Advanced Maya Texturing and Lighting


Book Description

Level up your skills with powerful texturing and lighting techniques Advanced Maya Texturing and Lighting, Third Edition leads you through the latest advanced techniques for adding realistic detail to your models. This new edition is up-to-date with the latest Maya texturing, lighting, and rendering features, including an exploration of the Node Editor, new Maya utility nodes and expanded coverage of mental ray shaders, and render settings. The proven tutorials are culled from real-world experience and refined to give you the ultimate in practical skills. You'll learn workflow tips and tricks, the construction of custom shading networks, and the application of time-saving tools that bring your project from concept to reality. The companion website features several gigabytes of Maya scene files, texture bitmaps, and QuickTime movies that support the exercises in the book, giving you everything you need to advance your animation skillset. This book helps you take your rendering skills to the next level with the advanced tools and techniques that take animation from good to great. Learn the theory behind expert lighting design Understand shadows, shading components, and texture mapping Work with node networks, raytracing, and global illumination Try new approaches to rendering using Maya Software and mental ray If you're ready to take a big step forward and fine-tune your style, Advanced Maya Texturing and Lighting, Third Edition is the practical, hands-on guide you need.




Building Interactive Worlds in 3D


Book Description

In Building Interactive Worlds in 3D readers will find turnkey tutorials that detail all the steps required to build simulations and interactions, utilize virtual cameras, virtual actors (with self-determined behaviors), and real-time physics including gravity, collision, and topography. With the free software demos included, 3D artists and developers can learn to build a fully functioning prototype. The book is dynamic enough to give both those with a programming background as well as those who are just getting their feet wet challenging and engaging tutorials in virtual set design, using Virtools. Other software discussed is: Lightwave, and Maya. The book is constructed so that, depending on your project and design needs, you can read the text or interviews independently and/or use the book as reference for individual tutorials on a project-by-project basis. Each tutorial is followed by a short interview with a 3D graphics professional in order to provide insight and additional advice on particular interactive 3D techniques-from user, designer, artist, and producer perspectives.




Computer Graphics Through OpenGL®


Book Description

COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF SHADERS AND THE PROGRAMMABLE PIPELINE From geometric primitives to animation to 3D modeling to lighting, shading and texturing, Computer Graphics Through OpenGL®: From Theory to Experiments is a comprehensive introduction to computer graphics which uses an active learning style to teach key concepts. Equally emphasizing theory and practice, the book provides an understanding not only of the principles of 3D computer graphics, but also the use of the OpenGL® Application Programming Interface (API) to code 3D scenes and animation, including games and movies. The undergraduate core of the book takes the student from zero knowledge of computer graphics to a mastery of the fundamental concepts with the ability to code applications using fourth-generation OpenGL®. The remaining chapters explore more advanced topics, including the structure of curves and surfaces, applications of projective spaces and transformations and the implementation of graphics pipelines. This book can be used for introductory undergraduate computer graphics courses over one to two semesters. The careful exposition style attempting to explain each concept in the simplest terms possible should appeal to the self-study student as well. Features • Covers the foundations of 3D computer graphics, including animation, visual techniques and 3D modeling • Comprehensive coverage of OpenGL® 4.x, including the GLSL and vertex, fragment, tessellation and geometry shaders • Includes 180 programs with 270 experiments based on them • Contains 750 exercises, 110 worked examples, and 700 four-color illustrations • Requires no previous knowledge of computer graphics • Balances theory with programming practice using a hands-on interactive approach to explain the underlying concepts




Mountain Texture


Book Description

The author's 4th aerial texture book and 23rd book overall, 'Mountain Texture' is a comprehensive gallery of aerial images taken of glaciers found in Switzerland, France, and Italy. Utilizing a light antique airplane from the WWII era, images of these majestic glaciers show patterns, textures, and details of massive formations of ice, from the intimate perspective of an aircraft flying slowly above. While the glaciers themselves are in the process of recession and extinction, they remain literal rivers of ice that carve immense alpine topography. In their natural cycles of movement, they present themselves as unique and ever-changing works of art, difficult to appreciate through ordinary means on the ground or from satellites above. Containing 167 aerial images, 'Mountain Texture' presents virtually unrepeatable views of countless glaciers of the Alps, whether from the perspective closely above, annual flows in ice, or the effects of climate change.




Mountain Photography


Book Description

Whether you use a film or digital camera, this book provides essential guidance for successful photography in the mountains. Philip encourages artistic experimentation and uses stunning examples of his own work to illustrate this important craft of visual communication. His tips on composition: perspective, cropping, lines, shapes, patterns, tones and contrast and capturing motion will inspire all amateur photographers. In addition, he provides advice on practical aspects such as how to choose a suitable camera and accessories, correct metering while on snow and at high altitude, and most important, how to stay safe in precarious shooting situations.




Introducing Autodesk Maya 2016


Book Description

Start modeling right away with this hands-on guide to learning Autodesk Maya 2016 Introducing Autodesk Maya 2016 is the official guide to the most popular and complex 3D application on the market. Building from the ground up, this book combines straightforward text with practical examples that make it easy to absorb the basics and start designing and animating your own digital models and scenes. The tutorials offer realistic challenges and clear explanations, laid out in fun, step-by-step lessons that help you gain confidence and learn by doing. You'll delve into CG and 3D core concepts and production workflows, then get right to work designing an animation of the solar system as you learn the interface and basic tools. As your modeling skills grow, you'll build a steam locomotive, a starfish, a table lamp, and much more as you learn to rig your model for animation, create fabric motion with nCloth, and add the lighting and effects that bring your scenes to life. The companion website features downloadable project files that help you see how the pros do it, and the book includes real-world examples from talented users who were beginners just like you. Master the Maya 2016 interface, menus, and plug-ins Begin building simple animations right away Explore modeling, rendering, animation, and cloth motion Add lighting, rendering, dynamics, simulations, and effects If you want to work like the pros, Introducing Autodesk Maya 2016 is the perfect primer for getting started.







Introducing Maya 6


Book Description

"If you're just beginning to dive into the world of 3D, this is the book for you." —Animation Magazine Alias' Academy Award winning Maya 3D animation and effects software leads the industry in technological innovation. Film and video artists, computer game developers, and design professionals rely on Maya to create brilliant digital imagery, animation, and visual effects. Now you can enter this exciting, imaginative world and learn to build, render, and animate your own digital characters and scenes. Brought to you by Maya Press, a publishing partnership between Sybex and Alias, Introducing Maya 6: 3D for Beginners is the ideal initiation to 3D and Maya. Written explicitly for the Maya novice, the easy-to-grasp text offers a practical and fun approach to learning Maya's core features. Clear-cut, engaging lessons let you try out these features using working files provided on the CD. You'll also find an abundance of instructional and inspirational art on the CD and full-color insert. Enter a New Dimension Get a solid grasp of the core Maya and 3D Learn to navigate the new Maya 6 interface Experiment with Maya modeling Explore the basics of NURBS, polygons, and subdivision surfaces Discover the nuances of shading and texturing Try your hand at animation Get a feel for Maya lighting, rendering, and dynamics Find out how to use Maya and Photoshop in unison Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.




Introducing Autodesk Maya


Book Description

This book is your perfect hands‐on guide to start animating quickly. Using approachable, real‐world exercises, you’ll master the fundamentals of this animation software by following full‐color screenshots step by step. Each chapter opens with a quick discussion of concepts and learning objectives, and then launches into hands‐on tutorials that give you firsthand experience and a good start. You’ll learn the basics of modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects. Whether you’re a complete beginner or migrating from another 3D application, this task‐based book provides the solid grounding you need in Autodesk Maya. Key Features Model with polygons, meshes, and more Add motion with simple and complex animations Add color and textures to visualize materials and surfaces Render scenes with great lighting and camera placement




Deconstructing the Elements with 3ds Max


Book Description

Get the most realistic effects from 3ds Max without having to spend more on plug-ins! Boost your effects skill-set with this 3ds Max workshop. Tutorial lessons give you hands-on experience in creating realistic fire, earth, air and water effects. Updated to demonstrate production techniques suitable for any version of 3ds Max, this new edition is co-published by Autodesk Media and Entertainment, and includes new tutorials on entering the Earth's atmosphere, glaciers, lava eruptions and a Badlands landscape. Inspirational color images cover every page of the book as the author shares his professional techniques and workflow processes. The companion DVD contains all of the required tutorial media as well as over 6 hours of video tutorials. User level: Intermediate and advanced