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Autodesk Support
Aug 16, 2017
Pluralsight, a leader in online learning for technology professionals, has partnered with Autodesk to bring you the Exploring Maya 2018 video tutorials.
Autodesk Maya is a 3D modeling, animation, rendering, and visual effects product, offering an end-to-end creative workflow for film, TV, game, animation, and design artists. There are many features in the program and in this course, Exploring Maya 2018, you’ll get an overview of several key areas of Maya and some examples of how to put that knowledge into practice. You’ll be introduced to the basics of the interface and the key tools of the program. You’ll learn the concepts of working in a 3D space. You’ll also discover the essential workflows of Maya, giving you the head start you need to explore this powerful 3D application. Each video includes step-by-step instructions and is accompanied by scene assets, allowing new users to get up and running with Maya quickly.
Exploring Maya 2018: Instructional Video Tutorials on Maya for Beginners
Navigating the User Interface
Discover the menus, options, tools, and controls that are commonly used in Maya. You’ll get an overview of menu sets, shelves, workspaces, layout views, basic animation controls, and the command line. You’ll also learn how to use the Channel Box/Layer Editor and Attribute Editor, and how to work with objects in 3D space.
Building Models in Maya
Learn about the 3D modeling tools and workflows in Maya. You’ll work with the Modeling Toolkit in the Modeling Workspace, build a simple primitive model, and then manipulate its vertices, edges, and polygon faces. Working with a finished model, you’ll learn to extrude polygon faces using the Extrude tool and insert edge loops using the Multi-Cut tool for a more realistic, softer edge. (The scene asset file 02_begin.ma can be found in the scenes folder in the ExploringMaya2018.zip.)
Animation Basics
Work with the animation features in Maya. In this video, you’ll learn to create keyframes and change the timing of your animation. Working in the Graph Editor, you’ll discover how to modify the structure of your keyframes and change the interpolations between them. (The scene asset file 03_begin.ma can be found in the ExploringMaya2018.zip.)
Creating UVs
Create UVs for your 3D assets so that 2D textures can be used with them. You’ll work with the UV Editor and get the basics on creating UVs for your model in Maya. You’ll learn about distortion and ways to fix it. You’ll also see how to project the UV map, access the Planar Mapping options, and move or scale the map with the Projection manipulator. (The scene asset file 04_ begin.ma can be found in the ExploringMaya2018.zip.)
Adding Materials and Textures
Give the surfaces of your Maya models a different appearance by adding materials and textures. You’ll be introduced to the Hypershade environment and work with nodes to create a shading network. You’ll customize your materials and work with attributes in the Property Editor. After you’ve applied basic materials to surfaces, you’ll take shading to the next level by applying a texture map (2D image) on your 3D object. (The scene asset file 05_begin.ma can be found in the ExploringMaya2018.zip.)
Working with Lights in Maya
Before you render out your scene you need to add lights. You’ll be introduced to the attributes of various lights in Maya and Arnold. You’ll add a point light and adjust the illumination, color, intensity, and scale of light. To conclude, you’ll learn how to choose a light that works well in a particular scene. (The scene asset file 06_begin.ma can be found in the ExploringMaya2018.zip.)
Rendering with Arnold
Render out a scene of your final image, complete with texture maps, materials, and light sources. You’ll discover how to use Maya in conjunction with Arnold to render out a 3D scene into a 2D image. You’ll use the Render view, define and render regions, and use the IPA Renderer to receive instant feedback. You’ll also discover best practices for setting values according to the items in your scene and your desired results. (The scene asset file 07_begin.ma can be found in the ExploringMaya2018.zip.)
Download asset files here ExploringMaya2018.zip (zip – 165,098KB)
Visit Pluralsight for more video tutorials on Maya.
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