Average customer rating:
- Really good!
- Good information horribly presented
- THIS BOOK IS GREAT... READ IF YOUR PLANNING ON BUYING
- Great book for the intermediate animator
- Not for beginners, but a good book nonetheless.
|
Maya Character Animation
Jaejin Choi
Manufacturer: Sybex Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Web Graphics
| Web Design
| Web Development
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
Graphics & Multimedia
| Programming
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
| DirectX
| Flash
| GIS
| General
| OpenGL
| Solid Works
General
| Graphic Design
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Software
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Animation
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Computer Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Arts & Photography
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Computers & Internet
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Entertainment
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Maya Secrets of the Pros (Maya Masters)
-
Advanced Maya Texturing and Lighting
-
Stop Staring: Facial Modeling and Animation Done Right
-
The Art of Maya
-
Maya Character Creation: Modeling and Animation Controls, First Edition
ASIN: 0782141714 |
Book Description
Maya Character Animation is a one-of-a-kind book featuring more than 800 pages of full-color, step-by-step, heavily illustrated Maya instruction. It was written with beginning and intermediate Maya animators in mind--students and professionals who have already familiarized themselves with the Maya interface and basic Maya techniques. Topics covered include subdivision and polygon modeling, subdivision surface mapping, subdivision surface character modeling, NURBS modeling, facial expression, binding characters, character setup, and nonlinear animation. Maya Character Animation also features in-depth coverage of Deep Paint 3D, a premiere texture painting program.
Customer Reviews:
Really good!.......2004-03-13
Well, I must say that this book is very very good. Nice tutorials, some are dificult, but with some practice, you're there!
If you want to learn caracter modeling, this is it! and also forget the "inside Maya 5"...that's really is NOT for begginers :D
Good information horribly presented.......2004-03-07
This book is in dire need of an editor, preferably one with Maya experience. While it is obvious that Mr. Choi posesses a vast knowledge of Maya, his skills at communicating this knowledge are severly lacking. Grammatical errors abound, and his prose is often repetitive and confusing, if not downright incomprehensible. Many of the images are utterly superfluous, and sometimes they even contradict the text. Also, on a number of occasions, the information given is just plain wrong. Going through the 800+ pages of this book was an utterly frustrating exercise, and as such, I have already advised several friends to stay away from this book.
THIS BOOK IS GREAT... READ IF YOUR PLANNING ON BUYING.......2003-12-16
MAYA Character Animation by Jae-jin Choi is a book that covers a huge amount of information and advanced techniques. This book is not a good choice if you're still a beginner but it's not so hard to understand either. It is exellent if your intermediate. It does have some good new tricks for advanced users.
The book covers polygon, nurb and subD modelling although you should know about modelling a little bit before reading. It covers facial expressions, skin binding, *good* rigging, texturing, some rendering and of course animation. It has very valuable information scattered around on topics like fluids, fur, and new things on Maya 4.5 that of course persist on Maya 5. It even has a tutorial on Deep Paint 3D. Full color and filled with pictures that aid the text perfectly. You get to work with different characters and many settings. The information and data on the CD is a big ++.
Not to go any further I would like to say that everytime I open this book on ANY page I learn something new. Im a 3D veteran and a Teacher on Character Animation that came into 3D from the world of comic pencilling and inking and this book I can tell you is one of the few books I find useful and believe me... I'm close to compleating all the book list you'll find here at Amazon.com... IF YOUR SERIOUS ABOUT MAYA BUY THIS BOOK!!! (check my list for other great books)
Great book for the intermediate animator.......2003-10-13
Maya Character animation is probably one of the best books I have seen so far dealing with character construction. While it is not for beginners, if you have a solid knowledge of Maya, the Maya tools and a general understanding of how it all works, this will take you to the next step in building your animations in a professional manner.
I am an animation student at the Columbus College of Art and Design and this book has been a great help in reducing my character modeling time as well as showing me different ways to assign control surfaces so that my characters movements are easier to direct and look much more natural.
Another good thing about this book is that it does deal with issues such as assigning textures to your characters and shows you multiple ways to reach the same goal so that you are able to work with the style that suits you the best.
All in all, a definite must have in any serious animators' library and it should be put right next to the Maya 4.5 Bible
Not for beginners, but a good book nonetheless........2003-09-16
This is an excellent book in terms of content, but it is definitely not for beginners. It is not a step-by-step, click-this-button guide book. You really have to work your mind to follow the directions of the tutorials. However, it is still a good buy. It has great character modeling concepts, provided you know the basics of how to use Maya. I highly recommend this to intermediate users of Maya who wants to do character animation.
Book Description
If you thought Angelina Jolie was responsible for Lara Croft's curves, think again! Long before the Hollywood actress brought the Tomb Raider heroine to life, Alias' 3D modeling software Maya was used to create the lovely Lara; Ms. Jolie simply filled in her curves! When you're ready to start creating equally compelling characters of your own, you need this comprehensive volume! In these pages, gaming-industry veteran Antony Ward uses a combination of informative narrative, hands-on tutorials, and a slew of illustrations and screen shots to show you how to use Maya to address the most complex element of game creation-developing great characters! As you follow along, Antony uses the development of two diverse characters-a female figure and a fantastical character with outrageous proportions, wings, and a demon-like face-to demonstrate the techniques involved in modeling detailing, optimizing, texturing, rigging, binding, and animating characters with Maya. The companion CD includes lesson files, scripts, an automatic rigging tool, demo software, and more!
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2007-02-14
The book is a very clear, step-by-step of all the processes involved in making a game character leading up to the animation. The animation is covered but not in as much detail. Everything else is though, including the awesome rigging machine which comes with the book.
Its refreshing to see that someone wasnt limited by a publisher to keep the book size down, and he obviously was able to take his time really illusrating every step.
Its a great book.
very good.......2006-11-10
this is very good because it teaches step by step and it makes sense too.
I love this book........2006-08-07
This is my first time to write this kind of review, therefore, I don't know how to do a good one. But what I can say for this book is it is easy to follow and the method of modeling that I have learned from it is very useful. If you can follow the tutorials patiently, you can gradually build a very good foundation of your modeling skill. ^-^.. I am looking forward for the next edition.
One of the best books for character modeling, rigging and animation.......2005-11-04
1)This book highlights some important issues in modeling & rigging that no other books bother to emphasis.
2)The accompanying CD contains very insightful scripts (that acutally works) - goodies other books only PRETEND to give.
3)It guides beginners and ease them through relatively advanced topics in character animation.
4)If you really need to achieve something in a hurry in Maya. Yes, this is the book to get.
Not just for games, but aimed at beginners.......2005-10-08
This is a good book. I was hoping for some much more indepth technical information. This is a great book for starting into maya, and character creation.
Book Description
This Maya modeling book is unique in its approach to modeling a high-resolution character model. Where other books take a grueling approach that often leaves readers confused, Maya 8 Character Modeling breaks down the character into an easy-to-follow formula. Readers learn that modeling a character can be accomplished without the fear of being in over their heads. In addition, the author takes a light-hearted approach to the subject matter, making the learning process easier to digest. This allows the reader to look at the modeling process as an enjoyable undertaking as opposed to dealing with the steep learning curve of other modeling books.
Customer Reviews:
2 out of 5 Stars.......2007-05-07
I'm ammending the rating of 3 out of 5 to 2 out of 5. As I'm continuing with chapter 13 I am finding it rife with bad instructions. When you are trying to learn something as hard as rigging this is the worst thing you can do.
On pages 402-403 the author is saying to lay out your leg joints in the front view. Then on page 406 he's saying to select the two knee joints and rotate them on the Z axis. This makes it swing in an unnatural left to right. If the author had said to layout the joints in the SIDE view then the Z axis would swing like a knee should.
The author tells you to create your spine joints. Then after you've done that select the pelvis joint and Freeze Transformations. This should zero out all the translate values to make it easy to get back to the default position. This does not zero out the translate values, only the rotate & scale.
Also on page 401, instruction 8 tells you to parent neck_2 to the jaw joint. There is no "neck_2" that is the "head" joint you're instructed to create in step 6. SOMEONE from the publisher should check these things before they publish.
Maya is hard enought to learn by itself. Trying to weed through bad instructions make it twice as hard to learn. I can not stand that I paid $45 for a book that is constantly telling me to do the wrong thing.
I'm coming from Maya 4.5 to 8.5. Yes the modeling/sculpting part of the book has been informative. You should NOT use this book if you're learning to rig. The title says what it is good at, Modeling. Get another book for rigging.
Maya 8 Character Modeling - Great Investment.......2007-05-07
Awesome investment for anyone serious about learning how to model a human figure. Packed full of information and step by step how to. There are a few points where you have to figure it out, but once past these, smooth sailing.
The CD would have been much better if it had sound with. The book and the CD do not fully match. When in doubt, follow the book.
I'd purchase again from this author.
Maya 8 Character Modelling Review.......2007-02-15
This book is written in a way that is easy to understand. Although I have not completed all the chapters,I have encounted only minor problems which took a little time to sort out. It was my misunderstanding rather than the book being poorly written. It is the most informative book on character modelling I've come across. I'm only new to modelling but I would recommend this book to anyone.
One disappointment was the CD that comes with the book. No audio. It would be nice to have the option to follow the CD and have a step by step explanation so the Cd could be run side by side with the application without having the need to refer to the book constantly.
Book Description
A unique, in-depth approach to creating realistic characters in Maya. Maya Character Creation: Modeling and Animation Controls' author, Chris Maraffi, has expertise in the field and in the classroom that translates to the knowledge and solid teaching skills needed to make this book a "must-have"!
The current trend in computer graphics is greater organic realism. Many of thetop-grossing movies today, such as Spiderman, Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park 3 ,and Star Wars Episode 2, all feature realistic 3D characters. There is a majorneed in the 3D community for educational material that demonstrates detailedtechniques for achieving this organic reality. Maya is one of the main packagesused on such cutting-edge films, and has an established toolset for creatingbelievable 3D characters. Maya Character Creation: Modeling and Animation Controls is designed to take you through the process of designing, modeling, and setting up animation controls for complex 3D characters. The concepts, techniques, and Maya tools used foreach step in the process are presented in each chapter, followed by manyhands-on exercises. NURBS, polygon, and subdivision surface modelingtechniques are shown for creating the character's skin, and skeleton-basedanimation controls are covered in detail. You will learn how a character'sskin should deform when the skeletal joints and muscles move. AdvancedMEL scripted animation controls are also covered extensively.
Customer Reviews:
It's okay........2005-10-10
We're using this book for my advanced rigging class at the Savannah College of Art and Design. That said, I think it is most certainly not a book for someone who has no experience in 3d.
I skimmed the modeling section, and the instructions are for a character modeled in NURBS. NURBS are certainly not what I would suggest modeling in if you're a beginner. If you've never modeled anything before, I would suggest finding a book that teaches you how to model with polygons first, which I consider much easier to begin with.
As for the rigging section, I will reiterate that you should probably have some idea of how to rig before attempting this. It has some really good MEL expressions for controlling the rig. The drawback is that there are some errors in the book that my professor has pointed out and given us solutions for. This could be a problem if you are trying to teach yourself, as your rig may function strangely or not at all if you don't already understand the basics of rigging. I know some examples of where there are severe problems with the rig presented and that was with the stretchy spine and the breathing expression (which you annoyingly can't turn off).
I probably wouldn't have bought the book if it hadn't been a requirement for the class. The instructions and notes that our professor gives us are more helpful than any book and no book can replace actual instruction from another human being.
Things are not at first what they seem............2005-09-26
Being new to Maya and having difficulty getting my characters to act properly, I purchased this book. When it arrived, I thumbed through it and thought that it was a little beyond my comprehension. I would read it from time to time before I went to sleep.
I continued trying to make my characters work properly (failed miserably) so I took out the book to give it the ol' college try. What a great book!
Coming from a background in Poser, I have invested a lot of resources in content; that said, I'm not creating my own characters at the moment. I began creating a rig for my character using the exhaustive chapter on creating character controls. I got about 1/3 of the way and bound the skin and skeleton just for kicks. I gotta tell ya that I felt that I had really accomplished something. The controls did exactly what they were supposed to, had more flexibility than I would have thought to create and looked really cool. I am very excited to complete the chapter and see what happens.
There are a couple of mistakes in the text that were frustrating at first, but applying logic after re-reading solved them. The author's style is as exciting as a saltine cracker, but it's clear that he knows how to create a great rig (that looks somewhat chaotic in the hypergraph, keeping in mind that I still have not completed it yet).
I would recommend this book to someone who is pretty familiar with Maya. Some parts are a little beyond me but I keep plugging away to become more than the novice that I am now.
Waste of money.......2005-08-16
I bought this book because of a recommendation and I wish I hadn't wasted my money.
The modelling section of the book explains one of the worst ways to model a character I've EVER seen. All the screenshots right up to the final render look like mushy cg without any definition.
The rigging part of the book is slightly better (but not by much). The author explains the rigging process quite well but the final model bends in the wrong places (eg the neck bend in a very strange manner which doesn't look natural at all).
Frankly you could easily find a better book out there like the new one from (...), The Art of Rigging Vol. 1(I'm not associated with them in any way).
Great book for intermediate modelers.......2005-03-04
Going into Chris Maraffi's Character Animation course at Full Sail, I was apprehensive about organic modeling and rigging. This book made a great companion during the experience of learning how to model bipedal characters and create their rigs. It provides a great spectrum of information on the subject, and makes a great addition to anyone's tech library. A must have for your tool kit!
Excellent for Rigging, but not for modeling........2004-09-17
Yes, this book is an excellent one if you would like to create an advanced rig, but the earlier modeling chapters don't teach good modeling skills (just look at the student models he put in, only a few are good. I'd be embarrassed to put put the other ones in a book.) That said, the book is excellent for learning how to create a rig and intuitive controls for the animation. The cover price of $45 is probably worth the detailed rigging section, but since the rest is a waste, it's really not a fabulous deal.
Book Description
"The best character animation book available."
--Ian Cairns, Editor, MAYA Association
This second edition of the popular Maya Character Animation is an in-depth, step-by-step guide to perfecting your modeling and animation skills. Abundantly illustrated tutorials teach you how to build life-like characters from the ground up, with detailed coverage of effective subdivision surface and polygon modeling techniques. You'll master the intricacies of rigid and smooth character binding, discover the art of convincing facial expressions, and conquer post-modeling challenges ranging from character setup to non-linear animation editing to mapping and rendering. Benefit from this edition's coverage of inverse and forward kinematics, 3D character animation for character modeling and character setup, and valuable info on rigging your characters.
Put your new skills to the test by completing a realistic project in which you plan, create, and refine your own short-piece animation. Throughout, you'll find hundreds of full-color images that demonstrate what you can--and will--accomplish. You also get bonus coverage of Deep Paint 3D, the premier texture-painting program.
Customer Reviews:
Does not cover character animation to any significant degree.......2006-03-13
I bought this book because I wanted to learn how to animate a character, as the title suggests. However, the book is more of a general reference of how to model, rig, skin, and create a character rather than animate a character.
For example, it covers nothing about making a character move in a believable way, how to use the character controls effectively, or any suggestions on a good animation workflow (such as blocking in, then converting to spline keys).
At the end of reading it you will have a fully created and rigged character but still not know how to animate it. The book should have been entitled Maya Character Creation and Rigging instead.
That said, the material is very in-depth and nicely presented for what it does cover. The title's a bit misleading, that's all.
This is about reference more then techniques..........2005-08-08
Although a certain ammount of techniques are involved throughout this book, this book is one of the more complete overall references of the software. I teach various Maya courses and I recommend this book to the beginner as a solid encyclopedia type reference to use as an alternative to the sometime annoying Help which contains very good but confusing and unclear definitions and explanations. As always you will get more out of the book the more you practice with the software. I DO recommend this for beginners as there are no topics in my opinion which require more than a beginner level of skill. I think saying this book is not for beginners is total crap! If you were to sit and read an encyclopedia from cover to cover ofcourse you would be confused if you just rely on it and not practical practice with the knowledge within. I do agree that the wording gets confusing but for some of the techniques I use other ways not how he does it, because technique is 10% reason for this book I think.
Excellent, but not for beginners.......2005-06-07
I have found this to be a remarkable book which has helped me take my skills to another level. That said, if you're starting out, you will probably be overwhelmed and frustrated for awhile. It's less of a how-to book and more of a "looking over the shoulder of an expert" book. He illustrates how he does things and it's pretty much up to you to experiment with the concepts/techniques and adopt them as you see fit. Thousands of pictures and full color - very beautiful book. It also extensively covers areas like rigging and deep paint, which are difficult subjects to find books about, as well as modeling and animation. But, if you're just starting out in 3D, hold off until you have a solid foundation and good basic skills.
Full of Must Know Techniques.......2005-05-09
Though this book is quite thick it doesnt have a lot of jargon. It is easy to go through and everything it tells you is of use. Its a very good choice for anyone who is interested in the 3D animation field.
Ok. but non-native english a real minus.......2005-02-22
Look, I'm a fair-handed guy, so let me give this book an honest review.
The good to excellent:
First, the presentation is top notch. Over 850 pages of beautiful full color pages makes this book very easy on the eyes.
It comes with a CD that contains most tutorial items, which is also a plus.
And with that, the not so good.
I'm one of those aspiring MAYA guys who sits around all weekend learning this great program--I love it. So when I first tore into this book I was rife with hope. Honestly though, it's sort of a let down. For one, this book was authored by an incredibly talented person who simply doesn't speak English as a first language. The result is many passages that are just plain confusing.
Let me give an example. In one section Mr. Chio explains how to make a Reverse Foot. He adequately describes how to make the IK handles, but then this wonderfully confusing passages drops:
"Now make a new support joint and parent it to the support joints with the IK Handles. First of all, make the support joint in Side View as shown in Figure 7-6"
Huh? Anyone who has done this before knows this statement is like saying: "Lets make a peanut butter sandwich by getting some bread. Now lets make a peanut butter sandwich".
Examples of that caliber abound. There are also tons of spelling and usage errors, and coming from me, that's really saying something.
Hey, it's ok to be rough with your English, but when it comes in the form of an instructional book for one of the toughest programs around...well, you get the idea.
I also have a problem with the tutorial materials. For a book about character animation this book covers it all, but one problem is the supplied models seem to be way more complex than they have to be. For example, one model is of a man warning clothes. Not a huge deal, but when you see his mesh patterns because of the clothes and how you have to edit them to do things like painting weights and binding, it seems like overkill. Why not just a simple smooth mesh?
Lastly, I find some of the topics are covered too quickly. For example, creating and using an IK Spline Handle is covered in less than 3 pages-and that's including 4 huge illustrations (and the fact that most of the text is just step-by-step instruction stuff). As mentioned in another review, this makes understanding this books target audience really tough. If you already know how to make IK Spline's the section won't do you any good. If, however, your like me and never have, your left wondering what the heck you just did.
Perhaps the best way to say it is this book is like a professor who talks really fast and covers lots of stuff, but always leaves before you get to ask any questions. In the end I feel like a `knower of lots and a master of nothing'.
No matter, one cannot deny this books ambition or scope. Yet in the end it just seems that instead of learning anything, you simply see how to do stuff, leaving you to fill in the gaps.
Book Description
Many animators and designers would like to supplement their Maya learning with a less-technical, more helpful book. This new self-study manual is both a general guide for understanding 3-D computer graphics and a specific guide for learning the fundamentals of Maya: workspace, modeling, animation, shading, lighting, and rendering.
This well-integrated and produced volume covers these fundamentals in each chapter so that readers gain increasingly detailed knowledge. After an initial 'concepts' section launches each chapter, hands-on tutorials are provided, as well as a chapter project that progressively adds newly learned material and culminates in the final animated short. This is the first book on Maya that teaches the subject using a sensible, proven methodology for both novices and intermediate users.
Topics and features: * Proven method that emphasizes preliminaries to every chapter * Integrates the "why" concepts of 3-D simultaneously with the "how-to" techniques * Skills reinforced with tutorials and chapter projects * Real-world experience distilled into helpful hints and step-by-step guides for common tasks * CD-ROM with practice animations, case studies and additional methods
The book, suitable for novices or intermediate users, presents all the basic 3-D animation concepts and Maya software background needed for learning animation techniques and creating sophisticated, state-of-the-art animations. It is an essential resource for animators, game developers, effects specialists, and computer graphic artists, as well as an ideal self-study guide for students or individuals pursuing interests in graphics or animation.
Customer Reviews:
Great........2007-03-09
This is a great book to learn to understand and use Maya. It's well organized and makes you understand not only how to do it, but also why to do it. Recommended.
minimises maths underlying the graphics.......2007-02-03
Park does a skilful job of minimising the amount of maths that a newcomer to Maya needs. Or, perhaps, it is Maya that does that. Anyhow, traditional texts on graphics (think Foley and van Dam) are replete with maths. Usually matrix algebra. But also for the physics of ray tracing etc. What this book demonstrates is showing how to use Maya for many 3D graphics tasks, often without having to explicitly deal with the underlying maths. Like manipulating NURBs or single or multiple light sources. Or dealing with shading issues.
As is common nowadays in graphics texts, there are several colour plates, with cartoon characters made with Maya. Impressive functionality.
Real World Instructions for Maya Users.......2006-06-22
I had long wanted to begin the process of learning Maya, but was intimidated every time I opened the damned program. John Park's book allowed me to grow past that fear and build a strong foundation in understanding the program. His instructions are easy to follow and his exercises (included on an accompanying CD) provide real world experiences for learning Maya's basics. Additionally, it is a well-rounded instruction manual that teaches about many aspects of the program (instead of a few particulars). Please buy this book, so Mr. Park is encouraged to release additional manuals!
If you get one book on Maya, this is it........2006-04-04
Park's book is exceptional because it has a simple, easy to follow tutorial format that has you modeling, shading, animating and rendering all in the first chapter. Each chapter builds on the last expanding the skills together as an integrated group. Maya is an awsome program that is fun work with, but its shear size can make it overwhelming for a beginner. Because of this most books either specialize in only one aspect of it, or serve as a general pictorial menu of what you can do but don't adequately tell you how. Park's book stays at just the right level so you feel excited rather than overwhelmed, and by the end you have developed a working knowledge of all the major menu sets, and you have completed a rather sophisticated animation. You can then move on to any other Maya book with confidence, or just continue working with the knowledge you've gained. You don't even have to buy Maya. It comes with a copy of Maya Personal Learning Edition on the tutorial CD.
Finally a book with real instructional focus!.......2005-12-15
A clear and concise exercise to understanding basic animation. As anyone who has ever used Maya can tell you, it's a HUGE program and can be overwhelming in its complexity. So many instructional books throw as much functionality of the program at you as possible, and as a result you end up walking away with only a few tricks that are often unrelated to each other in the context of seeing a project through from beginning to end. This book avoids the clutter and distractions of many of the flashier aspects of Maya and instead focuses on the information required to familiarize the reader with the basics of animation. Each chapter builds upon the knowledge acquired in the previous chapter and is reinforced by well thought out and pertinent tutorial projects.
By the end of the book you will feel ready to take on your own animation projects with confidence.
Book Description
Maya Character Modeling and Animation: Principles and Practice is for beginning- to intermediate-level designers and 3D artists who want to learn 3D character modeling and animation using Maya® 8. The book covers the theory and practice of modeling and animation from pre-production to final body and facial animation. It explains why things are done and not just which buttons to push. The text uses a series of projects to teach you how to model, rig, and animate your own characters. The focus is on how to create professional-quality, compelling animations. The companion CD-ROM contains all the files supporting the exercises in the book, including complete Maya projects, rendered QuickTime movies to illustrate concepts, and fully rigged NURBS and polygon character models. If you are ready to take on the challenge of animation, this is the book for you. You will find all the insights and techniques you need to start animating your own characters!
Customer Reviews:
Cool book. .......2007-04-22
This is a very good book! I really like it. I am still reading and find it very helpful.
A top pick, especially for college-level art and computer libraries strong in Maya references........2007-02-04
Both beginners and intermediate designers and 3D artists who want to learn the basics of character modeling and animation with Maya will relish the blend of step-by-step instruction, an accompanying cd-rom filled with chapter-oriented details and backup movies and presentations, and an attention to clear explanations of the animation process from start to finish. Screen shots and step-by-step examples on building a character model make MAYA CHARACTER MODELING & ANIMATION a top pick, especially for college-level art and computer libraries strong in Maya references.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
For the Beginning to Intermediate User.......2006-11-16
Designed for the beginning to intermediate user, this book is aimed at the artist who want to learn 3D character modeling and animation using Maya. It is suitable for either classroom or individual use.
This book has an interesting combination between a theoretical/reference book and a tutorial book. Each chapter starts with a theory or reference section that gives the basic concepts for that chapter. This is followed by a detailed tutorial or two. For instance Chapter 2 is entitled 'Fundamentals of Computer Animation.' The theory section goes into the physics of how things move. This is important because people have an instinctive understanding of movement. The first tutorial then is on making a light and then a heavy ball bounce on the screen. Then the second tutorial makes the ball squash as it hits and then stretch as it bounces back into shape.
At the end of the book you won't be quite up to Pixar standards, but you'll be well on your way.
The CD-ROM supplied with the book contain project files including all of the figures from the book, organized into folders by chapter, all of the movies, organized by chapter and contained in folders called movies, and all of the Maya working files.
Book Description
Learn cutting-edge 3D animation techniques
Create breathtaking content for film, TV, games, print media, and the Web using Autodesk Maya and the detailed information contained in this comprehensive resource. Maya experts and special effects gurus Tom Meade and Shinsaku Arima cover every step in the Maya production workflow using easy-to-follow tutorials, real-world examples, and insider tips and tricks.
Maya 8: The Complete Reference shows you how to use the latest version of Maya to its full potential. You'll learn to integrate motion, create complex effects, manipulate lighting, render your final animation, and prepare for postproduction.
Ready-to-use sample files on DVD
Average customer rating:
- A 'must' for any serious computer animation collection.
- Also excellent for Blender users
- Definitive for Facial Modeling
- Chapter 13 worth $1,000,000 in warcraft gold
- Good tips, annoying style
|
Stop Staring: Facial Modeling and Animation Done Right
Jason Osipa
Manufacturer: Sybex
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Animation
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Fashion
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Models
| Fashion
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Design
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Software
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Animator's Survival Kit: A Manual of Methods, Principles, and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion, and Internet Animators
-
Maya Character Creation: Modeling and Animation Controls, First Edition
-
Advanced Maya Texturing and Lighting
-
![Digital Lighting and Rendering (2nd Edition) ([digital])](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/0321316312.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
Digital Lighting and Rendering (2nd Edition) ([digital])
-
The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation
ASIN: 0471789208 |
Amazon.com
Lips, brows, frown lines--they're all in motion in an expressive face. Stop Staring analyzes facial structures and movements and shows animators how to enliven the faces of their characters. The author, whose own handsome head (in modeled form) graces the cover, is an experienced animator currently working on The Sims.
He writes with a dry wit and a confidence born from experience. The book is friendly but also loaded with content and precise in its directions. "I am by no means God's gift to animation, but I do pretty well at making a talking head look like a living one, not just a set of gums flapping." This is not a how-to manual, but a richly detailed guide to achieving the right movements for a given situation and emotion. The companion CD includes all the pieces readers will need in order to work along with the text: models (both realistic and stylized 'toon characters), lip-synching samples, finished Quicktime movies, and even a copy of Maya Personal LE. (More info and some movies can be found at jasonosipa.com.)
Readers move from "Getting to Know the Face," to synching audio, working on the mouth, eyes, and brows, and rigging. Osipa has created a methodology for facial animation that gets results and makes the process fun. The book can be used as a step-by-step guide for learning new skills or finessing techniques, or as a reference book for troubleshooting specific expressions (for example, "happy eyes," "frustration," and "sneers" are all in the index). Although the projects are presented using Maya, the concepts involved pertain to animation in general.
There are lots of production tips and, in Chapter 13, case studies using five scripted scenes. Readers can even begin with this last chapter, watching the movies (they're funny!) and enjoying Osipa's debates as he works through animating his face telling a lame bartender joke or a sassy `toon gal weighing the pros and cons of pink and blue bows. This hip writer knows what he's talking about, even when it's his own animated mug that's doing the talking! --Angelynn Grant
Book Description
Breathe life into your creations
With detailed examples, high-quality professional images, and a touch of humor, this is the fully revised and updated second edition of Jason Osipa's best-selling book on facial animation. You'll learn the basics of design, modeling, rigging, and animation-while mastering exciting new techniques for stretch-and-squash deformation, advanced blend extraction, and the latest software tools. Walk through the author's detailed analysis of sample animations and discover how to add nuance and sophistication to your designs.
Full of insights drawn from years of professional experience, this book provides the focused and practical information you need to create believable facial animations.
- Learn visimes and lip sync techniques
- Construct a mouth and mouth keys
- Explore the process of facial landmarking
- Master the cartoon techniques of squash and stretch
- Harness the latest advanced blend extraction tools
- Create interfaces for your faces
- Understand skeletal setup, weighting, and rigging
Control faces with the book's powerful rig and learn how skin moves to make various shapes and expressions
Master powerful stretch-and-squash (and squoosh!) techniques
Featured on the CD
Fine-tune your facial animations with the techniques demonstrated on the companion CD. Content includes tutorial files, lip sync samples, models, textures, and more.
Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.
Customer Reviews:
A 'must' for any serious computer animation collection........2007-07-27
The second updated edition of STOP STARING: FACIAL MODELING AND ANIMATION DONE RIGHT offers far more than just introductory coverage: it uses high-quality professional images combined with humor to provide a revised, updated set of basics on design, modeling and animation - including elements which differentiate top-quality productions from mediocre results. From learning lip sync techniques and understanding facial landmarking to using advanced blend extraction tools and building realistic shapes, STOP STARING holds plenty of diagrams and pictures throughout and is a 'must' for any serious computer animation collection.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Also excellent for Blender users.......2007-07-08
This is a great book and I highly recommend it for anybody interested in character animation. Although the author uses Maya and a few examples describe Maya-specific functionality, most of the material in here is very broadly applicable, making this an indispensable book for Blender animators as well.
Readers of my book Introducing Character Animation with Blender should definitely check this one out.
Definitive for Facial Modeling.......2007-06-27
This book clarifies the issues for anyone doing character animation. The modeling of a face takes on a strategic importance and the mesh must anticipate the demands made on it by animation.
If you want to animate a face, this book is for you.
Chapter 13 worth $1,000,000 in warcraft gold.......2007-05-11
Osipa's approach to toon rigging (and rigging in general) is unique, new, innovative and very simple to grasp and implement. I don't want to give away the genius of Chapter 13, because I THINK you need to buy this book!
You want to know how they "might have" rigged Elastigirl in The Incredibles? It's so simple you'll kick yourself in the shin for not thinking of it yourself.
This whole book is filled with rigging know-how by a lover of cartoons. His primary goal is making excellent facial animation. Something this industry sorely lacks! And this is the book that documents his experiences and skills. Learn from it. Be a better rigger.
If you want to be a Rigger or Character TD for toons or even photo-real characters, these techniques will be omni-present in studios (big and small) in the next year. Get this book and read it cover to cover so I don't have to kick you in the shin.
Good tips, annoying style.......2007-03-09
This book has a lot of useful information but the author's somewhat patronising and self-congratulatory tone sometimes makes you want to stop reading. Let me give you a couple of examples from the very start of the book (note that these are quotes from the actual book's text, not "marketing" material):
Introduction: "You'll learn much of what you could learn elsewhere while also picking up more pertinent valuable information you couldn't learn elsewhere."
Page 3: "They saw how I took something so complex, so daunting, so evil, and made it so easy, simple, and - dare I say it? - fun!"
Page 6: "It's very easy to learn how to do this, but very hard to master; luckily you have a good coach."
In addition to this, a lot of the book's contents are about... the rest of the book's contents. Some chapters start with several paragraphs about... the rest of that chapter. And many paragraphs end with "cliffhangers" (ex., "This is not necessary; I'll explain why in the next paragraph.", when he could simply move "This is not necessary" to that next paragraph and explain straight away). The overall effect is a bit like an infomercial.
Having said that, the book does have some very good tips about animating and modelling realistic human faces (and especially about how to model them so that they are easier to animate). The examples use terminology from Maya, but people used to other 3D packages will have no problem understanding them.
Cartoon-style characters are also covered, but the models used are mostly humanoid and fairly realistic (think anime), so if you're interested in ways of conveying emotion with more extreme (or more abstract) characters, you might want to look elsewhere (ex., George Maestri's books and videos, Looney Tunes cartoons, Uderzo's drawings, etc.). The modelling tips and techniques described in this book will probably still come in handy, though.
Bottom line: this is one of the best books available on the subject of facial modelling and animation (granted, there aren't many). As long as you manage to get past the patronising attitude and the unnecessary "build-up" of some chapters (both of which are worse at the start of the book - or maybe I just learned to ignore them), you'll almost certainly learn something, even if you're an experienced animator.
Average customer rating:
|
Maya Character Modeling: Professional polygonal modeling techniques
Jason Patnode
Manufacturer: Focal Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Web Graphics
| Web Design
| Web Development
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Design
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Software
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0240520343 |
Book Description
Discover the concepts and techniques required to create believable CG character models with Maya with this unique book and DVD package. The stunning color images show just what you can achieve, and the detailed step-by-step tutorials show exactly how to achieve them.
Every technique and tip is backed up with practical tutorials, using the models, textures and video on the companion DVD to offer a crash course to this vital skill. Jason Patnode takes you from low to high-resolution modeling - helping you span the gap between game and film industry skills. With a chapter devoted to using Maya with Z-brush, the amazing paint/modeling tool that is really taking off in the industry, this is a uniquely rounded guide to a complex and vital skill.
* Master professional techniques and workflow processes with clear, easy to follow tutorials
* Companion DVD contains video tutorials, plug-ins, models and texture maps as well as high quality art from participating artists
* Interviews with professionals connect the concepts to real world workflow and applications
Books:
- Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts
- Mr. Untouchable: My Crimes and Punishments
- New Moon (Twilight, Book 2)
- New York Rises: Photographs by Eugene de Salignac
- OpenGL(R) Programming Guide: The Official Guide to Learning OpenGL(R), Version 2 (5th Edition) (OpenGL)
- Orson Welles: Volume 1: The Road to Xanadu
- Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me
- Pop Dreams: Music, Movies, and the Media in the American 1960's (Harbrace Books on America Since 1945)
- Propaganda and the German Cinema, 1933-1945 (Cinema and Society)
- Raising a G-Rated Family in an X-Rated World
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Six Sigma for IT Management
- How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend: The Classic Training Manual for Dog Owners
- Eisenhower and Churchill: The Partnership That Saved the World
- Exploraciones Y Descubrimientos Del Mundo
- History: Fiction or Science
- Northanger Abbey, Lady Susan, The Watsons, Sanditon
- History: Fiction or Science
- Job Seekers Sourcebooks: For Hi-Tech Positions Nationwide
- Decisional Dialogues in a Cultural Context: Structured Exercises
- The Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Marketing
