Maya 4.5 Savvy

Maya is famed for its intuitive interface, and yet this high-end 3D application is so powerful that no one masters it without help. Maya 4.5 Savvy is an update to the successful Mastering Maya 3 and provides precisely the help you need to take your skills to the next level, regardless of your field and how much or little you already know.

Read this book cover to cover or use it as a reference, dipping in wherever you need information on specific modeling, animation, and rendering tools or tasks. Everywhere you turn, you'll find expert advice on the latest Maya features, time-saving shortcuts, and advanced techniques, along with Hands On tutorials that give you the practice you need to achieve results worthy of the real world. Coverage includes-

Maya Fundamentals- interface basics, workflow improvement techniques, features new to 4.5.
Modeling- modeling basics, NURBS, polygons and subdivision surfaces, Artisan techniques, organic modeling.
Animation- paths and bones, deformers, binding, the Trax Editor, rigid body dynamics.
Rendering- rendering basics, shading and texturing, lighting, special light effects.
Advanced Tools and Techniques- Paint Effects, MEL scripting, particle basics, particle rendering, particle expressions, ramps and volumes, soft body dynamics, Fluid Effects.

Updated for version 4.5, revised, and redesigned from the critically acclaimed Mastering Maya 3.

About the Authors
John Kundert-Gibbs is director of the Digital Production Arts program at Clemson University and author of several publications on Maya, computer graphics, and dramatic literature.

Peter Lee is director at Storydale in South Korea, where he works on TV series, commercials, and movies. He has worked as a 3D artist on a wide range of film and games projects.

Dariush Derakhshani is a senior CGI effects animator with Sight Effects in Venice, Calif., where he works on award-winning national television commercials.

Mark Bamforth has been working with 3D applications for nearly a decade. He is working on an animated children's series as a programmer/animator at Xvivo LLC.

Keith Reicher is a layout animator for PDI/Dreamworks, currently working on Shrek 2 and Madagascar. He is the creator of the 3D animated short Benjamin Task.

Perry Harovas is a partner at Xvivo LLC, an animation company that produces visual effects for features and television, as well as character animation and medical visualization.

Maya is an essential tool for creating cutting-edge 3D animation and special effects. Today, it's used by everyone from students and advertising firms, to game companies and elite film houses such as Industrial, Light & Magic, Pixar, and Disney.

Written by a top-notch team of Maya professionals, Maya Savvy is a thorough update to the best-selling Mastering Maya 3. It delivers the most comprehensive coverage available for Alias/Wavefront's extraordinarily powerful software. Key topics include: Modeling with NURBs and polygons; creating realistic textures and shading; and working with particles, dynamics, and MEL.

Maya Savvy also features hands-on tutorials that integrate Maya instruction with real-world advice on planning, organizing, and managing your Maya creations. A full-color insert illustrates the techniques discussed in the book. And the enclosed CD adds a 3D gallery plus a collection of demos and plug-ins

Like all Savvy books, Maya Savvy is printed on quality, coated paper for crisp image reproduction.