Where to learn shaders?

# 1 17-06-2011 , 07:02 PM

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I can model decently, but modelling alone is not very effective in terms of presentation...I want to learn how to make shaders! I keep finding very cool shaders, but nobody says how they made it! I don't want to use pre-made materials for various reasons, I want to learn how to make mine, which keeps me from getting serious about my work..Up to now, I haven't found a consistent guide about shaders and mr materials..is there any tutorial/book about the various shaders, utilities and mr materials?

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# 2 17-06-2011 , 08:10 PM

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Try using the maya help files to start with when you understand a little more then ask more specific question like whats a good car shader tutorial...........dave

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# 3 17-06-2011 , 08:19 PM

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I want various shaders...I thought it would be pretty anti-community to just keep asking shaders user added image

...for example I need a gold shader, a wood shader, a fabric shader, a marble shader.... I thought it would be better to ask for a general help...and the maya help files just list some of the properties the default shaders have (Aniso, Lambert, Blinn etc) which doesn't help me much in creating the networks that I'd like user added image

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# 4 17-06-2011 , 08:29 PM

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That's the thing about learning material creation in Maya, especially when it concerns Mental Ray shaders. If you're unfamiliar, you might find yourself using nodes like the dgs material, and dielectric etc when those are legacy shaders. I suggest learning mia_material_x to start(the plain "mia_material" is also one of those legacy nodes) and the "passes" versions of the shaders are the same as the "x"s except they work with the render pass system. The attributes are pretty straight forward for the most part and the help files do a good job of explaining those that aren't.

- Genny
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# 5 17-06-2011 , 09:06 PM

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What is a legacy node exactly? And "passes" means that the shader (any shader?) has better quality when multi-passed?

I'll look for a good mmx guide right now anyways user added image

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# 6 17-06-2011 , 11:47 PM

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Legacy shaders are pretty much old shaders that are there for the sake of backwards compatibility. And the passes system just separates the different elements of the rendered image like shadows, AO, reflection, indirect light ect so you can layer them in a compositing package for more control over the final look or even to save time, as such effects like depth of field and motion blur can be expensive to render.

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# 7 18-06-2011 , 09:32 AM

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I see...So essentially you are rendering different stuff each time.

I found Lynda has a good lesson, does that look good? https://www.lynda.com/Maya-2011-tutor...s/62904-2.html

It's for 2011, but how many things could have changed...

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# 8 18-06-2011 , 02:07 PM

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i think you may be confused between texturing and shading.

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# 9 18-06-2011 , 07:37 PM

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I see...So essentially you are rendering different stuff each time...

Originally Posted by mechanicarts

I don't understand what you mean.

And the Lynda video topics seems good, however, throwing UV mapping in there is a bit much. Maya 2011 is pretty current so I wouldn't worry.

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# 10 18-06-2011 , 09:25 PM

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i think you may be confused between texturing and shading.

Originally Posted by honestdom

Texturing is applying an image on an object and shading is simulating real life materials and lighting...I think?

I don't understand what you mean.

And the Lynda video topics seems good, however, throwing UV mapping in there is a bit much. Maya 2011 is pretty current so I wouldn't worry.

Originally Posted by GecT

I'm not really sure myself. I mean, in each pass a different property of the object's material is rendered, then you combine any of these in a single image? Not sure. I'll find some tutorial about passes.

Also, I do not intend to see the whole class in one night user added image

I do want to learn UV as well, so my guess was it would be a good investment.

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