Autodesk Maya 2018: A Comprehensive Guide, 10th Edition

Prof. Sham Tickoo

• Publisher: CADCIM Technologies
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781942689973
• Topic: Tecnología e ingeniería
• Subtopic: Ingeniería eléctrica y telecomunicaciones

Welcome to the world of Autodesk Maya 2018. Autodesk Maya 2018 is a powerful, integrated 3D modeling, animation, visual effects, and rendering software developed by Autodesk Inc. This integrated node based 3D software finds its application in the development of films, games, and design projects. A wide range of 3D visual effects, computer graphics, and character animation tools make it an ideal platform for 3D artists. The intuitive user interface and workflow tools of Maya 2018 have made the job of design visualization specialists a lot easier. Autodesk Maya 2018: A Comprehensive Guide textbook covers all features of Autodesk Maya 2018 in a simple, lucid, and comprehensive manner. It aims at harnessing the power of Autodesk Maya 2018 for 3D and visual effects artists, and designers. This textbook will help you transform your imagination into reality with ease. Also, it will unleash your creativity, thus helping you create realistic 3D models, animation, and visual effects. It caters to the needs of both the novice and advanced users of Maya 2018 and is ideally suited for learning at your convenience and at your pace.Following are the additional features of this book: Consists of 17 chapters that are organized in a pedagogical sequence covering a wide range of topics such as Maya interface, Polygon modeling, NURBS modeling, texturing, lighting, cameras, animation, Paint Effects, Rendering, nHair, Fur, Fluids, Particles, nParticles and Bullet Physics in Autodesk Maya 2018.The first page of every chapter summarizes the topics that are covered in it. Consists of hundreds of illustrations and a comprehensive coverage of Autodesk Maya 2018 concepts and commands. Real-world 3D models and examples focusing on industry experience. Step-by-step instructions that guide the user through the learning process. Additional information is provided throughout the book in the form of tips and notes. Self-Evaluation test, Review Questions, and Exercises are given at the end of each chapter so that the users can assess their knowledge. Additional learning resources at http://mayaexperts.blogspot.com.Brief Table of ContentsChapter 1: Exploring Maya InterfaceChapter 2: Polygon ModelingChapter 3: NURBS Curves and SurfacesChapter 4: NURBS Modeling Chapter 5: UV MappingChapter 6: Shading and TexturingChapter 7: LightingChapter 8: AnimationChapter 9: Rigging, Constraints, and DeformersChapter 10: Paint EffectsChapter 11: RenderingChapter 12: Particle SystemChapter 13: Introduction to nParticlesChapter 14: FluidsChapter 15: nHairChapter 16: Maya FurChapter 17: Bullet PhysicsIndex

Chapter 1

Exploring Maya

Interface

Learning Objectives

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

• Start Autodesk Maya 2018

• Work with menusets in Autodesk Maya

• Understand various terms related to Maya interface

• Work with tools in Autodesk Maya 2018

Introduction to Autodesk Maya

Welcome to the world of Autodesk Maya 2018. Maya is a 3D software, developed by Autodesk Inc., which enables you to create realistic 3D
models and visual effects with much ease. Although Maya is quite a vast software to deal with, yet all the major tools and features used in Autodesk
Maya 2018 have been covered in this book.

Starting Autodesk Maya 2018

To start Autodesk Maya 2018, choose Start > All Programs > Autodesk > Autodesk Maya 2018 > Autodesk Maya 2018 from the taskbar, refer to Figure 1-1; the default interface of Maya will be displayed with its different components.

Alternatively, you can start Autodesk Maya 2018 by double-clicking on its shortcut icon displayed on the desktop of your computer. This icon is automatically created on installing Autodesk Maya 2018 on your computer.

Double-click on the icon; three windows namely, Output Window, the main Autodesk Maya 2018 interface window, and the What’s New Highlight Settings window will be displayed on the screen. The Output Window is shown in Figure 1-2. By default, all the new tools and icons are highlighted in green in Maya 2018. The What’s New Highlight Settings window, as shown in Figure 1-3, is used to toggle the visibility of these highlights.

Autodesk Maya 2018 screen components

Autodesk Maya interface consists of viewports, title bar, menubar, Status Line, Shelf, Tool Box, and so on. All these components will be discussed later in this chapter. When you start Autodesk Maya 2018 for the first time, the persp viewport is displayed by default, refer to Figure 1-4. Workspace is the part or the work area where you can create a 3D scene. Workspaces are also known as viewports or views. In this textbook, the workspaces will be referred to as viewports. Every viewport has a grid placed in the center. The grid acts as a reference that is used in aligning the 3D objects or 2D curves. A grid is a pattern of straight lines that intersect with each other to form squares. The center of the grid is intersected by two dark lines. The point of intersection of these two dark lines is known as the origin. The origin is an arbitrary point, which is used to determine the location of the objects. All the three coordinates, X, Y, and Z are set at 0 position on the origin. Note that in Maya, the X, Y, and Z axes are displayed in red, green, and blue colors, respectively.

Autodesk Maya 2018 is divided into four viewports: top-Y, front-Z, side-X, and persp. These viewports are classified into two categories, orthographic, and isometric. The orthographic category comprises the top, front, and side viewports and the isometric category consists of the persp viewport. The orthographic viewport displays the 2-dimensional (2D) view of the objects created in it, whereas the isometric viewport displays the 3-dimensional (...