CGTalk - New Book: Maya 4.5 Fundamentals

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Leonard

01-03-2003, 03:18 AM

Jim Lammers and Lee Gooding have put together their latest title, Maya 4.5 Fundamentals (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0735713278/qid%253D1041563249/sr%253D11-1/ref%253Dsr%255F11%255F1/cgnetworks-20) - for those of you new to Maya 4.5.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0735713278.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Maya 4.5 Fundamentals takes the user from a review of 3D fundamentals to a working knowledge of creating content in Maya 4.5. Topics covered include the interface and primary tools, modeling with NURBS and polygons, applying materials and textures, lighting, using modifiers and deformers, animating scenes, using cameras, rendering stills and animations, and using particle systems, dynamics, and paint effects. New features in 4.5 are also included in this updated and expanded version. Special appendices cover making the change from 3ds max or LightWave to Maya. Video-captured movies on the accompanying CD supplement the tutorial foundation of the book and will provide a salient selling point. The most exciting thing to be included on the CD is the video-captured tutorial movies created to supplement the tutorials in the book. This feature alone has the equivalent value of several training videos. In addition, the CD will include project files and color screen captures.

Maya 4.5 Fundamentals (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0735713278/qid%253D1041563249/sr%253D11-1/ref%253Dsr%255F11%255F1/cgnetworks-20)

CGmonkey

01-03-2003, 03:34 AM

Ah thanks duuuude! this is a direct buy for me!!! :D

strick9

01-03-2003, 03:50 AM

highly recommended, the last one was like a bible for me. Still is. The movies on the disc are great learning tools imo.

BUBUKU

01-03-2003, 03:54 AM

it's a good job.i like it.

Null_Object

01-03-2003, 04:20 AM

Thanks for the post. I'm pretty new to maya really looking forward to blasting into it as soona s I find the time.

Plasticbag

01-03-2003, 04:38 AM

Hey, anyone read this books before?
Is it any good?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0782141714/qid=1041568221/sr=8-4/ref=sr_8_4/103-5096711-9632623?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

swadepgh

01-03-2003, 07:23 AM

I learned Maya from the "Maya 4 Fundamentals" book. Great info and great tutorials. Couple that with a maya quick reference type book and you're set, at least for the basics.

Chappo

01-03-2003, 09:11 AM

i guess there ain't no real difference between the Maya 4 Fundamentals and Maya 4.5 Fundamentals book , right ???

Or did they include Fluid tutorials in the new one ???

TheHellmaster

01-03-2003, 09:52 AM

I bought Maya 4 Fundamentals last month, and it´s a really great book. It´s really easy to learn with this book. The Tuts+Movies are great. BUY IT! :)

TheHellmaster

LucentDreams

01-03-2003, 01:12 PM

weird that that very image should be on the cover, who is the artist who did that? I downlaoded some of his animations back in october and can't find his site anymore, I know the artist is an active member of CGtalk just can't remeber who.

lildragon

01-03-2003, 01:16 PM

Originally posted by Kaiskai
I know the artist is an active member of CGtalk just can't remeber who.

He's won a few awards here actually

http://www.sormann3d.com/

username: sormann at work

salud

aurora

01-03-2003, 02:02 PM

I started playing with Maya from the Fun 4 book and I mean Fun not Fundamentals. The tut/movies in there make the difference. It does not come close to covering everything but it does hit on most things in one form or another and gives you a great jump start. If your new to Maya I would HIGHLY recommend looking into either of these 2 books.

LucentDreams

01-03-2003, 03:28 PM

Thanks lil dragon
:bounce:

Spectre3D

01-03-2003, 04:15 PM

I teach a Maya class at a university and I had been frantic to find a good textbook for our next module. I chose Maya Fundamentals as it was the most current and appeared to be more in depth than many of the other books out there. Now that I have been using it for a month, I have to say that you are better off passing on it. It is very simplistic and does not cover very much information. There is nothing on Sub-D's or blend shapes and the NURBS section tutorial is on how to build a house in NURBS. Not a very good application in my opinion. Save your money and wait for Maya Savvy coming out later this month. It's by the same guys that did Mastering Maya 3, the best book out there, I think. :applause:

Plasticbag

01-03-2003, 04:48 PM

There is nothing on Sub-D's or blend shapes and the NURBS section tutorial is on how to build a house in NURBS. Not a very good application in my opinion. Save your money and wait for Maya Savvy coming out later this month. It's by the same guys that did Mastering Maya 3, the best book out there, I think. :applause: [/B]

yeah i agree. The book only covers pretty much the basics. I have been searching for a better maya book too. Might as well wait for Inside Maya . Hope its as intresting as Inside Lightwave.

roger

01-03-2003, 05:24 PM

I just think it's great to have so many new books on Maya. Here is a quick list of new books coming out on Maya 4.5.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0782141099/ref=pd_sim_books_1/104-6512239-9565540?v=glance&s=books

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1584502347/ref=pd_sim_books_2/104-6512239-9565540?v=glance&s=books

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0735712530/ref=pd_sim_books_4/104-6512239-9565540?v=glance&s=books

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0782141714/ref=pd_sim_books_2/104-6512239-9565540?v=glance&s=books

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0321172396/qid=1041614211/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-6512239-9565540?v=glance&s=books

slice56

01-03-2003, 06:11 PM

looks like a good book :airguitar

Grgeon

01-03-2003, 06:55 PM

I'm in the process of buying a new Maya book, but with so many out, which do I choose?

4.5 fundamentals?

4.5 savvy?

inside maya?

If sormann(creater of the 4.5 fundamentals cover still) has tips in that book I'll most likely get that one. His stuff is great!

btw, Spectre 3d, I'm in the san diego county area, and I'm unaware of which universty has maya classes?

DavidBaca3D

01-03-2003, 08:32 PM

DAAAAAAAMN, i just bought maya fundementals 4 like a week ago. took me awhile to get the extra cash to get it, and i didnt realize a newer one was coming out, but i guess oh well, now i need to get this book.

sormann3d

01-03-2003, 09:27 PM

Originally posted by Grgeon
I'm in the process of buying a new Maya book, but with so many out, which do I choose?

4.5 fundamentals?

4.5 savvy?

inside maya?

If sormann(creater of the 4.5 fundamentals cover still) has tips in that book I'll most likely get that one. His stuff is great!

btw, Spectre 3d, I'm in the san diego county area, and I'm unaware of which universty has maya classes?

Thank you!
I havent seen the book yet but I hope they will send it to me in the near future.
I wrote them a few lines about the creation of the image(It has been a while...) but I didn wrote anithing apart from that.
Anyway I received the 4.0 version and think its good for beginners and people who want to learn maya usually using a different package...

NelsonInomvan

01-04-2003, 01:07 PM

I'm a max user but if the book arives here in Eastern Europe i'll buy it. I hope that in there i can find some useful tips

Spectre3D

01-04-2003, 04:48 PM

Like I said, I am waiting for Maya Savvy, but in the meantime, I just picked up The Art of Maya. It's really a nice book. Not a lot of content, but it makes up for it in quality with a LOT of illustrations. I highly reccomend it. It's published by Sybex.

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