Beer glass scene creation
This course contains a little bit of everything with modeling, UVing, texturing and dynamics in Maya, as well as compositing multilayered EXR's in Photoshop.
# 1 20-01-2003 , 04:31 PM
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Any advice for newbie?

Hi, i'm 16, and recently got interested in 3d modelling/animation. I picked up Maya 4.5 cuz i heard it was the best. And from seeing the stuff online I believe it. Anyway, i was just wondering if anyone here might give sum advice to a teen about how to get started about this kind of thing. I orderred Maya 4.5 fundamentals...i hope thatll help. So basiclaly just lookin for sum expert advice. thanx.

-Kozmo

# 2 20-01-2003 , 04:34 PM
Kevin
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welcome Kozmo

sure! Maya fundamentals we certainly get you started! also we have a bunch of free videos in our movie area for download... then if you want to get more in depth you can look in our VIP area.

There is also some great advice under the F1 button of maya!

And a bunch of tutorials in the tutorials links area.

But most of all "start simple" simple shapes and pull them about into basic shapes. Ask lots of questions to!! And no question is to dumb here!! so...

And have fun!

# 3 20-01-2003 , 04:36 PM
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Join the VIP section, and you'll have access to HOURS AND HOURS of video tutorials by our VIP movie instructors.

It's REALY WORTH IT!

You'll learn a LOT, I promiseuser added image


Israel "Izzy" Long
Motion and Title Design for Broadcast-Film-DS
izzylong.com
# 4 20-01-2003 , 04:40 PM
Kevin
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lol, you old sod rage, at least I was a bit more diplomatic about it LOL

# 5 20-01-2003 , 07:29 PM
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hehe.... sorry manuser added image

and sorry Kozmonut, I wasn't tryin to be harsh or anything, I just noticed your post, and I had only a few seconds to write somethin before my boss came over to what the heck I was up touser added image

I'll be a bit more helpfull next timeuser added image

Feel free to ask me, or anyone here for that matter, anything you wantuser added image

Welcome!


Israel "Izzy" Long
Motion and Title Design for Broadcast-Film-DS
izzylong.com
# 6 20-01-2003 , 08:28 PM
Kevin
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hey rage thats fine mate!!! We need the VIPs so feel free mate! I would rather see a post like that then a tutorial link that goes elsewhere!

# 7 20-01-2003 , 10:00 PM
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Welcome Kozmonut! These forums are a great Maya resource. And do check out the VIP section if you can. There are some great tutorials in there.


Danny Ngan
Animator | Amaze Entertainment
my website | my blog | my job
# 8 20-01-2003 , 10:31 PM
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The book Maya Fundamentals has some (imho) very useful MarkingMenus (=kind of shortcut(s) to various tool(s), you can easily make'em yourself when you need to) and I use these marking menus all the time.

If I were to give some advice to a fellow newbie, it would have to concern with the issue of not "giving up" on figuring out how the tool works. If something doesn't "work" then you have to dig into the manual or simply ask around for adwise.

Hotkeys and marking menus are way useful. After a while you would also (perhaps) want to make some shelf-buttons on your own (transferring menu items to the shalf, and also by customizing buttons)(it is soo easy to do this).

Example:
-A button for setting the pivot point of an object, to the center of the grid (for easy mirroring against an axis)
-A button for doing the mirrroring op. for say, the X axis.

Come to think of it, I guess I could make a single button to do both of the above user added image

Well... user added image this is the only examples I've got to this date.

These were my first concerns, when I first started;
"How the hell do I mirror an object???"
"How does the snap tool work?"
"And what are these nurbs thingies?, I don't get it!"
"I hate the nurbs-cube primitive (always has/always will)"
"oooohh *sigh* that hypershader-network looks totally complex"
"aaaarhg... I used the group tool too much, and now my "outliner" is messed up with lots of unknown nodes"
"aaaaarhg... Why does that object not show up in the renderview?"

But that was just a bit of unpatience of my part. Eventually the questions gets answered.


I do not support Bush! Nor Saddam! Long live UN!
# 9 21-01-2003 , 12:13 AM
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hey thanx everyone for your replies. makes me feel welcome. heh. ill probably be checkin out some of those vip tuts once i get more comfortable w/ the basics. its kinda like, at this point, i dont kno what to ask because i havn't tried anything to it's fullest. btw...i've always been curiois since i researched these 3d programs: what makes Maya the best? or how does it compare to 3ds max or softimage? just if anyone might know...

-Kozmo

# 10 21-01-2003 , 10:26 AM
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Kosmonut,

Asking what makes Maya the "best" is like asking which car/food/drink/computer is the best. There is no real answer to it, and it usually boils down to personal preference and production needs. All of the major 3D programs do basically the same thing: they're just tools. In the right hands, good work can come out of any those programs.


Danny Ngan
Animator | Amaze Entertainment
my website | my blog | my job
# 11 21-01-2003 , 10:00 PM
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true, i agree. i guess, i would re-phrase the question to... what are some of maya's good qualities, what is something you guyz like about maya?

# 12 23-01-2003 , 12:44 AM
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I like the select tool user added image

I love the camera navigation!!! It just feels so natural.


Take a glance at my <a href="https://forums.simplymaya.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9428"><b>Porsche 959</b></a> WIP
# 13 23-01-2003 , 01:41 AM
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I prefer Maya's workflow over other programs I have used. It feel smoother and more natural for the way I think. I also really like MEL script. For some reason, it makes sense to me. And, of course, I like the fact that Maya is cross-platform. I use it on both my Mac and my PC (mostly Mac user added image ).


Danny Ngan
Animator | Amaze Entertainment
my website | my blog | my job
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