Hot Maya How-Tos
How To: Preview lighting and shadows in Maya 2011
Learn how to preview lighting and shadows when working 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 previewing lighting and shadows in your own Maya projects, watch this free video guide.
How To: Work with different CG light types in Maya 2011
Learn about Maya 2011's various CG light types. 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 CG light types in Maya 2011 yourself, watch this free video guide.
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: Paint 3D objects with Maya's 3D Paint Tool
Want to learn how to quickly and easily paint directly on 3D objects? With Maya's 3D paint tool, it's a cinch. 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 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 realistic 3D eyeballs in Maya 7 or later
Interested in making some eyeballs? Here's a quick and easy way to make them using textures readily available on Highend 3d and a NURBS sphere. 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 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: Create and use influence objects in Maya 7 or later
Learn how to use influence objects in a smooth bind to help ease your blendshape woes...or if you like blendshapes, use them to help get that extra little tweak you always wished you could have. 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 application and its workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed instructions, ...
How To: Create and use background shaders in Maya 7 or later
Want to incorporate your 3D objects into real photos? 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: Use Paint Effects in Maya 7
Paint Effects are a great tool that help us fill out scenes and do all sorts of things quickly and easily. Learn how to find the brushes and use them, as well as some of the up sides and down sides of using them. 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 ...
How To: Use the bend deformer tool in Maya 7 or later
Learn how to use the bend deformer to make your models a little more dynamic without having to learn all that bothersome animation stuff! 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: Create a 3D model of a knurl using Maya
For those who aren't familiar with them, knurls (can also be a verb: knurling) are the textured parts on the end of screws and other metal pieces that make them easier to grab. This video will teach you how to use Maya to create 3D models of knurls. You probably won't need too many knurls in your 3D art, unless you work in industry, but the lessons learned here can be applied to all sorts of other 3D modeling projects.
How To: 3D model a suspension rig using Maya
Pretty much every efficient type of modern vehicle features some sort of suspension to cushion its landings and smooth its ride. This means that modeling a suspension accurately is an important part of creating 3D models of vehicles. This four-part video will teach you how to create a 3D model of a suspension rig using Maya. Specifically, you will be creating a piston with an automated damping spring from an airplane's landing gear.
How To: 3D model a tire tread using Maya
Tire treads may not seem like a terribly important thing to model properly, but they are intricate and learning how to do it is a valuable experience. This video will walk you through creating a 3D model of a tire tread using Maya, specifically brutalizing a bend deformer.
How To: 3D model a skeleton torso using Maya
The human skeleton may not be that artistically satisfying by itself, but a good realistic model of one is the basis of much of the most anatomically correct and natural-looking art. This three-part video will teach you how to 3D model a skeleton using Maya, starting with the vertebrae, then the spine, then the ribcage. If you can create this, you are well on your way to 3D modeling all sorts of natural human forms.
How To: Create a 3D UV of shoelaces in Maya
Creating good UVs with Maya can be tough, and get tougher depending on what type of object you are trying to unwrap. This short video tutorial covers how to create accurate UVs for long objects like rope or, in this case, shoelaces. This is a simple technique, but one that should enable you to model much more smoothly and accurately in the future, especially if you often find yourself creating 3D models of shoes.
How To: Model a head in 3D using Maya edge extrusion method
Modeling a face using Maya or any other 3D art program is tough to do without having the result end up looking like a zombie. See the film Final Fantasy: The Spirit Within if you don't know what I'm talking about. This six-part video will help you avoid this problem in your own 3D models by teaching you how to 3D model a face using the head extrusion method in Maya. You'll need a photo to start with (the creator does not supply the one he used here) but once you have that you should be able t...
How To: Drive a joint chain dynamically in 3D using Maya
This video from accredited Maya instructor Andrew Klein of the Art Institute of San Francisco will teach you how to use just one of the innumerable powerful features of Autodesk's Maya 3D modeling software. It covers how to use a spline IK and a dynamic hair curve to drive a joint chain and geometry for wiggly objects like hairs and antennae. Hair is a really tough thing to model well, so watch this video and master the art.
How To: Use LOD (level of detail) groups in Maya
This video, from accredited 3D art instructor Andrew Klein, will teach you how to use one of the many powerful features in Maya to manipulate you 3D models. Specifically, it will teach you how to use the LOD (level of detail) tool in order to control how much of your model loads at any time, making it animate more smoothly in games and other applications.
How To: Easily create a normal map in Maya
Creating beautiful 3D images in Maya is easier than doing so by hand, but not by much! This video will teach you how to use Maya to create a normal map form a high poly geometry easily using the render pass feature that came out in Maya 2009.
How To: Use the UV unwrap tool in Maya
Maya 2009 introduced a lot of cool new UV tools to the already-powerful Maya 3D modeling software. This two-part video will teach you how to use some of these features to cut apart a 3D model of a hand by its UV edges. This technique is perfect for very fast organic UV unwraps, and should improve your skills and speed of modeling dramatically.
How To: Unwrap a head using UV enhancements in Maya
Maya 2009, when it was released in 2008, made the process of working with UVs a lot easier. This video will teach you how to use the UV enhancement tools in Maya to unwrap a model of a head, removing some of its distortion.
How To: 3D character model the female torso using Maya
The female torso is arguably the most popular thing to depict in the history of art. Go figure. This seven-part video will teach you how to create a 3D character model of a female torso using Maya. The creator uses a background image that we could not track down, but you can probably use an alternative female torso image (as we said, there are many) and follow along just fine.
How To: Master Maya's basics by 3D modeling a hand
If you've found this video, chances are that you are looking to improve your skills using Maya, the 3D modeling software. You've come to the right place. This video will teach you how to create a polygonal model of a hand, one of the most challenging and important parts of the body to model correctly. Watch and learn!
How To: Use NURBS in Maya Modeling to Model a Chess Bishop
The bishop is widely regarded as the most powerful of chess pieces. This video by Andrew Klein will teach you how to make a 3D model of one using Maya. It is meant to help beginners learning the basics of Maya, and focuses on the use of NURBS as part of a 3D model.
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: Learn the Maya modeling basics by making a toy
Mastering the intricacies of 3D modeling in Maya can take a lifetime, or as close to a lifetime as anyone has had since Maya came out in. This video for Maya beginners will teach you the basics of modeling by walking you through modeling a toy rooster. The model doesn't look that great by the end, but you have to start somewhere, and we have more advanced tutorials available on the site if this seemed too easy for you, you Maya magnate you.
How To: Master 3D modeling in Maya by modeling a chair
Maya is the most powerful 3D modeling tool that most people are likely to have access to. This video will teach you some basic techniques for creating 3D models in the program by teaching you how to make a chair from scratch. It's not a very exciting chair, sure, but you have to start somewhere, and making a chair is a lot easier than making an orc, so get to practicing!
How To: Model a 3D foot using Maya
Modeling the human body in any medium is tough. In Maya, the premiere 3D art software, some say that most difficult parts of the whole body to model are the feet and the ears. This seven-part video will help you model the former in great detail. Watch this video on how to model the head, and you will have mastered the two trickiest parts of modeling the body using Maya! Congratulations!
How To: Model a human head using Maya
Maya can count itself among the most powerful and also most challenging programs in all of computing. It's 3D modeling potential is nearly limitless if you can master its intricacies. This video features a professional digital art teacher teaching you how to model a 3D head using Maya. You can download the skull he uses as a reference here.
How To: Model 3D heads using Maya
Maya is the most powerful and widely-used program in 3D graphics today. All of this power also means that it is likely the most complicated 3D modeling as well. This video features some basic tips for using Maya to create a 3D model of a human head. It doesn't have any instructions, so some basic knowledge of the software is recommended, but the techniques are basic enough that newbies should be able to pick it up as well.
How To: Make a 3D model of a rim and tire
Drawing cars is one of the most fun and practical things that a 3D artist can spend their time on and get employed doing. This video is a walkthrough for making a 3D model of a rim and tire of a car. It should be good practice for getting you ready to start designing your own cars on the computer. Make a 3D model of a rim and tire.
How To: Trim NURBS surfaces in Autodesk Maya 2011
Can't quite figure out how to trim a NURBS surface when working in Maya 2011? Don't fret: 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: Using displacement and bump mapping in Maya 2011
Want to create a surface that isn't complete smooth when working in Maya 2011? Then, my friend, you'll want to know how to use the program's displacement and bump mapping tools. 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: 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: Use the renderer tools in Autodesk Maya 2011
Learn how to make use of the various renderers available when working in Autodesk 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 specifics, watch this free video guide.
How To: Use selection masks in Autodesk Maya 2011
Want to select a certain object and nothing else? This clip will show you how to use Maya 2011's selection mask feature to achieve just that. 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 Outliner feature in Autodesk Maya 2011
Learn how to organize your Maya 2011 scenes using the Outliner feature. This clip will show you how to access and use it. 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: Convert NURBS to polygons in Autodesk Maya 2011
Need to convert a NURBS surface to plain old polygons 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: Use the NURBS Extrude tool in Autodesk Maya 2011
Need a little big of help figuring out how to use the Maya 2011 NURBS tool 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: 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.