Autodesk Maya 2013

Explore box modeling in Maya 2013 by starting with a cube, extruding faces to add detail, and using the interactive split tool to insert edges while adjusting with the manipulator.

Explore subdivision and smooth preview to create rounded shapes, and use edge loops to add hard edges while maintaining clean geometry.

Present polygon modeling tools in Maya, including the create polygon tool, interactive split to quad surfaces, insert edge loop, and append tool to build clean quad-based geometry for texturing.

Import two dimensional sketches as image planes attached to the camera to guide a 3-D laser gun model, using top and side views for accurate concept alignment.

Model a laser prop in Autodesk Maya 2013 by tracing with the polygon tool, adjusting the image plane, and placing vertices evenly; convert to quads and extrude for depth.

Extrude faces to add thickness to the laser gun body, adjust the top and handle proportions, refine with edge loops and bevels, and mirror half the model for symmetry.

Mirror the mesh across the x axis to create a symmetrical model. Merge with the original, adjust the merge threshold to avoid pinching, and delete history to optimize performance.

Learn how to organize your Maya projects by creating a project folder with subdirectories, save scenes as ascii or binary files, and use set project and save as workflows.

Master laser gun modeling using box modeling with polygon cubes, adding subdivisions, edge loops, and extrudes to create a crisp, rounded form, refined with the beaky soft select tool.

Master curve creation in Maya by using bezier and CV curve tools to place anchors, edit handles, and control tangency, then prepare to convert 2D curves into 3D geometry.

Learn to convert 2D curves into 3D geometry with the re-evolve tool, set the z-axis pivot, and switch between nurbs surfaces and polygonal quads with adjustable poly count.

Apply topology optimization by simplifying geometry with edge ring collapse to fix errors. Refine the result with average vertices to achieve a linear, cylindrical laser body that reads as machined.

Learn to use Maya boolean operations—union, difference, and intersection—for precise grooves and prop modeling, while managing topology and smoothing to avoid messy geometry.

Organize larger scenes by cleaning construction history, freezing transforms, renaming elements, and grouping parts, then use delete by type history to prune unneeded inputs.

Explore organic modeling in Maya by mastering quad topology, edge loops around eyes and mouth, and pole placement to create rig-friendly, expressive characters ready for animation.

Begin the alien model in Maya by building a simple cartoony alien from a sphere with extrusions and a mouth opening, using organic modeling tools to refine edge loops.

Create a Maya head from a polygon sphere with eight axis divisions, shape the eye opening with extrude and edge loops, then offset edge loops to attach antenna and mouth.

In Maya 2013, extrude a mouth cavity and shape the lips on a creature. Then attach an antenna using the append polygon tool, correcting normals for a smooth, seamless join.

Create four tentacles using curve-based extrusions in Maya, adjusting divisions and taper for detailed shape, and mirror the model with instance duplication to achieve symmetry.

Use the artisan sculpting tools to paint changes directly onto geometry, focusing edits on one half of the model, then push, pull, and smooth with brush radius and opacity.

Use the wire deformer in Maya to shape geometry with a curve, then mirror and merge geometry for symmetry, adjusting drop off distance and envelope for localized influence.

Explore nonlinear deformers in Maya 2013 to bend, flare, sine, twist, and wave a mesh, connect with the relationship editor, and animate with keyframes for squash and stretch.

Learn to modify geometry quickly with lattices in Maya, creating a bounding lattice around models, adjusting subdivisions, and combining with other formers for non-linear, organic deformations.

Clusters group selected vertices with a transform handle for translation, rotation, and scale, enabling modeling. They support keyframing, pivot adjustment, and painting cluster weights to control influence and animation.

Create blend shape deformers in Maya by sculpting target shapes on a duplicate mesh with matching topology and pivot points, then combine multiple targets and animate with sliders and keyframes.

Save repeated components as selection sets, name them, and add to a shelf for quick access; access them via edit quick select sets to streamline modeling and animation workflows.

Build a skeleton or virtual armature to provide pivot points for rotating and translating vertices, and manage hierarchy with joints and forward kinematics.

Rig an alien character by placing the root at the pelvis, adding tentacle joints, mirroring the leg chain across the YZ axis, and naming joints for organization for animation.

Learn Maya constraint tools to set up animation controls, including point, aim, orient, and parent constraints, enabling multiple sources to drive translation, rotation, and scale for a character rig.

Create a forward kinematics control rig that mirrors the skeletal hierarchy by adding pelvis, neck, and antenna controls with offset groups, zeroed transforms, and parent constraints to drive joints.

Select the skeleton and bind the mesh with smooth bind using closest distance. Use interactive normalization, set max influences to five, and create a pelvis group for constraints.

Refine skin weights in Maya by painting joint influences with the paint skin weights tool, adjusting brush size and opacity, and mirroring weights for symmetric characters from the core outward.

Access and manage custom float attributes on a pelvis control, connect them to blend shape targets via the connection editor, and break or adjust connections.

Master Maya keyframes by setting and editing translation, rotation, scale, and visibility for the ship and its wings, using frame-rate aware timing and dope sheet planning.

Dope sheet teaches timing keyframes by adjusting positions, spacing, and replacements while snapping to integers; use region selection, shift-drag, and middle-drag to edit frame numbers and view all scene keys.

Use the graph editor and dope sheet to refine animation curves and keyframes by adjusting timing and values, manipulating f curves with tangents, handles, and interpolation for believable motion.

Master Maya character rigs with a free Blake rig: use the super mover for placing the character, switch fk/ik, and manage feet pivots and keyframes with selection sets.

Plan reference footage with a tripod at 24 fps to guide Maya key poses. Mark up the footage in Photoshop with the line of action, exporting a png sequence.

Learn how to use file referencing in Maya to manage rigs safely by creating references, preventing accidental deletions, and keeping animation data lightweight for easy handoff.

Import an image sequence into Maya, create a camera with an image plane, set 24 fps for 117 frames, refine framing with offsets, and lock camera attributes for consistent keyframes.

Set initial keyframes for the sequence and create a control selection set, establishing full-body extreme poses while planning camera placement to maintain silhouette clarity and engaging clavicles for arm poses.

Forge expressive Maya 2013 character animation by building and refining full-body keyframes, using motion trails, graph editor, and auto keyframe, with emphasis on pose exaggeration, space movement, and curves.

Finalize key poses by adding organic offsets and overlap, letting the head lead motion and fingers offset for movement; refine f curves in graph editor with tangents and Euler filter.

Bring in the alien rig with reference in Maya, and create ambient character animation by cycling tentacle motion, using the graph editor and dope sheet to enable post infinity cycling.

Adjust keyframes to intensify joint rotations and pulsate the antenna with independent timing, cycle the animation in the graph editor, and set visible mesh transitions and off-screen entry.

Create and customize particle emitters in Maya 2013 to generate directional or volume-based emissions, adjust rate, spread, direction vectors, and speed with keyframes for realistic dynamics.

Adjust emitter attributes to control particle direction, rate, and speed, then customize appearance with render types like points, multi-point, streak, sphere, and sprite, including per-particle lifespans and color ramps.

Apply dynamic forces to Maya particles using gravity, vortex, and other fields. Adjust magnitude, attenuation, and direction to shape field influence and create realistic simulations.

Configure a particle emitter with gravity and enable collisions with a collision object using the geo connector. Tweak resilience, friction, and offset to control bounce and surface adherence.

Attach a laser prop to the character's hand, create a directional particle emitter, adjust speed and spread, apply a green-to-blue color ramp, and set a lifespan ending at impact.

Create an omni emitter, adjust speed and particles per second, and set random lifespan to simulate a stylized explosion, then trigger a second emitter after impact with a color ramp.

Maya's particle goals attract particles to form a shape using a helix as target. Tweak goal smoothness and goal weight to control arrival and speed for form-building, vapor, or effects.

Create active and passive rigid bodies in Maya to simulate gravity, collisions, and bounces on geometry. Adjust friction, bounciness, mass, and impulse attributes, and use stand-in objects for faster previews.

Learn to bake rigid body simulations by converting physics to keyframes, enabling frame-by-frame scrubbing with no lag. Explore particle caches and how to store and edit simulations for flexible workflows.

Explore soft body simulations in Maya by turning mesh vertices into particles, applying gravity and fields, and using springs and goal weights to create organic, deformable effects.

Explore Maya's new nCloth dynamics with enmesh to simulate fabric collisions and gravity, with nucleus node settings, air effects, passive colliders, friction, and pressure for realistic cloth.

Master the driven key tool in maya's animation module to set driven key relationships that link a lever's z rotation to gears and a platform with keyframed attributes.

Master driven keys in Maya by linking z rotation to objects via graph editor, using pre infinity curves and f curves to extend, accelerate, and synchronize animations with a lever.

Discover how the hyper shade links materials, lights, and textures to Maya scene objects, adjusting base color, transparency, reflectivity, and refractive properties to create richer surfaces.

Learn about common Maya material types, including Lambert, Phong, and Fung, and how base color, transparency, translucence, incandescence, and specular properties shape rendered surfaces.

Explore how 2-D and 3-D textures drive complex surfacing in Maya, linking textures to shader attributes, mapping with UV coordinates, and using procedural textures like checkered, ramp, grid, and fractal.

Learn how 3D textures create a volume that looks carved from a single block, using wood texture, Phong shaders, and texture placement to lock textures in place.

Discover uv coordinates and Lambert material assignment. Use 2D image textures with planar, cylindrical, and spherical projection to map surfaces and minimize seams.

Breaks down UV mapping workflow in Maya 2013 to unwrap a character using planar mapping, seams, and unfold constraints for organized UV layouts. It covers using the UV editor, selecting shells, relaxing positions, and avoiding overlaps to prepare textures.

Arrange uv maps pt. 2 teaches creating and applying placeholder textures, unwrapping tentacles, adjusting seams, and packing uv maps into a 0-1 space for texture atlases in Autodesk Maya 2013.

Export a U-V snapshot as a bitmap from the texture editor, then paint textures in Photoshop using the U-V layout as a template, before rigging.

Apply 2D and procedural textures in Maya to control color, incandescence, and bump maps on a character, then layer textures for nuanced surfaces and cartoony eyes.

Learn how Maya renders 3D scenes into 2D images and use play blast to preview animation timing by configuring frame ranges, formats like AVI or IFFI, and padding.

Explore ambient, point, directional, and spotlight lighting in Maya, adjusting color, intensity, ambient shade, decay, and shadows (depth map and ray tracing) to create believable scene mood.

Explore interactive photorealistic rendering (IPR) to fine-tune lights and textures using render current frame, region renders, and the clapperboard tools, while managing color or alpha channels and final render settings.

Configure Maya render settings from the common tab, set a file name prefix, choose image formats like IFFI, and specify frame ranges for single or sequence renders.

Compare the Maya software render and Mental Ray, highlighting quality presets, edge anti-aliasing, and how advanced lighting and materials affect render times.

Explore depth map shadows and ray trace shadows to compare softness and precision. Adjust light radius and shadow rays, use fog lights, and balance diffuse lighting while monitoring render times.

Learn to create convincing reflections and refractions in Maya 2013 by enabling ray tracing, tuning reflectivity, and using environment textures to improve glass materials.

Harness Maya's vector rendering to achieve a shaded, 2d vector look from 3d scenes. Tweak curve smoothness, fills, edges, and export to Illustrator or bitmap for compositing in After Effects.

Create and manage multiple render layers in Maya to render scene elements multiple times with different settings, enabling post-production compositing with ambient occlusion, shadows, highlights, and other passes.

Explore how separate render layers are composited in After Effects to craft a final image using blending modes, color passes, and occlusion passes for controlled depth and lighting.

Concludes Maya 2013 by surveying the interface, camera and object manipulation, polygonal and curve-based modeling, rigging, animation workflow, dynamics, shading, lighting, and rendering with mental ray and vector engines.

Meet a seasoned 3-D artist with two decades in character rigging and automated pipelines. He shares MEL scripting tools and teaches Maya 2013 animation and rigging.