#1 Maya training book

# 1 19-03-2004 , 12:11 AM

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Hey all, i'm looking for the best and most indepth book on Maya. I want to program games, but i can't draw in 3d. What i would really like is a book that goes into depth on character creation. I've gone throught some of the videos here, and tried some other tutorials, but i need something a little more indepth. anyway, if anyone knows of any titles that are very good, post them here thanks.

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# 2 19-03-2004 , 11:20 AM

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Maya Character Animation by Jjin Choi (i think thats how you spell the name)

Maya Character Creation: Modeling & Animation Controls by Chris Maraffi

<a href="https://forums.simplymaya.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16675">May/June 2005 Challenge Entry</a>

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# 3 19-03-2004 , 01:48 PM

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thanks

Thanks a lot i'll look them both up. If anyone as any other suggestions post them. Thanks a lot.

Edit: Hey i did a search for the second book on google. It seems to me that the book goes into detail on bones, and animation setup. Has anyone used this book. Does it go into detail on the actual modeling process or just animation? Thanks.

Last edited by wright100; 19-03-2004 at 01:57 PM.

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# 4 19-03-2004 , 04:20 PM

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Maya Character Animation is by Jae-jin choi. This is a fairly advanced book and many of the tutorials are extremely hard to follow as the pictures they choose to provide sometime are very hard to decypher from the 2d page to 3d.

videos that you can see the process are really best. But they either do not exist, or they are very expensive, or they gloss over very important parts in the persute of bandwidth, or they are prohibitively expensive or a combination of all of these (.

I have been seeking a good head and body modeling, rigging, texturing and animation video for a long time and they just don't exist as far as I can tell. They seem to all be introductory things that are designed to kinda sorta point you along the right path then you are left on your own to run into the 10 billion land mines as you stumble along from mistkae to mistake.

Find someone in the business, get em drunk, shanghi them, tie 'em down in front of a system and don't let em eat or sleep unless they spill their guts on all they know about modeling seems to be the best approach.

Any seasoned veteram modelers out there care to have a couple drinks on me? (he says as he fumbles with rope and duct tape behind his back)

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

Last edited by ctbram; 20-03-2004 at 04:21 PM.

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# 5 19-03-2004 , 06:23 PM

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Lol thanks for the advice. I've searched for videos as well, but havn't found much. How did everyone here learn to model. Tutorials fooling around on your own?

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# 6 21-03-2004 , 02:57 AM

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Well....this site believe it or not has some excellent tutorials...and the VIP stuff isn't that expensive and it's top notch.... user added image

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# 7 21-03-2004 , 03:12 AM

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yes

I've downloaded a couple of the free tutorials. The way i see it though is that i could buy a book, with the same amount of money that i could buy maybe 10 pts with, and the book will probably go into much greator detail. From the ones i've used though the tutorials ARE VERY good. I don't know, maybe i will just buy some pts. I'm gonna keep looking for a book, if i come up with nothing that's what i'll do.

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# 8 21-03-2004 , 03:15 AM

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Check out Maya Fundamentals...either 4.5 or 5.0....both will give you a good understanding of the most general tools in maya....and from there you can branch out into your own niche user added image

ie...games!!

The best way is too start with the basics then move on to character stuff.....

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# 9 21-03-2004 , 09:50 AM

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Hi ho...

Well, i bought almost every book out there. *g* ok, not that much... i have the fundamentals, i have the one from chris maraffi, i have the "Complete Maya Programming", the "Maya 5", mhmmm... "Inside Maya" mhmm... well, i own a lot of them. BUT, there are more or less not the money you spend (except the ones about MEL. just great!). Really... You can buy one of them if you are a absolute beginner in Maya. The problem is, that every one covers more or less everything of maya. Modeling, redering, texturing etc... If you buy a book, than only one that covers only one topic!

Save the Money for the Books and buy for example "Gnomon: Organic Modeling I and II" Just outstanding. I learned twenty times more than in the books... Or if you are looking for char animation (rigging etc) the best thing out there (imho) is the series of Jeff Lew. (https://www.jefflew.com). Not Maya specific but that don´t matters at all....

well, hope i could help you. i am looking for a head modeling book/dvd for ages. looking forward to the simplimaya dvd. hehe...

ah, maybe someone here can help. Has anyone tried the "Maya Techniques: Human Head Modeling" from the AW shop? i think about buying it, but 130 Euros is just soooo expensive. is it worth it?

Martin
(please forgive me my horrible english/spelling. i will try to improve!)

Last edited by Auctor; 21-03-2004 at 09:56 AM.

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# 10 22-03-2004 , 06:24 AM

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If you ever find a good modeling video / book please let me know.

They all try to do to much in to little space and ultimately do nothing but give you a gentle push towards a cliff with a 10000 foot drop and no brakes or parachute!

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

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# 11 22-03-2004 , 06:31 AM

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hehe... exactly!!!

but as i told before, if you look for nurbs patch modeling, the gnomon videos (Organic modeling I and II) are just WOHOOO... they are really every buck you spend worth it! even if you are not going to model with nurbs, i learned soooo much about geometrie/tessalation/how to do it right!

But hey, i bought one of the Alias DVD´s. gnomon is far better! (but still i wounder about the human head modeling one)

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# 12 23-03-2004 , 02:46 AM

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hey

But if the modeling is not in maya, will it help me that much? Will i be able to understand and then use it in maya?

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# 13 23-03-2004 , 07:17 AM

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A great place is

*********************************/digital_tutors/index.htm

or

*********************************/digita.../main_maya.htm

they have free video tutorials and DVDs you can purchase.

I bought Character Animation by Jae-jin Choi and it is pretty good. It can be confusing (at times) and it is definately for those who are experienced with the software.

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# 14 23-03-2004 , 08:07 AM

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@wright100: if you mean the ones from Jeff Lew, it is not about modeling. the DVD´s are about boning and animating your char. And as far as i saw (and i am a newbie in maya) i understood everything and learned a lot about it. it is really great

@Juan91: interesting. have you tested the Backwater bunch series?

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# 15 23-03-2004 , 10:32 PM

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I haven't tried out the backwater bunch series. I think they are very expensive anyways... well at least for a unemployed college student to purchase. Though after this semester, when I'm working again I'll probably check em out. I just went through several of the free video tutorials and this series of character animation.

*********************************/digita...hp?vcat=mneex1

*********************************/digita...hp?vcat=mneex2

-Juan

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#1 Maya training book

thanks

yes

hey

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