People new to 3D animation and computer graphics now have two beginners' guides created by Alias to help them discover the creative and professional possibilities Maya 7 and Alias MotionBuilder can offer. THE MAYA 7 BEGINNER'S GUIDE BUNDLE and the ALIAS MOTIONBUILDER BEGINNER'S GUIDE are in DVD format and available online at www.alias.com/learningtools.
"Diving into the world of 3D for the first time can be overwhelming and people can spend a lot of time thinking about the limitless possibilities of computer graphics and not much time doing; these two beginners' resources make it easy for people to jump in and start making their visions reality," said Danielle Lamothe, product manager, learning tools and training at Alias.
The step-by-step tutorials and helpful demonstrations found in the five-part MAYA 7 BEGINNER'S GUIDE BUNDLE give aspiring 3D professionals a solid introduction to the software's interface and an opportunity to learn basic keyframe animation and rigging, modeling workflows, shading and texturing techniques, and to learn about rigid and soft body dynamics, particle effects and more.
THE ALIAS MOTIONBUILDER BEGINNER'S GUIDE introduces new character animators to the various components and functions of MotionBuilder. The basics of keyframe animation, control rigs and pose-to-pose character animation are covered in the guide. It also allows people to learn how to re-use animation from one character to another, to apply shaders and materials to characters for added scene realism, and to work with pre-existing animation clips, and lights and shadows. Plus, there is an opportunity to work with the particle shader and discover how to add effects, such as smoke, fire and dust.
THE MAYA 7 BEGINNER'S GUIDE BUNDLE includes Maya 7 Personal Learning Edition software and is priced at $24.99. THE ALIAS MOTIONBUILDER BEGINNER'S GUIDE includes MotionBuilder 7 Personal Learning Edition software and is priced at $19.99. International pricing may vary.
Alias (www.alias.com) develops software for the film and video, games, web, interactive media, industrial design, automotive, architecture and visualization markets. Alias is headquartered in Toronto with a custom development center in Santa Barbara with offices worldwide. Autodesk Inc. (www.autodesk.com) recently acquired Alias.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
