Hot Maya Posts

How To: Use the Hotbox navigation tool in Autodesk Maya 2011

Meet the Maya 2011 Hotbox tool, a highly useful on-screen device for navigating your projects. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the Maya 2011 workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For specifics, and to get started using the Hotbox to navigate your own Maya projects, watch this free video guide.

How To: Create and edit Bézier curves in Autodesk Maya 2011

Want to know how to create Bézier parametric curves when working in Maya 2011? This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the Maya 2011 workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For specifics, watch this free video guide.

How To: Model with NURBS in Autodesk Maya 2011

Looking for a general introduction to NURBS-based modeling? This clip will get you started. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the Maya 2011 workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For specifics, watch this free video guide.

How To: Use the boolean function with polygons in Maya 2011

Need to know how to work with polygon booleans within Maya 2011? This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the Maya 2011 workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For specifics, watch this free video guide.

How To: Create and edit edge loops in Autodesk Maya 2011

Want to know how to work with edge loops in Maya 2011? This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the Maya 2011 workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For specifics, watch this free video guide.

How To: Use the Soft Select feature in Autodesk Maya 2011

Want to know how to do proportional modeling when working in Maya 2011? This clip will you how to do just that using the program's Soft Select tool. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the Maya 2011 workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For specifics, watch this free video guide.

How To: Create polygonal objects in Autodesk Maya 2011

Want to know how to create 3D polygonal objects when working in Maya 2011? This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the Maya 2011 workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For specifics, watch this free video guide.

How To: Configure safe frames and grids in Autodesk Maya 2011

Need some help figuring out how to configure safe frames and grids in Maya 2011 when animating for specific output source? This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the Maya 2011 workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For specifics, watch this free video guide.

How To: Navigate in the Maya 2011 Viewport with the View Cube

Learn how to navigate your Maya 2011 projects using a number of keyboard shortcuts and useful on-screen tools. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the Maya 2011 workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, and to get started using the new Maya 2011 navigation interface yourself, watch this free video guide.

How To: Use the Autodesk Maya 2011 user interface

Meet the Maya 2011 UI! Before you get started working in the program, it stands to reason that you know how to work with it. And this guide will show you how. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the Maya 2011 workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, and to get started using the new Maya 2011 interface yourself, watch this free video guide.

How To: Smooth shade (Gouraud) objects in Maya

Smooth shading and make all the difference in the quality of your graphics - this is especially true with the increasingly popular HD video and computer formats. If you would like to know how to use Maya to smooth and shade your objects, follow along with this video. You will get a step by step walkthrough.

How To: Use the Hypershade Window in Autodesk Maya 2011

Learn how to use the newely revised Hypershade Window in Maya 2011. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the Maya 2011 workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, and to get started using the Hypershade Window in your own Maya 2011 projects, watch this free video guide.

How To: Use the Spin Edge modeling tool in Autodesk Maya 2011

Learn how to take an edge and spin it around a model using Maya 2011's Spin Edge tool. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the Maya 2011 workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, and to get started using the Spin Edge tool in your own Maya 2011 projects, watch this free video guide.

How To: Use the Shelf Editor in Autodesk Maya 2011

Learn how to use the revised Shelf Editor tool in Maya 2011. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the Maya 2011 workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, and to get started using the new Shelf Editor yourself, watch this free video guide.

How To: Use the Curve Editor in Autodesk Maya 2011

Learn how to use the new Curve Editor tool in Maya 2011. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the Maya 2011 workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, and to get started using the new Curve Editor in Maya 2011 yourself, watch this free video guide.

How To: Use the Smooth Bind feature in Maya 2011

Learn how to use the new Smooth Bind function in Maya 2011. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the Maya 2011 workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, watch this free video guide.

How To: Create intricate tree leaves in Maya

Creating realistic trees in Maya is hard enough without the leaves, but when you add the lively green leaves onto the branches, the difficulty level doubles. An animated leaf needs to mimic a real life, living leaf, which is intricate, to say the least. So, if you've been having problems with making tree leaves in Maya, this two-part video tutorial will show you the tricks to success. But it's only the beginning of what you can accomplish in Maya.

How To: Animate in Maya

Animation controls run on the bottom of the screen. The time slider is the most important control for designing frames in Maya. Playback is exactly intuitive. This is a basic overview of Maya animation protocol and a lesson in using Maya tools.

How To: Snap points in Maya 8.5

This 3D modeling software tutorial will show you how to snap points in Maya 8.5. There are multiple ways to snap points which will be covered. Snapping points is one of the most important things to do when vertex modeling in Maya since it allows for ultimate control. Learn how to use snapping to line up your objects to the grid, a vertex or a curve in Maya 8.5.

How To: Mirror geometry in Maya the new school way

So we got half a Maya model...now what? We mirror it over and merge the vertices, all with one command, to get us a solid object. We use the dolphin from our organic polygon modeling series, but the technique can be applied to any polygon model. Watch and learn how to mirror geometry the new school way in Maya (with the mirror geometry tool!) NOTE: there are often problems with this method of mirroring, but don't worry, they're covered.

How To: Mirror geometry in Maya the old school way

Did you know there is more than one way to mirror geometry in Maya? You are probably familiar with the newer mirror tool but there used to be another way to mirror your geometry. See how we used to kick it before some of these tools came around in the later versions of Maya. And, because newer isn't always better, sometimes we need this technique to get around Maya's bugginess.

How To: Smooth proxy objects in Maya

ets face it: modeling in polygons in Maya is a rough way to make organic objects. In comes the smooth player: subdivision proxy objects. Learn how to model with the least amount of detail, but see your Maya model in all of it's quad-faced glory by using the subdivision proxy objects tool.

How To: Mirror geometry in Maya

When modeling organic models like humans or animals where symmetry between sides is crucial, the best way to work is by building one side and mirroring it to create the other. This is the best way to insure your person or creature looks the same. In this software tutorial you will learn how to mirror geometry in Maya.

How To: Set up a basic animation rig in Maya

In this tutorial you will learn how to setup a basic rig in Maya. Animation rigs are the bone and muscle structures used to animate and move characters and objects made in Maya. If you plan to make anything you model in Maya come to life, you will need to learn the basics of rigging. So watch this tutorial and get started building basic animation rigs in Maya.