Maya 8 0 Character Modeling

Maya 8 Character Modeling takes a unique approach to modeling as it breaks down character creation using an easy-to-follow formula that makes the learning process less daunting. Important Notice: The digital edition of this book is missing some of the images or content found in the physical edition.

Maya 8 Character Modeling takes a unique approach to modeling as it breaks down character creation using an easy-to-follow formula that makes the learning process less daunting. Important Notice: The digital edition of this book is missing some of the images or content found in the physical edition.

A unique, in-depth approach to creating realistic characters in Maya. Maya Character Creation: Modeling and Animation Controls' author, Chris Maraffi, has expertise in the field and in the classroom that translates to the knowledge and solid teaching skills needed to make this book a "must-have"! The current trend in computer graphics is greater organic realism. Many of the top-grossing movies today, such as Spiderman, Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park 3 , and Star Wars Episode 2, all feature realistic 3D characters. There is a major need in the 3D community for educational material that demonstrates detailed techniques for achieving this organic reality. Maya is one of the main packages used on such cutting-edge films, and has an established toolset for creating believable 3D characters. Maya Character Creation: Modeling and Animation Controls is designed to take you through the process of designing, modeling, and setting up animation controls for complex 3D characters. The concepts, techniques, and Maya tools used for each step in the process are presented in each chapter, followed by many hands-on exercises. NURBS, polygon, and subdivision surface modeling techniques are shown for creating the character's skin, and skeleton-based animation controls are covered in detail. You will learn how a character's skin should deform when the skeletal joints and muscles move. Advanced MEL scripted animation controls are also covered extensively.

Create believable CG character models with this unique book and DVD package. The stunning color images show just what you can achieve, and the detailed step-by-step tutorials show exactly how to achieve them. Every technique and tip is backed up with practical tutorials, using the models, textures and video on the companion DVD to offer a crash course to this vital skill. Jason Patnode takes you from low to high-resolution modeling - helping you span the gap between game and film industry skills. Based on Maya 2008 and ZBrush 3.0. You'll learn: Pipeline and modeling guidelines . Overview of Maya . Introduction to ZBrush modeling . Concept art . Anatomy . Creating a video game character . Creating a hyper-real character . Creating a photo-real character . UVs and texturing . How to create a demo reel

LightWave v9 Texturing takes you behind the fine art of surfacing your 3D objects using LightWave 3D. Because many artists find texturing and prepping objects for texturing intimidating or confusing, this book breaks down the process and makes it easier to understand by guiding you through LightWave’s powerful surfacing toolset and a number of helpful tutorials. LightWave v9 Texturing also demonstrates how easy it is to create surfaces using LightWave’s new, powerful node-based shading system. With this book go beyond texturing theory to find out what makes a great realistic texture; learn how to build textures using both LightWave’s classic layer system and the new Node Editor; discover how to unwrap and edit UV maps; find out how to create a variety of surfaces through a series of tutorials; enhance your surfaces with gradients, image maps, and procedural textures.

Includes companion DVD with trial versions of LightWave v9.2! Essential LightWave v9 offers an unparalleled guide to LightWave 3D. Written to help users quickly take control of the software, this book is filled with easy-to-understand explanations, time-saving tips and tricks, and detailed tutorials on nearly every aspect of the software, including the new features in LightWave v9.2! Key features: learn to model, light, surface animate, and render within the first seven chapters!; master the LightWave v9 Node Editor for advanced surfacing, texturing, and deformations; learn to model with polygons, Catmull-Clark/Subpatch SubDs, and splines; uncover the secrets of distortion-free UV mapping and high-quality texturing; learn to seamlessly composite 3D objects with real-world images; create professional-quality character animation using FK, IK, and IK Booster; enhance your animations with expressions, particle effects, and dynamics; set up a render farm to rip through complex rendering tasks.

Companion CD includes a trial version of Camtasia Studio 4!With the latest release of Camtasia Studio, TechSmith continues to enhance its industry-leading screen video recording and editing tool. Camtasia Studio 4: The Definitive Guide describes the newest features and takes the user through the entire process of creating top-notch software tutorials, marketing spots, and demonstrations. This book provides a practical guide to getting the most out of Camtasia Studio, with topics ranging from developing goals, determining the audience, and storyboarding to recording, editing, and producing.

Part animation guide, part Flash manual, The Art of Flash Animation: Creative Cartooning provides a practical primer on classic, hand-drawn 2D screen animation as well as an introduction to using Flash for creating your own cartoons. Section I discusses the terms and techniques of hand-drawn animation, character design, and storyboards, while Section II covers scanning, digitizing your artwork into Flash, and setting up scenes. Topics include how to animate a walk cycle; recording and editing dialogue, sound effects, and music; how to use recyclable symbols to make the animation process more efficient; preparing your work for video or web download.