Maya Essentials

Learning the Maya Interface

• Work with Menus
• Use the Status Line Buttons
• Access the Shelf
• Explore the Channel Box and Layer Editor
• Identify the Animation Controls, the Command Line, and the Help Line
• Use the Toolbox and Quick Layout Buttons
• Discover the Marking Menus

 Controlling the View Panel

• Change the View
• Change Display Options

 Working with Objects

• Select Objects and Components
• Select Components
• Transform, Group, and Parent Objects
• Snap and Align Objects
• Understand Nodes and Attributes

 Drawing and Editing Curves

• Create Curves
• Edit Curve Details
• Modify Curves
• Apply Curve Operators
• Create Simple Surfaces from Curves
• Create 3D Type

Working with NURBS Surfaces

• Learn the NURBS Primitives
• Edit NURBS Surfaces
• Apply Surface Operators
• Trim NURBS Surfaces
• Use Boolean Tools
• Stitch Surfaces Together
• Convert Objects

 Creating and Editing Polygon Objects

• Use Polygon Primitives
• Learn Normals and Manually Create Polygons
• Edit Polygons
• Use Polygon Operations
• Smooth Polygon Edges
• Use Polygon Booleans and Triangulate Polygons
• Create Holes in Polygons
• Work with Edge Loops, Rings, and Borders
• Learn the Modeling Toolkit
• Model with the Quad Draw Tool

 Assigning Materials and Textures

• Apply Materials
• Use the Hypershade
• Work with Materials
• Work with Textures
• Position Textures
• Use Displacement Maps
• Use Utilities Nodes
• Paint in 3D
• Edit UVs

 Adding Paint Effects

• Use the Preset Brushes
• Create Custom Brushes
• Paint in 2D
• Paint on 3D Objects
• Edit Paint Effects

 Using Cameras and Lights

• Work with Cameras
• Create a Background
• Create and Position Lights
• Change Light Settings
• Create Light Effects

 Animating with Keyframes

• Set Keyframes
• View an Animation
• Animate Using Motion Paths
• Edit Animation Curves
• Control Animation TimingLesson

 Working with Characters

• Build a Skeleton
• Edit Joint Attributes
• Add Inverse Kinematics
• Skin a Character
• Edit a Skin
• Automatic Rigging
• Add Hair and Fur

 Animating with Dynamics

• Use Particles
• Create an Emitter
• Create Fields and Goals
• Manage Particle Collisions
• Use Cloth
• Constrain Motion
• Use Fluids
• Create Effects

 Rendering a Scene

• Configure the Render Process
• Use Special Rendering Features
• Use the Render View Window
• Create a Final Render
• Render with Maya Vector & Arnold

Using MEL Scripting

• Use the Command Line
• Use the Script Editor