learning Maya

[DeathBrain]

Hi...Welcome to Maya :)
I am not with game modeling, but i was with ACAD too.
Maya has great measurement tools and now (Maya 5.0.1) has great DWG, DXF, IGES cad import export option, and the good news Maya 5/5.0.1 has also has great UV texture tools for gamers modeler
If you're interest on game realtime modeling then you could use Maya low poly modeling :)

[mimo8]

hi colin

I´m also new to maya and still struggeling a lot - that´s why I´m here :)

what to say - where to start.
start with modeling - then textures - light - rendering ( and if needed kinematiks and animation)

the maya comunity is huge and there are tons of tutorials arround - work through them - they will answere all of your questions step by step.

and if there is really a problem that you cannot solve yourself or with the help - then post here. even for the most simple question (or specially for them) there is help mostly in some minutes.

one more thing that makes learning comfortable are dvds (gnomon etc.) for me they always have some "aha´s" inside ... just a question of cash : )

so keep it up brother
maya first was a big ? to my
I knew it more direct from c4d - but then you learn to understand the corelations, how the history, mel and the various modelling techniques work and interfere and then the big fascination starts ... happened to my last week ....

[BarbaPappa]

I'm also a new user of Maya. Been using both Lightwave and 3D Studio Max. So I've got the basic knowledge. I must admit, Maya had a pretty steep learning curve the first week, but once you understand how to work with it it's really great and it beats both LW and 3DS Max, in my opinion, in general...

I also have a 2 year old daugther and a 6 months old son, takes a lot of my time, so i don't have much time to spend time in front of my computer. But it's also good that you get "breaks" from trying to learn. For me, learning works best in small portions. I sit down for a couple of hours and try to learn something. And then I don't touch it for a few days. That'll let the new found knowledge sink in a bit. And the next time I sit down, for some reason, I feel more confident and more relaxed with the software. I can't really sit for hours and hours and learn. I wouldn't remember it all.

Well, that my learning tips...

BTW, I also have a fulltime job (3D game Artist), so the nights get pretty long every now and then. And with kids, it takes a few days to get back on track, not beeing too tired...

Good luck with the learning...It'll take some time, but eventually you'll get the hang of it....

[Ozren]

Just one tip, dont be afraid to try things out. If you imagine something you want to model, light, texture....just do it, dont think alot, its a good thing that you can learn from mistakes.

Also a good thing is to invest some $$ in Gnomon DVD's or any other learning DVD's, they will help you alot and save your time.

Good luck ;)

[BarbaPappa]

Here's a cheaper alternatvie too DVD's:

http://www.digital-tutors.com/digital_tutors/maya/

[csutcliffe]

I'd just like to say to say a thanks for the words of encouragement offered by all the people who replied to my post. I must admit, I was starting to get a little intimated by the sheer scale of the application but as somebody once said Rome wasn't built in one day!

On another note, if there are any new Maya users reading this who are struggling to get to grips with the application I found a great tutorial on www3dbuzz.com in the UT2003 editing section. Basically, you are taken through the entire process of modelling a game character. I found that this tutorial helped me a lot!

[BarbaPappa]

I've watched quite a few of those tutorials you mention, very good for beginners....

Looking forward to seeing some of your stuff online....:thumbsup:

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