Maya® is one of the most widely used 3D animation programs available. It is used in every major movie and by most special effects and game studios. With its new... » 

Maya® is one of the most widely used 3D animation programs available. It is used in every major movie and by most special effects and game studios. With its new competitive pricing, its user base continues to grow, and with each new release, Maya expands its already impressive feature set. These new features keep Maya users loyal and anxious to upgrade. The Maya 6 Handbook is a completely updated edition of the best-selling Maya 4.5 Handbook. It not only teaches users how to utilize the new features, but provides a complete guide to the fundamentals of this powerful program. Unlike many books that use a variety of unrelated tutorials, this book uses a complete, practical project for users to work through as they learn to model, render, and animate in Maya. By the conclusion of the book users will understand how and why Maya works, providing them with the knowledge they need to adapt the tools to a variety of tasks and projects. The companion CD-ROM includes all the figures from the book in full color, as well as the Maya files used in the completion of the exercises.

FEATURESProvides new tutorials covering the unwrapping and texturing of an organic form, as well as lighting an exterior scene, and a mental ray primerIncludes a new chapter on creating a Skeletal System, and new coverage of modeling with skeletal deformationTeaches how to navigate Maya’s updated interface and essential toolsExplores the theory behind the tools and teaches users how, when, and why to use themExplains the theory and practical knowledge of NURBS ModelingIncludes expanded coverage of SubDivision Surface Modeling and Character AnimationProvides step-by-step tutorials for the creation of a complete project «