We will start by discussing the foundational skills and vocabulary that will be essential as you begin your Maya learning. From there we will move directly into modeling, where we will begin building the vehicle that will be used for the duration of this course. Once the vehicle is built we will move into texturing, rigging, animation, dynamics, and we will finish up with the lighting and rendering of our final animation.

Throughout these lessons we will cover the foundations of modeling a high resolution female that will deform properly when animated. Along the way we will learn how we can avoid many common beginner mistakes and develop a workflow that is efficient and effective. We will also learn a lot of basic and advanced female anatomy, and how to capture high resolution realism with simple geometry. By the end of this course you will have a great foundation for building your own female characters for film, broadcast and video games.

This specific high-level course was designed to evolve your workflows, and give you some ideas to keep in mind as you go through the process of building the robot portion of your transforming robot. The objectives for this fast-pace course include looking at several issues to be dealt with when creating the transforming robot. We'll look at ways to use ZBrush and TopoGun in our workflow to build the fitted pieces and panels of the robot. In addition to modeling techniques, we'll talk about UV layout concepts, creating a proxy, and working cooperatively with other artists, including those working in other applications. It is recommended that you have some experience using Maya, ZBrush, and TopoGun, as we cover a lot of information in a shorter span of time. We won't be going through the modeling of the robot step-by-step, so if you’re a new artist, the Beginner's Guides and Introduction courses are perfect places to start getting up to speed. From there you can check out any of the intermediate step-by-step project based courses and they will give you the tools you need to complete the model.

Along the way we will be encountering topology issues and learn new ways of troubleshooting those. We will be focusing on less of a traditional tools that are used today for modeling, and rather explore creative ways of application for the news onces. Upon completing our model, we will look at basics of V-Ray material setup for Maya, where we explore various options and what effect they have, look at couple of a rendering tips to improve the quality of our final image, and touch a few basic steps on compositing of our final image.

Throughout these lessons we will use a combination of Maya, After Effects and Photoshop to do everything from the modeling, animating, texturing, lighting and rendering of an animated title sequence. By the end of this tutorial you'll have an understanding of the knowledge required to create a robotic title sequence from start to finish.

Rather than focusing on the higher-end scale that is commonly seen in other tutorials, with this tutorial we will be limiting ourselves to just a few thousand polygons. We will begin, not by sculpting a high detail model in ZBrush or Mudbox, but by focusing on the character's actual low polygon in-game model. Once that's built and optimized, we will then focus on adding a good set of UVs before we move onto painting diffuse, normal and specular texture maps. By the end of this tutorial we will have taken a look at numerous tips, techniques and shortcuts all geared towards saving precious time by simply focusing on the actual game model itself.

This specific high-level course was designed to evolve your workflows, and give you some concepts to keep in mind as you go through the process of building the vehicle portion of your transforming robot. We'll look at a few modeling techniques to make the model more realistic, UV layout concepts, and cutting up the model in preparation for its transformation. Before we start, I recommend you have experience using Maya as we cover a lot of information in a shorter span of time. We won't be going through the modeling of this truck step-by-step, so if you’re an artist new to Maya or to modeling, the Beginner's Guides and Introduction courses are perfect places to start getting up to speed. From there you can check out any of the intermediate step-by-step project based courses, automotive courses especially, and they will take you through the entire process and give you the tools you need to complete the model.

When creating a creature concept for the film industry, it is common for a director to ask for a detailed character rendering or even a 3D print of the creature before approving a character concept. Throughout these lessons we will look at the creative process of taking a 2D concept and turning it into a 3D digital maquette that is detailed enough to show a film director for approval. Once approved, before the VFX studio can integrate the character concept into it's pipeline it must first be fully retopologized into a clean mesh that is ready for rigging and animation. By the end of this tutorial we will have gone through the entire conceptual process of creating a film-ready character concept that is posed, prepared in accordance with 3D printing standards and rendered for a dramatic presentation.

Throughout these lessons we will take an in-depth look at some mixed polygon modeling techniques using Maya 2011. We'll focus on creating animation-friendly topology for our fantasy style character that will not only deform correctly but will also showcase detailed anatomy. By the end of this tutorial, we will have learned how to model clothes, props, books, candles and a human skull while covering a wide variety of modeling techniques to produce detailed and accurate meshes. While this tutorial uses Maya 2011, the techniques used are transferrable to any other polygon modeling software program.

Each video tutorial is a self-contained lesson centering on one of the commands found in the Edit UVs menu in Maya. This means that these lessons can be viewed in any order you wish, allowing you to jump straight to the content that is most relevant to you. Over the course of these tutorialss, we'll take a detailed look at each of the Edit UVs commands and how each of them can be used to speed up our workflow.

Film and commercial projects often require very high-resolution, highly detailed vehicle models. However, these models are not appropriate for games or other real-time applications because of the large number of polygons. So in order to be able to rig, animate, or integrate these models into a game engine, we first have to convert the model to a much lower resolution. Using a motorcycle as our example, we'll use Maya to reduce the resolution of many of the pieces. We'll then use TopoGun to create new topology for the very detailed meshes like the engine or radiator. We'll cover methods for baking normal and color maps from within Maya as well as in TopoGun. These techniques will allow us to create a much lower resolution model that is visually very close to its higher-resolution counterpart. Once we're done, you'll have a good grasp of several of the tools we can use to create game-resolution vehicle models and you'll have the knowledge you need to apply those techniques to your own models. If you're interested in building the high resolution motorcycle from start to finish, please check out the Motorcycle Modeling Techniques in Maya course which will take you through that process.

We will start by referencing our game document, which will be our guide through the process of creating our Unity game. We can find information on the look of our models but also on the desired resolutions of the models and textures. We will concentrate on creating game topology for our two characters and two weapon models. We will also cover map generation and texture painting as part of the process. In the end we will have models ready to be rigged and animated or plugged directly into the game engine. We will use a variety of software packages from Maya, to TopoGun, to ZBrush and Mudbox in order to prepare our assets so there will be a lot of back and forth. This course references some pre-made assets and covers methods for modifying and prepping those assets for this particular game. In most of these cases, if you'd like to learn to build these assets from start to finish, there is a tutorial that will fill your need. For instance, in this course we look at the steps we went through to modify the biker character from Creating High Resolution Characters in ZBrush 4 and Creating Game Characters with Maya 2011 and ZBrush 4. So if you'd like to build the character from scratch, those two courses will take you through the process. The same goes for the enemy tick creature, which is from the Introduction the Mudbox 2011, and the assault rifle from Creating Next-Gen Game Assets in Maya.

In this course we will examine the process of creating the game level for our Unity mobile project. We will start by referencing our game document, which will give us a great deal of information, not only on the look of our models, but also on more technical aspects like geometry and texture resolutions. We'll talk about basic modeling techniques for creating the different parts of our game level and we'll concentrate on creating portions of the level that can be seamlessly tiled. We'll go over how we can break down our reference art and where we can add unique details to break up the repeating geometry. We'll finish by talking about methods for making sure all of the pieces match up properly and are saved out for uv and texture work. This course goes over the process for creating our game level and the thoughts behind the decisions but it is not a step-by-step modeling tutorial. If you'd like to get up to speed on modeling in Maya, I'd recommend the Introduction to Modeling in Maya which goes over the tools we use here in greater detail. If you want a more step-by-step look at game-type environments in general, try Creating Low Resolution Environments in Maya and Photoshop.

We will start the training by taking a look at our game development document as well as the artwork that we have. These will give us a better idea of the technical aspects of our models and their look. We'll talk about building the geometry and creating texture maps for pieces of our level like old oil drums, boards and lights. We'll also cover workflows between Maya and Mudbox for modeling, sculpting, and painting bits of organic debris to illustrate the enemy infestation. We'll finish up by talking about dressing the set temporarily in Maya as a guide for the final dressing in Unity. This course goes over the process for creating props and set dressing and the thoughts behind the decisions but it is not a step-by-step tutorial. If you'd like to get up to speed on modeling in Maya, I'd recommend Introduction to Modeling in Maya which goes over the tools we use here in greater detail. If you want a more step-by-step look at creating assets in Mudbox, we have a variety of training available, including Introduction to Mudbox 2012 which will get you started very quickly. So over the next hour and a half or so, we'll talk about creating the pieces necessary to dress our set and give it a realistic, aged and worn look.

Throughout these lessons we will explore the use of subdivision surfaces to help us quickly create a stylized cowgirl character. We will begin with a base mesh before posing her and adding clothing and detail. The result will be a highly detailed model ready for textures and rendering that can be used in an illustration or even animation. Although we will primarily be using Silo throughout the tutorial, the techniques taught in these lessons can be followed along using any subdivision surfaces software.

This tutorial will go through all of the steps of the process of making a polished image of a creature character. We will learn the importance of each part to ensure that our image is appealing in the end.

Each video in this tutorial is a self-contained lesson centering on one of the commands found in the Create UVs menu in Maya. This means that these lessons can be viewed in any order you wish, allowing you to jump straight to the content that is most relevant to you. Over the course of these lessons, we'll take a detailed look at each of the Create UVs commands and how each of them can be used to speed up our workflow.

Throughout this detailed tutorial, we'll leverage the power of ZBrush and Maya to build a strong female hero character from start to finish. We'll use Zspheres to block in the rough shape of our model and then send our geometry over to Maya using the one-click GoZ functionality. In Maya, we can recreate the topology of any of our pieces, we can create new geometry to send back to ZBrush, or modify existing geometry. We'll be going back and forth quite a bit in order to use the tools most appropriate for building the character's clothing and accessories. In addition to the modeling tools in Maya, we'll also use many of ZBrush's built in modeling functions including Shadowbox, mesh extraction, and the topology tools. Once we're done, we'll have a finished high-resolution character that can be painted or prepared for rigging, and you'll have the knowledge to repeat the process on your own character.

The topology or edge flow of our models is an important consideration for many reasons. Over the course of the these lessons, we'll look at how topology can affect the shape of our models. We'll looks at ways of finding and cleaning up n-gons and triangles. We'll also talk about how the topology affects smoothing and edges of our models, and how much animation and deformation depends on good topology. Many of the lessons in this tutorial were created to address specific issues students have had in dealing with the topology of their models, so hopefully you'll be able to pick up a few tips to add to your Modeler's Toolbox.

We'll start the process by setting up reference images so our results match more closely. We'll look at how to start blocking in the main elements of our android model. We'll explore methods for cutting geometry apart to use as the various pieces. We'll use smoothing methods to get nice contoured shapes and learn a few ways to create hard, beveled edges to get a machined look. We'll use polygon geometry for the most part, but we'll also use NURBS for a few specific pieces. By the end of this Maya tutorial, you'll have a completed android model that you built from scratch, but more importantly, you'll be familiar with the tools and techniques used so you can apply them to your own projects.

Over the tutorial we will learn how to efficiently model by only modeling what we need and how to reuse basic base meshes as starting points. Then we will look at how to efficiently UV map, looking at techniques to quickly produce distortion free UVs. Then using Ambient Occlusion bakes as starting points for our textures we will look at a efficient and repeatable texturing process. We will then look at how to pose our characters, setup shaders to replicate advanced effects such as refraction and sub-surface scattering, before setting up render passes and layers for compositing. Finally we will bring it all together in Photoshop using our layers to composite and adjust our image before looking at some final techniques to complete our 3D Illustration.

This tutorial was designed to help develop your workflows, and give you some concepts to keep in mind as you go through the process of modeling military vehicles. The objectives for this fast-pace, course include looking at several different workflows and techniques for modeling a military transport. We won't be going step by step through building a specific project, but rather talk in broad terms about some of the situations you will encounter and what options you have for dealing with those issues. Before we start, it is recommended that you have experience using Maya as we cover a lot of information in a shorter span of time. If you’re an artist new to Maya the Beginner's Guide courses are a perfect place to start. From there you can check out any of the intermediate step-by-step project-based tutorials that will take you through the entire process.

NURBS stands for Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline, but they are much more useful to a 3d artist than the name might indicate. In this series of lessons we’ll get up to speed on NURBS geometry and talk about some of the ways it can be used in our modeling workflows. We’ll begin by talking about the basic NURBS building blocks and look at the different NURBS components that can be manipulated to get the shapes we want. We'll cover methods for creating curves, the framework of NURBS objects. We'll then explore many of the ways that we can use curves to create different types of NURBS objects, from revolving to extruding and lofting. We'll also talk about using trimmed surfaces to create complex cut-outs and we'll discuss NURBS parameterization. In addition, we'll look at ways of attaching and detaching curves and surfaces, combining objects with Booleans, and methods of blending together multiple objects. In the end of this Maya tutorial, you'll have a better idea of what NURBS geometry is and how you can start to integrate it into your modeling workflow.

Each video is a self-contained lesson centering on one of the commands found in the Normals menu in Maya. This means that these lessons can be viewed in any order you wish, allowing you to jump straight to the content that is most relevant to you. Over the course of these lessons, we'll take a detailed look at each of the Normals commands and how each of them can be used to speed up our workflow.

We will cover the new attribute sliders for the show manipulator tool and how they can speed up our polygon modeling workflow. We will also take a look at how we can project curves onto polygon surfaces to create fitted geometry and use those projected curves to split or cut apart those polygons. We will also cover the new curve generation option for the extrude tool. In addition we will cover the interactive split tool and finish up by looking at the new interoperability features that will allow us to work more closely between Maya and other Autodesk applications.

We will start off by learning how to properly set up and align your image planes in something like Photoshop, From there, we will learn how to begin importing your image planes into Maya, we will learn how to resize and reposition your image planes within the Maya viewports to make sure they are properly aligned in all your views, we will learn how to import animated image planes, as well as many other tools and features that will allow you to use image planes effectively in Maya.

Each tutorial in this course is a self-contained lesson centering on one of the commands found in the Mesh menu in Maya. This means that these lessons can be viewed in any order you wish, allowing you to jump straight to the content that is most relevant to you. Over the course of these tutorials, we'll take a detailed look at each of the Mesh commands and how each of them can be used to speed up our workflow.

We will use a project-based approach as we cover the basics of modeling, look at commonly used tools, and talk about some time-saving tips and techniques gleaned from production experience. We will begin by looking at the various types of geometry available to you and how you can actually convert between those different types. You will learn how to organize your model into hierarchies and keep your scene clean and efficient. We will also take a look at several modeling tools, including polygonal tools like extrude and the insert edge loop tool for adding resolution, NURBS tools like loft and extrude to create smooth surfaces, and a few subd tools as well. We will take a look at using a smoothing or subdivision workflow and use deformers to help shape our models. We are going to take a slightly different approach to this introduction course, in that we are not going to talk about all of the Maya modeling tools, but rather focus on the tools that you are going to find most useful as you begin the modeling process. Once you have a better understanding of how these tools work together, you will be able to create your own modeling solutions and really come up with a workflow that is comfortable to you.

Each video in this course is a self-contained lesson centering on one of the commands found in the Edit Mesh menu in Maya. This means that these lessons can be viewed in any order you wish, allowing you to jump straight to the content that is most relevant to you. Over the course of these lessons, we'll take a detailed look at each of the Edit Mesh commands and how each of them can be used to speed up our workflow.

We will start off by learning how to navigate through the Maya interface, and moving the Maya virtual cameras. We will then explore many critical aspects of Maya, such as creating and manipulating primitive objects, understanding the various components of Maya geometry, animating objects in Maya, working with lights and shadows, adding materials and textures to our scenes, rendering out animated sequences, and many other concepts that will help you get a solid foundational understanding of Maya and it's capabilities.

We'll take an introductory look into modeling so you can learn essential terms and definitions and build a solid foundation in computer graphics. We will start off by covering the basics of 3d models. We will then take a look at a variety of ways to work with models in Maya. After that, you'll learn about some of the Maya tools that can be used to construct models. And to wrap up, we will look at how geometry can be assembled into more complex models. This step-by-step Maya tutorial was developed with artists new to Maya in mind so we will be moving at a steady, easy-to-follow pace making sure you understand terms and basic techniques.

In this course, we'll go through the process of using Maya and ZBrush to convert a high resolution, sculpted and painted character into a low resolution game-type mesh that can be rigged and animated. We'll start by using Decimation Master to reduce the resolution of our model drastically while retaining much of the visual detail. Once we're in Maya, we'll build low resolution geometry around these detailed meshes to capture the important shapes of the character. We'll create uv layouts for the low resolution pieces and finally extract the color and sculpted detail from our high resolution pieces onto the new mesh. In the end we'll have taken a model of 20 million polygons down to a very useable 8-10k. Once you're done, you'll be able to use the workflow to transfer and convert your own high resolution characters into a more useable state.

When starting out creating 3D models, it's one thing to learn the tools. It's another to learn to think like a modeler. In this course we'll cover some of the most important topics you'll need to be aware of when working as a modeler. We'll talk about the basics of breaking down a model into shapes and working with different geometry types. We'll learn to speed up our workflow by looking for repeated shapes or symmetrical objects. We'll also talk about working with reference images and thinking about how our model will be used. Another important topic we'll cover is working well within a pipeline. In addition to these lecture style lessons, we'll also use some practical examples to illustrate the fact that there are almost always multiple modeling methods for getting the same result. Once done, you'll be able to look at your modeling projects with a more critical eye and be able to more easily problem-solve your modeling issues.

In this portion of the Infiltrator project we'll use the reference art created in the previous section to construct the character geometry. We'll take the design we've settled on and build it up in Maya using a variety of modeling tools. We'll start out by creating a large library of mechanical pieces that we can use to add detail and fill in open areas at our discretion. Then we'll build the large shell pieces and begin to put it together using our geometry library. We'll also talk about naming and grouping geometry appropriately and reusing geometry to save time. Once done, we'll have the geometry for our Infiltrator robot that we can then rig, animate and integrate into our video.

Creating believable environments comes from an efficient combination of 3d models and textures. Depending on the purpose of the set, detail can be created through the use of actual geometry, or we can add detail strictly through texture maps. For this project, we'll build a disused sci-fi environment. We'll start the process by building the geometry for the environment using a variety of modeling tools. Once the geometry is completed, we'll create uv layouts for the different pieces that will allow us to minimize the number of texture maps needed. Once the UVs are complete, we'll look at a number of ways we can create different textures in Photoshop. Although you can follow along with the project, there will be a number of opportunities for you to really customize your environment and once we're done, you'll be able to apply what you've learned to your own work.

Creating characters with expressive faces is often a very important part of our 3D projects. Depending on the type of character, you may need to communicate a great deal through the expression on its face. Facial expressions relay a lot of non-verbal information about our characters and Mudbox can make creating those expressions really easy and a lot of fun. In this course, we'll talk about several concepts to keep in mind when building facial expressions, such as the muscles of the face, how the skin reacts when the muscles move it into an expression and some important tips to keep in mind when working. We'll cover methods in Mudbox for sculpting different expressions and how to use sculpt layers to create an extremely flexible workflow. Finally, we'll look at a couple of ways that we can get our expressions into Maya in order to set up animatable blendshapes. Once done, you'll have a better understanding of how you can use Mudbox and Maya to create appealing facial expressions for your own characters.

Hands are one of the most expressive parts of many of the characters we create. Because of this, a lot of time should often be spent focusing on the hands. There are, of course, a nearly infinite number of styles in which to build a hand. In this course, we will concentrate on a hand that can go with a more realistic character. We'll start by talking a little about the proportions and anatomy of hands. Then we'll go over tools and methods for creating base geometry with topology that will help in sculpting and animating. Then we'll take the mesh into Mudbox and begin sculpting high-resolution details such as skin wrinkles, knuckles, and skin textures. Finally, we'll take our geometry and maps out of Mudbox and back into Maya. Once you've completed this course, you'll have a much better idea of how to go about building hands for your characters and how to create the detail you need in a usable state.

In this series of Maya modeling tutorials, we'll talk about breaking down our modeling projects into manageable chunks. Then we'll cover methods for staying aware of as much information as possible about our geometry while we work. We'll cover specific techniques for adding circular resolution to square objects and go over setting up image planes. This course is meant for students that have some modeling experience and are familiar with some modeling tools but would like a few tips for creating a smoother workflow and getting better results.

For anyone focusing on animation, having a character to work with is important. In a previous course, we went through the process of building a basic character that we could use to practice our animation. The character is meant to show action and emotion through only the movement of the body. While this is great practice for getting the most out of our character's body movements, at some point we'll probably want to start creating facial expressions and even make our character speak. We'll use a variety of tools in Maya like the Split Polygon Tool and the Insert Edge Loops tool to manually add and remove edges and generally reroute the geometry as needed. We'll also add geometry for the interior of the mouth and reassemble the head with the existing body.

We'll start the tutorial by giving you the foundational skills and vocabulary you'll need in order to move around within Maya, and then we'll jump right into the Modeling section of the course. After completing the Modeling section, you'll get the chance try your hand at Texturing, Rigging, Animation, Dynamics, and finally, Lighting and Rendering your own animation. Our goal is not to weigh you down with technical information, but rather to help you form really good habits so you can have a successful future using Maya.

Architectural visualization is an invaluable tool for being able to see a building, often inside and out, before constructing it in real life. Seeing structures in 3d will often highlight issues that may not be apparent when looking at drawings and plans. We'll start by building up the geometry of the two buildings from scratch, using many of Maya's modeling tools. We'll use deformers to create sweeping curves and we'll use existing geometry to add detail like balconies and rails. With the modeling complete, Kyle will take you through the process of adding materials and textures to the geometry. You'll also go through the necessary steps for adding appropriate lighting and setting up your renders. In the end, you'll have a nice final render with your custom built 3d building sitting in a real location.

Creating high resolution props and sets can be really useful in film or video. But when working in games and other real-time applications, it's often necessary to use lower resolution geometry. To create the illusion of greater detail than the resolution would allow, normal maps are often employed. These maps allow us to display a high level of detail on a fairly low resolution mesh. We'll begin this course by building a high resolution assault rifle using a variety of modeling tools in Maya. Once we have the high resolution mesh built, we can build a much lower resolution cage around the mesh, taking into account any of the details that we want to capture. Once we're done, we'll create a uv layout for the low rez pieces and use Transfer Maps to create and apply a normal map calculated from our high resolution geometry. Upon completion of this Maya tutorial, you'll have a finished rifle, but also the ability to create your own normal-mapped assets for use in games or any realtime application.

Damaging 3d models presents some interesting challenges and creates new issues from a modeling point of view. Perhaps you now need to build an engine because a shot calls for the hood of your CG car to be damaged. Or the walls of your set have been damaged, displaying their inner structure. We'll cover some basic techniques for adding the needed resolution to the models. We'll talk about how different types of materials react to damage - wood vs. metal or concrete. We'll cover methods for breaking apart pieces of geometry as well as dressing the set and using dynamics to add rubble very quickly. Once completing this Maya tutorial, you'll be able to apply what you've learned and start destroying your own 3d models.

In the initial portion of the course, we'll turn a sketch into 3d geometry using a variety of modeling tools and techniques in Maya. We'll then take our geometry from Maya to Mudbox where we'll begin sculpting a wide range of high resolution details into the different parts of our scene. Then we'll stay in Mudbox to quickly paint color texture maps, specular maps, and bump maps. With all of our detailing and painting done, we'll export our result as an FBX, allowing us to quickly and easily get all of our geometry and maps out to Maya where we then render the scene.

When building stylized vehicles it's important to create models that have a consistent visual style, not only within themselves, but with the characters and other props that belong in that environment. For cartoony or stylized models, the design becomes very important and there are a number of tools that we can use in Maya that will allow us to achieve that sort of look. Using a stylized golf cart as an example, we'll cover some basic polygon box-modeling methods and look at how we can add sharpness to smoothed edges. We'll duplicate geometry to create a mesh basket and use some NURBS pieces to build the canopy. Upon completion, you'll be able to use the modeling tools in Maya to begin building up your own stylized vehicles to inhabit the 3d worlds you create.