Maya Training Course

Maya Course Contents

Introduction to Autodesk Maya

• Using the exercise files
• A note on screen resolution
• Overview of the Maya interface
• Working with files and Maya projects
• Navigating viewports
• Reviewing the Viewport menus
• Configuring safe frames and grids
• Selecting objects
• Using the Move tool
• Rotating and scaling
• Manipulating pivots
• Understanding the Channel Box
• Working with the Attribute Editor
• Using the Hotbox
• Working with marking menus
• Customizing the interface

Polygonal Modelling Techniques

• Creating polygonal objects
• Working with polygonal components
• Selecting polygonal components
• Working with Soft Select
• Using the Extrude tool
• Keeping faces together
• Extruding along curves
• Using the Polygon Bevel tool
• Smooth and subdivision surfaces
• Blocking out a character body

Refining Polygonal Models

• Working with edge loops
• Inserting and offsetting edge loops
• Symmetrical modelling techniques
• Combining objects
• Using the Polygon Bridge tool
• Connecting components and splitting polygons
• Poking and wedging faces
• Working with polygon booleans
• Modelling with nonlinear deformers
• Modelling with lattices

NURBS Modelling Techniques

• Introducing NURBS modelling
• NURBS primitives
• Using the NURBS curve tools
• Creating Bézier curves
• Creating text
• Manipulating NURBS curves
• Refining NURBS curves
• Offsetting NURBS curves
• Editing NURBS surfaces
• Refining NURBS surfaces
• Using NURBS Revolve
• Using NURBS Loft
• Using NURBS Extrude
• Using NURBS Planar
• Stitching NURBS surfaces

Refining NURBS Models

• Extracting NURBS curves from surfaces
• Creating curves on a surface
• Projecting curves on surfaces
• Trimming NURBS surfaces
• Using the NURBS Fillet tool
• Sculpting NURBS and polygonal surfaces
• Converting NURBS to polygons

Organizing Maya Scenes

• Working with the Outliner
• Grouping objects
• Creating hierarchies
• Duplicating objects
• Understanding the Hypergraph
• Working with Hypergraph connections
• Hiding and showing objects
• Creating layers
• Working with selection masks

Creating Materials

• Overview of renderers
• Understand the basics of materials
• Creating and applying maps
• Using bitmaps as texture
• Working with the Hypershade window
• Working with mental ray materials
• Using displacement and bump mapping
• Using the Ramp Shader
• Using the 3D Paint tool

Applying Textures

• Texture-mapping NURBS surfaces
• Projecting textures onto surfaces
• Texture-mapping polygonal surfaces
• Applying UV mapping
• Using the UVW Editor

Basic Deformations and Rigging

• Creating joints
• Deforming a mesh using the Skin tool
• Creating IK handles
• Creating blend shapes
• Rigging nonlinear deformers
• Finalizing the character
• Rigging the character to the scooter

Animating in Maya

• Working with the Timeline
• Creating and adjusting keys (keyframes)
• Editing keys
• Modifying keys in the Graph Editor
• Modifying keys in the Dope Sheet
• Creating breakdown keys
• Animating objects along paths
• Animation playback using Playblast
• Animating with constraints
• Creating animation cycles
• Using set-driven keys
• Adding sound to animations
• Finishing the animation

Rendering in Maya

• Lights and lighting types in Maya
• Adding depth-map shadows
• Using Raytrace shadows
• Understanding the basics of cameras
• Adding depth of field
• Adding Bokeh using mental ray
• Using motion blur in Maya Software Renderer
• Using motion blur in mental ray
• Raytracing reflections and refractions
• Interactive rendering with IPR
• Lighting a scene
• Batch rendering

Project in Maya course

Projects: Modelling a character

Projects: Applying Texture Mapping

Projects: Creating a short animated sequence