| Having glimpsed all the Maya animation steps in the preceding chapter, we'll explore each major task in detail in the upcoming chapters: modeling, materials, lighting, animation, and rendering. We'll start at the beginning, with modeling. Modeling fundamentals are the basis for everything you create in Maya. Whether you're creating an entire world, a character, or a simple project, the first step is to sculpt in virtual space each of the objects that appear in your project. In 3D computer graphics, modeling is defined as the process of creating object surfaces. Also, you begin working with Maya in a more professional manner in this chapter, with the Hotbox, hotkeys, and custom-built marking menus. Unlike many hobbyist-oriented 3D programs, Maya does not come fully preconfigured. Professional Maya users rely on the Hotbox and usually configure their own hotkeys in addition to those supplied with Maya. Marking menus are a special Maya innovation that greatly speed your work. To guide the way, this book includes a set of marking menus like the ones professionals create. In Chapter 15, "Your Next Steps: Efficiency and Artistry," we'll show you how to build your own marking menus . Here are some of the concepts and techniques covered in this chapter: -
Installing presets See how to load a set of customizations for Maya's marking menus, hotkeys, and other preferences. -
The Hotbox and hotkeys Learn to use Maya's Hotbox, along with the hotkeys and marking menus we supply, to increase your efficiency. -
NURBS modeling basics Learn to construct 3D models from primitive objects, such as spheres and cubes, and learn to manipulate the parts of those objects. -
Choosing a modeling technique Compare the strengths and weaknesses of different modeling techniques to decide which method will give you the effect you want. -
Putting it together Walk step by step through this chapter's tutorial ” creating the basics of an old house ”to see how all these skills come together. This chapter helps you understand the basics of NURBS modeling techniques in Maya and gives you some guidelines for the approach you should take with different types of objects. By understanding the principles of NURBS modeling, you can create lighter and more efficient models that are easier to manipulate and faster to render. Maya offers so many features and capabilities with NURBS modeling that you will never get bored! Key Terms node The basic building block of Maya, it's a place to store information and related actions. A simple object might be made up of its creation, or "shape," node, and its transform is a different but connected node. The variables set in a node are called attributes , and a node's attributes can be connected to other nodes to create a network, or web, of nodes. When you work with Maya, behind the scenes it is creating, connecting, evaluating, and eliminating nodes. NURBS Non-Uniform Rational Basis Splines, the term for modeling 2D or 3D shapes with curves. spline A curved line with its curvature dictated by control points. surface direction A NURBS surface always has a top side and a bottom side that give you the surface direction, defined in U and V coordinates. Similarly, curves have a direction. Trouble can occur when the direction is flipped from what you expect. normal, surface normal Because objects are made up of surfaces that are always infinitely thin sheets, one side is defined as "out" and the flip side is defined as "in." The "out" side is where the surface normal points out. Think of a surface normal as a ray that emanates perpendicularly from its surface. | Hotkeys to Memorize spacebar hold Hotbox up arrow selects the entire group when a group member has been selected (the group node is the parent of all the member nodes, and the up arrow is used to pick the parent) z undo F8 toggle Component mode or Object mode F9 NURBS component editing: CVs x snap to grid w move e rotate r scale Ctrl+z open the NURBS Primitives marking menu (a custom one created for this chapter) |  |
