Maya 8 Character Modeling (Wordware Applications Library) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm ammending the rating of 3 out of 5 to 2 out of 5. As I'm continuing with chapter 13 I am finding it rife with bad instructions. When you are trying to learn something as hard as rigging this is the worst thing you can do.
On pages 402-403 the author is saying to lay out your leg joints in the front view. Then on page 406 he's saying to select the two knee joints and rotate them on the Z axis. This makes it swing in an unnatural left to right. If the author had said to layout the joints in the SIDE view then the Z axis would swing like a knee should.
The author tells you to create your spine joints. Then after you've done that select the pelvis joint and Freeze Transformations. This should zero out all the translate values to make it easy to get back to the default position. This does not zero out the translate values, only the rotate & scale.
Also on page 401, instruction 8 tells you to parent neck_2 to the jaw joint. There is no "neck_2" that is the "head" joint you're instructed to create in step 6. SOMEONE from the publisher should check these things before they publish.
Maya is hard enought to learn by itself. Trying to weed through bad instructions make it twice as hard to learn. I can not stand that I paid $45 for a book that is constantly telling me to do the wrong thing.
I'm coming from Maya 4.5 to 8.5. Yes the modeling/sculpting part of the book has been informative. You should NOT use this book if you're learning to rig. The title says what it is good at, Modeling. Get another book for rigging.

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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. The author presents an overview of modeling basics and then shows how to block out the body, shape body parts, add details, and create joints and controls using Maya 8. By the time you ve finished the book, you ll have created a figure that is textured, rigged, and ready to be animated.With this book: Understand the building blocks of modeling, including quads, edge loops, normals, UVs, and mapping. Discover how modeling by formula eases the character creation process. Find out how to create a UV layout that makes texturing easier. Learn how to place joints and controls and skin your character so it deforms properly when animated. Companion CD included with the images from the book, Maya files to help build the character, AVI movies that show the modeling process in real time, and Mel scripts for installing a character modeling tool menu that can improve the user s workflow!

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