| Maya is a software program for producing images and animations based on what the user has created in the virtual 3D workspace, lit with its virtual lights, and photographed from its virtual cameras. Maya is offered in two versions for animators: the basic Maya Complete version and the enhanced Maya Unlimited version, which adds several major features outlined later in this introduction. Maya runs on normal PC-type Windows 2000/XP computers as well as Linux, SGI's IRIX, and Macintosh OS X. With Maya, you can create images that border on photo-real by creating bitmap images such as those a digital camera produces. Maya's world is virtual, however; you create each light, camera, object, and material yourself, starting with an empty black void. Any parameter can be set to change over time, creating animation when you render many images in sequence: The camera can move and rotate, textures can change from chrome to wood, objects can fly apart or assemble, and much, much more. The possibilities truly challenge the imagination. Here are some popular uses for Maya: Cartoons and movies The most well-known use for Maya is 3D cartoon-style animation, as in Shrek, Ice Age, and Monsters Inc. Another movie-related application is creating photo-realistic elements combined with film or video to create a special effect that would otherwise be impossible, expensive, or dangerous, such as explosions, background sets, spacecraft fly-bys, and so forth. With the film Final Fantasy (created by Square USA, primarily using Maya), a new use has emerged the completely synthetic but utterly realistic feature film. Computer games As home computers have become more powerful, with 3D accelerated video cards commonly included, game developers have relied more on 3D applications such as Maya to create game entities. Earlier games used 3D software only for static backdrops and movies shown between game levels. Most modern computer games are of the real-time immersive 3D variety, and the objects and textures experienced in the game engine are prepared in a 3D application such as Maya. In fact, a reduced Maya version known as Maya Builder is offered to game developers for this function. Advertising TV commercials and network ID spots are punctuated by frequent use of 3D animation. The earliest uses were for show titles and announcements, such as The ABC Monday Night Movie, with big beveled chrome letters flying through the air. The series of commercials featuring the flying Listerine bottle also broke ground for 3D animation on television. Computer graphics are ideal for advertisers because they can capture viewers' attention with compelling imagery that's unlike any earthly scene. Promos Maya can be used in promos for flashy effects, such as graphics to play on stadium scoreboards, to start a large meeting in an upbeat manner, or to produce a dazzling logo treatment for a company's presentations. Architectural animation Typically, this use is for sales or zoning purposes to a small audience. A virtual version of a proposed design is created as a large poster or a fly-through animation on videotape. Forensic animation Animations are sometimes used in lawsuits when a sequence of events needs to be played out for the jury, usually for accident re-creations or technical explanations. Industrial design This use is similar to architectural animation, in that a design is being considered for a product to be mass-produced; Maya's virtual method is a much faster, cheaper way to review a design than building prototypes. Industrial design encompasses anything sculpted and mass-produced cars, boats, perfume bottles, blenders. A|W's Studio Tools software focuses more on this use of computer-based 3D design, but some people prefer using Maya for this task. Industrial animation This catch-all phrase includes work requested by people giving business presentations animated graphs, metaphorical explanations, "eye candy" visuals, and so on.
Maya is the pre-eminent off-the-shelf 3D animation software. It finds use in nearly every major effects film and has a large market share in the preceding list of uses. Many consider it the best overall 3D animation program, despite a comparatively difficult learning curve. Maya's primary competitors are currently Lightwave, SoftImage XSI, and 3ds max, which all fall in the $2,000 to $7,000 range. The under-$1,000 3D programs include trueSpace, Inspire 3D, Cinema 4D, Bryce, and Animation Master. Most of these programs work on the PC platform, and many have versions for other operating systems, such as Macintosh. Comparisons are difficult, but in general, the best 3D programs enable more complex animation and offer more ease of use and automation when creating complex objects or animation. |
