Brought to you from Maya Press, here’s the only official guide to creating 3D game art and animations with Maya. Written by a production artist at a leading game company, this book uses a real-world, tutorial approach to teach you everything from modeling, texturing, and animation, to special effects techniques used to create cutting edge games. The CD features a fully functioning version of the Maya Personal Learning Edition as well as models, textures, animations, motion studies, and other files to support the book’s tutorials. It’s ideal for artists looking to break into the field, and students and "modders" who build game content.

The Definitive Resource for Up-and-Coming 3D Game Artists

Alias’ award-winning Maya 3D animation and effects software continues to lead the industry in technological innovation and is being adopted by more and more console and computer game developers. The Game Artist’s Guide to Maya is an official introduction to creating 3D game art and animations with Maya, brought to you by Maya Press, a publishing partnership between Alias and Sybex. Written by a production artist at a prominent game company, this detailed book focuses on the skills real game artists use daily to create stunning characters and environments.

By following the discussions and tutorials, you’ll bring a concept through the entire game art development pipeline, learning everything from modeling, texturing, rigging, and animation, to special effects. You’ll also glean insights from industry professionals and see how Maya has been used in popular games. If you’re a 3D game artist, or looking to become one, this book will help you master the skills and techniques you’ll need to excel in the competitive games industry.

Inside, you’ll learn how to:

• Create a game model using a concept image as your guide
• Model with predetermined real-time polycount limitations in mind
• View martial arts videos on the book’s CD to animate your character more realistically
• Prepare a model for texturing with UV mapping and layout techniques
• Create different kinds of textures
• Master the rigging process, from setting up a skeleton to preparing blend shapes
• Practice techniques for creating animation clips to work with in the Trax Editor
• Use particle effects, such as sprites and animated geometry, to add pizzazz to your model

The Definitive Resource for Up-and-Coming 3D Game Artists

Alias’ award-winning Maya 3D animation and effects software continues to lead the industry in technological innovation and is being adopted by more and more console and computer game developers. The Game Artist’s Guide to Maya is an official introduction to creating 3D game art and animations with Maya, brought to you by Maya Press, a publishing partnership between Alias and Sybex. Written by a production artist at a prominent game company, this detailed book focuses on the skills real game artists use daily to create stunning characters and environments.

By following the discussions and tutorials, you’ll bring a concept through the entire game art development pipeline, learning everything from modeling, texturing, rigging, and animation, to special effects. You’ll also glean insights from industry professionals and see how Maya has been used in popular games. If you’re a 3D game artist, or looking to become one, this book will help you master the skills and techniques you’ll need to excel in the competitive games industry.

Inside, you’ll learn how to:

• Create a game model using a concept image as your guide
• Model with predetermined real-time polycount limitations in mind
• View martial arts videos on the book’s CD to animate your character more realistically
• Prepare a model for texturing with UV mapping and layout techniques
• Create different kinds of textures
• Master the rigging process, from setting up a skeleton to preparing blend shapes
• Practice techniques for creating animation clips to work with in the Trax Editor
• Use particle effects, such as sprites and animated geometry, to add pizzazz to your model

The Definitive Resource for Up-and-Coming 3D Game Artists

Alias’ award-winning Maya® 3D animation and effects software continues to lead the industry in technological innovation and is being adopted by more and more console and computer game developers. The Game Artist’s Guide to Maya is an official introduction to creating 3D game art and animations with Maya, brought to you by Maya Press, a publishing partnership between Alias and Sybex. Written by a production artist at a prominent game company, this detailed book focuses on the skills real game artists use daily to create stunning characters and environments.

By following the discussions and tutorials, you’ll bring a concept through the entire game art development pipeline, learning everything from modeling, texturing, rigging, and animation, to special effects. You’ll also glean insights from industry professionals and see how Maya has been used in popular games. If you’re a 3D game artist, or looking to become one, this book will help you master the skills and techniques you’ll need to excel in the competitive games industry.

Inside, you’ll learn how to:

• Create a game model using a concept image as your guide
• Model with predetermined real-time polycount limitations in mind
• View martial arts videos on the book’s CD to animate your character more realistically
• Prepare a model for texturing with UV mapping and layout techniques
• Create different kinds of textures
• Master the rigging process, from setting up a skeleton to preparing blend shapes
• Practice techniques for creating animation clips to work with in the Trax Editor
• Use particle effects, such as sprites and animated geometry, to add pizzazz to your model

The Definitive Resource for Up-and-Coming 3D Game Artists
Alias’ award-winning Maya(r) 3D animation and effects software continues to lead the industry in technological innovation and is being adopted by more and more console and computer game developers. The Game Artist’s Guide to Maya is an official introduction to creating 3D game art and animations with Maya, brought to you by Maya Press, a publishing partnership between Alias and Sybex. Written by a production artist at a prominent game company, this detailed book focuses on the skills real game artists use daily to create stunning characters and environments.
By following the discussions and tutorials, you’ll bring a concept through the entire game art development pipeline, learning everything from modeling, texturing, rigging, and animation, to special effects. You’ll also glean insights from industry professionals and see how Maya has been used in popular games. If you’re a 3D game artist, or looking to become one, this book will help you master the skills and techniques you’ll need to excel in the competitive games industry.
Inside, you’ll learn how to:
* Create a game model using a concept image as your guide
* Model with predetermined real-time polycount limitations in mind
* View martial arts videos on the book’s CD to animate your character more realistically
* Prepare a model for texturing with UV mapping and layout techniques
* Create different kinds of textures
* Master the rigging process, from setting up a skeleton to preparing blend shapes
* Practice techniques for creating animation clips to work with in the Trax Editor
* Use particle effects, such as sprites and animated geometry, to add pizzazz to your model

The Game Artist’s Guide to Maya

I think is an awesome book, it has taught me a lot about polygons in a game character for design purposes, over all great find and loved it! This book has helped me with my game design class in College. Creating games, and having fun now! Thanks Loved It!

Not what I was hoping for

Reading the reviews for this book I knew that it would not be an easy ride but this book is just poorly written.

I have been using 3d programs for over 7 years and decided to buy this book to better learn maya and gain an understanding of games characters.

Its teaches very little because as you do the tutorials you start to realize he often uses different methods to what he instructs you too do. Often the book skips big areas and even maya features with vague sentences that explain nothing

Saying all this I have still picked up a few valuable tips from this book and as much as it could be improved I still don’t think it was a waste of money but a revision is desperately needed. This book with a little extra work could easily be indispensable.

The Game Artist’s Guide to Maya

Very comprehensive book on character animation.
McKinley explains every step of the character development and its animation.
Could do a bit more on animation itself. He doesn’t talk about environment either.

The Game Artist’s Guide to Maya

Very comprehensive book on character animation.

McKinley explains every step of the character development and its animation.

Could do a bit more on animation itself. He doesn’t talk about environment either.

Character Artists Guide to Maya.

I’ve read the book through and I have to say it certainly hit its demographic; those who wish to extend their basic Maya skills to game art in all aspects (up to and including tips on simply getting a job as a game artist) should buy this book. If you’re attempting to learn Maya or 3D altogether than you might as well pass on this book.

About the only point lacking in this book is its narrow scope -- no mention of particle effects not directly associated with the model, no mention of Sub-D modelling, etc. That critique mentioned, he had a topic to cover -- and what was on topic was covered thoroughly.

If you wish to pick up a book about learning to develop game art with polycount a concern, specifically modelling humanoid creatures, this book is for you -- and as a bonus you’ll learn to have a respectible reel to demonstrate your added talents. If you don’t know Maya, take that first step first -- then pick up this book, its a fairly light load (1-2 days read) so the benefits won’t take too much time out of your day.

Rated 4 out of 5.

Pros:

>It is very detailed in its explainations (with illustrations)
>Sidebar interviews and profiles act as built-in study-breaks making you not need to stop reading
>The narrow demographic gives the reader exactly what he wishes without confusing him with stuff he either knows or doesn’t care about knowing.
>Inside knowledge of the game industry is shared, including reel making.

Cons:

>Again, narrow demographic may have this book in the hands of many who it doesn’t belong. Know what you buy.

THIS IS AWESOME

this book is really helpful to those advanced or noobs in maya(im the noob) and the instructions are very detailed, 10/10!!!

Awsome!

Michael really did a great job in showing, in detail the game art production pipeline. I loved the way he went thoroughly through the creation of the character from image planes, all the way to final detailing. Another nice feature of the book was interviews from real people in the industry. They gave you valuable advice in how to get into the industry, and how to develope your skills to get there.

All in all, this is the best book I have read for Maya.

The GAME ARTIST’S part of the title is IMPORTANT!

I got this book, as well as Game Character Development in Maya, at the same time, so it made it a little easier to review this book in comparison.
I am just starting out with Maya, taking courses on 3DBuzz, playing with the PLE version of Maya, so I really should have read the title of this book a few times to let it sink in. This is a book for CURRENT GAME ARTISTS. This is NOT really a book for people just starting out with Maya. The author does not explain a lot of what he’s doing as far as theory goes, because he’s assuming that you already KNOW the theory, and are just moving your skills to Maya. This is not a bad thing, of course, but caveat emptor for the n00b like myself you buys this assuming your going to be led by the hand. For those people, I highly recommend the previously mentioned ’Game Character Development in Maya’.
I’m NOT knocking this book!!! It seems like a really good one for the audience it’s intended for, and I’ll probably put it on my bookshelf until I get good enough to see what the author is trying to say. I just wanted to throw this out for those, like myself, that might be thinking it’s a beginner’s guide, which it surely isn’t.

Brilliant!

This book gives you all the primary skills and insights you need to make polygon characters from scratch to finish in Maya. It’s simply brilliant! It’s well written and its really one big easy-to-follow tutorial. It shows you the main modelling tools, detailed texturing, advanced rigging and animation and more. If you going to buy just one book on character animation in Maya, this is it.

Hard stuff made easy!

First of all, this is a great book. I read it cover-to-cover twice within the first 24 hours. Now don’t get the title wrong, 3D modelling will never be easy, and no book can ever make it so. What a book can do, and this book does very well, is to get you started.

After the first chapter, which is a very interesting and useful tour around the "what’s" and "how’s" of the games industry, the book goes on to describe every step in the creation of a game character, from the initial concepts are made to the textured, animated model is finished and ready for the game. The book is built around a tutorial for a fantasy creature, but with comments on each step in general included where this is different from the character the book deals with.

Being a novice modeller myself, I had several "so THAT’S how they do that" experiences while reading through the book, but I’m sure even experienced modellers would learn something. The first chapter on how to get a job in the games industry and what to expect once you have it is worth the price by itself.

A basic knowledge of Maya is required to get the full benefit of this book, but using the built-in videos of the free "personal learning" edition included with the book as well as free tutorials from sites mentioned in the book will give you these skills in no time.

As I said at the beginning, no book can ever make this area easy, but difficult to master does not mean it can’t be relatively easy to get started, and if you (like me) have a dream to one day become a modeller, I can’t recommend this book enough.

Now go buy it!