Integrating 3D models with photography
Interested in integrating your 3D work with the real world? This might help
# 1 18-12-2011 , 05:51 AM
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Looking for a book to refine my Environment creation skills

My situation: I'm between Beginner and Intermediate in many areas in Maya. I understand base concepts very well. I know how to find quick-fix answers on the internet, and when I can't, I resort to Simply Maya. But I'm going to have to step up my game, as the production team I work with is rapidly increasing the amount of CG set extension, and I AM the VFX guy, so I have to learn. This means learning environment modeling, texturing, animating, and rendering for period (i.e. 1700s, 1400s, anything before now), modern, sci-fi, and sometimes just plain weird environments.

I can't just learn by doing anymore. It's just not enough and there's not enough time, too much at risk. I need huge in-depth tuts. The best place for those are books. I need suggestions. My immediate assumption is I should get https://www.amazon.com/Maya-Studio-Pr...4187138&sr=1-1 since it's even been mentioned at SM. But you guys may have better suggestions.

My computer isn't incredibly powerful (it's an i7 920 w/ 6GB ram hackintosh with Mac OS 10.6, no renderfarm) so I also need training in optimization given I will end up needing between 2-3 set extensions and 20-40 shots a month starting February. Which is, for an individual, kind of insane, since I'll be doing the greenscreen and cam-tracking work as well...

My thought is game-like environments will suffice, but my experience is that even low-poly with texture maps render a little slowly... not sure why... Anyway enough rambling. What books/learning-methods do you suggest? Thanks!


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Peter Srinivasan
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# 2 18-12-2011 , 10:34 PM
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# 3 18-12-2011 , 10:42 PM
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I would recommend Mikes book best money you'll spend in terms of time saved.

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# 4 19-12-2011 , 01:04 PM
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Well, I guess my research took me to the right place... and by research, I mean searching amazon for "maya envronment" and clicking the spell correction user added image Okay. There was more than that, but mostly to verify that Mike's was the right choice. I guess I'll be going with that. Hopefully in January I'll have time to work through most of it! Without sleeping.

Thank you, SM. I hope to ask less and answer more one day. I really want to give back to SM. You've helped me directly and indirectly (forum searches) through many tricky spots in the last few years.


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Peter Srinivasan
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# 5 19-12-2011 , 01:18 PM
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Well in the new year we have a few tutorials coming out on advanced interior lighting in Maya.

So that might be useful to you as well.

Glad we could help out. best of luck with your projects
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From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"
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