The Art of Maya: An Introduction to 3D Computer Graphics [With CDROM]

I think some readers may be confused by the title, "The Art of Maya." This is not a coffe tale book showing some art made by Maya users. The title is a play on Sun Tzu's book, "The Art of War." That is exactly what this book is, it is a soup to nuts explaination of the "art" of using Maya. This is a beginer's book that goes into great detail about the concepts of using Maya. Many newbies might prefer to just by advanced books and learn all the WOW tricks that Maya has to offer. Of course then those users don't know why they went through the process they did to create a stunning image, and are left without any creative energy. This makes this book a MUST HAVE for beginers and intermediate users. Every bit of the under lying logic in how Maya works is explained. This is also a good "reading" book too. The problem with other Maya books that have projects is that you can not sit down and read them without being in front of your computer to do the projects. With "The Art of Maya," you can set it next to your nightstand and just read a chapter or two before bedtime; you can learn things without having to sit in front of the box.

It's a very good book if you knew how to use Maya. It is a very good visual reference that shows the average scope of Maya as a CG tool. It doesn't go through fine details or tutorials, but that is not the purpose of the book anyway. I like to have this book when I am about to start a project or when I forget some basic commands of the tools it self. It's sort of a main guide for when you get a little lost inside Maya features, or when you have a new idea and kind of looking for a better way to start your project. The book inspires your mind by visually showing many possible ideas related to the commands and features of Maya. It also helps when you get too deep in the waters and you don't know where you are going anymore but all your valves and instruments are working ... then you resurface in order to see in which direction you were heading and what is the direction you want to go without loosing too much time researching... A must have in your library this was my 12th book of Maya in my shelf and well worthy.

This book is excellent explaining all the concepts of the 3D world. And it explains all the interface, metodology and use of Maya in various projects. It's beautiful, is very informative, and you'll know every important detail about Maya and 3D in general.

First off, this book has very little to no procedures, step-by-step lessons, etc. I found this book to be great to be used in conjunction with a foundation book to learn Maya, or other 3D Software. The book is filled with little tidbits of information that you would not get unless you were immersed in the world and business of 3D animation/modeling/rendering, or had been using Maya for a while. A good is example is how the book almost immediatley begins with the general workflow, how things work in big production houses, and what programs are usually used for different steps of the animation process. I have found this book to be invaluable in furthering my knowledge of 3D animation and Maya, but I stress that it must be used hand in hand with a book such as Maya Foundation if you are starting from the very beginning. This is worth every penny.

First off, if you have the second edition, there probably isn't enough new in the third edition to require the purchase. Noteable additions include features from Maya Unlimited, more on effects, mental ray, and longer production notes (industry profiles) section. The physical size has also been reduced, so it's less of a coffee table book and more of a practical reference book. For those considering this book for the first time... "This book is designed to give you a conceptual understanding of how Maya works" as stated on page 5. In this capacity, the book succeeds. If you're looking for a how to book or projects to work though, this isn't the book for you. If you're looking for an introduction to 3D in general, then read on... The book gives a firm foundation to begin understanding 3D with Maya, but most of the concepts presented are applicable to every major 3D modeling/animation program. It helps if you have at least played with Maya, but it is not required. It provides a good overview of modeling, texturing, rendering, effects, and animation. The entire book is packed with sample images and screen shots, which greatly clarify the concepts in the text. It is also full color throughout (which makes the price here exceptional). In all, a great introduction to 3D concepts and terminology.