Learning Maya?6 Foundation [With CD]

I come from the engineering/computer field into 3D animation. This was the second book that I read. It is great. But it is not for the beginner - if you have never done 3D animation before, you will need a more basic book to start with, for instance "3D for beginners" by Dariush Derakshani. Maya Foundations contains 5 large projects for you to complete. All is explained step-wise and is easy to follow. The book lets you touch upon most of Maya. It takes some time to complete, but you learn a lot and you will be able to make small animated films after having completed the book.

This book, and entire series for that matter, is great you will learn everything you need to know about Maya and 3D modeling/animation in this series. it is geared more towards the novice/intermediate 3D modeler/animator, but it is very helpful to have some understanding of 3D and Maya before trying this book, especially if you want quick results. This book takes you through the ins and outs of 3D but you don't start any projects right off the bat. i would recommend Maya® at a Glance - by George Maestri for the animator who has never done anything before, but this book will do the newbie a lot of good as well. it is part of the best series you can get to go from beginner to advanced in 3D animation (and i know... i have the whole series and close to 30 other books). I hope this review was helpful to you, and if you have any questions feel free to ask them.

An excellent first book to use with the free download of "Maya Personal Learning Edition" from the Alias site. This takes the beginning Maya user from learning the Maya 6 user interface through 5 projects of increasing complexity. An updated edition of "Learning Maya 5 Foundation", the only difference is the minor changes in the user interface.

I started at the very beginning of this book with no 3D experience at all, and unfamiliar with how to use Maya. By completing this book, I feel like a pro. Obviously in reality I still have a long way to learn studio effects, but this book makes you feel comfortable in the program and allows you to get used to the feel of all the tools. Great lessons, great description of 'why' you are doing things, and covers all aspects of 3D graphics, from modeling to rendering. With this book by your side, you'll land on your feet and start running w/Maya and the 3D World.