Chapter 1

Introduction to Computer Graphics and 3D

This book will introduce you to the workings of 3D animation (called computer graphics [CG]) with one of the most popular programs on the market, the Autodesk® Maya® software. It will introduce you to many of the features and capabilities of Maya with the intent of energizing you to study further.

The best way to succeed at anything is to practice. Go through the exercises in this book (more than once if you care to), and also think of exercises and projects that can take you further in your learning process. A book, class, or video can take you only so far; the rest is up to you. Imagination and exploration will serve you well.

This is not to say you can’t be a casual visitor to working in CG—far ...

Get Introducing Autodesk Maya 2014: Autodesk Official Press now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.