Hot Maya How-Tos
How To: Create a Helix-Shaped NURBS Curve in Maya
There are several ways you can go about creating your NURBS helix curve in Maya; I will demonstrate the two easiest ones.
How To: Model an object using the CV Curve tool in Maya
3D modeling tool Mayafrom Autodesk is a monster of a program, able to do SO many things. One of the things you'll need to learn is how to use the CV Curve tool. This will allow you to create objects with curves of any shape or dimension you desire. Let's be honest, most of your models will require curves, so check out this tutorial and find out how to do it. Maya is used in everything from small animation to feature films like Spiderman. If you want to be in the biz, expand your skill set wit...
How To: Create a water shader in Maya
In this tutorial you will learn how to create a pretty decent looking water shader in Maya without many nodes. Water materials are a great and fast way to get around creating real 3D water effects so watch this Maya tutorial and create your own water shader.
How To: Create realistic smoke and dust particles in Maya
The key to being able to animate realistic smoke or dust is being able to master the particle texture rate technique in Maya. Once you have gotten this down, you can create any sort of particle effect, such as sand or bubbles in addition to smoke and dust. This three part tutorial series goes in depth into the subtleties of Maya, showing you how to get the most out of working with particles to lend an extra layer of realism to your project.
How To: Create a Simple Procedural Brick Texture in Maya
This is a guide to making a very simple procedural texture for Maya. As with all procedural textures, the basic texture can be refined and added to.
How To: Model a human body in Maya
This tutorial series shows you how to model anatomy of the human body in Maya and gives specific tips on how to eventually be able to do it from memory. Part one starts with the head, part two the torso, part 3 the legs, part four the foot, part 5 the arm, part 6 attaching the parts and part 7 modeling hands.
How To: Insert joints in a joint chain in Maya
If you are working on characters or rigs, you are definitely working with joints. This video shows you how to insert a join in a joint chain if you need more or happened to miss one.
How To: Make a rock with Maya
If you're an Autodesk Maya user and you're looking to create rocks, boulders or rock walls, check out this excellent 7 part tutorial and learn how it's done. Maya is a massive 3D creation tool with so many aspects it's really mind blowing. This tutorial will help you improve your skills for your game building or just for you own art.
How To: Produce a 3D house/building model using Maya
Autodesk Maya, affectionately known as just Maya to its users, is a 3D computer graphics software that makes it easy to create impressive, realistic models of real-life - or imagined - objects. Super useful for graphic designers, film makers and web designers, the program is one that you should study if you're looking to go into one of the fields above.
How To: Turn a 3D Model in Maya into a 3D Print
When turning your 3D model into a 3D print, Maya requires some extra editing before you end up with a printable piece: the wall thickness needs to be checked, the model needs to be watertight, and your final printing size needs to be defined. To make your life easier, Autodesk Maya expert Russ Ogi has put together a step-by-step tutorial about how to make your Maya 3D model printable. See more at: 3D Printing with Maya: Step-by-Step Tutorial on How to Turn Your 3D Model into a 3D Print.
How To: Model a human ear in Maya
In our opinion, human body parts are some of the hardest things an artist can draw. When it comes to parts like hands and ears, we generally settle for a basic, rudimentary rendering because achieving a realistic portrayal seems so hard. If you're looking for quality, though, then Maya modeling software is an excellent way to achieve it.
How To: Rotate & revolve cameras in Maya
In this tutorial, we learn how to rotate and revolve cameras in Maya. First, go to create primitives on the menu at the top. Next, create a camera and pull it out onto the circle. Now, click the camera and then the circle, then hit the 'p' key on the keyboard. Now, you can rotate your circle around and it will rotate on the y axis. To set this, click on 50, then type in 360 on the 'y axis' space. After this, hit 's' an you will have a key frame. You can change the settings as you prefer, then...
How To: Create a Motion Trail in Maya 2011
Motion trails in Autodesk Maya can be very handy at times when animating your scene. Keying a bone/joint or other object every so many frames can take up quite a bit of time and can sometimes be a big hassle, too. I have found many times when I could have really used one. I also don't like to search the Internet with a question and not find an answer (at least, without paying for it). So in this how-to article, I will demonstrate going about creating a simple (or complex) motion trail to make...
How To: Master Maya modeling by making a 3D airplane
Maya is arcane, complex, but incredibly powerful software. It is the industry standard for 3D modeling in games and film. This video for Maya beginners will teach you how to create a model of an airplane as a means of teaching you a lot of the basics of Maya. It is meant to be watched after the previous two tutorial series by the creator: modeling a chair and modeling a toy. It builds on the lessons therein, and watching the whole series will ensure that you learn more than you would have wat...
How To: Model a dolphin in Maya
In this 3D modeling software series you will learn how to model organically with polygons in Maya. For this example, you will learn how to model a dolphin.
How To: Model a basic candle in Maya
This software tutorial teaches you how to model a basic candle out of polygons in Maya. Polygonal modeling is the easiest to learn so follow along and watch how to model a used candle in Maya.
How To: Create a stain glass window in Maya
This tutorial series shows you how to work with lighting in Maya by creating a stain glass window with a candle in front of it. This is a great in-depth look at lighting. Part one sets up a 3 point lighting system within maya. so this is a general overview of many light properties. Part 2 makes the stain glass alpha for the lofting lesson using Zbrush. Part 3 covers how to cast light through a colored alpha within maya and make the illusion of stain glass. Part 4 is where you add the candle t...
How To: Import an object from one scene to another in Maya 7
Learn how to import objects from one scene into another in Maya 7 or later. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with application and its workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed instructions, watch this free video guide.
How To: Model interiors using Maya
Maya is one of the most powerful 3D asset creation programs in the world. It is also fantastically difficult to use. This seven-part video will teach you how to model an interior environment using Maya. All this video covers is modeling, nothing on lighting or any of the other features in Maya, but it is very detailed and should have you modeling like a pro!
How To: Texture with bitmaps in Autodesk Maya 2011
Interested in creating textures from bitmaps when working in Maya 2011? Allow this clip to 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 a duplicate of an object in Autodesk Maya 2011
Want to create a perfect duplicate of a modeled object in Maya 2011? Let this clip 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 split polygon tool in Maya
This 3D modeling software tutorial shows you how to use the split polygon modeling tool in Maya. Learn how to use the split polygon tool to get full control over adding detail to your polygon object in Maya.
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: 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: Extrude polygons in Maya
Learn how to extrude polygon faces and start to really make objects. Extruding is the most important and most often used method for manipulating and modeling with polygons in Maya so if you are learning Maya, you definitely want to check out this tutorial.
How To: Use pin constraints in Maya
This 2 part Maya tutorial covers how to use pin constraints and how they differ from dynamic constraints.
How To: Generate normal maps in Maya
This tutorial shows you how to generate normal maps to add depth to your textures in Maya.
How To: Use specular maps to texture a lemon in Maya
This tutorial shows you how to use specular maps to create textures on a lemon in Maya. Lesson files here:
How To: Navigate in the viewports in Maya
Since navigation is the key element in modeling. This exercise will focus on assembling using the viewports. Of course theres ... always a fun way to learn. So I brought back an old childhood toy to add some flare to the lesson.
How To: Create good flowing geometry in Maya
This two part Maya tutorial explains many elements of modeling and how to make sure you create geometry that is well constructed with good flow. It covers cutting holes in objects / Flowing one weird form into the next and still maintaining uniformed polys across the 3d surface.
How To: Create a window in MEL in Maya
Learn how to use MEL scripting to create a window in Maya.
How To: Curve snap in Maya
This tutorial shows you how to use curve snapping in Maya. It allows you to snap to snap to nurbs curves, isoparms or polygonal edges or anything that's a curve!
How To: Control joint display size in Maya
Learn how to control and change the size joints are displayed in the Maya viewport.
How To: Activate incremental save in Maya
This video shows you how to activate and customize Maya to incremental save.
How To: Model a human head with great edge flow in Maya
Learn the most efficient and quick way to model a head with polygonal modeling. The proper edge flow is easy to achieve this way.
How To: Use the cloth effect in Maya
This tutorial explores how to create and utilize the cloth effects available in Maya. Specifically, it will go over draping cloth over an object. Use the cloth effect in Maya.
How To: Create an Eye Shader in Autodesk Maya
In this New section We are going to learn about the texturing in Autodesk Maya. In this tutorial we will learn how to make an eye texture without using any external image or any kind of digital painting. Still we will manage to creat not so realistic but very convincing and customizable eye shader with the help of ramp in Autodesk Maya. Hope this technique will help you to create the same with very little expense. Eye Texture in Maya | Maya Texturing | Maya Shader | Texturing In Autodesk Maya...
How To: Render Wireframe in Maya Software Render
This is a very essential tutorial for Modelers to present their showreel. In this tutorial we are going to learn how to render a wire frame of a model. Wireframe render in Maya is bit tricky but easy also, just you have to know right button to press. This tutorial will cover the output in Autodesk Maya Software renderer. Later we will discuss through Mental Ray render engine. Hope you will enjoy.
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