Learning Maya 5: Rendering

Amazon.com

There's much more to rendering your final 3D image than hitting the "Render" button, especially in an application as deep as Maya. With options for everything from the color of shadows cast by lights to the size of the backplane on the virtual camera, tweaking the settings prior to final output can be daunting. In Learning Maya 5: Rendering, nearly everything that has to do with textures, shaders, lighting, camera attributes, output settings, compositing, and more is explored and explained.

The initial chapters cover materials, shaders, and textures--the attributes most responsible for the look of an object. The authors begin with an explanation of how Maya's shading networks work, followed by discussions of the wide assortment of materials available, including multi-layered shaders (shaders composed of more than one material). Far from just a theoretical discussion, each page and chapter is filled with screenshots, definitions, and step-by-step tutorials designed to immediately expand your knowledge of how Maya works.

Placing a specific decal (like a logo) on a specific place of a model is perhaps the most difficult task modelers face, but after working through the tutorials in chapter 2 (some 45 pages worth) even this becomes easy. The authors go one step further by texturing a model with not just a single file, but a multilayered texture consisting of several files, as well as using texture files for displacement mapping on difficult-to-model objects (tire treads, in this case). Subsequent chapters discuss various types of lighting, camera attributes, shadow manipulation, compositing, and other important render output settings often overlooked by the untrained eye.

Part of the "Learning Maya" series from Sybex, the official publisher for Alias|Wavefront, Learning Maya 5: Rendering includes a CD containing all project and texture files, and a DVD that introduces some of the features new to Maya 5. This is a valuable series for any Maya artist. --Mike Caputo

Book Description

"The Rendering book does something every book should do--certainly every excellent book--it offers you content unavailable anywhere else."
--3DNY.org

Learning Maya 5: Rendering is your solution to creating stunning images in Maya.

New for Maya 5!

Updated from the popular Learning Maya: Rendering, this book will teach you what you need to know when using the Maya rendering engine and mental ray for Maya. You'll learn to take advantage of options new in Maya 5, such as Hardware and Vector Rendering. Get the information you need to master Caustics and Global Illumination, Final Gather and HDRI. Learning Maya 5: Rendering includes an inspiring photo gallery of images rendered in Maya and mental ray(r) for Maya so you can see the types of results you'll learn to achieve.

Features:
This book will allow you to explore lighting, cameras, shading networks, and other rendering issues from an introductory level and will also allow you to explore advanced concepts in a comfortable format. Each topic is explored in both theory and practice so that you'll not only understand the concepts presented, you'll be able to complete easy-to-follow step-by-step tutorials. In addition, you'll take advantage of valuable chapter-by-chapter overviews provided in QuickTime(r) format on DVD-ROM. Offered by one of the book's contributors, Cathy McGinnis, an Alias|Wavefront(TM) Certified Instructor, these helpful movies will allow you to gain additional insight as you work through the book.

With this books you will:
* Create materials and textures.
* Set up lights and cameras.
* Work with shadows and raytracing.
* Learn to control your renders.
* Understand rendering for special effects and compositing.
* Explore Hardware Rendering and vector Rendering.
* Create Caustics and Global Illumination effects.
* Understand Final Gather and HDRI techniques.
* Create Maya and mental ray Shaders.

And much more...

Customer Reviews:

Great cook book.......2004-06-20

This book is great if you want tutorials without clear explanation. It is more of an instruction manuel on how to reproduce a scene than teaching how create and think on your own. The problem with this approach is you finish a tutorial, pat yourself on the back for making something, but later realize that you did not fully understand what you did. If you are an expert in lighting with other programs, but need to transition over to Maya, then this is a great book for explaining how the tools work. If you are new to lighting or rendering this is not the best book for you, but it is okay for reference.
The DVD is a waste. Mainly because all the screen shots of the computer screen are out of focus. Not a bad book, but not great either.

Great Book!.......2004-05-04

I must say I did enjoy this book. Anytime I read a book from front to back, I know I am getting good and interesting information. Rendering lights, materials, textures and cameras is one of the most crucial techniques that you can learn. It can pretty much make or break a piece of work. This book definitly prepares you. If you can get your hands on the Alias Rendering DVD then you really have a great combination.

Excellent for learning more about Maya's new features!.......2003-12-30

I found this book to be very helpful in learning new techniques for rendering in Maya. With Maya's new rendering options such as the vector render and Mental Ray, it is easy to get lost in the maze of features. I am just learning Maya and I loved this book. I don't know that much and the book was easy to follow with scene files to help out along the way. I highly recommend to anyone wanting learn more about rendering in Maya.

Book Description

A thoroughly entertaining explanation of how modern high finance benefits everybody. Is modern global finance, with its rarefied financial instruments, its ability to shuttle billions of dollars back and forth across the globe with the click of a mouse, and its philosophy of unrestrained free market economy, good for the economy-the real economy that most of us rely upon for our livelihoods? According to the authors of this highly entertaining book, the answer is a resounding "Yes!" Using the device of three amusing parables, the authors bring this complex and hotly debated issue down to earth for business and financial professionals.

In a narrative packed with pithy anecdotes taken from literature, history, and the
financial press, they explain how the markets effectively insulate business from financial risk, thus freeing entrepreneurs to concentrate their talents on building the real economy. Fascinating and instructive case studies, including Laker Airbus, Long-Term Capital Management, and Barings.

Customer Reviews:

A pure gem!.......2001-11-07

I agree with the cigargirl. This a beautiful book with a true spirit. I had never seen finance explained like this. From Cornwall to Geronimo through the Red Sea an incredible "voyage" through the mysteries of modern finance. A must read for anybody wanting to grasp what finance is truly about. Time and money well spent.

A waste of time and money.......2001-10-26

Didn't learn much and got bored by the lengthy parables.
Readers who want to explore the role of financial risk management in our society should buy "Against the Gods" by Peter L. Bernstein instead. Unlike "The Fisherman...", "Against the Gods" is extremely well written, informative and fun to read.

time well spent..........2001-01-05

Whether you're a student of the game or just a bystander, this is a book that explains the mirages, bubbles, "irrational exhuberance", and crashes of the financial markets. As a trader, I especially love the emphasis on risk management. This book also weaves an clear picture of just how deeply interwoven this *new* international financial scene is. The parables are both beautifully written and deeply informative...great brain food!

Book Description

Today's Paralegal CNN Legal Issues Video is a valuable learning and teaching aid that provides an introduction to the legal environment, its foundations and its applications in our society. This dynamic video is an introduction to substantive legal areas and our system of government. This narrated film is accompanied by actual CNN footage depicting actual court cases, legal professionals at work and law in the news. Written by an experienced attorney and educator, this video is a must-have addition to any legal studies or paralegal curriculum.

Average customer rating:
Moving the earth, for a song
M. Wilson Gaillard
Manufacturer: John Knox Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Hunting & Fishing | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books | Fishing | General & Anthologies | Hunting | Shooting
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ASIN: B0006BWHYU

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MOVING THE EARTH---FOR A SONG
M. Wilson Gaillard
Manufacturer: John Knox Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000Q5QUXA

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A Natural History of New York City, A Personal Report After Fifty Years of Study & Enjoyment of Wildlife Within the Boundaries of Greater New York
John, Illustrated by Kane, Henry B. Kieran
Manufacturer: Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1959
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O3PQZC

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A Natural History of New York City, a Personal Report After Fifty Years of Study & Enjoyment of Wildlife Within the Boundaries of Greater New York. Illustrated By Henry Bugbee Kane
John Kieran
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JUO9O4

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A natural history of New York City,: A personal report after fifty years of study & enjoyment of wildlife within the boundaries of Greater New York
John Kieran
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
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Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0006AVYK4

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A Natural History of New York City. A Personal Report After Fifty Years of Study & Enjoyment of Wildlife Within the Boundaries of Greater New York.
John. KIERAN
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OFVHXK

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A Natural History of New York City: A Personal Report After Fifty Years of Study & Enjoyment of Wildlife Within the Boundaries of Greater New York
John Kieran
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Co.
ProductGroup: Book
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ASIN: B000LNB1YU

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A Natural History of New York City: A Personal Report after Fifty Years of Study & Enjoyment of Wildlife within the Boundaries of Greater New York

Manufacturer: Boston: Houghton, Mifflin
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Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000CSIN5Y

Book Description

The aim of this book is to develop an integrated and balanced picture of today's knowledge of the continental crust. In this context, geophysical arguments dominate throughout the book; whenever possible, the geophysical parameters are related to geological knowledge and reasoning. Relatively little space is given to detailed mathematical expositions and then only to those topics for which it seemed to be unavoidable.

THE CONTINENTAL CRUST A Geophysical Approach Volume 34 in International Geophysics Series

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THE CONTINENTAL CRUST A Geophysical Approach Volume 34 in International Geophysics Series
Rolf MEISSNER
Manufacturer: Academic Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OHY6G8

Continental Crust, Volume 34: A Geophysical Approach (international Geophysics)

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Continental Crust, Volume 34: A Geophysical Approach (international Geophysics)
Rolf Meissner
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OHS7KO

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A really great physics text

A decent intro physics book

An excellent book for study.

Horrible Physics Book

Great summaries

Sears and Zemansky's University Physics (10th Edition)
Hugh D. Young , Roger A. Freedman , T. R. Sandin , and A. Lewis Ford
Manufacturer: Addison Wesley Publishing Company
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Binding: Hardcover

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Customer Reviews:

A really great physics text.......2006-02-15

This book is several tiers above in quality what I was forced to deal with as a textbook when I took Freshman Engineering Physics years ago. So when my long-frazzled freshman physics volume finally gave up the ghost, I replaced it with this 10th edition of University Physics. This is how all scientific textbooks should be written. In this book, all concepts are clearly described, there are plenty of instructive figures, and most of all, lots of detailed examples and solved problems. I am specifically recommending the 10th edition, rather than the eleventh edition which is called "University Physics with Modern Physics" by Young et al. That is because with the exception of the modern physics section, the two books are virtually identical. I don't know why authors do this to students. Just as a volume gets affordable they make a minor change and foist a triple-digit price tag upon the poor students, which is largely unaffordable to many undergraduates. In fact this text actually deletes some material from the classical physics section in the 11th edition! So, unless you MUST have this book because you are taking a class and there is no other way around it, or you are interested in the greatly expanded (and very good) modern physics of the 11th edition, save yourself some major bucks and buy this edition used. To prove to you that this out-of-print volume has virtually the same classical physics content as the 11th edition, I present to you the 10th edition's table of contents:
MECHANICS.
1. Units, Physical Quantities, and Vectors.
2. Motion Along a Straight Line.
3. Motion in Two or Three Dimensions.
4. Newton's Laws of Motion.
5. Applications of Newton's Laws.
6. Work and Kinetic Energy.
7. Potential Energy and Energy Conservation.
8. Momentum, Impulse, and Collisions.
9. Rotation of Rigid Bodies.
10. Dynamics of Rotational Motion.
11. Equilibrium and Elasticity.
12. Gravitation.
13. Periodic Motion.
14. Fluid Mechanics.
THERMODYNAMICS.
15. Temperature and Heat.
16. Thermal Properties of Matter.
17. The First Law of Thermodynamics.
18. The Second Law of Thermodynamics.
WAVES/ACOUSTICS.
19. Mechanical Waves.
20. Wave Interference and Normal Modes.
21. Sound and Hearing.
ELECTROMAGNETISM.
22. Electric Charge and Electric Field.
23. Gauss's Law.
24. Electric Potential.
25. Capacitance and Dielectrics.
26. Current, Resistance, and Electromotive Force.
27. Direct-Current Circuits.
28. Magnetic Field and Magnetic Forces.
29. Sources of Magnetic Field.
30. Electromagnetic Induction.
31. Inductance.
32. Alternating Current.
33. Electromagnetic Waves.
OPTICS.
34. The Nature and Propagation of Light.
35. Geometric Optics.
36. Optical Instruments.
37. Interference.
38. Diffraction.
MODERN PHYSICS.
39. Relativity.
Appendices.
Answers to Odd-Numbered Problems.
Credits.
Index.
To be fair these are the extra chapters that you get if you buy the 11th edition:
38. Quantum Physics I: Photons, Electrons, and Atoms.
39. Quantum Physics II: The Wave Nature of Particles.
40. Quantum Physics III: Quantum Mechanics.
41. Atomic Structure.
42. Molecules and Condensed Matter.
43. Nuclear Physics.
44. Particle Physics and Cosmology.
Plus, there is some web-enabled stuff you get with the 11th edition, but I don't think it is worth the huge price tag!

A decent intro physics book.......2004-02-05

I think this is a very good introductory physics book. Most of the time, students who give bad reviews to this kind of book just do not know how to study themselves. If you keep asking for solutions manual, all you are saying is that you just want to regurgitate what somebody else has done before...sorry, but science or engineering doesn't work that way. You have to actually use your brain to think VERY CAREFULLY about what you are doing --- learning how to do THAT is probably the only thing you would get out of studying science. You'll forget formulae and examples anyways. When I used the book as a TA, I mostly heard that "I get more out of reading the text than attending lectures." I guess it says something about the faculty quality of my school, but then, I think the topics are very carefully presented, not much of leap of reasoning is necessary, etc. I sometimes felt the wording of the end-of-chapter problems can be a bit confusing, though.

Also, compared to some other intro calculus based physics book (such as Holliday & Resnick), the book feels a bit less rigorous, which may actually be good --- I don't know why that is, but it might be related to the fact that the the school where the auther appears to teach has a reputation for very low quality undergraduates. But if that helped to make this textbook even better, that's a good thing. For budding engineers and others who need calc based intro physics, I think the book is excellent. For physicists, I might go with a more rigorous book.

An excellent book for study........2003-08-30

I find this book to be very good at explaining the concepts of physics. In addition to clearly presenting principles and derivations of those principles, it also clearly addresses issues that are difficult for students to understand. There are numerous examples of how to apply the principles to problems. Some examples are traditional problems that have been around as long as anyone can recall, others are new. This is not to be considered an easy book, nor is the study of physics easy. You must really work to understand the material. To this end there are problems whose solution is not included in the text; the reason is to avoid the plug-and-chug attitude that many people have about physics - that memorizing formulas and techniques are all that are necessary to understand physics. As someone who has been teaching physics for more than 20 years I can tell you that this book is good for both the student and the instructor.

Horrible Physics Book.......2003-07-22

This is the worst textbook I have ever read. The book does not prepare you to do a lot of the problems at the end of each chapter. There are some problems that take hours to complete, even though they should really only take a few minutes, simply because the book does not prepare you for certain types of problems. A word of advice to the authors: stay in the lab, stick to research, because you obviously have no idea how to educate students.

Great summaries.......2003-04-02

The text is a bit confusing, but reading the figures and summaries helps a lot. Some of the problems aren't covered in the book, so you're going to have to get some help for the harder problems

Sears and Zemansky's University Physics 10th edition (Study Guide, Chapters 1-21)

Average customer rating:

Sears and Zemansky's University Physics 10th edition (Study Guide, Chapters 1-21)
Hugh D. Young , and Roger A. Freedman
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley
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Binding: Paperback

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Why not give it a try? It's more fun than you think....

Absolute Dreck

the story of my life...

reminds me of....

Why Not?

Emily's Reasons Why Not: A Novel
Carrie Gerlach
Manufacturer: William Morrow
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Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Though her (biological) clock is furiously ticking away, entertainment publicity pro extraordinaire Emily Sanders didn't hear the starting bell. Hitting thirty and watching her best friends settle down, she too wants to have the life that once upon a time ... wished upon a star ... she dreamed she'd have: the house, the kids, the perfect man. But in L.A., where image is everything, "where every beauty pageant winner is an eight in a sea of nines all wishing they were Julia Roberts," finding true love isn't easy. Especially when boyfriend material includes a beautiful young surfer god, an aging music executive, the boss's boss's boss, and a baseball player with two cell phones (one of which Emily doesn't have the number to).

With her confidence heading due south like everything else on her body, Emily turns to a smart, sharp-eyed psychotherapist who helps her get past the "flutter, flutter," her old time-tested method for picking the wrong guy. Soon she finds herself able to spot "the reasons," the previously invisible flags of a destined-to-fail relationship, and narrow her focus to stop looking for Mr. Right and learn how to start looking out for Mr. Wrong.

Emily's Reasons Why Not is for everyone who has ever wasted her time chasing down the wrong guy for the right reasons, wondering "why" and "when is it going to happen for me?" With the edge of an insider, but the heart of a dreamer, the disarming and unflappable Emily meshes her views on the entertainment industry she works in, the men she's dated, the therapy sessions she mulled over, and "the one" she knows is out there for every woman ... including herself.

Customer Reviews:

Why not give it a try? It's more fun than you think...........2007-03-16

While the novel titled "Emily's Reasons Why Not" will never win any awards for being exceptional literature, it still has a quirky charm that is very appealing. Give it a try, and you might like it better than you thought you would.

This novel is about a young, reasonably attractive and moderately successful woman looking for love in an image obsessed Hollywood world. Unfortunately, the L.A. singles market is just a little too saturated with self-centered wannabes, with very little quality in a sea of too much quantity. After being urged by her shrink to create a list of "Top 10" reasons why past relationships didn't work out, Emily begins to learn that while searching for Mr. Right, it might be a little difficult to avoid past mistakes.

Granted, this novel lacks a little in depth, but what it lacks for depth it often makes up in style. The main characters can, at times, be a little one-dimensional, due to the fact that they are based on stereotypes, but I still maintain that there is a lot of fun to be had with this book. Stereotypical characters lacking any real depth aside, the story and idea are more fun that it looks. Can any one of us make a great list of reasons why our failed relationships didn't work out -- and actually avoid making the same mistakes? No! We're all human, and so is Emily. She ends up doing a lot of soul searching, while really only having a lasting commitment with her faithful dog (which is actually a heart-warming relationship -- probably the only real one in the whole book). However, in the end Emily continues on down the twisted road of life and love, as we all must do.

Unfortunately, this novel was the basis for a sitcom starring Heather Graham that failed miserably in the worst way possible. Despite being heavily hyped prior to it's debut, the show was cancelled after one episode! I'm not sure if it was possibly a scheduling or contract conflict , or the absolutely abysmal ratings it's first episode received (here's a hint -- it's the latter), but in the end I think the only damage the failed show did was to the merit of it's predecessor -- the book!

I'm not going to lie, this won't be the best novel you've read -- but it's still charming in it's own way, and a great fun bit of chick lit.

Absolute Dreck.......2006-05-12

I love well-written chick lit books by the likes of Sophie Kinsella and Emily Giffin. I found Emily's Reasons in the bargain bin at Target and picked it up. The lack of even ONE positive review on the cover or inside the book should have been a tip off (the only endorsement is a lukewarm quote from Brittany Murphy), but I purchased it anyway. As another reviewer noted, the character is unlikable, and the book is so poorly written and edited that it is rendered unreadable. If the TV show was as bad as the book, it's no wonder it was cancelled after one ep. The bigger mystery is who was dumb enough to option this tome as a TV series . . .

the story of my life..........2006-04-30

This was a very funny, smart look at single 20-30 somethings life with a sort of odd ending... Too bad really about the ending, because the rest of it keeps you laughing and nodding for hours!

reminds me of...........2006-04-03

i loved this book!!it reminded me so much of sex and the city! the way she talks and everything. i read this book in one day, couldnt put it down! If you love sex and the city..this book is for you!

Why Not?.......2006-03-07

This was an amusing, fun easy read. I read it in two days while I was on vacation and laying by the pool. It's not an advice book, it's fiction. I thought Emily was quick witted and funny. Great book!

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