner to maya 8. I had honeslty never used the program before. I bought the book because I thought it would be an enexpensive way of learning the book. I’m on page 186 and I am stuck at a part of making the bears two legs. I got the torso to work by following the instructions but the instructions for the legs , I can’t get anything close to the picture in the book. The instructions are as follows; Select the proxy geometry and display its faces. Select the two faces from underneath the pelvis to start extruding the legs. Select Edit Mesh -> Extrude. Move and scale the extruded faces down to the bear’s knees.
The problem is once I extrude the two faces they are stuck together (earlier in the chapter it says to make sure the option Edit Mesh -> Keep Faces Together is on and has a section about modelling an ’orb’ out of nowhere that has no relevance in the chapter, because its about modelling the rough body of the bear not anything to do with an orb), while in the picture the legs are split apart (like two normal legs are). I have been stuck a few other times in the book, but not for more then 30 minutes as if you follow the instructions ’word for word’ the book is correct... up to this point. I am still stuck, and as for the other review about the man being stuck on page 51, I have to say he is wrong, if you follow the instructions exactly (don’t assume you know more then the author, or even what you are doing if you don’t) up to this point the book has been wonderful in helping me learn maya. I must warn though I am still stuck at this part and at the start of the book it says ’Updates to this book - In an effort to ensure your continued success through the lessons in this book, please visit our web site for the latest updates available. I visited the page hoping there would be something for me to find, but the web page was not found and I could not find the book by searching anywhere on the website. Unless I am simply mistaken in my efforts (I hope somone will read this and give me a pointer perhaps) this book is incorrect at this part and the author makes the legs his own way and doesn’t give instructions on how to make them properly (basically saying you know how to make objects that look like legs and you have a torso , now make it look like the picture). I must warn to anyone who buys the book, there is no support for the book, and I would DEFINATELY NOT recommend it to anyone beginner-intermediate with computers because you will lose interest in frustration. I have been an versed computer person for years and I myself am now stuck at page 187, I was stuck a few times before but I think due to being experienced with computers I was able to work my out. I hope this review is helpful and I know its very long and if you have the book and know how to make the legs look like the picture email me.

Quite good so far!

I would like to point out a very serious error in one of the other reviews. The one titled ’Many wrong directions’. When I first read that review I almost decided not to buy this book! But finally I did buy it. And when I reached page 51 - the one that ’Truth Teller Tiger’ was complaining about - I realized he was simply wrong. When the books directions says ’...In the Polygons menu set..’ It means just that - Select ’Polygons’ Menu set out of the list of ’Animations, Polygons,Surfaces’ etc. It doesn’t say you should look for ’Display -> Polygons -> Normals’(That "Display -> Polygons ->" option was used in the previous step - and that was clearly marked as a different step). I am surprised this reviewer has ’spent hours and hours’ trying to figure this out- which took me not even 30 seconds - and I am completely new to Maya! So I wouldn’t blame the books directions as yet. I feel ’Truth Teller Tiger’s review is very misleading for this reason. I just thought other readers considering this book may find this information useful. May be it is too early for me to rate this book as I am only at page 51. So please don’t take my 5 star rating too seriously now. I Just wanted to warn people about this misleading review. I will update my review after I have gone further with this book.

Many wrong directions

This book is not too bad for a beginner. But it has many wrong directions. An example is on p. 51. The fourth line from the top on the page (p. 51) reads:
"With the cub still selected and in the Polygons menu set, select Normals -> Reverse." I spent hours and hours, trying to find Display -> Polygons -> Normals, but unsuccessfully. It is simply not there. The authors should have tested all the directions in the book at least before sending it the press.
It is just one example. It is beyond comprehension why the authors and the publisher did not test the directions even once.

Good book for beginners

I enjoy this book. It really helps beginners understand Maya and work in it.

a godsend

possibly the single most useful book i’ve read as part of my course, i’m doing some 3d modelling and this book is well.. a godsend, goes over everything i need to get my work done and help my lecturer out with his phd

Open Season on CGI manual tie-ins


I didn’t realise that everything you learn in this book is based upon the movie Open Season and some of its models.

I’m a 3D animator making the switch from Blender to Maya, so I downloaded the latest version of Maya Personal Learning Edition. This is basically Maya 7 with less features, so it is NOT compatible with this book fully.

My needs for a Maya book were that it shouldn’t be too hard or too easy - it should get more and more tech as it goes along. Well, in this book you’ll be learning to model the garage Boog the bear sleeps in - and that’s pretty much it. There are no forest scenes, no McSquizzy, and the most idiotic thing, there’s no fur tutorials! WTF!

It is obvious that the authors of this book have stretched out all of what they deem ’basic’ 3D and Maya knowledge, just so they can sell 2 or 3 books instead of just the one. If you’re looking for tidbits on how Open Season was made, you’re looking in the wrong place. Boog is the only model you get to look inside.

Where they could have written an excellent manual with hints and tricks from Open Season’s animation team, they’ve been lazy and made a manual which is under-nourishing and under-stimulating. Even the techniques taught aren’t the most intuitive (well neither is Maya) but I have the feeling that using this book, it would take a longer time to become an intermediate user (and buy the next book up in ability level).

Pretty Durn Good

What a great start! I knew very little about Maya. Was even fearful that this would’ve been a book that would overwhelm me. But I took the chance and I’ve been pleased. It is very clearly laid out and with great instructions. They do occasionally gloss over basic instructions (maybe it’s because it may be too basic). A guy, like me, appreciates the holding the pencil as I work approach, but with this book I was even able to navigate through using the Maya 7.0PLE with a MAC! (this takes a bit o’ trial n’ error). But it is a very useful start off point. The video included are so helpful you can watch each individual movie to remind yourself where you’re at with the tools.

I have to admit, some of my models are clunky (think the first clay ashtray you made for your folks, y’get the picture). But I made them. And I can only get better, now with the tools I was given.

I actually knew Combustion, so I can only skip over that. I don’t know what they may have improved from 7 (because I heard a lot of complaining) but I’ve had no problems. Recommended.
Good job.