Maya?character Animation

Over the past three years, I've accumulated a modest library of over 30 books and DVDs on Maya and 3D. Only two have risen to the level of "essential:" Maya Character Animation and Jeremy Birn's [Digital] Lighting & Rendering. I had some background using Maya before I bought this book, so I can't speak to it's appropriateness to complete newcomers. But for people who have the basic fundamentals down and want to improve their knowledge, I don't believe there's a single volume that will be more effective than Maya Character Animation. Far too many training books and DVDs walk you through the steps for a particular project without spending enough time explaining what the actions your taking do. Jae-jin Choi explains every tool and command you're working with clearly before walking you through creating a character. It's easy to skip around, using the text as a reference, as well as reading it straight through. While aimed at people who are fairly new to Maya/3D, Choi includes more advanced techniques in an accessible way. If you spent a year with this book and no others, you'd like come out much better than sampling a dozen different training resources.

I have found this to be a remarkable book which has helped me take my skills to another level. That said, if you're starting out, you will probably be overwhelmed and frustrated for awhile. It's less of a how-to book and more of a "looking over the shoulder of an expert" book. He illustrates how he does things and it's pretty much up to you to experiment with the concepts/techniques and adopt them as you see fit. Thousands of pictures and full color - very beautiful book. It also extensively covers areas like rigging and deep paint, which are difficult subjects to find books about, as well as modeling and animation. But, if you're just starting out in 3D, hold off until you have a solid foundation and good basic skills.

Though this book is quite thick it doesnt have a lot of jargon. It is easy to go through and everything it tells you is of use. Its a very good choice for anyone who is interested in the 3D animation field.

If you're looking for something to introduce you Maya... this ain't it. It is however one of the most informative books I've found on building characters using NURBS and Subdiv modelling along with excellent sections on rigging and binding. The texturing section could use a little extra work, but for what this book does that's just niggling. Readers should be warned that the author's native tongue is probably not english, so there will be occasional phrasing that may read oddly. Great book for intermediate and advanced Maya users. Definitely not for the newbie.