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Maya for Beginners: Complete Guide to 3D Animation in Maya

Name: Maya for Beginners: Complete Guide to 3D Animation in Maya
Rating: 4.5 (8606 reviews)

Learn everything you need for 3D animation in Autodesk Maya: Modeling, Texturing, Lighting, Rigging, Animation, Dynamics

Bestseller

Created byVideo School, Lucas Ridley, Phil Ebiner

Last updated 3/2026

English

What you'll learn

You will become comfortable using Autodesk Maya to model, texture, rig, animate, dynamics, light, and render
Build and design your own 3D objects
Animate your 3D objects with keyframes
Modeling, shading, texturing, lighting beautiful designs
Rendering your projects for high quality playback
Rigging a 3D character for animation
Simulating dynamic effects like water, cloth, and smoke
You will know how to put together an entire 3D animated scene!

Course content

11 sections • 154 lectures • 29h 56m total length

Course Introduction | Maya Animation Course1:15
Welcome to this 3D animation course using Autodesk Maya!
How to Download a Free Trial of Maya | Maya Animation Course3:44
We'll be using the 2018 version of Autodesk Maya in this course. To follow along and use the project files, you'll need to use the 2018 version (or newer - if you're watching this course in the future).
You can download a free trial version of Maya for 30-days on Autodesk's website. Google: Autodesk Maya Free Trial (Udemy won't let me create a link in this description unfortunately.)
If you're enrolled at a school then you're eligible for a free 1-year student copy of Maya!
I recommend purchasing the new offer from Autodesk for an Indie License. It's a fraction of the old cost and it's a full version of Maya.
*Note Maya LT is a limited/light version of Maya that does not have all the features of Maya. We use Maya in this course, not Maya LT.
Download Course Files & Free Maya Trial | Maya Animation Course0:59
Tips to Improve Your Course Taking Experience | Maya Animation Course1:06
Free Career Webinar + Free Rig | Maya Animation Course1:22

Intro to 3D Modeling | Maya Animation Course7:53
Ghostbuster Trap | Maya Animation Course13:14
Insert Edge, Extrude, and Append | Maya Animation Course13:30
Update: Common Mistakes | Maya Animation Course14:13
This video is an update to the course, after answering over a thousand questions and seeing the same mistakes pop up over and over. So review this video and then check your model for these mistakes before continuing and look out for them as you progress.
Bevel & Normals | Maya Animation Course12:13
Booleans | Maya Animation Course23:59
New Boolean Process0:26
Edit > Delete By Type > History will save the boolean and remove the wireframe cage.
Knob Motion Path | Maya Animation Course21:05
Front, Merge Vertices | Maya Animation Course16:14
Front, Doors | Maya Animation Course16:25
Cord | Maya Animation Course12:00
Maya 2022: Cord [Sweep Mesh] | Maya Animation Course8:40
Topology - Lineflow | Maya Animation Course5:41
Topology - Reducing Even Numbers | Maya Animation Course9:20
Topology - Reducing Odd Numbers | Maya Animation Course7:17
"Bones" - Imageplane Setup | Maya Animation Course10:50
"Bones" - Box vs. Edge Modeling | Maya Animation Course9:09
"Bones" - Make Live Tool | Maya Animation Course11:29
"Bones" - Sculpting | Maya Animation Course6:44
"Bones" - Eye Socket Edge Loops | Maya Animation Course15:13
"Bones" - Eye Attach | Maya Animation Course9:10
Update 2022: Quad Draw Tool in Retopology Workflow | Maya Animation Course9:55
"Bones" - Nose | Maya Animation Course15:04
"Bones" - Cleaning Topology | Maya Animation Course16:20
Update: Retopo and Remesh tools | Maya Animation Course6:04
"Bones" - Mirroring Head | Maya Animation Course11:42
Update: Mirror Tool | Maya Animation Course3:13
"Bones" - Lattice Deformer | Maya Animation Course3:54
"Bones" - Spine Wire Deformer | Maya Animation Course11:40
"Bones" - Ribs Bend Deformer | Maya Animation Course18:28
"Bones" - Sternum | Maya Animation Course17:02
"Bones" - Right Side Body | Maya Animation Course27:28
"Bones" - Mirror | Maya Animation Course8:39

Look Development Introduction | Maya Animation Course5:20
UVs Intro & Planar Projection | Maya Animation Course12:16
UVs - Merge Borders & Cylindrical Projection | Maya Animation Course10:03
UVs - Straighten and Transfer | Maya Animation Course5:34
UVs - Final Ghostbuster Trap | Maya Animation Course5:17
UVs - "Bones" Head | Maya Animation Course9:21
UVs - "Bones" Body | Maya Animation Course8:24
Intro to Shaders | Maya Animation Course7:00
Lighting Shaders | Maya Animation Course7:44
Photographic Textures | Maya Animation Course5:07
Procedural Textures | Maya Animation Course8:18
Scene Adjustments | Maya Animation Course3:58
Update: Reconnect Lost Texture Files Path | Maya Animation Course2:15
Hypershade Intro and Fractals | Maya Animation Course11:39
Brushed Metal and Bump Maps | Maya Animation Course11:25
OBJ File Format & Fix "Bones" | Maya Animation Course6:03
"Bones" 3D Paint Tool | Maya Animation Course12:08
Mix Rust Shader | Maya Animation Course12:22
GB Trap Finishing Touches | Maya Animation Course12:55
Fog Lighting | Maya Animation Course8:55
"Bones" Displacement Map | Maya Animation Course19:36
"Bones" Glass Material | Maya Animation Course2:46
"Bones" Lights | Maya Animation Course14:26
"Bones" Render Sequence | Maya Animation Course12:22

Rigging Intro | Maya Animation Course7:16
Rigging QuickRig | Maya Animation Course3:14
Quick Tips: Modeling The Hat Prop for Rigging16:09
In this video, I walk you through the process of placing gems and a ribbon on a hat, focusing on how to effectively position objects on a curved surface. I demonstrate using a symmetrical shape to duplicate gems evenly around the hat, applying a rotation of 18 degrees for 20 instances. I also discuss creating a squiggly ribbon by manipulating control vertices and using the make live surface tool to ensure it fits the hat properly. The key takeaway is to keep the modeling process simple and efficient, avoiding over-engineering. Please consider these techniques for your own projects and let me know if you have any questions!

00:00 Placing Gems on Hat
01:42 Duplicating Gems Around Hat
05:34 Adding Ribbon to Hat
10:16 Adjusting Ribbon Position
14:36 Finalizing Ribbon Appearance
Prop Rigging Parent Costraint | Maya Animation Course6:59
Prop Rigging Pivot Control | Maya Animation Course9:52
IK vs. FK | Maya Animation Course5:26
"Bones" QuickRig Skeleton | Maya Animation Course5:13
"Bones" Hands | Maya Animation Course7:09
"Bones" Joint Orientation | Maya Animation Course8:42
"Bones" Rotate Order | Maya Animation Course6:48
"Bones" Recreate Limbs | Maya Animation Course5:17
"Bones" Pole Vectors | Maya Animation Course6:24
"Bones" Hand Controls | Maya Animation Course12:30
"Bones" Reverse Foot Rig | Maya Animation Course5:18
"Bones" Foot Roll SDK | Maya Animation Course11:58
"Bones" Independent Toe | Maya Animation Course4:58
"Bones" Organize and Scale | Maya Animation Course2:27
"Bones" COG and Hips | Maya Animation Course8:03
"Bones" Spine Controls | Maya Animation Course4:13
"Bones" Shoulder and Fingers | Maya Animation Course9:35
"Bones" Hands To Shoulders | Maya Animation Course2:53
"Bones" Hand Spaces | Maya Animation Course7:59
"Bones" Head Spaces | Maya Animation Course5:50
"Bones" Skinning The Feet | Maya Animation Course3:43
"Bones" Moving Joints Fix | Maya Animation Course7:43
"Bones" Skinning Spine Weights | Maya Animation Course12:59
Pose Space Deformation | Maya Animation Course10:51
"Bones" Skin Body | Maya Animation Course3:41
Fix Forearm Twist | Maya Animation Course7:23
"Bones" Head Blendshapes | Maya Animation Course13:38
"Bones" Clean Up | Maya Animation Course9:50

Bouncing Ball | Maya Animation Course10:04
Graph Editor | Maya Animation Course11:54
Finishing Generic Ball Bounce | Maya Animation Course11:35
Squash and Stretch | Maya Animation Course8:17
Ball Exercise | Maya Animation Course2:11
Ball Exercise Review | Maya Animation Course9:41
Animation Scene Setup | Maya Animation Course5:20
Follow Through | Maya Animation Course14:43
Follow Through Polish | Maya Animation Course9:09
Antics, Contrast, and Overshoots | Maya Animation Course20:28
Constraints | Maya Animation Course12:50
Referenced Rigs | Maya Animation Course5:04
Walk Cycle Start | Maya Animation Course10:22
Walk Cycle Mirror Keys | Maya Animation Course6:44
Walk Cycle Breakdowns | Maya Animation Course10:12
Walk Cycle Finish Lower Body | Maya Animation Course18:15
Walk Cycle Upper Body | Maya Animation Course10:15
Walk Cycle Offsets | Maya Animation Course10:27
Walk Cycle Polish | Maya Animation Course9:58
Walk Cycle Off The Spot | Maya Animation Course4:39
Walk Cycle Polish More | Maya Animation Course8:58
Walk Cycle Motion Trail Wrists | Maya Animation Course16:30
Walk Cycle Motion Path | Maya Animation Course17:21
Wrap Up | Maya Animation Course6:31

Scene Scale | Maya Animation Course7:52
MASH Brick Wall | Maya Animation Course8:37
Bullet Simulation Intro | Maya Animation Course7:21
Bullet Shatter | Maya Animation Course10:21
Alembic Cache | Maya Animation Course8:57
nParticle Ground Shatter | Maya Animation Course12:53
Ground Bullet Simulation | Maya Animation Course20:05
Fix Sim | Maya Animation Course3:37
Fireflies Dynamics | Maya Animation Course16:24
Fireflies Dynamics Animated | Maya Animation Course20:32
nHair Rope | Maya Animation Course13:11
nCloth Banner | Maya Animation Course14:41
nCloth Vest | Maya Animation Course24:09
Bifrost Liquid | Maya Animation Course10:49
Bifrost Emitter | Maya Animation Course6:45
Bifrost Smoke 01 | Maya Animation Course23:13
Bifrost Smoke 02 | Maya Animation Course6:37
MASH Grass | Maya Animation Course17:53
Texturing | Maya Animation Course26:48
Render Setup 01 | Maya Animation Course8:05
Render Setup 02 | Maya Animation Course6:02

Congrats, Next Steps | Maya Animation Course1:40
Congratulations on completing this monster of a course. If you've made it this far by completing each lesson then you're already in the top 2% of students (most people don't finish online courses they buy). That's also why I started a mentorship program so I can be more hands on with a select few of people who want to accelerate their learning.
If you're interested give animatorsjourney.com a look, but if you want to keep going on your own I wish you the very best and hope you keep moving forward and developing your talents.
I hope one day you'll ping me and tell me you are now working in the industry or have achieved the goals you've set out to achieve. Best of luck! Lucas

Requirements

You should have Autodesk Maya to follow along with the course
Autodesk provides a 30-day free trial of Maya from their website
3-button mouse

Description

You can do your own 3D animations in Autodesk Maya!

Learn everything you need to know to get started - taught by a Hollywood professional!

As the industry standard 3D animation software, learning Autodesk Maya is a great skill to help you land a job in the film, music and gaming industry. In this course, you'll learn how to create your entire animation from scratch.

What will you learn?

Getting started with Maya and understanding the interface
Modeling your own objects and scenes
Shading your objects
Creating proper UVs
Texturing your objects
Lighting your scene and creating shadows
Rendering your project
Rigging characters to prepare for animations
Animating with keyframes
Motion graphics animation (MASH) toolkit
Simulating dynamic effects like cloth and smoke
Putting together an entire scene

Learn by doing real world projects!

Throughout this entire course, you'll be working on a Dia de Los Muertos inspired scene with a complete animated skeleton. By the end of the course, you'll truly be inspired by your own skills, and confident in using Autodesk Maya.

What do you get when you enroll?

25+ hours of easy-to-follow tutorials
Bonus animation demonstrations
Downloadable project files for every step of the course
Premium support to help you as you take the course

Why learn from us?

Lucas Ridley is a professional 3D animator who has worked on Hollywood films such as Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One. His students love him, and we're sure you're going to enjoy this class.

Lucas breaks down the most complicated steps of animating in Autodesk Maya, so that you can easily start animating on your own!

Phil Ebiner is the founder of Video School Online, and has taught over one million students around the world with our top-rated courses. We only partner with the best instructors, so you'll know that you're getting a great course with this one!

Our 30-day 100% money-back guarantee!

We want you to be happy. If there's any reason you aren't enjoying the course, and getting what you expected, we'll refund your money.

We can't wait to see you in the course!

Cheers,

Phil + Lucas

Who this course is for:

We designed this course for complete beginners who want to get started with Autodesk Maya.
We designed this course for anyone that wants to learn 3D animation, and the tools used by professional animators in the film industry.
We designed this course for beginner Autodesk Maya users who want to take their skills to a more advanced next level.

Maya for Beginners: Complete Guide to 3D Animation in Maya

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction to the Maya for Beginners Course5 lectures • 8min

Maya Introduction3 lectures • 25min

3D Modeling33 lectures • 6hr 34min

Look Development - UV, Shading, Texturing, Lighting24 lectures • 3hr 35min

Rigging31 lectures • 3hr 54min

Animation24 lectures • 4hr 11min

Bonus: Animation Demonstration4 lectures • 5hr 55min

FX21 lectures • 4hr 35min

Bonus Mini-Course: Looping Blob Effect7 lectures • 33min

Congrats!1 lecture • 2min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: