Maya® Studio Projects: Game Environments and Props

Book description

Use Maya to create realistic environments and props for digital games

Weapons, vehicles, tools, buildings, trees, plants, walls, ceilings, and floors-these items may seem secondary to the game environment, but they are integral parts of the game and they all need to be created. Maya Studio Projects: Game Environments and Props is a step-by-step project guide to creating some of the most popular game art.

Author Michael McKinley shares techniques for getting the most out of Maya to create realistic, vivid, and compelling worlds and otherworldly props. Along the way, he provides notes and FYIs that give readers depth and breadth for bringing both reality and creativity to their game art. A bonus DVD features step-by-step videos to help drive home concepts.

  • The Studio Projects series offers projects that start from nothing, just as they do in the studio; these books provide you with a step-by-step guide to software attributes and tools that encompass multiple disciplines so that you can create a finished, renderable object

  • Many games have only a few characters, and multiple levels and environments, and hundreds of props-this book focuses on projects and techniques for creating everything but the character

  • Maya is the top 3D app for creating console and computer games such as: Rock Band, Gears of War, James Bond: Quantum of Solace, Fallout 3, and Far Cry 2

Learn effective Maya studio techniques with this handy, step-by-step, full-color book.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. Dear Reader,
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. About the Author
  5. Introduction
    1. 0.1. Who Should Buy This Book
      1. 0.1.1. What You Need
      2. 0.1.2. What's Inside
      3. 0.1.3. How to Contact the Author
  6. 1. Walls, Ceilings, and Floors
    1. 1.1. Understanding Backgrounds
    2. 1.2. Project: Creating a Brick Wall
      1. 1.2.1. Creating a Brick
      2. 1.2.2. Adding Nooks and Crannies
      3. 1.2.3. Laying Bricks
        1. 1.2.3.1. Adding Chance
        2. 1.2.3.2. You Can Never Get Enough Chance
      4. 1.2.4. Generating Texture Sources
        1. 1.2.4.1. Generating a Diffuse Source
        2. 1.2.4.2. Adding a Little Color
        3. 1.2.4.3. Generating a Normal Source
        4. 1.2.4.4. Using an Alternative Method: The Light Array
        5. 1.2.4.5. Generating an Ambient Occlusion
      5. 1.2.5. Creating the Final Textures
        1. 1.2.5.1. Adding Color Variation
        2. 1.2.5.2. Creating the Final Normal Map
        3. 1.2.5.3. Mixing Normals
        4. 1.2.5.4. Creating the Final Specular Map
    3. 1.3. Information Overload
  7. 2. Foliage
    1. 2.1. Understanding Foliage
    2. 2.2. Project: Creating Ivy
      1. 2.2.1. Adding Veins
      2. 2.2.2. Generating Texture Sources
      3. 2.2.3. Making Normal Map Adjustments
      4. 2.2.4. Creating an Opacity Map
        1. 2.2.4.1. Using an Alpha Channel
        2. 2.2.4.2. Differentiating Between 24 Bits/Pixel and 32 Bits/Pixel
      5. 2.2.5. Creating the Ivy Vine
      6. 2.2.6. Creating Ivy Textures
    3. 2.3. Project: Creating a Savannah Tree
      1. 2.3.1. Creating Secondary Branches
      2. 2.3.2. Creating Tertiary Branches
      3. 2.3.3. Creating Filler Leaves
      4. 2.3.4. Creating Stylized Bark
      5. 2.3.5. UV Mapping the Tree
    4. 2.4. The Illusion of Detail
  8. 3. Weapons
    1. 3.1. Understanding Weapons
    2. 3.2. Project: Creating and Animating a Western Revolver
      1. 3.2.1. Adding Details and Components
      2. 3.2.2. Creating the Barrel
      3. 3.2.3. Creating the Hammer
      4. 3.2.4. Creating the Grip
      5. 3.2.5. Creating the Trigger
      6. 3.2.6. Creating the Trigger Frame
      7. 3.2.7. Creating the Cylinder Frame
      8. 3.2.8. Adding Details
      9. 3.2.9. Creating the Low-Resolution Gun
        1. 3.2.9.1. Creating the Low-Resolution Barrel
        2. 3.2.9.2. Creating the Low-Resolution Cylinder
        3. 3.2.9.3. Finishing the Low-Resolution Details
      10. 3.2.10. UV Mapping the Geometry
      11. 3.2.11. Generating Texture Sources
      12. 3.2.12. Animating the Weapon
        1. 3.2.12.1. Binding to the Skeleton
        2. 3.2.12.2. Setting Keyframes
    3. 3.3. Moving Right Along
  9. 4. Vehicles
    1. 4.1. Understanding Vehicles
    2. 4.2. Project: Building a Dune Buggy
      1. 4.2.1. Creating the Wheels
      2. 4.2.2. Adding the Shock Absorbers
      3. 4.2.3. Creating the Hood
      4. 4.2.4. Creating the Axle and Steering Wheel
      5. 4.2.5. Creating the Side Panel
      6. 4.2.6. Creating the Base Undercarriage
      7. 4.2.7. Creating the Chairs
      8. 4.2.8. Creating the Headlights
      9. 4.2.9. Adding a Rear Spoiler
      10. 4.2.10. Creating the Engine
      11. 4.2.11. Filling in the Final Details
      12. 4.2.12. Creating the Low-Resolution Buggy
      13. 4.2.13. UV Mapping the Low-Resolution Mesh
    3. 4.3. Where to Go from Here?
  10. 5. Buildings
    1. 5.1. Understanding Buildings
    2. 5.2. Project: Building a Skyscraper
      1. 5.2.1. Creating Module 1: A Block of Windows
      2. 5.2.2. Creating Module 2: A Corner Column
      3. 5.2.3. Creating Module 3: A Smaller Window Block
      4. 5.2.4. Creating Module 4: A Roof Ledge
      5. 5.2.5. Creating Module 5: Large Corner Column
      6. 5.2.6. Creating Module 6: Corner Roof Ledge
      7. 5.2.7. Creating Module 7: The Roof
      8. 5.2.8. Creating Module 8: Support Strut
      9. 5.2.9. Creating Module 9: Round Roof Ledge
      10. 5.2.10. Creating Module 10: The Base
      11. 5.2.11. Creating the Low-Resolution Modules
        1. 5.2.11.1. UV Mapping the Low-Resolution Meshes
      12. 5.2.12. Texturing the Building
        1. 5.2.12.1. Texturing the Windows
    3. 5.3. Let's Light It Up
  11. 6. Illuminators
    1. 6.1. Understanding Illuminators
    2. 6.2. Project: Creating a Wall Sconce
      1. 6.2.1. Creating a Domed Cap
      2. 6.2.2. Attaching the Sconce to the Bracket
      3. 6.2.3. Adding Decorative Details
      4. 6.2.4. Creating the Low-Resolution Mesh
      5. 6.2.5. UV Mapping the Sconce
      6. 6.2.6. Baking Texture Sources
      7. 6.2.7. Creating the Final Textures
        1. 6.2.7.1. Creating the Specular Texture
        2. 6.2.7.2. Creating the Emissive Texture
    3. 6.3. In the Home Stretch!
  12. 7. Ambient Movement
    1. 7.1. Understanding Movers
    2. 7.2. Project: Creating an Industrial Fan
      1. 7.2.1. Creating a Base
      2. 7.2.2. Creating the Low-Resolution Model
      3. 7.2.3. Creating the UV Mapping
      4. 7.2.4. Completing the Model
      5. 7.2.5. Creating the Textures
      6. 7.2.6. Creating a Looping Animation
    3. 7.3. Not Just a Level
  13. 8. Putting It All Together
    1. 8.1. Project: Creating a Sci-Fi Prop
      1. 8.1.1. Connecting the Two Sides
      2. 8.1.2. Building the Mysterious Device
      3. 8.1.3. Adding Final Details
      4. 8.1.4. Creating the Low-Resolution Mesh
        1. 8.1.4.1. UV Mapping the Low-Res Mesh
      5. 8.1.5. Creating the Final Textures
      6. 8.1.6. Adding Geometry Glow Effects
      7. 8.1.7. Making It Move
    2. 8.2. Project Complete!
  14. 9. Pro Tips
    1. 9.1. Using Mudbox or ZBrush
    2. 9.2. Creating Level of Detail
    3. 9.3. Mipmapping
    4. 9.4. Using Multiple UV Channels
    5. 9.5. Creating Collision Meshes
    6. 9.6. Being Professional
    7. 9.7. Have Fun!
  15. A. Image Gallery
  16. B. About the Companion DVD
    1. B.1. What You'll Find on the DVD
    2. B.2. System Requirements
    3. B.3. Using the DVD
    4. B.4. Troubleshooting
    5. B.5. Customer Care

Product information

  • Title: Maya® Studio Projects: Game Environments and Props
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: March 2010
  • Publisher(s): Sybex
  • ISBN: 9780470524039