More Autodesk Maya Hyper-Realistic Creature Creation (Autodesk Official Training Guide) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book is fairly expensive for it's size (154 pages), although it is packed with very useful rigging techniques. As other reviewers have mentioned, this is not a modeling book -- it's more about rigging and muscle deformations. This book is designed to work with Autodesk Maya 2009. It heavily relies on their plug-ins included on the DVD, which do NOT work in any other version of Maya. You can download a free trial of Maya 2009 from the Internet, although it would be nice if it were included on the DVD itself. There are some cool bonus videos on the DVD for modeling a realistic hand, using both Maya and Mudbox. The book is written by very impressive individuals in the industry, who really know their stuff. This is definitely a book for intermediate to advanced users. For beginners, they suggest that you begin with the "Learning Autodesk Maya 2009/Foundation" or the "Learning Autodesk Maya 2009/Modeling & Animation Handbook" as a prerequesite to this book.

Click Here to see more reviews about: More Autodesk Maya Hyper-Realistic Creature Creation (Autodesk Official Training Guide)

More Autodesk Maya Hyper-Realistic Creature Creation is a continuation of the tools and techniques presented in Maya Hyper-Realistic Creature Creation, Second Edition. This book is your solution for creating convincing characters in Autodesk Maya. Learn core industry knowledge by gaining hands-on experience with innovative tools and powerful industry-recognized techniques as you learn to model like a professional; set up your skeleton in a fast and easy way; and create realistic facial controls. Get the inside scoop on high end production techniques from industry pros Erick Miller, Paul Thuriot, Jeff Unay and Rudy Grossman. Through project-based lessons, follow Jeff and Rudy's process for modeling the beast and its facial blend shapes, Paul's workflow for rigging the beast's body, and Erick's tips and techniques on complex facial rigging for maximum flexibility. This book carefully delineates the entire production process for the beast's creation, so that you can both understand the individual techniques and how they relate to each other in a pipeline. By examining the entire process, you will learn strategies for creating characters with an emphasis on anatomy and realism. Lessons are designed to cover effective workflows for devising models that can be easily manipulated and animated. The methods discussed in this book can be applied to any setup needs that you may have because you will learn the rigging process from the concept stage through to pipeline integration.
Create a facial topology that will deform realistically

Use custom tools to control the morph timing of a blend shape

Learn valuable modeling workflows for creating facial blend shapes

Accommodate changes within a character pipeline

Use the Full Body IK solver to create a control rig

Create internal muscle structures for body deformations

Use tools and Python plug-ins for higher level deformations

Build and rig a face shape library with directional sliders and compensation shapes

Learn about controls for the eyes, ears, mouth and teeth

Attach models or rigs of different resolutions

Learn and use several custom written Hyper-Real facial rigging MEL tools

Get 36% OFF

Click here for more information about More Autodesk Maya Hyper-Realistic Creature Creation (Autodesk Official Training Guide)

Read More...

Mastering Autodesk Maya 2011 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If you're purchasing the Kindle Edition of this book, keep in mind it doesn't have a companion DVD. I was, however, able to contact the publisher's TECHNICAL support at sybex.com and provide my purchase confirmation in order to have a copy of the DVD mailed to me.
(I haven't actually read the book yet so my star rating can be ignored).

Click Here to see more reviews about: Mastering Autodesk Maya 2011

A beautifully-packaged, advanced reference on the very latest version of Maya
If you already know the basics of Maya, the latest version of this authoritative book takes you to the next level. From modeling, texturing, animation, and visual effects to high-level techniques for film, television, games, and more, this book provides professional-level Maya instruction. With pages of scenarios and examples from some of the leading professionals in the industry, this book will help you master the entire CG production pipeline.

Provides professional-level instruction on Maya, the industry-leading 3D animation and effects software
Covers the very latest Maya tools and features, including Dynamics, Maya Muscle, Stereo Cameras, rendering with mental ray, and more
Offers complete coverage of advanced topics such as cloth, fur, and fluids
Showcases the techniques of professionals through numerous examples and real-world scenarios, showing you how to set up and manage 3D animation and visual effects pipelines
Includes a CD with all support files from the book, along with movies to illustrate concepts

If you're looking for an in-depth, professional Maya resource to turn to again and again, Mastering Maya is the book you need.

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

For Instructors: Teaching supplements are available for this title.

Get 43% OFF

Click here for more information about Mastering Autodesk Maya 2011

Read More...

Complete Maya Programming Volume II, Volume 2: An In-depth Guide to 3D Fundamentals, Geometry, and Modeling (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)great book on programming maya mel and api. It is the only references on this material. However my biggest complaint is that the proof reading on these sorts of manuals is just as bad as I have seen. Double negitives, typos galour, confusing examples rule the content here. I sometimes wonder if David Gould speaks english. It is as if he is explaining it to himself and not the reader. Changing emphasis in mid thought really makes for some guesswork on the readers part. A necessary evil, I guess as, I recommend his series whenever someone is asking about mel or the api.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Complete Maya Programming Volume II, Volume 2: An In-depth Guide to 3D Fundamentals, Geometry, and Modeling (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics)

Get 29% OFF

Click here for more information about Complete Maya Programming Volume II, Volume 2: An In-depth Guide to 3D Fundamentals, Geometry, and Modeling (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics)

Read More...

3ds Max Modeling for Games, Second Edition: Insider's Guide to Game Character, Vehicle, and Environment Modeling: Volume I Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've played around with 3ds max for a few years but never really got to grips with it until now.
3ds Max Modelling for Games has taught me more in a month than every other book and DVD I've wasted my money on all together.
The book is extremely simple to begin with, taking you through modelling a box, step by step.
Now I thought that this was a joke initially until I realised that the tutorial was not about modelling a box, but about setting 3ds max up properly with automatic backups, units, scale and the core principles of mapping and unwrapping textures. It even shows how to get a great looking render out of the simplest of models - something I had struggled with in the past.

The book moves on teaching more complex modelling techniques, more complex mapping and even how to take your own photographs and turn them into great looking texture maps - I didn't expect a number of great Photoshop lessons in a 3ds Max book.

Again the tutorials get more complex and cover normal mapping, dirt maps, ambient occlusion, scratch maps, specular maps, and complex lighting and rendering.
But the best thing about the book is that all of the tutorials grow all fit together as pieces of the final finished scene which is an abandoned warehouse. The models, the vehicle, the character - everything all fits together to make a scene with lots of rendering advice to put a good portfolio together.

Finally the book ends with some of the best advice I've ever seen on putting a portfolio together and how to act in an interview.

I haven't been able to put this book down since I got hold of it and I'm now looking forward to the massive character modelling tutorial.

5 stars from me.

p.s. The book has an accompanying website with extra content promised too.


Click Here to see more reviews about: 3ds Max Modeling for Games, Second Edition: Insider's Guide to Game Character, Vehicle, and Environment Modeling: Volume I


The2nd edition of Andy Gahan's 3ds Max Modeling for Games, covering the latest version of 3ds Max is here. This book features the realistic style of art that the 1st edition covered, with six completely new chapters for the new version of the software.These newly added sections including: an Intro to 3ds Max, a new normal maps tutorial, expanded portfolio section, LOD's, a brand new environment and muchmore - as well as updates throughout covering latest version of Max.

The gallery will consist of a mix of inspirational concept art, and orthographics for the reader to build various models from. The book comes to us directly from successful game artists within commercial game development circles (Gahan + contributors) and consists of tutorials that start with simpler models and gradually move up to more complex builds.The strength of this book is that it teaches all of the important game modeling elements: character& environment modeling, mapping, texturing, basic animating of credible game characters and levels - using latest version of 3ds Max. As readers move from tutorial to tutorial, they build their own portfolio of high quality work.

Website (www.3d-for-games.com)is unique-an online forum where readers can post and answer questions about their work. In terms of developing a portfolio, online peer critiques are invaluable, and current readers have made use of this feature, in fact some have happily become the forum responders (along with Andy) to coach anddevelop new artists at work. Alsoincluded: step-by-step project files for each chapter; all the relevant texture files and source photos; panoramic skies, small scene objects, bonus texture maps& models so that artists can create whole scenes very quickly without starting from scratch each time; countless examples of what's hot and what's not in 3D modeling and also enough support images and photos to keep the budding artist busy for months. Unrivalled support in over 10,000 currentposts- backing up the book with a lively forum and community of readers from all over the world, ready to help your work.

* New, expanded tutorials (with the time they take indicated) lead readers through a character and environment from beginning to end and become more complex as the book progresses * Companion website features a robust and supportive forum where readers can get commentary on new work, develop their skills and network with games professionals--currently has over 10,000 posts * Companion website also offers all project files for tutorials and source images and photos to keep the budding artist busy for months

Get 35% OFF

Click here for more information about 3ds Max Modeling for Games, Second Edition: Insider's Guide to Game Character, Vehicle, and Environment Modeling: Volume I

Read More...