Enter a whole new dimension with Introducing Maya 2008, your guide to the newest version of Autodesk's Academy-Award winning Maya 3D animation and effects software. Learn to build, render, and animate your own digital models and scenes like the pros with this step-by-step guide. Beginning with the basics, expert author Dariush Derakhshani explains Maya's core tools then moves on to provide straightforward and practical advice on the newest features of Autodesk Maya 2008. You'll get a solid grasp of core 3D and CG concepts while exploring the basics of NURBS, polygons, and subdivision surfaces. Coverage also includes shading and texturing, rigging for automated animation, creating more natural lighting with mental ray soft shadow maps, and using Maya's Render Layers and an Ambient Occlusion pass for greater reality. You'll be inspired by the full-color insert featuring Maya designs created by beginning users and creating awesome animations of your own in no time with this bestselling reference to Maya 2008.
