Autodesk Maya 2012 Course

Prerequisites

To ensure your success, you must have a basic understanding of your computer's operating system. For example, you should know how to launch an application, create and save files, and copy files from CDs and other media.  Knowledge of Photoshop & Flash is an added advantage.

Course Outline

Chapter 1. Working in Autodesk MAYA
Creating and Editing Maya Nodes
Using the HyperGraph
Connecting nodes with Connection Editor
Creating nodes Hierarchies in outliner
Displaying options in the outliner
The channel Box
The Attribute Editor
Working with Shader Nodes in the Hypershade
Creating Maya Projects
Creating a New Project
Editing and Changing Projects
Organizing Complex Node Structures with Assets
Creating and Asset
Publishing Asset Attributes
Using the Asset Editor
File References
Referencing a File
Using Reference Proxies
The Bottom Line

Chapter 2. Virtual Film Making with Autodesk MAYA Cameras
Determining the Image size and Film Speed of the Camera
Setting the Size and Resolution of the Image
Setting the Film Speed
Creating and Animating Camera
Creating a Camera
Setting a Camera
Limiting the Range of Renderable Objects with Clipping Frames
Composing the shot using the Film Back Settings
Creating a Camera Shake Effect
Using an Expression to Control Alpha Offset
Creating Custom Camera Rigs
Swivel Camera Rig
Swivel Camera Rig Asset
Applying Depth of Field and Motion Blur
Rendering Using Depth of Field
Creating a Rack Focus Rig
Adding Motion Blur to an Animation
Using Orthographic and Stereo Cameras
Orthographic Camera
Stereo Cameras
Using the Camera Sequencer

Chapter 3. Modeling 1
Understanding Polygon Geometry
Polygon Vertices
Polygon Edges
Polygon Faces
Working with Smooth Polygons
Using Subdivision Surfaces
Understanding NURBS
Understanding Curves
Understanding NURBS Surfaces
Surface Seams
NURBS Display Controls
Employing Image Planes
Modeling NURBS Surfaces
Lofting Surfaces
Intersecting Surfaces
Trim Surfaces
Working with Trim Edges
Fillet Surfaces
Creating Rail Surfaces
Lofting Across Multiple Curves
Live Surfaces
NURBS Tessellation
Modeling with Polygons
Shaping Using Smooth Mesh Polygon Geometry
Insert Edge Loop Tools
Extruding Polygons
Edge Creasing
Mirror Cut

Chapter 4. Modeling 2
Modeling with Deformers
Using a Lattice
Soft Modification Tool
Combining Meshes
Using Bevel Plus and Bevel Edges
Creating the Curves
Projecting the Curve
Bevel Edges
Using the Curves
Create an Extrusion Curve
Extrude Along a Curve
Drawing Curves on Live Surface
Convert NURBS Surface to Polygons
Employing Revolved Surfaces
NURBS Extrusion
Boolean Operations
Using Booleans
Cutting Polygons
Sculpting Polygons Using Artisan
Advanced Polygon Editing Tools
Append a Polygon
Interactive Split Tool
Spin a Polygon Edge
Bridge Polygons
Working SubDs
Modeling with SubDs
SubDs Levels

Chapter 5. Animation Techniques
Using Joints and Constraints
Joint Basics
Point Constraints
Aim Constraints
Inverse Kinematics
IK Handle Tool
Create a Master Control
Keyframe Animation
Creating Keyframes
Auto Keyframe
Move and Scale Keyframes on the Timeline
Copy, Paste and Cut Keyframes
The Graph Editor
Animation Curves
Editing Animation Curves
Weighted Tangents
Additional Editing Tools
Breakdowns and In-Betweens
Pre- and Post-Infinity
Playblast and FCheck
Driven Keys
Creating a Driven Key
Looping Driven Keys
Copying and Pasting Driven Keys
Motion Path Animation
Motion Trails
Animating Constraints
Animation Layers
Creating an Animation Layer
Layer Mode
Other Options in the Layer Editor
Layer Hierarchy
Merging Layers

Chapter 6. Animation with Deformers
Animating Facial Expressions Using Blend Shapes
Creating Blend Shape Targets
Creating Blend Shapes
Painting Blend Shape weights
Adding Targets
Creating a Custom Mouth Control Slider
Connecting the slider to the Blend Shape
Animating Blend Shapes Sequentially
Creating the Base Mesh
Creating the Blend Shape Targets
Creating the Blend Shape Sequence
Animating with Lattices
Creating a Lattice
Using Lattice Membership Tool
Adding on Object to an Existing Lattice
Animating Lattices
Animating Object Components with Cluster
Adding Cluster Objects
Painting Cluster Weights
Applying Cluster Components
Constraining Clusters
Animating a Scene Using Non Linear Deformer
Creating a Wave Deformer
Squashing and Stretching Objects
Twisting Objects
Creating a Jiggle Effect
Applying Jiggle Deformer
Panting Jiggle Weights
Optimizing Animation with Geometry Cache
Creating a Geometry Cache
Editing the Cache Playback

Chapter 7. Rigging and Muscle Systems
Understanding Rigging
Creating and Organizing Joint Hierarchies
Orienting Joints
Naming Joints
Mirroring Joints
Rigging the Giraffe
IK Legs
FK Blending
Rotate Plane Solvers
Creating Custom Attributes
Spline IK
Human Inverse Kinematics
Skinning Geometry
Interactive/Smooth Binding
Weighting the Giraffe
Painting the Skin Weights
Editing the Skin Weights in the Component Editor
Copying Skin Weights
Mirroring Skin Weights
The MAYA Muscle System
Understanding the Maya Muscle System
Using Capsules
Creating a Muscle Using Muscle Builder
Editing Muscle Parameters
Converting the Smooth Skin to a Muscle System
Sliding Weights

Chapter 8. Paint Effects
Using the Paint Effects Canvas
The paint Effects window
Painting in Scene Mode
Painting on 3D Objects
Understanding Strokes
The Anatomy of a Paint Effects Stroke
Brush Sharing
Understanding the Brush Curve Nodes
Designing Brushes
Starting from Scratch
Tubes
Growing Flowers
Adding Leaves
Create Complexity by Adding Strokes to a Curve
Shaping strokes with Behavior Controls
Applying Forces
Displacement, Spiral and Bend
Animating Strokes
Animating Attribute Values
Adding turbulence
Animating Growth
Modifiers
Rendering Paint Effects
Illumination
Shadow Effects
Shading Strokes and Tubes
Texturing Strokes
Converting Strokes to Geometry

Chapter 9. Lighting with mental ray
Shadow- Casting Lights
Shadow Preview
Depth Map Shadows
Mental ray Shadow Map Overrides
Raytrace Shadows
Indirect Lighting: Global Illumination
Global Illumination
Tuning Global Illumination
Working with Photon Maps
Color Bleeding
Importons
Caustics
Caustic Light Setup
Indirect Illumination: Final Gathering
Light-Emitting Objects
Final Gathering Maps
Using Lights with Final Gathering
Image Based Lighting
Enabling IBL
IBL and Final Gathering
Physical Sun and Sky
Enabling Physical Sun and Sky
Editing the Sky Settings
Mental ray Area Lights
Using Area Lights
Light Shaders
Physical Light Shader
Tone Mapping
Photometric Lights and Profiles

Chapter 10. Mental ray shading Techniques
Shading Concepts
Diffusion
Reflection
Refraction
The Fresnel Effect
Anisotropy
Creating Blurred Reflections and Refractions Using MAYA Shaders
Reflection Blur
Refraction Blur
Basic mental ray Shaders
DGS Shaders
Dielectric Material
Mental ray Base Shaders
Car Paint Materials
Diffuse Parameters
Specular Parameters
Flake Parameters
Reflection Parameters
The MIA Material
Using the MIA Material Presets
Add Bump to Rubber Shader
Create Beveled Edges Using mia_roundcorners
Other MIA Material Attributes
Controlling Exposure with Tone Mapping
Rendering Contours

Chapter 11. Texture Mapping
UV Texture Layout
What are UV Texture Layout Coordinates?
Mapping the Giraffe Leg
Unfolding UVs
Mapping the Giraffe Head
Mirroring UVs
More UV Tools
Arranging UV Shells
Additional UV Mapping Considerations
Transferring UVs
Multiple UV Sets
Optimizing Textures
Bump and Normal Mapping
Bump Maps
Normal Maps
Creating Normal Maps
Applying Normal Maps
Displacement Mapping
SubSurface Scattering
Fast Simple Skin Shader Setup
SubSurface Scattering Layers
Sub Surface Specularity

Chapter 12. Rendering for compositing
Render Layers
Creating Render Layers
Render Layer Overrides
Creating Overrides for Rendering Cameras
Using Different Shaders on Render Layers
Material Overrides
Render Layer Blend Modes
Render Passes
Upgrade Materials for Rendering Passes
Render Multiple Passes from Single Render Layer
Create an Ambient Occlusion Pass
Render Pass Contribution Maps
Lights and Contribution Maps
Render Pass Sets
Setting Up a Render with mental ray
File Tokens
Specifying Frame Range
Renderable Cameras
File Formats and the Frame Buffers
Starting a Batch render
Command-Line Rendering
Creating a Batch Script
Mental Ray Qualities
Tessellation and Approximation Nodes
Antialiasing and Sampling
Filtering
Rasterizer
Raytrace Acceleration
Diagnose BSP

Chapter 13. Introducing nParticles
Creating nParticles
Drawing nParticles using nParticles Tool
Spawning nParticles form an Emitter
Emitting nParticles from a Surface
Filling an Object with nParticles
Making nParticles collide with nRigids
Passive Collision Object
Collide Strength and Collision Ramps
Using nParticles to Simulate Liquids
Creating Liquid Behavior
Converting nParticles to Polygons
Shading the nParticles Mesh
Emit nParticles Using a Texture
Surface Emission
Using Wind
Shading nParticles and Using Hardware Rendering to Create Flame Effects
Shading nParticles to simulate Flames
Creating nCache
Using the Hardware Render Buffer
nParticles and Fields
Using Multiple Emitters
Volume axis Curve
Working with Force Fields
Painting Field Maps
Using Dynamic Fields
Rendering Particles with mental ray

Chapter 14. Dynamic Effects
Creating nCloths
Making a Polygon Mesh Dynamic
Applying nCloth Presets
Making Surfaces Sticky
Creating nConstraints
Making NCloth Objects Expand Using Pressure
Additional Techniques
Creating nCache
Creating nCloth and nParticle Interactions
Creating an nParticle Goal
Controlling Collision Events
Ripping an Object Open Using Tearable Constraints
Rigid Body Dynamics
Creating an Exploding Tower
Tuning the Rigid Body Simulation
Baking the Simulation
Crumbling Tower
Soft Body Dynamics
Creating Flying Debris Using nParticle Instancing
Adding nParticles to the Scene
Sending the Debris Flying Using nField
Creating a More Convincing Explosion by Adjusting nParticle Mass
Instancing Geometry
Animating Instances Using nParticles Expressions
Randomizing Instance Index
Connecting Instance Size to nParticle Mass
Controlling the Rotation of nParticles

Chapter 15. Fur, Hair and Clothing
Adding Fur to Characters
Preparing Polygons for MAYA Fur
Creating a Fur Description
Editing the Fur Description: Baldness
Editing the Fur Description: Direction
Editing the Fur Description: Length
Test Render Fur
Applying a Color Map
Applying Map Offsets and Multipliers
Enhancing the realism of Fur
Rendering Fur Using mental ray
Animating Using Dynamics Curves
Using Dynamics Curves with IK Splines
Creating an IK Spline Handle from the Dynamic Curve
Using Forces
Adding hair to a Character
Applying Hair to a Surface
Hair Collision Constraints
Determining Hair Shape
Styling Hair
Start and Rest Positions
Paint Follicle Attributes
Styling Hair with Fields
Modifying Curves
Curling, Noise, Sub Clumping, and Braids
Creating Hair Constraints
Rendering Hair
Creating Clothing for Characters
Modeling Cloths for nCloths
Adding a Transform Constraint
Using Component Constraint
Connecting Buttons to the Shirt
Applying Forces
Painting nCloth Properties

Chapter 16. Autodesk MAYA Fluids
Using Fluid Containers
Using 2D Containers
Adding an Emitter
Using Fields with Fluids
Using 3D Containers
Creating a Reaction
Emitting Fluids from a Surface
Making Flames
Igniting the Fuel
Rendering Fluid Containers
Creating Fluids and nParticle Interactions
Emitting Fluids from nParticles
Creating Flaming trails
Creating Water Effects
Filling a Container
Adding Surface Detail
Rendering Liquids
Creating an Ocean