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
- Copyright
- Dear Reader,
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Introduction
- 1. Walls, Ceilings, and Floors
- 2. Foliage
-
3. Weapons
- 3.1. Understanding Weapons
-
3.2. Project: Creating and Animating a Western Revolver
- 3.2.1. Adding Details and Components
- 3.2.2. Creating the Barrel
- 3.2.3. Creating the Hammer
- 3.2.4. Creating the Grip
- 3.2.5. Creating the Trigger
- 3.2.6. Creating the Trigger Frame
- 3.2.7. Creating the Cylinder Frame
- 3.2.8. Adding Details
- 3.2.9. Creating the Low-Resolution Gun
- 3.2.10. UV Mapping the Geometry
- 3.2.11. Generating Texture Sources
- 3.2.12. Animating the Weapon
- 3.3. Moving Right Along
-
4. Vehicles
- 4.1. Understanding Vehicles
-
4.2. Project: Building a Dune Buggy
- 4.2.1. Creating the Wheels
- 4.2.2. Adding the Shock Absorbers
- 4.2.3. Creating the Hood
- 4.2.4. Creating the Axle and Steering Wheel
- 4.2.5. Creating the Side Panel
- 4.2.6. Creating the Base Undercarriage
- 4.2.7. Creating the Chairs
- 4.2.8. Creating the Headlights
- 4.2.9. Adding a Rear Spoiler
- 4.2.10. Creating the Engine
- 4.2.11. Filling in the Final Details
- 4.2.12. Creating the Low-Resolution Buggy
- 4.2.13. UV Mapping the Low-Resolution Mesh
- 4.3. Where to Go from Here?
-
5. Buildings
- 5.1. Understanding Buildings
-
5.2. Project: Building a Skyscraper
- 5.2.1. Creating Module 1: A Block of Windows
- 5.2.2. Creating Module 2: A Corner Column
- 5.2.3. Creating Module 3: A Smaller Window Block
- 5.2.4. Creating Module 4: A Roof Ledge
- 5.2.5. Creating Module 5: Large Corner Column
- 5.2.6. Creating Module 6: Corner Roof Ledge
- 5.2.7. Creating Module 7: The Roof
- 5.2.8. Creating Module 8: Support Strut
- 5.2.9. Creating Module 9: Round Roof Ledge
- 5.2.10. Creating Module 10: The Base
- 5.2.11. Creating the Low-Resolution Modules
- 5.2.12. Texturing the Building
- 5.3. Let's Light It Up
-
6. Illuminators
- 6.1. Understanding Illuminators
- 6.2. Project: Creating a Wall Sconce
- 6.3. In the Home Stretch!
- 7. Ambient Movement
- 8. Putting It All Together
- 9. Pro Tips
- A. Image Gallery
- B. About the Companion DVD
Product information
- Title: Maya® Studio Projects: Game Environments and Props
- Author(s):
- Release date: March 2010
- Publisher(s): Sybex
- ISBN: 9780470524039
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