Maya is famed for its intuitive interface, and yet this high-end 3D application is so powerful that no one masters it without help. Maya 4.5 Savvy is an update to the successful Mastering Maya 3 and provides precisely the help you need to take your skills to the next level, regardless of your field and how much or little you already know. Maya 4.5 Savvy is the first of Sybex's authorized, Alias|Wavefront Approved titles.

Read this book cover to cover or use it as a reference, dipping in wherever you need information on specific modeling, animation, and rendering tools or tasks. Everywhere you turn, you'll find expert advice on the latest Maya features, time-saving shortcuts, and advanced techniques, along with Hands On tutorials that give you the practice you need to achieve results worthy of the real world. Coverage includes:

Maya Fundamentals: interface basics, workflow improvement techniques, features new to 4.5.
Modeling: modeling basics, NURBS, polygons and subdivision surfaces, Artisan techniques, organic modeling.
Animation: paths and bones, deformers, binding, the Trax Editor, rigid body dynamics.
Rendering: rendering basics, shading and texturing, lighting, special light effects.
Advanced Tools and Techniques: Paint Effects, MEL scripting, particle basics, particle rendering, particle expressions, ramps and volumes, soft body dynamics, Fluid Effects.