How to Cheat in Maya 2017 - Tools and Techniques for Character Animation

List of contents

Contents
How to Cheat and Why............... ix
Acknowledgments..................... xiii
How to Use This Book.................xv
1 Animation
Principles........................1
Squash and Stretch......................2
Anticipation....................................6
Staging............................................10
Straight Ahead/
Pose to Pose..................................15
Overlapping Action/
Follow-through........................... 22
Slow In/Slow Out....................... 26
Arcs.................................................. 30
Secondary Action....................... 33
Timing............................................ 38
Exaggeration............................... 42
Solid Drawing ............................. 46
Appeal............................................ 50
Interlude........................................ 54
2 Splines.......................... 59
How Splines Work.......................61
Splines and Spacing.................. 67
Tangent Types .............................74
Tangent Handles........................ 82
Spline Technique ....................... 89
Spline Reference ........................ 92
Interlude........................................ 95
3 Graph Editor.............. 103
Graph Editor Windup..............104
Visual Tools................................. 107
Working with Keys....................116
Value Operators........................ 120
Buffer Curves............................. 124
Speed Cheats............................. 128
4 Techniques................ 133
Auto Key...................................... 134
Timeline Techniques............... 138
Cartoony Motion......................144
Trax Editor................................... 147
Copying Curves........................ 151
Editable Motion Trails............. 159
IK and FK...................................... 167
IK/FK Switching......................... 171
Character Sets........................... 178
Grease Pencil Tool.................... 182
Grease Pencil and Trails......... 190
Interlude...................................... 196
5 Constraints................ 201
Parenting.....................................202
Parent Constraints...................207
Constraining a Prop................ 212
Constraint Weights.................. 216
Animating with
Constraints................................. 221
Interlude...................................... 231
6 Rigging Cheats......... 235
Rig Testing..................................236
Sprucing it Up...........................248
Rigging Props............................256
Interlude......................................259
7 Standing Out............. 263
Adding BlendShapes..............264
Adding Clusters........................272
Wrap Deformer.........................282
Adding Hair and Cloth...........288
Interlude......................................296
8 Workflow................... 301
Planning/Reference.................302
Converting Cycles.................... 310
Stepped Keys............................. 313
Stepped Preview......................320
Moving Holds When
Splining....................................... 324
Moving Holds with the
Retime Tool.................................334
Refining Arcs in Polish............ 337
Final Texture...............................342
Interview.....................................346
9 Cycles.......................... 355
Cycle Basics................................356
Stride Length.............................363
Walk Cycle...................................372
Flying Cycle................................378
Quad Cycles...............................388
10 Referencing............... 393
Referencing Basics...................394
Offline Edits................................401
Saving Reference Edits...........407
Interlude...................................... 413
11 Facial Animation.......417
Planning and Prep................... 418
Core Poses..................................422
Lip Sync 1—Jaw Motion........428
Lip Sync 2—Mouth
Corners........................................432
Lip Sync 3—Mouth
Shapes..........................................436
Lip Sync 4—Tongue................441
Blinks............................................445
Blink and Brows........................450
Eye Darts.....................................459
Final Touches.............................465
Interlude...................................... 470
12 Animation Layers..... 473
How Animation
Layers Work................................ 474
Animation Layer Basics.......... 476
Cheating a Cycle.......................483
Layers for Texture..................... 491
Interlude......................................496
Index..............................................501

About the author

Paul Naas is an animator, illustrator, professor, and author of two previous books on Maya. He is currently the Program Coordinator for the Digital Art & Animation program at Cañada College in Redwood City, California. Prior to teaching, Paul worked for nearly 20 years as a professional animator in games, independent film, TV spots, and location-based entertainment. He continues to work frequently on freelance and independent projects.

Summary

This is a guide to Maya software written by professional animators.

Product details

• Authors: Paul Naas, Paul (Canada College Naas, Naas Paul, Naas Paul
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.08.2018
• EAN: 9780815379942
• ISBN: 978-0-8153-7994-2
• No. of pages: 522
• Series: How to Cheat; How To Cheat
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > IT, data processing > Application software; Digital Animation, COMPUTERS / Design, Graphics & Media / Video & Animation