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.

Creating a good UV layout is important when texturing your models. But many times, trying to optimize your model to include everything on one map can create problems with low resolution and the inability to get an appropriate amount of detail on every area of the model. Breaking apart our UVs and textures into multiple texture tiles helps to alleviate this issue. In this course we'll take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of using a multi-tile workflow. We'll also explore the ways that different applications including ZBrush, Maya, 3ds Max, Mudbox, and MARI deal with multiple texture tiles. We'll also talk a lot about the naming conventions of each application and how those names correspond to the placement of the tiles. Once we're done, you'll have a good understanding of what multi-tile texturing is and how you can start to use it in your own projects.

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.

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.

Displacement maps are especially practical for users of ZBrush or Mudbox, who want to render their highly detailed creations in Maya with the utmost speed and efficiency. We will begin this tutorial by learning the basic steps of connecting your displacement maps and controlling the strength of your rendered displacement effects. From there, we will learn about Approximations, and the critically-important role they play in controlling the speed and quality of our rendered displacement effects. Along the way, we will help you identify and work through a number of common displacement-related issues that you may encounter when working on your own projects.

We will begin the tutorial by learning how to set up a realistic outdoor illumination source, and how to simulate physically-accurate light behavior within our scene. We will then discuss the importance of incorporating a proper linear workflow into our pipeline, which includes using gamma-correction on our textures and materials within Maya. We will also see how we can use a post application like Photoshop to add some finishing touches to our final render with a minimal amount of effort. By the time you complete this course, you will be much better prepared to overcome many of the common challenges faces when rendering an outdoor environment in Maya.

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.

We will start by talking about some steps for starting your UV layout process as well as some important concepts that you should keep in mind whenever preparing your UVs and your textures for use inside of Unity. We will talk about the importance of hiding UV seams on your geometry, planning texture layouts on your objects to maximize efficiency, you will learn UV layout and geometry modification tricks that can dramatically enhance the use of your UV texture space, and we will spend time in Photoshop learning how the textures in our level were created.

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.

We’ll begin this project by creating a procedural dirt shader for our ground cover. Then we'll hop into Photoshop to create a photographic texture for our road. We'll then add some detail using more procedural textures to break up the edges of the road and create a broken concrete feel. From there we will set up a particle system for our tires and create render layers and passes. Finally we will composite our shot using the Maya Precomp feature and Maya Composite. We'll learn how to color correct our passes, add various blurs and composite everything together into an integrated shot.

With Substance, we no longer have to rely on the time-consuming process of acquiring and manipulating photographs to suit our texturing needs. Substance allows us to procedurally generate textures that are highly realistic and highly customizable. This tutorial will cover essential topics such as applying and modifying Substance textures, understanding the limitations and potential complications you may run into when using Substance textures, and how we can work around these. We will also learn how to create our own custom Substance textures, and how to extend the functionality of Substance through the use of 3rd-party plugins.

Shading networks can be used in many different aspects of Maya including material and texture creation, lighting, special effects, and rigging just to name a few. Because these networks are widely used throughout Maya, this is one aspect of the application that nearly all Maya artists should be familiar with. This course will explore topics such as using various render nodes to create complex material and texture effects, building shading networks to simulate atmospheric effects, using shading networks for lighting purposes, and many other topics that will allow you to become a stronger, more efficient Maya artist.

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 will start off by explaining what a shading network is, and why is it such a powerful way to work. We will then begin exploring the Hypershade, which is where you will be creating your Maya shading networks and we will be covering many of the features, the workflows, and the concepts that will allow you to successfully begin creating your own shading networks in Maya.

UVs and UV layouts are important aspects of creating textures for our 3D models. They let us tell Maya how to apply the 2D images we create. Having a good UV layout can really make a difference in speeding up texture creation and optimizing your results.

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.

The process of creating polygonal hair is particularly useful when creating characters for use in a real-time game engine, where it's not effective to utilize a true hair dynamics system. The focus of this training is going to be on creating polygonal hair which is simple enough to be used inside of a game engine but still has the visual appearance of something that is much more complex. We will start this course by exploring some techniques for creating polygonal hair and styling the hair to have the look we want. From there, we will jump into Adobe® Photoshop® and create a series of color maps and transparency maps which will give our hair geometry the realism and complexity we need. Finally in the tutorial, we will learn how we can incorporate some subtle shadowing from the hair into our character's face, allowing for a more realistic end result.

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.

When trying to create highly realistic, lifelike characters, the importance of the eyes is often understated. In fact, the eyes are one of the most important aspects to consider when creating characters that truly look and feel alive. During this course, we will learn how to create highly realistic eye textures from scratch using Photoshop, and in a way that gives us a high degree of flexibility and control over the textures' color variations and other details. Once the texturing has been completed, we will jump into Maya, where we will discuss shading and rendering techniques that can give the eye a highly realistic final look. Along the way we will be exploring many additional tips, tricks, and workflows that you will be able to use both in Photoshop and in Maya to help create more believable, realistic eyes for your characters.

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.

Popular highlights include: Hard Surface Modeling; Polygon Modeling Techniques; Understanding Fabrication Process; Motorcycle Parts and Components Overview; NURBS to Build Motorcycle Frame; Adding Realism with Modeled Detail; mental ray Shaders to Blend Complex Geometry; Booleans to Create Complex Shapes; Creating Seam Detail; Adding Welds to Metal Pieces; Adding Bevels to Edges; Modeling Different Types of Materials; Adding Imperfections and Details; Applying Different Surface Materials; HDRI Lighting; Car Paint Shader; Using Naming Conventions; Setting up Hierarchies for Posing; Re-purposing Geometry; Tire Treads with Bump Map.

Popular highlights include: Texturing Workflow Overview; Painting Texture Guides in Maya; Creating Seamless Textures; Adjusting Sub-D UVs to Minimize Distortion; Integrating Maya and Photoshop with PSD Networks; UV Snapshots as Texture Guides; Adjusting Pen Sensitivity on Tablet; Photoshop Brushes and Settings; Adjusting Layers with Curves; Adjusting Hue, Saturation, and Value; Blending Detail with Layer Masks; Color Maps for Bump and Specular; Creating Procedural Textures in Maya; Texturing with Photographs; Opening 3d Models in Photoshop; Generating Individual Texture Maps; Dodge and Burn Tools for Details; Smudge Tool to Blend Texture Detail; Eliminating Texture Seams.

Popular highlights include: Using Unfold to Modify UV Shells; Sewing UV Shells Together; Breaking UV Shells Apart; Planar Projections; Spherical Projections; Cylindrical Projections; Automatic Mapping to Project UVs; Shaping Shells using the UV Lattice; Reference Textures to Find Distortion; Overview of UV Texture Editor; Exporting UV Snapshots; Copying UV Layouts from Meshes; Projecting UVs from Cameras; Defining UVs with Multiple Projections; UV Mapping Polygon Surfaces; UV Mapping Subdivision Surfaces; Understanding NURBS and UVs; Creating a Compact UV Layout; Confining UV Shells to 0-1 Space; Placing Seams Appropriately.

Popular highlights include: Proportion and Scale; Modeling from Reference; Understanding Art Direction; Finding Focal Points; Modeling Smooth Shapes; Various Smoothing Methods; Creating Useful Topology; Rerouting Edge Flow; Attaching Geometry; Modeling with Deformers; Adding Detail Strategically; Procedural Textures; Creating UV Layouts; Texturing with 3D Paint Tool; Painting Texture Guides; UV Snapshots; Creating Textures in Photoshop; Shader and Material Setup.

Popular highlights include: Using References in Set Design; Creating a Natural Layout; Story-telling Through Layout; Working with Art Direction; Creating Foliage with Paint Effects; Placing Models with geometryPaint; Displacing Geometry with Height Maps; Working with Issues of Scale; Rigging Props; Animating Props; Modeling Natural Objects and Props; Adding Procedural Texture; Adding mental ray Shaders; Painting Placement/Texture Guides; Importing Artwork; Scene Management.

Popular highlights include: Look Development; Asset Referencing Workflow; Texturing with UVs and Projection; Creating Stylized Models; Methods for Exaggerating Proportions; Organic Modeling Techniques; Hard Surface Modeling Techniques; Asset Preparation for Pipeline Setting; Adding Textural Detail Procedurally; Working with Multiple Geometry Types; Creative Use of UV Layout; Shader and Material Assembly; Building Models in Sections; Creating Foliage Cards; Nested Ramps; Working with Scale; Importing Vector Art; Placing Foliage with geometryPaint; Working with Proxies; Creating the Illusion of Detail; Blend Shapes to Create Variation; Adding Local Subdivisions to Terrain; Marking Geometry for Textures with 3D Paint.

Popular highlights include: Fitting to Characters; Combining Car Paint Shaders with Texture; Texturing with UVs and Projection; Creating Appeal; Exaggerated Proportions; Adding Detail Strategically; Adding Textural Detail Procedurally; Creating Useful Topology; Modeling for Animation; Smooth Mesh Preview; Simplifying Shapes; Working from Limited Reference; Troubleshooting Edge Flow; Working with Multiple Pieces; Working with Multiple Geometry Types; UV Layout; Shader and Material Assembly; HDRI Lighting Setup.

Popular highlights include: Look Development; Adding Appeal; Exaggerated Proportions; Adding Detail Strategically; Creating Useful Topology; Modeling for Animation; Simplifying Shapes; Working from Limited Reference; Troubleshooting Edge Flow; Working with Multiple Pieces; Working with Multiple Geometry Types; Creating the Illusion of Detail; UV Layout; Creating Stylized Textures; Generating Color Maps; Generating Bump Maps; Generating Specular Maps; Alternative Methods to Generating Textures; Shader and Material Setup.

Popular highlights include: Resolution Considerations; Using UVLayout from Headus; UV Layout in Maya; UV Snapshot; Reference Images as Texture Base; Blending Multiple Images; Warping Textures to Fit UV Layout; Color Correcting Texture Sections; Blending Seams; Blending Between Multiple Maps; Texturing NURBS Surfaces; Adding Realism to Hair with Transparency Maps; Creating Procedural Eyes; Creating Eyelashes with Transparency; Troubleshooting UV Seams; Moving Details with Photoshop Tools Disclaimer: Some photographic reference contains nudity and is intended for mature audiences.

Popular highlights include: Fast Skin Shader in mental ray; Sub-surface Scattering Techniques; Generating Sub-dermal Maps; Generating Epidermal Maps; Creating Shading Networks; Adding Bump Maps; Adding Specularity; Scene Maintenance; Creating Hair Strands with Paint Effects; Adding Digital Makeup; Creating Lighting Setup ; Effects of Light on Skin. Disclaimer: Some photographic reference contains nudity and is intended for mature audiences.

Popular highlights include: Establishing Automotive Line Flow; Creating NURBS Curve Framework; Modeling Contoured Panels; Adding Sub-D Resolution; Avoiding Creases and Dents with Edge Spacing; Adding Scoops to Curves Surfaces; Extracting Useful Geometry; Mirroring Detail; Troubleshooting Common Edge Loop Issues; Creative Uses of Extrusions; Converting Between Geometry; Moving Points Along Normals; Adding Tire Tread with Bump Maps; Modeling using Deformers; HDR Lighting Setup; mental ray Shading Techniques; Automotive Terminology and Concepts.

Popular highlights include: Hard Surface Modeling Techniques; Modeling with Texture; Modeling to a Camera; Strategically Adding Detail; Simulating Aging and Decay; UV Layout Techniques; Using UV Snapshots; Integrating Maya and Photoshop; Generating Displacement Maps; Texture Painting with Photoshop; Layering Textures; Tiling Textures; Generating Procedural Maps; Adding Architectural Elements; Creating Interior Illusions with Textures; Connecting Maya Texture Nodes; Complex Scene Management; Scene Optimization for Rendering.

Popular highlights include: Setting up Environmental Geometry; Light Placement Techniques; Emitting Photons from Light Source; Visualizing Photon Maps in Viewport; Tuning Photon Intensity; Smoothing GI Photons with Final Gather; Incorporating Maya and mental ray Materials; Adjusting Photonic Attributes of Materials; Altering Geometry for Optimum GI; Rendering Images to HDR Format; Adding realism with Ambient Occlusion; Fine-tuning Renders with External Apps; Adjusting Exposure with Camera Lens Shaders; Using Multi-bounce Final Gather as GI Alternative; Creating and Storing Rendering Presets.

Popular Highlights Include: Polygon Modeling; NURBS Modeling; Texturing; Lighting; Animation / Rigging; Rendering; UV Layout; Hypershade; Particle Simulations; Environments; Interface Overview.

Popular highlights include: Toon Rendering; Mesh Brush; Optimizing Scenes; Light Based Effects; Control Curve Based Effects; Secondary Animation; Custom Brushes; Paint Effects Overview.