This page is not meant as a substiute for note taking, reading the help files or other Maya references rather it is a summary of what was covered during a particular class session.

Feb. 2nd class

maya7 file (chair_model.mb)

During class I created this chair using:

-multiple polygon cubes with scaling and moving.

-duplication (edit>duplicate)

-pivot point with grid snapping (look up "change pivot point" and grid snap in the Maya help file)

During class I created this hand using.

-One polygon cube.

-Split polygons (edit polygons>Split polygons)

-Extrude Face (edit polygons>Extrude Face)

-Wedge Faces (edit polygons>Wedge Face)

FEB 9th Class

Remebering where features in Maya are located is sometimes difficult. The "Help>Find Menu" function is usually helpful.

Grouping and parenting.

Duplicate with translation. Select the object and duplicate. While the duplicate is still selected apply one or more transform tools and then press shif+D.

NURBS(CURVES and SURFACES) and ther components. All though there are a lot of similarities between the components of NURBS and Poloygon objects there are also some very big differences.

-Right mouse click on your nurbs object to see these

-CP Curve tool and EP Curve tool. Both create a curve by laying down a set of points (control verteces and end points respectively)

Each of the following generates geometry using a curve or sets of curves as a starting point.

-Surfacec> Revolve

-Surfacec>Loft

-Surfacec>Extrude

-Surfacec>Birail (Rememeber this tool requires at least one pofile curve and 2 "rail" curves to be touching to work properly. Use curve snapping for this)

--Curve Snapping (ctrl+ c) or press

I used a background image, the EP Curve tool and the Revolve operation to create the coke bottle shape. I put the background image (a jpeg) into my viewport by first going into orthgraphic mode (taping the space bar). A the top of each viewport their is a menu. In the sid viewport menu go to view>imagge plane> import image. Then select your image.

Here is a link to the soccer ball tutorial that Brett did:

http://www.learning-maya.com/index.php?
option=com_smf&Itemid=57&topic=2996.0

note that a lot of other really good turorials can be found at the same website where Brett found the tutorial and there is a set of links on our links page to other similar turtorial sites.

Also here is a nice Maya reference Brett found

http://fmgrad.hunter.cuny.edu/~pharesg/3D/Maya7Tutorial.pdf

I suggest you down load it before it is gone.

Feb 16 class

Construction history -benefits and things to be carfeul about.

Node architecture of Maya.

Window>Rendering Editors> Hypershade is where you create shaders.

Shaders -contains a material (surface quality) and color. This color can be derived from a image file e.g. jpg or from maya software e.g. pocedural texture(caluculated by the software).

IPR render (lets you view your scene with all the shading effects applied.). e.g. bump mapping is not visible in your view port but is visible in IPR render.

The process for adjusting shaders once they have been applied is different for Nurb and polygon geometry.

For Polygons:

Polygon UV> Planer Mapping

Polygon UV> Cylindrical Mapping

Polygon UV> Spherical Mapping

Polygon UV> Automatic Mapping

For adjusting a shader that has been applied to nurbs geometry double click the placement node in the hypershade and then click the interactive placement button.

March 2.

Image tiling is a repeating an image over a large area e.g. repeating a brick pattern.

The offset filter in photoshop makes it possible to blend the edges of the image file. In photoshop filter>other>offet

All the light types are located under Create>lights. To make lights visible in the display window press 7 on the keyboard.

point light	directional light

There are 2 types of shadows. Depth map and raytraced.

For depth map shadow -in the lights atribute editor

This image was created with raytraced shadows. file with glass shader ray2.mb.

object in view port	object in IPR view

I first select raytracing in window>Rendering editors>Rendering settings. Select Maya Software under the renderUsing drop down menu and in the Maya Software tab select Raytracing Quality and check raytracing.

A glass shader was applied to the geometry. By selecting the object with the glass shader I was able to access glass shaders attributes in the attribute editor. In this case I changed the reflectivity to .2

cameras

create>cameras

to aim a "camera, aim" 1) create the camera select the aim node.

2) while aim node is selected shift+click the object you want the camera to follow and press the p key. If you translate the object the camera should track it.

The camera aim, up. works the same way.

note. in older version of Maya you could do all this in he hypergraph.

rendering for animation

Make your animation (keyframe, set driven, etc).

1) adjust the render settings. window>rendering editors> render settings. ( Refer to the maya help docs, your notes or your Maya book for more info on this tool).

2)go into rendering mode.

3)render>batch render.

Rigging a skeleton.

1)model the object you want to rig.

At this point it is helpful to put the geometry on its own layer and make it a reference.

2) create a skeleton first go into animation mode. Select skeleton> joint tool.( Refer to the maya help docs, your notes or your Maya book for more info on this tool.) Place your root/parent joint. For human figures the root not is typcally place at the center of the hips. Create add more joints where you want the geometry to bend. Use mirror joint tool as needed. For rigs based on the human figures you will need to add exta joints at certain areas of the skeleton for it to deform well. Notice the joint structure at the hips and shoulder in the image.

3) Select the rig(skeleton) and the geometry. Then skin>bind skin>smooth bind.

the result is a forward kinematic skeleton. FK = child joints do not effect their parent joints e.g. fingers dont move your shoulders. Inverse Kinematics allows the child to influece it's parent. e.g. ankle movements cause the knee to move.

IK

1) to IK a segement of leg joints select skeleton>Ik handle tool.

2) Select a hip joint and and ankel joint. To manipulate the legs tanslate the IK handles.

Notice the connector between the ankle and hip joints.